Top 10 Comic Books Rising in Value in the Last Week Include Dazzler, Spawn, and Invincible

From the darkest version of Batman to the dazzling rumor of a superstar's debut in the MCU, we've got it covered in this week's top ten! Spawn has returned to the top ten, with news that he may appear in a new form of media! We also see the return of a few Spider-Verse books; in the form of Venom, Spider-Boy, and Spider-Man 2099. Batman spotlights a second book on our list, showcasing a masterfully illustrated homage cover. A low-print INVINCIBLE issue appears as we anticipate the second season's arrival. Spider-Man bares it all as a recalled issue, bringing back a heart-breaking storyline from another dimension. Finally, DEADPOOL 3 fuels the rumors of a particular villain making her debut in cinema. Find out who that is below!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

#10: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #300 | MARVEL | 1988 | Todd McFarlane's illustration of Spider-Man's iconic black costume has become a modern-day grail. Not only does it have one of the most recognizable covers in the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN run, but it is also the first appearance of Venom. While it's been a highly sought-after commodity, recent symbiote storylines in the MCU have helped propel this book to new heights of popularity. Additionally, the upcoming Spider-Man 2 game has also put a spotlight on Venom. The latest sales show that the market may have softened on this grail, allowing collectors to pick up high-grade copies at nearly half of the price they sold for two years ago. For the most part, this book has stayed upwards of $3.5K in value for a graded 9.8. That is still a decent increase in value from the 2020 days when a 9.8 sold in the lower $2K. Today, we tracked it at a high sale of $3,925 for a CGC 9.8 and a raw NM FMV of $539.

#9: BATMAN: GARGOYLE OF GOTHAM #1 – ASHCAN | DC | 2023 | Batman is widely known as the Dark Knight. But how dark can dark get? Rafael Grampa uses his DC writing debut to explore the darkest parts of Batman's psyche. What happens if the Bruce Wayne persona is completely removed? Then we get the Gargoyle of Gotham. This book has tons of hype, thanks to a one-per-store ashcan sent to stores last month. The aftermarket is ready for this story, hoping it will leave a lasting legacy in the Batman fandom. We tracked it at a high sale of $78 for an NM+ raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $42. 

#8: INVINCIBLE #120 | IMAGE | 2015 | It has been over two years since we were introduced to the Invincible animated series. Fans went on a wild ride through the bloody, gut-wrenching, bone-shattering, knuckle-busting, neck-snapping animated story of mayhem. If you think that's an exaggeration, watch just one episode. The series was well-received by many long-time fans and attracted new audiences to the fandom. Season 2 is finally on the horizon, and the series is returning to everyone's radar. This issue was under-ordered by many retailers and soon became a chase book for many collectors. In addition to the scarcity of the issue, it also features the death of Battle Beast (a fan favorite). We tracked it at a high sale of $150 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $25.  

#7: X-MEN #130 – NEWSSTAND | MARVEL | 1980 | This is such a fun rumor to write about, and it comes from the production floor of Deadpool 3 and during Taylor Swift's epic worldwide ERAS tour! This issue of X-Men features the first appearance of The Dazzler, a mutant that can turn sound vibrations into light/energy beams. The character was initially started as a potential multimedia deal between Marvel and Casablanca Records, in which the latter hoped to produce music created by the fictional character. It is fitting that the latest rumor on Dazzler is that she will cameo in Deadpool 3, played by none other than Taylor Swift! Regardless of any particular feelings towards the superstar, no one can deny Taylor's massive star power. A cameo like this could send her fans demanding more of The Dazzler, leading many speculators to pick up copies of this first appearance. But remember, this is still a RUMOR. We tracked it at a high sale of $449 for a CGC 9.6 copy and a raw FN FMV of $63.

#6: KNIGHT TERRORS #3 – CHRISTIAN DUCE – HULK #340 HOMAGE (1:25) | DC | 2023 | KNIGHT TERRORS has been putting out killer covers! Remember last week's KNIGHT TERRORS: RAVAGER #2 (1:25)? Here we have a phenomenal homage cover by Christian Duce, a retailer incentive cover that has increased its desirability. Aside from the phenomenal artwork, this book also introduces The House of Horror. This issue has a lot going for it, and fans are more than willing to pay the increased FMV for a copy. We tracked it at a high sale of $50 for a raw copy and an NM FMV of $20. 

