Mister Sinister and the Goblin Queen caused ripples across eBay while Shalla-Bal's first appearance gained momentum thanks to the latest Marvel news.
Marvel has owned the headlines in recent weeks. Between X-Men '97 proving to be a massive hit, Deadpool & Wolverine hyping mainstream audiences, and the Silver Surfer casting, the Hottest Comics index was dominated by Marvel titles...more so than usual. Even those that weren't gaining the most spots over the past 10 days were still trending in big ways. Here's your closer look.
12. UNCANNY X-MEN #239 (NEW TO THE LIST)
In the mad grab for Mister Sinister's key issues, most collectors have put UXM #221 at the top of the heap. Given it's Nathan Essex's first appearance, that's logical. As important as the debut comics are in the collecting game, it's no wonder USM #239 is getting attention from eBay buyers. Here you have Sinister's second appearance and his first cover in the same issue. To sweeten the deal, this also marks the first cover appearance for Madelyne Pryor in her classic Goblin Queen attire. Since viewers saw Madelyne's full ascension in X-Men '97, it's put an added emphasis on all her keys as well. Put it all together, and you've got a compelling case for owning this comic.
14. UNCANNY X-MEN #282 (NEW TO THE LIST)
After Disney bought Fox and all its properties, collectors began stockpiling Bishop's first overall and first cover appearance in UXM #282. When the news was sparse on the X-Men's MCU arrival, this issue was hit or miss in the Hottest Comics. Although it rarely dipped outside the top 100, there wasn't enough impetus to launch it to the eBay mountain peak. Since Bishop has arrived in X-Men '97, it's given UXM #282 a nice push. He hasn't been a starring character just yet, but that could be in the works after he took Baby Cable to the future. It could be setting up a Bishop/Cable time travel adventure.
Not that Silver Surfer #1 wasn't already a prized collectible, but the latest Marvel Studios news has given speculators a sense of urgency. The excitement hinged on Julia Garner being cast as the Silver Surfer for Marvel's The Fantastic Four. Curiously, she'll be playing Shalla-Bal rather than a female Norrin Radd, and that has sparked rumors galore. It just so happens that Shalla-Bal made her debut in SS #1, hence the uptick in sales. While this issue will never replace FF #48 as the premiere Surfer comic to own, it will be interesting to see how high SS #1 goes as we get closer to the movie's premiere.
40 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50 (+13)
There's been behind-the-scenes images from the set of Daredevil: Born Again that reveal Jon Bernthal's Punisher in all his glory. The word on the internet is that instead of the more family-friendly Disney Plus shows we've been seeing from Marvel, Born Again will have a tone closer to that of the Netflix series. Let's be honest, the real star of the DD Netflix show was Kingpin, and he'll be back for Born Again. It's been enough to push ASM #50 slowly through the rankings.
67 UNCANNY X-MEN #244 (NEW TO THE LIST)
Jubilee was the star of the latest episode of X-Men '97, and that could have helped her first appearance feeling the eBay-brand love. Since the show was announced, buyers had been on the hunt for UXM #244, but it didn't move by leaps and bounds. If she plays a bigger role in the rest of season one, that could be incentive for collectors and speculators to add this to their shopping lists. However, what will cause buyers to run to the auction sites will be if she's part of the X-Men's first live-action squad, and that is a probable scenario.
