Key Collector Comics

Hot 10

The Hot 10 is a weekly market analysis of the most significant transactions related to established Key Issues using eBay, auction houses and other cited sources.

Clicking on the eBay link and making a purchase may result in this site earning a commission from the eBay Partner Network.

Amazing Spider-Man #252

Marvel ⋅ 1984

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Amazing Spider-Man #252
 
Low
$15
Mid
$55
High
$185
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Spider-Man's black costume

Cited as being tied with Marvel Team-Up #141 as the first appearance of the black costume, this issue went on sale January 31,1984

Marvel Team-Up #141 went on sale February 14,1984

Cover art inspired by Amazing Fantasy #15

The symbiote costume was designed by a Marvel fan from Illinois named Randy Schueller who was paid $220 by Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter for the concept

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#10 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

NEWSSTAND 9.8 sold for $1,350 vs the average $1,344 (+0%)

9.6 sold for $370 vs the average $347 (+7%)

NEWSSTAND 9.4 sold for $304 vs the average $260 (+17%)

NEWSSTAND 9.2 sold for $300 vs the average $221 (+36%)

CANADIAN 9.0 sold for $230 vs the average $197 (+17%)

NEWSSTAND 8.5 sold for $170 vs the average $161 (+6%)

8.0 sold for $147 vs the average $145 (+1%)

NEWSSTAND 7.5 sold for $160 vs the average $150 (+7%)

NEWSSTAND 7.0 sold for $151 vs the average $133 (+14%)

This Key Issue relating to symbiotes ranks for the eighth time in 36 weeks of the Hot 10

Tales of the Teen Titans #44

DC ⋅ 1984

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Tales of the Teen Titans #44
 
Low
$5
Mid
$20
High
$75
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Key Facts

Dick Grayson becomes Nightwing, formerly Robin

Joseph adopts the name Jericho

Origin of Deathstroke and Jericho

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#9 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.8 sold for $299 vs the average $273 (+10%)

NEWSSTAND 9.8 sold for $475 vs the average $406 (+17%)

9.6 sold for $133 vs the average $120 (+11%)

NEWSSTAND 9.6 sold for $145 vs the average $134 (+8%)

NEWSSTAND 9.4 sold for $110 vs the average $94 (+17%)

9.2 sold for $103 vs the average $76 (+36%)

NEWSSTAND 9.0 sold for $86 vs the average $74 (+16%)

NEWSSTAND 8.5 sold for $75 vs the average $58 (+29%)

Over the years, we have proposed this issue as one of the most undervalued Key Issues due to the potential of Nightwing in live-action (especially with James Gunn’s DCU) combined with the character’s strong fan base built through both TV and comics

As a title, Nightwing remains one of DC’s most reliable books

The first ongoing Nightwing series ran for 153 issues from 1996 through 2009

The second Nightwing series ran for 31 issues from 2011 through 2014

The current Nightwing series is 131 issues deep and still going strong since 2016

Fans of Batman understand the importance of Dick Grayson to the Bat-mythos, which existed without him for less than a year - Batman was introduced in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) / Robin debuted in issue #38 (April 1940)

This issue represents a milestone moment in comics history that marks a pivotal graduation from sidekick to premiere hero, leaving behind a bittersweet reminder that in a world where characters rarely age, some still manage to grow up

Iron Man #55

Marvel ⋅ 1973

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Iron Man #55
 
Low
$135
Mid
$480
High
$1.4k
Buy it on eBay!

