Taylor Swift rumors giveth, and Taylor Swift rumors taketh away, at least in the case of Dazzler #1.
Any action must have an equal reaction, and that certainly is true for the Hottest Comics. Ranking the 100 best-selling single issues on eBay, this index sorts the comics by sales volume. Day to day, the data is in constant motion, and we often see popular comics zoom through the charts with the velocity of a space shuttle. At the top of the ladder, there's only room for the very best, which means something has to give way. We call those the Coldest Comics.
Here for you today are the five issues that have lost the most positions across the 10, 30, 60, 90, and 180-day sales charts. On the plus side, as the attention shifts away from these keys, it could mean lower prices as well, and that is always good for the shrewd investor.
TEMPERATURE CHECK
Before we move into the Hottest Comics, let's take a moment to gauge the overall strength of the secondary market. Using GoCollect's Collectible Price Index's (CPI) stock market-style ticker, we get an idea of how the different comic eras are trending. Last week, everything outside the Golden Age was taking a downward turn, but things are turning in the right direction. For the past month, the Copper and Bronze Ages have been on the rebound while those Golden comics remained steady. The Silver and Modern Eras continued to struggle, but they will eventually trend in a more positive direction.
10 DAYS
Before anyone starts complaining in the comments, this is not Boba Fett's first comic book appearance. He was featured in the Marvel Comics Super Special #16, the first comic adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back. However, Star Wars #42, which also adapted the classic movie, gets the nod as the more popular due to Boba Fett being on the cover. In the collecting circles, those cover debuts are oftentimes in higher demand than the actual first appearances, such as in the cases of Wolverine and Gambit.
There's no exact reason for SW #42's drop. Disney's latest SW streaming series, The Acolyte, recently premiered, but it would seem fans are less than thrilled with the end product. The show has a dismal 14% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, though anything from RT should be taken with a grain of salt given the number of "review bombings" that occur on the review site. Still, the negative reaction to The Acolyte could be pushing buyers away from those SW keys.
30 DAYS
It wasn't terribly long ago that buyers were falling over themselves to grab all those dazzling keys with rumors swirling that Taylor Swift would bring the character to life in Deadpool & Wolverine. The gossip triggered a landslide of sales for all things Dazzler, and Swifties were ready to pack theaters to see their pop princess on the silver screen. If Entertainment Weekly is right, they're going to be sorely disappointed.
On June 10, EW reported that Swift will not be appearing in D&W. That squashes all talk of her appearing as Dazzler or Lady Deadpool, though we do know the former will be in the film, possibly portrayed by Ryan Reynolds' real-life spouse, Blake Lively. Without Swift in the movie, it's unlikely we will see Dazzler in any fashion, and that is causing buyers to abandon ship on her key issues.
Before anyone tosses their Dazzler #1s in the garbage, remember with whom we're dealing. Marvel Studios has no problem trolling fans with fake rumors and outright lies. Remember when Andrew Garfield vehemently denied being part of Spider-Man: No Way Home? Suffice to say, until the inevitable D&W post-credits scene rolls, never say never.
60 DAYS
With so much Godzilla in the mainstream media, it was only natural for the monster's key issues to get an eBay boost. Most buyers turn to his first Marvel comic as the go-to Godzilla key, which planted it firmly in the Hottest Comics for several months. However, things have shifted, and those Godzilla movies are now old news. It's caused collectors and investors to steer away from Godzilla #1. Now it's barely clinging to the Hottest Comics index.
There's so much love for Godzilla that his first U.S. comic will most certainly make a comeback. It is only a matter of time before the next wave of movies and shows are announced, and that will trigger another wave of interest for Godzilla #1.
90 DAYS
Remember, Richard Ryder was the original Nova, and this marked his first comic book appearance. However, there have been several Novas in the comics, and Marvel tends to lean towards the more modern iterations of famous characters. Still, no matter what character wears the famed costume, Nova #1 will remain the top collecting priority.
Fear not, Nova investors. One way or another, we will see a version of the character in the MCU. The Nova Corps was firmly established in Guardians of the Galaxy, though they were dismantled by Thanos ahead of Infinity War. That remains a very large plot thread dangling in the Multiversal wind, and it should eventually lead to the last of the Nova Corps gaining superpowers and policing the cosmos.
180 DAYS
83. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4 (-37)
Leave it to Sony to get collectors all worked up just to pull the plug. After Silk's first appearance in ASM #4 was red hot, things grew quiet on the news front. Similar to the ill-fated Black Cat/Silver Sable movie playing an agonizing round of Red Light/Green Light, Silk was given the axe. It brought all those ASM #4 sales to a grinding halt, and it's left the once-popular key at 83rd in the past 180 days' worth of sales.
If Sony could ever muster a bona fide hit movie, that could renew interest in their live-action Spider-Verse. At this point, that doesn't seem likely as Venom: The Last Dance seems destined to be yet another box office flop. Perhaps Silk will find her way into the animated Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series when it premieres. If the show resonates with fans, and she gets a featured role, that could rekindle the ASM #4 romance.
