Coldest Comics: Is the Sun Setting on the Midnight Sons?
by Matt Tuck September 30, 2022
written by Matt Tuck September 30, 2022
Morpheus and the Midnight Sons lost favor with buyers this week, but there are silver linings that could be worth the gamble for all five of this week's Coldest Comics.
It's time again to document the ebbs and flows of the secondary market. Last week, we spotlighted the five issues that gained the most ground across eBay. This time around, we take a trip from the sunny tropics of the Hottest Comics down to the chilly depths of the Coldest Comics. Based on sales volume for both the raw and graded varieties, these are the five single issues that fell the hardest of all those within the top 100.
Of course, this is merely a snapshot of the constantly changing marketplace. The numbers are continuously updated, so the rankings will be altered daily. With that in mind, step inside, and let's have a look at those comics on the way down the ladder.
80. GHOST RIDER #28 (-51)
Did buyers lose faith in the Midnight Sons? It sure seems that way, but you can be sure that sleeping on this team's keys is a mistake. On the plus side, if this is a recurring trend, it could keep pushing the prices down, which is great news for speculators. At the moment, a graded 9.8 is averaging $103, down from the $170 FMV for the past 12 months. Mark my words, this issue will rebound.
What makes Ghost Rider #28 famous is the introduction of that fabled team. This was as '90s as a '90s superteam could get, and artist Andy Kubert would bring his awesome Spirit of Vengeance eccentric flair to the team. Of course, they were initially an overlooked pairing called The Nine. The heavy hitters included both Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze along with Blade and Morbius (who did not say anything about Morbin' time that I'm aware). The remainder of the team was a bit less known with the likes of Hannibal King, Frank Drake, Sam Buchanan, Victoria Montesi, and Louise Hastings.
Over the years, the team would offer membership cards (which must have included steep discounts for leather pants and jackets judging by that oh-so-'90s attire) to Doctor Strange, Werewolf By Night, Man-Thing, and Elsa Bloodstone. Since the last three names on the list are all part of Marvel's WBN Disney+ special, that should give you hope for the Midnight Sons coming to the MCU. We know there's a game on the horizon, although the brand has been rechristened Midnight Suns most likely to be more inclusive. That makes sense as the group traditionally has featured several female members and whatever a Man-Thing is. Let's not forget that Marvel Studios reportedly filed a copyright on the name "Midnight Sons," though that doesn't guarantee a live-action adaptation is on the way.
All that being said, why would buyers steer clear of Ghost Rider #28? My inclination is that it's the usual culprit: the news cycle. Marvel pumps out so much content that it's hard to keep up with it all. Anything that's not in the current announcements gets lost in the shuffle.
47. THE SANDMAN #1 (-42)
Speaking of being lost in the news shuffle, there's The Sandman #1. Up to this point, this had been one of the hottest issues on the secondary market. Why wouldn't it be hot? The Netflix series has been a huge hit. Anytime a new character is introduced to the non-comic-reading, mainstream audience, it makes for high demand and higher prices for that coveted first appearance. Now that the new has worn off, those sales figures are beginning to yo-yo, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Before Sandman #1 pulls out of its slump, it could lower that FMV to more affordable territory.
For the past 30 days, the graded 9.8 has dipped below the $800 mark. Keep in mind that it has averaged over $900 for the past 12 months and nearly $850 over the last 90 days. With both the recent sales volume and the FMVs decreasing, it creates an opportunity for speculators.
Odds are, buyers have moved away from Sandman #1 out of fear there won't be a season two. That is a valid reason to leave this issue on the table. Neil Gaiman has said that despite the show's success, there's no promises of a second season, especially when the show's enormous budget is factored into the equation. However, the author has given a few hints that an official season two announcement may be incoming, and that would create a flux in Sandman #1 sales. That makes this a good time to consider rolling the dice.
