A limited variant of Halloween: The Game: The Comic #1 has taken the top spot in a new weekly snapshot of comic-book aftermarket activity, edging out high-demand Absolute Batman issues and a group of Marvel back issues being chased amid unconfirmed screen-project chatter.

The chart covers activity through Sunday, November 8, 2026, and uses a weighted combination of online sales volume and price movement. That distinction matters: this is a measure of what moved during one particular week, not a permanent ranking of the medium’s most valuable books, a declaration of scarcity, or buying advice. Several books on the list are there because of tangible factors such as a limited-print variant, a first appearance, or a newly released trailer. Others are reacting to claims and fan theories that remain unsubstantiated.

  1. Halloween: The Game: The Comic #1, Jonathan Wayshak variant (Panick Entertainment, November 2026) — limited to 1,500 copies; high sale of $40 for raw Near Mint, with a current raw Near Mint fair-market value of $31.
  2. Absolute Batman #25, Clay Mann and Nick Dragotta foil variant (DC, October 2026) — high sale of $150 for raw NM+, current raw NM fair-market value of $57.
  3. The Uncanny X-Men #120, newsstand edition (Marvel, April 1979) — high sale of $300 for a graded 9.4, current raw Fine fair-market value of $44.
  4. Absolute Batman #17, Nick Dragotta regular cover (DC, February 2026) — high sale and current raw NM fair-market value of $15.
  5. The Uncanny X-Men #121, newsstand edition (Marvel, May 1979) — high sale of $105 for raw Very Fine, current raw VF fair-market value of $84.
  6. The New Mutants #100, Rob Liefeld regular cover (Marvel, April 1991) — high sale of $90 for a graded 9.8, current raw NM fair-market value of $9.
  7. Ghost Rider vol. 2 #1, Javier Saltares direct edition (Marvel, March 1990) — high sale of $50 for raw NM, current raw NM fair-market value of $38.
  8. Criminal #1, Sean Phillips regular cover (Marvel, October 2006) — high sale of $30 for raw NM, current raw Fine fair-market value of $13.
  9. Exquisite Corpses #1, Michael Walsh regular cover (Image, May 2025) — high sale of $55 for raw NM, current raw NM fair-market value of $51.
  10. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero/Tomb Raider #2, Ito 1:50 variant (Image, November 2026) — high sale of $200 for raw NM, current raw NM fair-market value of $162.

A post-Halloween cover becomes the weekly leader

The leading book is the Jonathan Wayshak variant for Halloween: The Game: The Comic #1, a cover initially offered through Whatnot and capped at 1,500 copies. Its imagery centers on Michael Myers, with the character reflected in his familiar weapon. Demand from buyers who missed the initial offering appears to have carried into the aftermarket after the holiday itself.

At $40 for the reported high raw Near Mint sale and $31 for the current raw NM fair-market value, the book’s appeal is tied closely to the specific cover, its limited supply, and the immediate chase around the release. “Raw” means the comic has not been encapsulated and assigned a grade by a third-party grading company. Near Mint is a condition designation indicating a copy with very limited visible wear; the exact condition remains consequential, particularly when a collectible is trading on presentation and cover art.

For more context, explore DOJ Sues Lyft Over Alleged Disability Discrimination, Seeking $53 Million.

The limited count is important context, but it does not turn a weekly spike into a guarantee of lasting value. A cover-exclusive collectible can rise quickly as buyers try to catch up, then settle once the initial pool of interested collectors has secured copies. For anyone simply interested in the book, distinguishing the Jonathan Wayshak variant from other editions of issue #1 is essential before judging any asking price.

Absolute Batman has both cover demand and story-driven interest

Absolute Batman placed two different issues in the top 10, though the reasons are not identical. October’s Absolute Batman #25 foil variant by Clay Mann and Nick Dragotta ranked second following an earlier week at the top. The manga-style cover has attracted sustained attention, with the reported $150 raw NM+ high sale standing well above its current raw NM fair-market value of $57.

That gap illustrates why collectors should avoid treating a single peak transaction as a routine price. A high sale is the top result captured in the relevant period; fair-market value is an estimate of typical current trading. Neither number automatically applies to every copy. Grade, shipping condition, the exact version of the issue, timing, and the number of active bidders can all make a material difference.

February’s standard-cover Absolute Batman #17 is trending for a more story-oriented reason. It contains the first full appearance of Absolute Poison Ivy and is also an early issue in a popular series that is currently on hiatus. Discussion around potential villains in The Batman Part II, including speculation about the Court of Owls, has added another possible spark. Claims tied to supposed social-media leaks and casting theories have not been established as fact, however. The book’s reported $15 high sale and $15 current raw NM fair-market value suggest a much more tightly aligned market signal than the foil issue’s.

The practical takeaway is that the two books are not interchangeable just because they share a series title. Issue #25 is principally a desirable premium cover in this week’s data. Issue #17 has a character-appearance hook, plus speculative interest around a possible movie connection. Collectors should decide whether they value a particular cover, a narrative milestone, or the series itself rather than assuming every point of heat will persist in the same way.

