When I first saw the Marvel Collector Corps (MCC) Civil War ad on Facebook (and boy was I glad to see it), I knew it was a good time to buy my very first subscription box. The Marvel Collector Corps subscription box service is a themed bi-monthly box of 100% exclusive items from Funko. While it only costs USD$25 (USD$33 inclusive of shipping within US - SGD$45 after conversion), shipping the box of goodies to Singapore increases the price by half. Unfortunate for us, because we live on the other side of the Earth, I received my box 3 to 4 weeks later than people living in the US and at a price of $68. So, is it really worth it?
This box is huge!
The Civil War box was released in April this year in cohesion to the premier of Captain America: Civil War. The top features half-portrait comic-styled art of the film's main leads; Captain America and Iron Man. All of the previous Marvel Collector Corps had a cool portrait of the theme's character but this was the first time the art was based on the designs the heroes had in the film.
Opening the box...
Last item!
Underneath the cover of the box is an art featuring all the heroes except for Spiderman. There were news online that the MCU's Spiderman was still not licensed for toys at the time this box was released. This was probably the reason why they couldn't feature him on the art of this box. Nevertheless, this is still one amazing design.
Mandatory patch and pin
Every box features a mandatory patch and pin. For the Civil War box, we get a Crossbones patch and a Black Panther pin (which I freaking love!). Although Crossbones had a small part in the movie, the character is super bad-ass and that skull logo on his face just makes him even more bad-ass. The patch has a fabric material that could be ironed onto clothes and bags, making quite the decoration. The Black Panther pin features a comic-styled version of BP's look in the film. Since BP's first appearance in the film's teaser, everyone went crazy at how cool he looked. There were many subtle and beautiful silver highlights that made him look so intense and true to its comic design. The pin could be tagged on a bag as a decoration or framed up as a collection (think Pokemon badges).
Inside the box...
A card showing off all the items included in the box. The card explains how the Funko team designed and decided how their items would look. Although it is interesting to see their concept process, there was one thing in particular that bummed comic book fans; the supposed Falcon Captain America Pop! figure. At the time of this box's release, there hasn't been a Pop! figure of Falcon Captain America and telling fans that they decided to replace it with a Captain America and Iron Man two-pack is a totally wrong move. The only exclusive thing about this two-pack is that they have action poses unlike the ones in the market already. While fans would hate to have bought the regular versions of these two characters, others like myself are happy to have them as the start of their Pop! collection. I also felt that the Falcon Captain America would be inappropriate for this box which is based on the movie - UNLESS, Falcon becomes Captain America in the movie but nope, that will not be happening for the next few years.
Elephant in the room
The biggest item in the box. As a new collector of Pop! figures, this two-pack makes me really happy. I've always felt that the standing pose of regular Pop! figures are boring and lacking action. Thus, I'm glad Funko decided to put them in these fighting poses. Although I would've very much liked to have a Black Panther VS Captain America two-pack (posed like in the comic variant), what would be more appropriate than to have the leaders of the Civil War featured as the main item of the box.
Mandatory comic with Funko variant cover
Like the pin and patch, every box comes with an exclusively designed Funko-style variant cover of a recent comic. The comic included in this box is Black Panther #001. The cover features an inspired design from the movie where Black Panther pounces onto Captain America on a rooftop. The comic is packaged in a plastic cover and boarded with a white piece of cardboard at the back for collectors to keep them in a good condition. Bummer for me, mine had a hole near the bottom of the plastic packaging. However, I still liked how they chose this design over the one with Iron Man. It would feel weird to have two characters that have nothing to do with Black Panther be the face of his first issue.
Mandatory T-shirt
Every box also guarantees an exclusive shirt by Funko. The shirt features 3 characters on each side; Iron Man, Black Widow and Black Panther on Team Iron Man and Captain America, Sharon Carter and Falcon on Team Captain America. On the bottom of the shirt asks "Whose side are you on?" - the quote Marvel has been marketing the film with. I absolutely love these Pop!-styled shirts that are included in the Collector Corps boxes but this is definitely a favorite.
My Iron Man Can't Be This Cute!
Pardon my parody, I don't even watch that anime (My Sister Can't Be This Cute). While most of the previous Collector Corps boxes include a Dorbz, some don't. This inclusion makes the box a whole lot more worth it because it is an unmasked Iron Man figure. It features a new sculpt and the paint details are accurate and metallic. I also like how it is unmasked by the face plate instead of having the entire helmet removed. I would love to collect these Dorbz if they didn't make me feel unmanly, but nevertheless, it would be an amazing addition to any Dorbz collection.
This specially designed lanyard features Cap and Iron Man's heads Pop!-style. It could be clipped onto card/pass holders, keys and bags but none of which I find very useful. However, it does look good though.
The box is most definitely a cheap and awesome deal in the US but how does it fare in Singapore?
Price Breakdown:
1) Crossbones Patch $5
2) Black Panther Pin $5
3) Captain America & Iron Man Pop! Two-Pack $50
4) Black Panther #001 Funko Variant Cover $5
5) Civil War T-shirt $25
6) Unmasked Iron Man Dorbz $20
7) Civil War Lanyard $5
Total: $115
These prices are estimated through the sale of these items and similar items from previous boxes. Judging from this estimate, this box is well worth its price of $68. Of course, it would be much cheaper if you live in the US, but spending the extra $20 to get these exclusive goodies to Singapore is still justifiable. As Funko claims, all of these items are truly 100% exclusive and a lot of thought has been put into designing these items. Although some of them prove to be quite the bummer for some fans, this box is ultimately a good starting point for new Pop! collectors like myself. There's also a demand for these items here in Singapore, so if you ever buy a box and feel that some items are not the kind of thing you'd collect, you could always try and sell them online. As a toy collector, I didn't feel the urge to keep some of these items. Thus, I sold them online and got back majority of the cost.
Even though this box is worth much more than its cost, I can't say the same for future boxes. In most of the previous boxes, only 1 Pop! was included and Dorbz are sometimes replaced with mugs, mini-figures and keychains. With these two absent, the value of the box drops by around $20 to $30, making it less worth its cost of $68. Therefore, I would only say that the box is worth the price and wait only if you have a strong love for the theme.
So, Marvel fans, are you looking forward to the upcoming boxes?
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