Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Marvel Collector Corps June Spider-Man Unboxing


It's another disgustingly warm and sunny Summer day and I'm doing my best impersonation of a slug. Woke up feeling beat down from a combination of allergies, work, and ever so slight dehydration. Frankly it's the kind of day that is best spent with new goodies, and wouldn't you know the world provided, albeit with some issues.

Being around the time of the month that I usually receive Collector Corps boxes, I decided to check shipping info only to find it should have been here days ago. The mail carrier had chosen not to deliver under claims there was nowhere safe to leave it. My Porch is a war zone, you see. Making matters worse, they neglected to leave a note about the failed delivery so if not for the tracking info I would have been up a creek. A quick call to confirm the situation resulted in a trip to fetch my prize. Oh the trials a shut-in must endure for a box full of Spider-Man paraphernalia.

Kicking off this month's box, we've got the standard issue pin and patch. Both are in fine form this month. The pin is probably my second favorite so far, right behind the one from the Deadpool box. The patch is a cut above as well with possibly Crossbones being the only one better. Everything's good so far.

Getting to the meat of the box reveals that things are a little different this month. Most notable is the absence of a shirt. Funko took the chance at launching a new product line with their own hats. Let's get this straight, I am the furthest thing from a hat person. I find them uncomfortable at best, a war crime at worst, and just not my thing at all. On the other hand it's still a decently made lid and can actually adjust enough to accommodate my massive cranium. What worries me however is the claim that this line will only exist within the subscription boxes. Please wait a while before bringing more goddamn hats into my life will ya Funko?

This month's comic is Amazing Spider-Man #16 by Dan Slott which marks an odd return to nt inducing a number one issue with each box. What's on offer here is something of a transitional story that's busy lining up the pieces for an upcoming event. Decently written with good art, it's nothing to scuff at but if you're not a Spider-Man regular I'd imagine this book could make you crosseyed.

Time for the main event, all those nifty Funko toys we love so much. Let's talk about the Pop first as it's honestly the lesser item this time around. It's just plain old spidey in a swinging pose. Yea it's one of those posed Pops with a clear stand, otherwise it's just a fairly standard Spider-Man. We don't get one of his alternate costumes or anything. I for one was hoping for something like Superior Spider-Man or maybe even Ben Reilly, something more unique at least. I've got nothing against this figure. Hell, I probably would have bought it had it been sold in stores. My issue is that it's disappointing to see Funko not fully utilize the theme. I'll come back to that though as there is one item that made me very happy

To my knowledge this is the first Funko Fabrikation to make its way into the subscription boxes and boy am I ever glad it did. If you've never encountered one, the element that separates Fabrikations from other plush lines is the use of various textured fabrics. On Spider-Man for instance the blue portions are if a sort of a leathery vinyl while the red is more fuzzy, and even the webbing and eyes have their own unique textures. I'm more than happy to finally count one of these among my Funko collection.

Getting back to my earlier complaint it feels like Funko is getting lazy on the theme. I'm fine with getting a box of strictly Spider-Man items since he's one of my favorite characters but one can't help but feel let down that none of the villains or other spider folk got to tag along for the ride. Moreso than June's Women of Power box there's a distinct lack of enthusiasm with this offering. Combined with the fact that this box has less stuff than usual and it all seems a bit skimpy. None of this if so irritating as to drive me away just yet. The simple fact is that the first three installments of Collector Corps I received left me feeling satisfied and a little giddy. This is the second in a row to leave me feeling sort of blah. I know these folks can do better and they're gonna get at least one more chance since October's theme is Doctor Strange, and I'm very eager to get my paws on that one. Whether I continue on from there or switch up and try some other boxes remains to be seen.


Some website news for you all. I've got an event report over on Dread Central, and there's at least two more articles happening here before the month is out. I've been working on setting up some long editorials and retrospectives on a couple other sites so there's a good chance you'll be seeing a whole lot more of me soon. That almost sounds like a threat, doesn't it? That's it for now, you all stay classy.

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