97. X-MEN #101 (-36)
Thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool 3, the X-Men speculation is about to get a large boost. This week, the first teaser for Deadpool's third chapter revealed Hugh Jackman's return as the iconic Wolverine. That will cause the biggest wave to wash over those Logan keys, not that they need any reason to be more expensive. In the wake of that secondary-market tsunami, other popular X-Men keys will see a spike as well, just not to the same degree as the Wolverine issues. This includes X-Men #101 and the first appearance of the Phoenix Force.
When it comes to Phoenix, there is great MCU potential. For one thing, Jean Grey will be a prominent figure in the X-Men '97 cartoon. On the live-action front, she's likely to make her way into the MCU, though I doubt we'll see yet another Dark Phoenix adaptation, thank goodness. Instead, the Phoenix Force will likely be tied to Thor and the Avengers. For that matter, Marvel Studios may skip the origin story and introduce Jean as Phoenix. Not only would that make for a much different Jean than we've seen before, but it would automatically make her a cleanup hitter in the live-action X-Men with power on par with basically anyone in the MCU.
Until we get something more concrete on the Phoenix Force and the MCU, X-Men #101 is going to keep yo-yo-ing across the Hottest Comics. Once there's some sort of confirmation or clear allusion, prices will soar. The most popular grade tends to be the graded 9.4, so that's a good litmus test for the FMV. It has a 12-month FMV of $1,629, but the 30-day average dips to $1,214. That price differential between last year's versus current values is going to be true for most other grades, making this another investment darling.
88. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #2 (-29)
I guess when you're the God of Thunder, when it rains, it really does pour. Once again, a Thor: Love and Thunder key suffers the wrath of its greatest enemy, the secondary market. Only a week ago, Thor: GOT #2 looked to be making a slight rebound as it picked up a few spots in the Hottest Comics. While no one was expecting it to make a full recovery from the market ICU, it was nonetheless eye-opening to see it take another faceplant on its way out of the hospital bed. At this rate, it could vanish from the top 100 best sellers any day now.
None of this should be earth-shattering news since Gorr was chewed up and spat out by Marvel Studios. Fans have been vocal with their complaints that Christian Bale's talents were wasted on what is widely considered one of Marvel's worst films to date (although I argue Love and Thunder is still better than Multiverse of Madness). That equals an unsurprising fall in both sales and FMVs.
There is a silver lining, at least for Gorr fans. Certainly, his time in the MCU was brief, and it's highly unlikely he'll be seen again. For investors and speculators, that is a marketplace death sentence. However, it is welcome news for actual fans of the comic villain. After sales were as high as $1,100 in the past year, Thor: GOT #2's prices are coming back to reality with a 30-day FMV of $171.
68. DARTH VADER #3 (-24)
Rounding out this week's bottom-five Coldest Comics is another perennial contender on the eBay best sellers' list: Darth Vader #3. Last year, this was an immensely popular comic. With The Book of Boba Fett introducing perhaps the coolest Wookie in all of Star Wars, Black Krrsantan, fans began to wonder if his comic book cohorts were far behind. That caused a huge spike for what had already been a hot issue as speculators tracked down the first appearance of the galaxy far, far away's resident Indiana Jones adventurer/treasure hunter, Doctor Aphra.
Although many fans were generally disappointed in BOBF and the lack of Aphra, she remains an odds-on favorite to arrive on Disney+. With so many new Star Wars streaming series on the way, Dave Filoni is bound to include her in one project or another. Who knows? She could star in her own show at some point.
Again, I attribute the decline in sales for Darth Vader #3 to simply better investment options on the market. Star Wars comics are not as hot as they were a couple years ago when The Mandalorian set the collecting world on fire, but they're still wise choices. Once Aphra arrives in live action, this issue will jump exponentially, and it will make the $321 average price tag for a 9.8 seem like an investment far, far away.
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rick September 30, 2022 - 5:28 pm
We think alike on this : Yes , LAT better than MOM .
MOM is the worst MCU movie so far . I actually liked Eternals and Black Widow . But MOM has been the worst .