Alpha Flight rumors move vintage X-Men issues

Marvel’s portion of the list is dominated by a familiar market mechanism: anticipation around potential adaptations. Ryan Reynolds has expressed interest in working on an Alpha Flight film after Avengers: Secret Wars. That comment has intensified attention on two late-1970s Uncanny X-Men newsstand editions, especially as unsupported claims circulate that a project is already approved and that Reynolds is writing it. Neither of those claims is supported here.

The Uncanny X-Men #121, identified as the first appearance of Alpha Flight, landed at number five. A raw Very Fine copy reached a reported high sale of $105, while the current raw VF fair-market value is $84. The Uncanny X-Men #120 came in third, with a reported high sale of $300 for a graded 9.4 and a current raw Fine fair-market value of $44.

There is no direct equivalence between those figures. A graded 9.4 comic has been examined and sealed with an assigned numerical grade; a raw Fine copy is an unencapsulated comic in a markedly lower condition category. Comparing them as if they describe identical products would overstate the value of a lower-grade raw copy. This is especially relevant for older comics, where condition can change the outcome dramatically.

The market is also responding to different kinds of significance. A first appearance is a specific in-story milestone, often referred to by collectors as a “key” issue. A newsstand edition refers to a version sold through traditional retail outlets rather than the direct market. The chart identifies these editions specifically, so buyers should verify the format as well as the issue number when shopping.

New Mutants and Ghost Rider: interest is not confirmation

The New Mutants #100 joined the top 10 as broader online talk connected Reynolds to possible Marvel developments ranging from Alpha Flight to X-Force. The 1991 issue recorded a $90 high sale for a graded 9.8, compared with a current raw NM fair-market value of $9. Again, the condition and certification difference is enormous, and the future-project premise has not been confirmed.

Ghost Rider vol. 2 #1 is another cautionary case. The book is seeing attention around talk that Ryan Gosling could play Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with buyers theorizing about Daniel Ketch. The available information does not establish an official casting announcement, nor does it identify which Ghost Rider incarnation would be used. Its reported $50 raw NM high sale and $38 raw NM fair-market value document demand, not confirmation of a film plan.

For collectors, this distinction is more than a disclaimer. Buying a book because it already matters to a personal collection is different from buying solely because of a rumor. The latter approach leaves the purchase especially exposed if no project is announced, a project changes direction, or a screen adaptation emphasizes a different character or era.

Adaptation momentum reaches Criminal and Exquisite Corpses

Screen-related attention is not limited to superhero speculation. Criminal #1 experienced a sales lift after the release of a trailer for an Amazon Prime series based on the comic. The book’s reported high raw NM sale was $30, while current raw Fine fair-market value is $13. The trailer is a concrete promotional event, even though a weekly aftermarket rank alone cannot determine the long-term trajectory of the issue.

Exquisite Corpses #1 ranked ninth after Blumhouse and James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion production banner entered a first-look arrangement. The two are already moving ahead with a movie based on Something Is Killing the Children, and Exquisite Corpses is another property associated with the partnership. Its $55 reported raw NM high sale is close to the $51 current raw NM fair-market value, a sign that the tracked week’s upper result and typical estimate were relatively near one another.

A first-look deal is not the same thing as a confirmed adaptation of every work linked to its participants. It establishes a business relationship designed to give a production partner an early opportunity to consider material. That can understandably make collectors pay closer attention, but it should not be read as confirmation that an Exquisite Corpses movie has been announced.

Tomb Raider crossover cover posts the week’s largest raw sale

The biggest reported raw sale among the list’s entries belongs to G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero/Tomb Raider #2, specifically the Ito 1:50 variant. A raw Near Mint copy reached $200, with the current raw NM fair-market value listed at $162. The book combines a Lara Croft appearance in the G.I. Joe setting with an incentive-cover structure.

A 1:50 variant is an incentive comic: retailers generally had to order 50 qualifying copies of the regular issue to obtain one copy of that particular cover. That ordering ratio can restrict supply at release, although the actual number of copies in circulation depends on retailer orders and later market behavior. Interest in Ito covers and the crossover itself appears to be powering this week’s demand.

How to read a hot-comics chart without getting burned

  • Verify the exact edition. Regular covers, foil variants, newsstand copies, direct editions and incentive covers can all be different collectibles despite sharing an issue number.
  • Match price to condition. A graded 9.8 sale is not a shortcut to valuing a raw copy, and a Fine copy should not be priced like a Near Mint one.
  • Separate events from rumors. A released trailer and a signed first-look arrangement are identifiable developments. Fan casting, alleged leaks and claims of unannounced projects are not confirmation.
  • Use both market figures. A high sale shows the top recorded transaction; fair-market value aims to reflect a more typical recent level. Looking at both is more useful than fixating on a headline number.
  • Buy the book, not merely the possibility. First appearances, cover art and crossover concepts can retain personal appeal regardless of whether screen speculation turns into anything.

This week’s list is unusually clear about the multiple engines that can propel comics at once. A 1,500-copy horror variant can lead the field; a foil Batman cover can maintain intense demand; decades-old Marvel issues can move on the strength of unverified adaptation chatter; and a trailer or production arrangement can send readers back to creator-owned work. That variety is part of the fun of the aftermarket, but it also makes precision vital. The comic, edition, condition and actual status of the alleged catalyst all matter.