James Gunn had collectors thinking Deadman after his recent social media post while Apocalypse felt the X-Men '97 love.
What are the Trending Comics?
Each week, we take close looks at the Hottest Comics, the 100 best-selling single issues on eBay. In the Hottest/Coldest blogs, you get the comics that saw the most movement across the sales charts. Here at Trending Comics, the focus isn't on eye-popping numbers. Instead, the spotlight falls on the more surprising finds from deeper in the index, and this round's entries didn't disappoint.
James Gunn knows how to play the hype game. Since taking over as DC Studios' co-chair, he has used his social media accounts to tantalize DC fans with possible hints at future projects. When he posts about the same character twice, it sparks a huge wave of interest. Such is the case for Strange Adventures #205. Back on Halloween 2022, Gunn shared an image of Deadman. Just when that was all but forgotten, he recently posted the same Deadman pic. That is enough to trigger a wave of speculation for Boston Brand's first appearance as theorists wonder if he is on the DCU slate.
49. X-FACTOR #6 (NEW TO THE LIST)
X-Men '97 continues to influence the secondary market. It would appear that Mister Sinister will be the primary antagonist for the first season, hence the sales uptick for his key issues. As excited as fans have been for Nathaniel Essex, there's another famous face viewers are waiting to see: Apocalypse. Next to Magneto, En Sabah Nur was the most iconic villain from the original X-Men: The Animated Series. He is certain to make an appearance in the new show and hopefully erase all memory of his horrendous live-action adaptation from X-Men: Apocalypse.
Out of all the comics on today's list, Spawn/Batman is the most unexpected entry. Scripted by the legendary Frank Miller, this was the first of two crossovers between the Image and DC properties. The initial Spawn/Batman oneshot was released in March 1994 and distributed by Image Comics. That June, DC distributed Batman/Spawn: War Devil, hence the change in Batman getting the top billing. To commemorate the popular crossover's 30th anniversary, McFarlane Toys' released a Batman/Spawn figure set, which could be part of the reason this issue has suddenly become a hot commodity.
On the topic of X-Men '97, it's no surprise that X-Men Adventures #1 is a popular eBay find. When the show revival was first announced, the first comic based on X-Men: TAS immediately saw a sales boost. Although the enthusiasm quieted in the months that followed, X-Men '97's overwhelmingly positive reception has given collectors and investors new reason to add this issue to their long boxes. It's hard to imagine X-Men Adventures #1 ever fetching massive bids, but it's a fun addition to any X-Men collection. Plus, it's much more affordable than those Silver Age firsts.
97. SWAMP THING #1 (NEW TO THE LIST)
DC had a definitive presence in this week's Hottest Comics rankings. Here we have an old favorite that floats in and out of the eBay top 100. Of course, all Swamp Thing key issues have become much more popular since Gunn announced that Wolverine and Logan director James Mangold will bring Swampy to life in the DCU. Although there haven't been any updates on the project in a while, it would appear Swamp Thing is still on the Chapter One schedule. That will keep his early appearances in fashion for the time being. Whenever we get some genuine news on the movie, we will see a much more pronounced sales spike.
