Marvel Collector Corps October Doctor Strange Unboxing.

As if October weren't jam packed with enough fun as is a mystery box arrived. The timing was rather perfect as it made up for some frustrating mail about health care. Silly as it may sound, mystery toys can almost completely make up for bullshit paperwork.

So what magical mystery box have we this time around? Well it just so happens to be the Marvel Collector Corps themed entirely around Doctor Strange. While I would have preferred a more directly frightening theme like Monsters or Tomb of Dracula, Doc Strange is still spooky enough to work for this time of year, and it doesn't hurt that I am stoked for that movie to come out. Setting aside the hype, could this installment make up for my slight disappointment in the past two boxes? Let's dig in and find out.

Starting off we've got the usual patch and pin Duo. The pin is hands down one of the best if not the best they've ever offered. The eye of agamotto perfectly illustrates that this is all about Doctor Strange while avoiding the usual floating head syndrome.

This month's patch on the other hand isn't quite as exciting. Granted I can't complain too much since I just keep all the patches stashed away. Still, this one just looks too much like the art Marvel uses for cheap kiddie products like notebooks an dinnerware.

After that baseball cap from the Spider-Man box it's a treat to receive a proper t-shirt again. Overall it's a solid design not unlike the Deadpool shirt from way back in February. Good lines, nice colors, a definite step up from the weak Spider-Gwen design. I've actually seen folks mention they won't wear these as they think they're too old or what have you. If you're one of those people I can attest that Pop-Tees are quite comfy as undershirts too. I mean it's always nice to have options and feeling confident in your nerd cred while wearing some official monkey suit is priceless.

Our comic this time around is issue #1 of the newest volume of Doctor Strange written by Robbie Thompson. Nothing really wrong with the book so much as it's just kind of basic. Outside of a nifty two page spread where Strange and Merlin walk back through time, navigating through giant versions of each other. If more of the book came across as that crazy and inventive I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Likewise the art doesn't seem quite right. It's not poor by any means so much as it seems misplaced. It's sort of a sketchy vibe to it that doesn't completely mesh with this style of story except for as noted before, that awesome two-page spread.

This month's extra marks a return to Pop Home goods with a Mug. While not as unique as the Starlord mug from last year, Funko once again made the wise decision to leave an indent in the old doctors hair for proper mouth placement. Hell, maybe they didn't do it intentionally but it works fine all the same.

Won't be surprised to see folks complain about the inclusion of another mug. Admittedly it sucks that we have to forgo more toys in order to have this but it's still a decent item that works well for those of us who enjoy large quantities of coffee.

At last the centerpiece of any Funko box. This month's pop is Stephen Strange himself meditating in his astral form. In a bizarre change of pace this pop actually stands on it's cape which leaves it a little lopsided. Generally I'm not one for keeping pops in box but this is one specimen that's gonna stay mint since I can imagine the cape weakening over time. Other than that is issue this is still a pretty righteous pop.

Overall this was a pretty solid box of mystery. Question is whether or not it's enough to keep me coming back for more. I've been feeling the pull to try out another subscription service. It's not that this is a bad service. If anything it's that the box is suffering from the law of diminished returns. Obviously there's certain items I always want to see included like the pop, pin etc, but with that expectation comes a certain level of repetition. Granted Funko tries to mix it up with fabrications, mugs, and such but they're usually in the same wheelhouse while other times they've offered something weak like the hat. It's a tough act to maintain and lord knows if they'll ever find the perfect balance of consistency and surprising extras.

That's all for tonight ladies and gents. Sorry if this seemed a bit more rushed than my usual unboxing but I've got a massive laundry list of things to wrap up this week in preparation for the big day, not to mention that Q&A session on Saturday. I plan to return with one more post before the month is out. Until then, you all keep enjoying the wonders of Halloween. See you soon.