Key Facts

1st appearance of Thanos, an Eternal from Titan born with the Deviants gene

1st cameo appearance of Eros aka Starfox, brother of Thanos

1st appearance of Kronos, Grandfather of Thanos

1st appearance of Mentor, father of Thanos

1st appearance of Drax the Destroyer, created by Kronus to kill Thanos

1st appearance of the Blood Brothers

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#8 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.2 sold for $1,499 vs the average $1,365 (+10%)

9.0 sold for $980 vs the average $948 (+3%)

8.5 sold for $850 vs the average $833 (+2%)

5.0 sold for $385 vs the average $379 (+2%)

4.0 sold for $340 vs the average $333 (+2%)

This week marks the fifth time in 2025 that the introduction of Thanos ranked on the Hot 10

Last week, a 3D light show put on by Disney at a marketing expo in Shanghai, China for Avengers: Doomsday paid homage to Secret Wars #8 when God Emperor Doom killed the Mad Titan by ripping his spine and skull from his body leading to speculation that this might somehow play out on film

Ultimate Fallout #4

Marvel ⋅ 2011

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Ultimate Fallout #4
 
Price Trend
Low
$25
Mid
$90
High
$300
Buy it on eBay!

Key Facts

1st appearance of Miles Morales, Spider-Man from an alternate reality

Distributed in a polybag

Diamond Comics Distributors estimates 65,000 copies of the first printing were shipped

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#7 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.8 sold for $949 vs the average $901 (+5%)

VARIANT 9.8 sold for $10,200 vs the average $9,418 (+8%)

9.6 sold for $462 vs the average $402 (+15%)

5 copies outsold the average

9.0 sold for $285 vs the average $273 (+4%)

A surprisingly slow year for Ultimate Fallout #4, which only lands a place on the list for the third time in 2025 (and may not have ranked at all if not for the recent 9.8 variant sale at $10,200)

The 9.8 variant by Marko Djurdjevic has been graded by CGC 985 times, with 203 unsigned copies receiving a 9.8

By comparison, there are 4,496 copies of the standard edition graded 9.8

The variant’s value has experienced extreme volatility over the years since its publication

The following dollar amounts represent the average sale price for each year:

$115 (2011)

$200 (2014)

$525 (2015)

$725 (2016)

$1,100 (2017)

$1,750 (2018)

$2,300 (2019)

$5,000 (2020)

$19,000 (2021)

$40,000 (3 sales in 2022)

$24,750 (2023)

$10,500 (2024)

$9,560 (2025)

It is difficult to determine whether we’ve reached market stability with the 9.8 variant at this time

While the past two years have shown some semblance of evening out, an announcement from Marvel could send this book back into the stratosphere

Uncanny X-Men #94

Marvel ⋅ 1975

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Uncanny X-Men #94
 
Low
$80
Mid
$200
High
$800
Buy it on eBay!

Key Facts

2nd team appearance of the X-Men that debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1

2nd appearance of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Thunderbird

4th appearance of Wolverine

1st appearance of Dragonfly

Some resources refer to this as the 3rd full appearance of Wolverine and Hulk #182 a 2nd cameo appearance

Beginning of Chris Claremont's 16-year consecutive run on the title, ending with Uncanny X-Men #279

First new X-Men story following five years of reprints

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#6 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.0 sold for $1,440 vs the average $1,366 (+5%)

8.0 sold for $960 vs the average $812 (+18%)

7.0 sold for $600 vs the average $563 (+7%)

6.5 sold for $575 vs the average $523 (+10%)

5.0 sold for $404 vs the average $387 (+4%)

4.5 sold for $345 vs the average $328 (+5%)

2.0 sold for $255 vs the average $235 (+9%)

This is the eight time in 2025 that X-Men #94 made the list and no surprise that it ranks the same week as what is up in the #1 spot

New Mutants #98

Marvel ⋅ 1991

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New Mutants #98
 
Low
$40
Mid
$120
High
$400
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Deadpool, a subject of the Weapon X program

1st appearance of Copycat, impersonating Domino

1st appearance of Gideon, a member of The Externals

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#5 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.8 sold for $1,025 vs the average $1,018 (+1%)

NEWSSTAND 9.8 sold for $2,200 vs the average $2,081 (+6%)

9.6 sold for $508 vs the average $461 (+10%)

