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Sony Pictures is riding a high as of late. Across the Spider-Verse has impressed even the most ardent of Spider-Man fans with many calling it the best Spidey film ever made. Then came the first Kraven trailer, and it has inspired some cautious optimism among the villain’s longtime readers.
I say cautious optimism because, let’s face the facts, Sony’s track record has been dreadful when it comes to live-action Spider-Verse flicks. Both Venom movies were laughably bad. Just when we didn’t think it could get much worse, they lowered the bar even further with Morbius.
The studio has many Spidey-adjacent projects on the schedule in addition to Kraven, including Silk, Madame Web, Hypno-Hustler, and El Muerto. Going back to Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony is proving that while its animated division is stellar, the live-action department could use a revamp. All that being said, it was hard to get excited for Kraven, yet the initial trailer does show promise.
In this depiction, Kraven (played by the MCU’s own Quicksilver, Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is more of an anti-hero than the villain we have seen in the comics. It appears he will be squaring off with a familiar face, Rhino. While it’s much too early to decide if this will break Sony’s live-action losing streak or add to the pile of miscues, the Red Band trailer is giving a boost to these key issues.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #15
The trailer caused immediate tremors in the ASM #15 market. This being Kraven’s first appearance and an early issue of Amazing Spider-Man, it’s considered a holy grail by many collectors. With that designation comes higher prices, even for lower grades.
As of the time of writing, a graded 4.5 sold for $1,049 on June 19, the same day the teaser was released online. That same day, a graded 5.5 brought $1,129. One day before, a 7.0 traded hands for $2,225.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #209
Very quickly, ASM #209 has become a hot issue to own. The movie footage revealed Ariana DeBose as Calypso, marking the character’s first live-action depiction. It appears she will play a large role in the film, and that has prompted buyers to track down her debut in ASM #209.
Despite the trailer hype, the graded 9.8 has seen its fair market values stay in the $250-$300 range. Earlier this year, it was earning over $300.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #293
No surprise, “Kraven’s Last Hunt” has felt the heat from the movie excitement. Of all the character’s stories, this Spider-Man crossover ranks above and beyond as the best tale in Kraven’s history. A much more serious take on the villain, this is one of the best death stories in all of comics.
Having learned he has terminal cancer, Kraven finally defeats Spider-Man and attempts to replace him as a hero. In the end, Kraven takes his own life rather than succumbing to his illness.
While ASM #293 in itself is just one piece to the story, the cover art is among the most iconic Kraven images. That makes it highly collectible, and it’s been earning respectable prices as of late. Just this month, the graded 9.8 has sold anywhere from $150 to $175.