#5: SPIDER-MAN #7 – HUMBERTO RAMOS – TOP SECRET SPOILER | MARVEL | 2023 | Here is a book we rarely see on our top lists (sarcasm). 99.9% of the human population has now heard of Spider-Boy. At least, that is the way it feels. The book was an instant hit the moment it was released. Both the FMV and the character's popularity have been consistently moving upwards. Even Dan Slott added a CGC 9.8 copy of the book to his collection. The more we hear about Spider-Boy, only seems to cement his popularity. And that's saying something! We tracked it at a high sale of $238 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $38. 

#4: SPIDER-MAN: REIGN #1 – BLACK COSTUME | MARVEL | 2007 | In 2018, Bruce Wayne got in trouble for showing off his "Batarang" in BATMAN: DAMNED #1. The media went wild, and even non-regular collectors soon attempted to grab a copy of the recalled issue. However, Bruce's shadowy member's debut was not the first time we've seen a crime fighter go commando. This issue shows an alternate reality version of Spider-Man—older, withered, retired, and still dealing with the heavy burden of accidentally killing MJ through decades of radiation exposure (there's a little more to it). Not only that, but we also get a full display of his "web shooter." Due to this specific reason, the issue was recalled but never replaced. The 2nd print corrected the issue by removing the controversial panel. Collecting recalled issues is a niche fandom in the comic book world. Still, the uptick is specifically due to an upcoming series returning to the Spider-Man: Reign storyline with SPIDER-MAN: REIGN II by Kaare Andrews, releasing in November 2023. We tracked it at a high sale of $80 for a CGC 9.4 copy and a raw copy VF FMV of $8. 

#3: SPAWN #1 | IMAGE | 1992 | Spawn fans got a glimpse of hope when McFarlane announced that the movie was still in production and moving forward. However, that was before the writer/actor's strike in Hollywood. There have been no new updates about the movie since. In more positive news, McFarlane took the SDCC '23 stage and announced that Spawn would be featured in one of the world's most popular video games in October. The game's name was withheld from the panel, but the top 3 most heavily played games of 2023 are Minecraft, PUBG, and Fortnite. It's fun to think about seeing Spawn reign hell's fury down upon Minecraft… but it could be a game outside of these three altogether (as he's appeared in franchises like MORTAL KOMBAT and SOULCALIBUR. In the meantime, we tracked it at a high sale of $179 for a CGC 9.8 and a raw NM FMV of $43.

#2: SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1 | MARVEL | 1992 | The web-slinging awesomeness of this book ceases to amaze! One week it drops; the next week, it goes up. Last week, this book was in the bottom half of the top ten list. This week, we see it shoot up to the #2 spot, likely due to the digital release of the Across the Spider-Verse film. Yay, good news! Now for the bad news. If you have not heard, Sony has officially removed Beyond the Spider-Verse from its release calendar. This is due to the writer/actor strike, which will likely push the film into 2025. Until then, we will rewatch the sequel masterpiece and relish the phenomenal performance by Oscar Isaac as Miguel O'Hara! We tracked it at a high sale of CGC 9.8 and a current raw NM FMV of $32.

#1: NEW X-MEN #114 – DIRECT EDITION | MARVEL | 2001 | Deadpool 3 has been the center of all MCU rumors as of late. It figures that the reported multiversal adventure of the merc with a mouth will bring about whispers of cameos. One of those whispers is that of Cassandra Nova, the "twin sister" of Charles Xavier. She is an astral plane parasite who copied Xavier's DNA while he was gestating inside his mother's womb… talk about sibling rivalry. In addition to this cameo rumor, there are even fainter whispers that this will not be Cassandra Nova's only appearance. According to well-known leakers, it is likely that Cassandra Nova will also appear as an antagonist in the third Doctor Strange film. It is still very early in the film's development, and the outcome of the writer's strike could completely debunk this rumor once concepts and ideas are fleshed out. Until then, Cassandra Nova is the lady in the spotlight! We tracked it at a high sale of $300 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw VF FMV of $12.

And that's your TOP 10 COMICS OF THE WEEK for 8/15/23! Want to know what your comic books are worth? COVRPRICE.COM offers the ULTIMATE price guide with LIVE ungraded (raw) and graded sales for today's market trends. Manage your collection and track your portfolio's overall value with our robust tracking systems. With a free 10-day trial and several affordable price tiers, discover the value of your comics and sign up today! CHECK OUT THE TOP 10 ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!