9.4 sold for $399 vs the average $380 (+5%)

NEWSSTAND 9.4 sold for $444 vs the average $425 (+4%)

9.0 sold for $420 vs the average $330 (+27%)

8.5 sold for $295 vs the average $278 (+6%)

NEWSSTAND 8.5 sold for $325 vs the average $322 (+1%)

NEWSSTAND 8.0 sold for $311 vs the average $296 (+5%)

Deadpool’s first appearance hits the list for the fourth time in 2025

9.8 Newsstand copies continue to command a hefty premium, approximately 2.1x over the direct edition

9.4 Newsstands sell for about 11% higher, while grades 8.5 and lower begin to even out in price when compared to direct editions

Deadpool has been a household name for nearly a decade since the first film’s 2016 release

Expect this book to maintain strong secondary market value and enjoy modest gains over the years, as the character increasingly represents an era of nostalgia, even for the most casual comic collector

Iron Man #1

Marvel ⋅ 1968

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Iron Man #1
 
Price Trend
Low
$175
Mid
$585
High
$1.8k
Buy it on eBay!

Key Facts

First ongoing title series featuring Iron Man

Origin of Iron Man

Identity of Big M revealed to be Whitney Frost, later known as Madame Masque, the daughter of Count Nefaria

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#4 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.0 sold for $2,600 vs the average $2,119 (+23%)

8.0 sold for $1,310 vs the average $1,276 (+3%)

6.5 sold for $775 vs the average $657 (+18%)

5.5 sold for $595 vs the average $536 (+11%)

4.0 sold for $451 vs the average $432 (+4%)

This is the ninth time that Iron Man #1 ranked on the Hot 10 in 2025

Tomb of Dracula #10

Marvel ⋅ 1973

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Tomb of Dracula #10
 
Price Trend
Low
$110
Mid
$385
High
$1.1k
Buy it on eBay!

Key Facts

1st appearance of Blade

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#3 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.0 sold for $2,040 vs the average $1,880 (+9%)

8.0 sold for $1,100 vs the average $1,047 (+5%)

7.0 sold for $800 vs the average $739 (+8%)

6.0 sold for $750 vs the average $634 (+18%)

4.0 sold for $575 vs the average $501 (+15%)

Blade’s introduction marks only its third time on the Hot 10 in 2025, throttled by difficulty in Marvel Studios getting the film into development

The following is a timeline of events that mark this troubled production:

Marvel first announced a new Blade movie back in July 2019 at San Diego Comic Con

In February 2021, Marvel announced that Stacy Osei-Kuffour had been hired to write the movie

July 2021, Bassam Tariq was secured as director

September 2021, Tariq exited the film

November 2022, Yann Damange stepped in to direct

April 2023, Marvel welcomed aboard screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective)

May 2023, WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes halt script development and pre-production across Hollywood, including Blade

April 2024, Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) hired to rewrite the script suggesting a fifth draft of the screenplay

Over a year later, there have been rumors that a couple of other directors are circling the film and that the film changed from being largely set in the late 1800s to a more modern day take on the property

While it's still likely that Blade will eventually return to the screen, perhaps not in a solo film but as part of the MCU’s broader horror lineup, uncertainty persists

If Marvel continues to pivot or delay, there’s a real possibility that Mahershala Ali could ultimately detach from the project

Star Wars #1

Marvel ⋅ 1977

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Star Wars #1
 
Low
$30
Mid
$90
High
$300
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Key Facts

Issues #1 - #6 are an adaptation of 'Star Wars: A New Hope'

1st appearance of Darth Vader

1st appearance of Luke Skywalker

1st appearance of Princess Leia

1st appearance of C-3PO and R2-D2

1st appearance of Grand Moff Tarkin

1st appearance of Beru and Owen Lars

Introduction of Stormtroopers

1st cover appearance of Obi Wan Kenobi and Han Solo (not in story)

