#MarvelCollectorCorps Review: April 2016

It's a month of Marvel Movie Ass Whoopin', as Marvel Collector Corps delivers another exceptional sub box.

Review by Matt Cummings

With Loot Crate long gone and our faith in Geek Fuel going ebbing and flowing from month to month), we're really enjoying the Funko runs of DC, Smuggler's Bounty, and of course Marvel Collector Corps. This month's CIVIL WAR theme is ready for next May's superhero throwdown, filled with excellent items but a couple that give us slight pause.

The Promise

Before we begin, let's look at the deal again: promising a value of $50, the box would keep the "fluff" (their words) to a minimum with Funko partnering each time to deliver an exclusive figure. Joining at the Founders level would get you an 8" exclusive figure on your one-year anniversary, but you can also subscribe at the Collector level at $25 with $6.95 shipping.

With Year One Founders receiving a Captain America statue, it's clear that a long-term commitment to MCC might be the best play yo can make in this market.

The Delivery
We use QUALITY and TIMING to base our reviews, so let's see how this box stands up. As always, we'll end our review with some additional thoughts after the unboxing:

The Guts
Of course, it goes without saying that this month's box is one of the best we've seen. Let's start with the fabulous Crossbones patch and nicely crafted Black Panther pin; MCC has gotten really good at these. We've gotten such a rich diversity of characters that it's impossible to to ignore their importance to the overall success of MCC. WIN.

The Shirt
We loved February's Funko-themed Deadpool shirt, but April's offers us the best one yet. It elegantly displays the divisions between Team Iron Man and Team Cap, doing so with true Funko style. It's such a completely solid shirt that I might not ever wear it, just because it's such a terrific piece of art. WIN.

The Comic
First and foremost, Marvel is a comic book company. So, it's always exciting to see which variant cover we'll receive with each MCC box. This month, it's perhaps the best cover we've ever gotten: Black Panther #1 shows off a crucial scene from Civil War, pitting The King of Wakanda vs Captain America. The original concept showed Cap fighting Iron Man, but this is Panther dude. So, an adjustment was made, and it's for the best. WIN WIN WIN.

Accessories 'R Us
Every month, MCC gives some sort of interesting surprise; this month it's a CW necklace to display all of your pins. At least that's what they want you to do. But we're a rebel, so it might find its way onto my work ID, because everyone should see my comic geekiness on display. It's not the Guardians scarf or the Deadpool doll, but it works although it's probably something I could have picked up at my local Hot Topic or Spencer's. PUSH.

Two New Figures
For better or worse, Dorbz has become another mainstay in the MCC box. I'm not a real fan of them, as they seem like a cheap competitor to Funko. But for all my complaining, Iron Man looks pretty good. However, I'll be adding this to my monthly eBay store, as it's just not good enough to keep or start collecting.

The Pop! Vinyl on the other hand is exceptional. Based on the last minute struggles they encountered in its production, it's incredible the figures - which were supposed to be a Falcon Cap and a new line from Funko - made it in the box at all. But, they're truly amazing, with great detail in eahc figure. Funko does it right, and these exclusive figures at not likely to be opened by yours truly any time soon. BIG WIN.

The Bottom Line

Marvel Collector Corps' April Civil War theme is very good. Filled with a rich diversity of high-quality swag, the shirt, comic, and Funko figs are amazing. And while the lanyard and Dorbz aren't our favorites, MCC is still the best geek subscription box available. And while Dorbz doesn't fit into our long-term goals, someone out there is going crazy for them and should love Tony Stark. Plus, our plan to make a shadow box of patches and pins gives us a chance to use the lanyard in other ways; but its submission still feels a tad cheap. Overall, MCC's simple plan to deliver high-quality items that fans want should serve as an industry standard, one in which we've seen copied with Star Wars' Smuggler's Bounty and DC's Legion of Collectors. This box and series comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Want to read our other sub box reviews? We've got them all listed below: MARVEL COLLECTOR CORPS
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