Welcome to the new year, folks. Wish I
could say it's been nothing but relaxation and umbrella drinks so far
but the truth is I'm in the middle of an extended work schedule. I
guess on some karmic level it's probably good to begin the year so
gainfully employed but wouldn't ya know it's interfering with my
blogging. In fact, this post has been sitting around half-written for
over a week now. Late or not, I wanted to finish it as this post
marks the one year anniversary of my Marvel Collector Corps
subscription and most likely my last box from this service for the
foreseeable future. Don't think of that as a judgment on what's
included in the box, it's actually good, we'll get to the reasons for
leaving in just a bit.
Last year when I first subscribed to
Marvel collector Corps, I was treated to the divisive Guardians of
the Galaxy holiday box complete with ornaments. Despite how many
people complained about those items, I loved it. Over the following
months the Deadpool and Civil War boxes were fantastic, then the
Women of Marvel and Spider-Man installments were sorta blah only to
have Dr. Strange show up to improve things a little. Having arrived
into December yet again I was a little hopeful for more Christmas
goodies but apparently Funko retreated and just offered a regular
box, albeit a solid one.
Alright; first up are the usual patch
and pin that I always struggle to find ways of writing about. Better
than average pin, lesser patch, make of that what you will. I
understand that these items are bread and butter for subscription
boxes but that doesn't make it any easier to get excited for another
patch cluttering up my odds & ends drawer.
Moving on we have a t-shirt which may
be my favorite from collector corps so far. It's something that
stands on its own as a nerdy shirt without having a deformed pop
character on it, plus the colored neck is a nice touch. This one
will see plenty of wear time, especially since I often use these as
undershirts at work. They're comfy and it's always nice to know I can
rip off a uniform Hulk Hogan style and be fully draped in nerdery.
Next up is this month's comic,
Champions #1 which despite what the cover may tell you only has
Cyclops in it for a single panel. This was a seriously weird choice
for the box as it has almost nothing to do with X-Men or even mutants
in general. Instead the Champions is a team comprised of many of the
new teenage superheroes like Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Amadeus
Cho/Hulk, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. The group is fed up with the
normal operations of their super elders and decides to become a
social conscious group that reaches out to the populace with hashtags
and the like.
Right up front I should point out I am
a fan of Chris Bachalo's art. While I've seen many people complain
about his odd proportions and cartoonish style I think it plays well
to a book centered around teenagers. Plus it's excellent to see these
kids depicted in a way where they're realistically fit while still
gangly and awkward.
What concerns me however is that this
book seems to be biting off way more than it can chew. There's
already and odd tone that arises from a group of kids as written by a
50 some year old man. I'm not saying the Mark Waid, can't pull it
off, but within this first issue there are bits that seem really
artificial such as Ms. Marvel's speech or Hulk's bizarre murderous
tantrum that gets sort of glossed over. More than that is how this
team is supposed to handle more “real” issues. Here they end up
going out to stop a sex-trafficking ring run by a clown. It's the
sort of subject matter you'd expect from Punisher or Daredevil yet
colorful and wacky like a cartoon which makes for some awkward
reading.
The toys this month are some
interesting offerings. The side item this time around is part of the
Rock Candy line. The line consists of these stylized versions of
popular female characters. Sort of doll like in style though shorter
and thicker than what you'd expect from a barbie. I'm not a huge
mystique fan though I am very pleased they went with her classic look
rather than say her scaley movie version.
The big ticket item this month is the
first Pop Ride to appear in any Funko box. Most people on Funko
forums had guessed it would probably be Logan's motorcycle due to
shipping logistics. I ain't complaining though. Predictable as it may
be, the bike is still bad ass, more so with the graying Logan holding
out his claws to shred anything in his path. Wish I could pop some
claws while riding my moped.
While this was a nice box featuring a
great shirt and cool ride it suffers like many boxes have by failing
to utilize it's theme. I mean X-Men is a massive franchise with so
many characters and concepts to chose from yet we get toys featuring
prominent personalities, and a comic that just barely includes a
mutant within it's pages.
More so I think now may be the time to
jump ship when it comes to Collector Corps. Overall I've loved my
year with the service but there are other boxes I want to try, such
as Funko's Smuggler's Bounty box which I've already signed up for
thanks to this month's deluxe pop. Likewise I'm not very interested
in the theme for February's Superhero Showdowns box. Beyond that are
many other boxes I'd love to try and I have to keep an eye on funds a
little more as things are changing at one of my jobs. Still, it's
been a fun ride with collector corps and I recommend folks give it a
try if they see a theme that interests them.
I'd love to stay and chat but there's
still a few more days of work to attend too. With luck and the wind
at my back there could be another post this week. Until then, lemme
know if there are any subscription services you'd like me to cover
this year? Speaking of which, how's the year treating you all so far?
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