Kraven may be the star of the movie, but comic book fans are ready to finally see another old-school Spider-Man villain get his moment in the sun. The only other time audiences saw Aleksei Sytsevich in live action was in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and most fans would rather forget about that movie.
In the comics, a member of the Russian mafia, Aleksei was part of a science experiment that gave him an impenetrable layer of synthetic skin along with superhuman strength. If you’re going to come this far, why not complete the look with a rhinoceros horn? With his newfound powers, he was sent on the hunt for Captain John Jameson, which put him in conflict with Spider-Man. From there, the two would become lifelong enemies.
In the decades following Rhino’s debut, he would move from exclusively battling Spider-Man to getting pummeled by any hero needing to show off his strength. Whether it was Hulk or the Fantastic Four’s Thing, Rhino became a glorified punching bag for Marvel’s elite. He’s also been part of a number of teams, including the Sinister Six, Arcade’s Savage Six, Kingpin’s Thunderbolts, the Secret Defenders, and even S.H.I.E.L.D.
With all the excitement surrounding Rhino, collectors are on the hunt for his key issues.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #41
Whether it’s a major key or not, you can’t go wrong investing in Silver Age Spider-Man. Here you have one of the more budget-friendly issues in those early Spidey adventures, but that could change depending on how Rhino is depicted in Kraven.
As of the time of writing, the highest grade sold this year has been the 8.5, which sold for $2,280 on June 13.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #43
Rhino’s second appearance is widely overshadowed by the first full reveal of one Mary Jane Watson. That makes ASM #42 more of an MJ key as opposed to Rhino. For a better villain moment, move along to ASM #43.
This issue capped Rhino’s introductory story with a classic cover by famed Spidey artist John Romita, Sr. Since this is a minor key, the prices are substantially lower. In fact, you can get an 8.5 for around $650.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #28
The Ultimate Rhino first surfaced in Ultimate Spider-Man #28. This version ditched the Russian accent and was known as Alex O’Hirn, the same name used for Rhino in the beloved animated series, The Spectacular Spider-Man.
He also got a redesign with more of a mech suit than enhanced synthetic skin. In the past year, the graded 9.8 has sold for just $25.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #617
Although his name remains a mystery, there was a second character to don the Rhino moniker. He actually picked a fight with Aleksei and murdered his wife, which prompted the former villain to return to action and murder his foe.
Rhino II sported a more threatening aesthetic and even wielded a scythe. Could we see this character on the screen in Kraven? With Rhino II having direct ties to the Kravinoff family, that is a possibility, and it could be worth rolling the dice on an ASM #617. There are no recorded sales for any grade, so you should be able to find a copy for basically cover price.
CHARGING AHEAD
Before anyone gets too excited, this is still a Sony production, and we’ve seen how low that bar has dipped. Let There Be Carnage was actually even campier than Venom, but they were both better than Morbius, which isn’t saying much.
While Kraven at least has the R-rated brutality the character needs, this one could go either direction, but we can all hope for the best. At least we should get a better Rhino.
