#MarvelCollectorCorps Review: June 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 desire to keep Geek Fuel ebbing, we really can't say the same for Funko's run of DC, Smuggler's Bounty, and of course Marvel Collector Corps. This month's WOMEN OF POWER theme does nothing less than hit it out of the park, pushing us further away from the monthly model.

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 you 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
From the excellent t-shirt of Spider-Gwen to the Bobbleheads and the exclusive Funko of Squirrel Girl, everything about June's box oozes geeky quality. The shirt is soft and looks like a better fit than some previous months when the tag read 'XL' but didn't quite fit that loose. I really have to mention the pin/patch set, which features a relatively unknown hero in Kamala Khan. Her uniform reminds me of previous versions of Captain Marvel, and it's frankly a ballsy move to feature her and not a more recognizable female. Speaking of which, I was surprised to see no Black Widow in any of these images; she's relegated to the inner box art, as is Medusa. But the message is clear: Marvel wants to expand its brand, and highlighting lesser-known female heroes is one way to do that. The best part of this box could almost be viewed as an after-thought: it encourages us to explore the various women of Marvel in a way that I hadn't really considered. Marvel knows that it commands this market, but it never seems to rest on its lalrels. We could have been happy with a Black Widow/Ms. Marvel box, but to see them stretch their wings means the world can now learn about Valkyrie, She-Hulk, and of course Spider-woman. That's an important play for Marvel's future and a big WIN in my book.

The Shirt
We won't spend too long on the shirt, but if you notice the art card, there were at least three different concept shirts that were considered before settling on Gwen. I love the cereal box concept for Ms. Marvel ad hope that one shows up one day on Day of the Shirt. WIN.

The Comic
To remind us about their recent Civil War II run, MCC produced an exclusive variant featuring Funko versions of Valkyrie, Elektra, Mr. Marvel, Captain Marvel, and Spider-woman. Interesting that they gave us both versions of Earth's Mightiest Hero, but it's still a WIN.

Bobbleheads
After researching these (as I don't open anything but the shirts), MCC did a nice job with the Bobbleheads. I like the sculpts and the paint is solid as well. WIN.

Interesting Choice from Funko? Not So Much!
There's been a lot written about Squirrel Girl lately, with some claiming that she's the best Marvel character in comics right now. Although she was meant for a one-off in a 1991 Iron Man team-up comic, but she's become quite the center of attention. With her arrival as this month's exclusive Funko figure, we see just how the girl who talks to squirrels has finally made it to the big time. The sculpt and colors are great, and represent MCC's first poll result involving fan input. Yes, Squirrel Girl is a fan choice, so congrats for getting the figure that most of you seem to have wanted. WIN WIN WIN.

The Bottom Line

Marvel Collector Corps' June WOMEN OF POWER theme is excellent, perhaps one of the best ever made. It's filled with a rich. diverse collection of high-quality swag, with the shirt, comic, and Funko figs, and pin/patch all working their way into our hearts. That pin/patch shadow box is coming along nicely thank you, but it's clear we'll need a bigger box. MCC's simple plan to deliver high-quality items that fans want is pushig lesser boxes aside, and making me doubt my investment in Geek Fuel. Don't worry Star Wars' Smuggler's Bounty and DC's Legion of Collectors: you're ok with me, so long as you continue to kick ass like MCC. 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
May
June
August
October
December
February
April

DC LEGION REVIEWS
May

GEEK FUEL REVIEWS
September
October
November
December
January
March
April
May

SMUGGLER'S BOUNTY
January
March
May

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