Venom: The Last Dance worked its magic on the comic book market as the Black Suit Saga took center stage on eBay.
For those new to the blog, the Hottest Comics rank the most popular comics on eBay. Instead of focusing on the issues making leaps and bounds in fair market value, the focus here is all about the sales. No matter the price tags, these are the biggest movers and shakers in terms of sales volume. Below you will find the comics that have gained the most positions in the last 10, 30, 60, 90, and 180 days.
10 DAYS
30. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252 (+57)
Since Marvel and DC Studios have limited their theatrical releases this year, superhero movies are beginning to feel more like an event again. Indeed, seeing Knull debut on the silver screen has many comic book fans lining up for Venom: The Last Dance. While critics may be less than impressed with Sony's latest Venom-verse entry, audiences seem to be enjoying the flick. Put it all together, and it has collectors keeping tabs on all those Venom keys, beginning with ASM #252.
This isn't directly a Venom key, per se; it's more like the prelude to what would become Venom. This is the first of the Black Suit Saga, one of the most popular Spider-Man storylines ever written. Pre-dating the suit's origin in Secret Wars #8, the Marvel faithful got their first glimpse of Spidey's black costume in ASM #252 back in 1984. Over the course of the next three years, the suit would be revealed as a sentient alien entity. Once Peter Parker rid himself of the symbiote, it bonded with Eddie Brock, and a legend was born.
The Venom we've seen in movies has been far from what Todd McFarlane and David Michelinie co-created, but fear not, symbiote purists. Reportedly, Seth Rogen is still working on an R-rated Venom animated film. While Rogen's acting career is known for his comedic chops, his comic adaptations have been overall faithful to the source material. Afterall, he has been a driving force behind Preacher, Invincible, The Boys, and the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Mutant Mayhem. Plus, Sony's animated Spider-Verse track record is much more positive than its live-action entries.
30 DAYS
That Thunderbolts trailer left its mark on the secondary market. While the team's first appearance in Hulk #449 didn't make significant waves in the 10-day category, it's been on fire for the past 30 days. And so begins the movie hype, which truly kicks off whenever the initial footage hits the internet.
This issue has been a popular addition to any long box since the first hints of an MCU Thunderbolts team-up came at the conclusion of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. When Contessa recruited John Walker (aka, U.S. Agent) to her cause, collectors and investors immediately took to eBay for those Thunderbolts keys. As per usual, the first order of business was getting their hands on a pristine copy of the first appearance.
Of course, the original incarnation was much different from what we will see in movie theaters. Similar to Dark Avengers, which would come a few years later, the Thunderbolts were a team of villains masquerading as heroes. Their first target: the Hulk. Decades later, the group became less villains and more anti-heroes with bad attitudes. That seems to be what Marvel Studios is aiming for, judging by the trailer.
Hulk #449 will continue to hover in the top-50 Hottest Comics for weeks to come. As always, the closer we get to the theatrical release date, the more popular this key will become.
60 DAYS
37. THE BATMAN ADVENTURES #12 (+52)
There's no way around it: Joker: Folie a Deux is a massive box office flop. For all the admiration bestowed upon Joker, both the critics and audiences agree on the sequel being quite the disappointment. In fact, Warner Bros. Discovery is already moving it out of theaters and onto streaming in the near future. However, the negative reception has not been enough to slow sales for Harley Quinn's first appearance.
For the past two months, TBA #12 has been climbing the ranks, and it's managed to jump from 89th to an impressive 37th. While it's no stranger to the Hottest Comics, a bad movie can do damage to a key's market appeal. When you're dealing with a character as popular as Harley Quinn, it will take more than the Joker sequel to send it outside the top-100 best sellers. Much of this comes from the DCU. We may not see Lady Gaga in the role again, but there's no question Harley has a bright future in James Gunn's cinematic universe. The moment we see her in full costume once again, TBA #12 will be a rocket through the Hottest Comics.
The big question that remains is, who will play Harley? Fans loved Margot Robbie's interpretation, but Gunn could be looking to recast the role for a new cinematic era. As soon as Gunn confirms not only when we will see Harley again but who will play her, that will add more appeal to this comic.
90 DAYS
58. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #41 (+38)
Between all the fanfare for Deadpool & Wolverine, Venom: The Last Dance, and Captain America: Brave New World, that Red Band trailer for Kraven the Hunter might as well be ancient history. Yet, here we see a direct result of the upcoming movie despite there being no new footage in months.
When the first trailer reached the masses, one of the most talked about elements was Rhino. The classic Spidey villain has been featured in numerous cartoons and video games, but he's only once made it to the big screen. Even then, he was only seen in his full form for a moment. In hindsight, that was likely a blessing, considering the negative reception for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Honestly, the CGI rhino mech suit didn't impress, which was a real disappointment for the character's fans.
Despite Sony's horrible run in the live-action Spider-Verse, Rhino's trailer cameo had audiences stoked. While we only saw him at a glance, this version appears to be much more comic-book accurate, something that is likely adding to the popularity of ASM #41. For three months now, it's been charging through the eBay sales charts. Hopefully he'll be a featured character and get more than a one-scene debut this time.
180 DAYS
The previous six months have been dominated by Red Hulk, and his first appearance will only get hotter the closer we get to a movie premiere date.
What initially sent this rocket of a key into orbit were the rumors and theories of Red Hulk joining the MCU. It took years for that to come to fruition, but once Harrison Ford was announced for Captain America: Brave New World as the new Thunderbolt Ross, not to mention all the 2008 Incredible Hulk actors, collectors and investors pounced on Hulk #1.
Comic readers know that while Red Hulk is on the cover art, this isn't his actual first appearance. The character wouldn't appear in-story until the following issue, Hulk #2. Not that it matters as far as buyers are concerned. Those first cover appearances often outperform first appearances, as we've seen with Wolverine and Jane Foster's Thor. When you are in it for the potential profits, it doesn't matter why fans are after the issue as long as they're paying top dollar. In this case, those 9.8s have been commanding elevated prices for quite some time. At this point, if you are just now looking to buy, it's going to be difficult to find one cheap enough to flip.