đź“– Reading Order: read Star Wars (1977) #1 - #6, then Princess Leia #1

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#2 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.6 sold for $793 vs the average $764 (+4%)

9.4 sold for $470 vs the average $462 (+2%)

9.2 sold for $400 vs the average $388 (+3%)

9.0 sold for $409 vs the average $333 (+23%)

PRICE VARIANT 9.0 sold for $19,200 vs the average $17,707 (+8%)

8.5 sold for $350 vs the average $260 (+35%)

7.5 sold for $200 vs the average $196 (+2%)

7.0 sold for $200 vs the average $191 (+5%)

6.0 sold for $200 vs the average $161 (+24%)

In Week 36, Star Wars #1 ranks on the list for the seventh time

Believe it or not, Star Wars #1 began seeing significant collector attention only in the past 10 years

The most abundant grade is 9.4, with 3,021 CGC-graded copies

Prior to 2014, the highest quantity of 9.4 copies purchased in a year was 61

It wasn’t until 2015, when Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released, that collectors really stepped on the gas, with 160 copies in 9.4 changing hands

Since then, the number of copies sold annually has consistently remained in the triple digits

When it comes to value, a 9.4 average sale price of $450 shows a strong measure of health for this book, which is similar across all mid-to-high grades

Prior to the secondary market boom, the average sale price of a 9.4 in 2020 was $270

In 2015, the average was $279

In 2014, it was $162

In 2010, it was $82

Star Wars #1 continues to be a dominant collectible that crosses over multiple fandom mediums, with original comic book stories remaining an essential element of the expansive saga.

Giant-Size X-Men #1

Marvel ⋅ 1975

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Giant-Size X-Men #1
 
Low
$550
Mid
$1.5k
High
$5.5k
Buy it on eBay!

Key Facts

1st appearance of the new X-Men: Storm (1st), Nightcrawler (1st), Colossus (1st), Thunderbird (1st), Wolverine (3rd)

Many resources label this the 2nd full appearance of Wolverine and The Incredible Hulk #182 a second cameo

1st appearance of Illyana Rasputin as a child, later becomes Magik

Introduction of Krakoa, the Living Island

First use of the sound effect 'snikt' associated with Wolverine's claws

Hot 10 Week 34

🏅#1 on the Hot 10

Transactions from this week that sold for higher than the previous twelve-month average:

9.0 sold for $4,149 vs the average $3,881 (+7%)

7.5 sold for $2,575 vs the average $2,377 (+8%)

6.5 sold for $2,113 vs the average $1,850 (+14%

6.0 sold for $1,800 vs the average $1,730 (+4%)

5.0 sold for $1,600 vs the average $1,460 (+10%)

4.0 sold for $1,225 vs the average $1,192 (+3%)

2.5 sold for $1,075 vs the average $961 (+12%)

This is the 13th week in 2025 that Giant Size X-Men qualified for the Hot 10 and the fourth time at the top spot

Arguably the most important Blue Chip Key Issue related to X-Men behind X-Men #1, Giant-Size X-Men (GSX) is responsible for introducing iconic team members and paving the way for the main title to become one of Marvel’s flagship properties under Chris Claremont

Now, half a decade later, Giant-Size X-Men sits high on the list of the most sought-after Key Issues from the Bronze Age

Keep in mind, after X-Men #66 was published, the title went on an eight-month hiatus and then began publishing reprints from issues #67 through #93

Five years later, Giant-Size X-Men reintroduced the team with the opening line, “From the ashes of the past there grow the fires of the future!”

It would take only five more years for Giant-Size X-Men #1 to command an ultra-premium on the secondary market, with Overstreet’s 1982 price guide valuing a mint copy at $56 (X-Men #1 was valued at $225)

This was a significant jump from the 1980 value of $9, demonstrating how impactful Claremont, Dave Cockrum, and John Byrne’s creative efforts were in a short span of time

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