The first volley fired by DC looks strangely familiar.
Review by Matt Cummings
With Loot Crate now a distant memory and March's Geek Fuel riding on whether we ditch it as well, a new player has risen to challenge the seemingly indestructible Marvel Collector Corps. On Monday, we received our first DC Legion of Collectors box, ready to tear into its geeky DC Comics goodness. And while it looks strangely familiar to other Funko boxes, it's also a very good opening salvo.
The Promise
Before we begin, let's look at the deal again: promising a value of $50, the sub continues the tradition of Funko partnering each time to deliver an exclusive figure and t-shirt without the fluff or filter (their words). Joining at the VIGILANTE MEMBERSHIP, members receive 6 boxes every year, with the promise of an exclusice themed collectible gift on the one-year anniversary of your annual membership pf $150 p sh/h. You can also subscribe at the SIDEKICK LEVEL at $25 with $6.95 shipping. That's literally the same deal as Marvel Collector Corps.
We're actually waiting for our MCC Founders figure to arrive, but if it's anything like my Marvel Unlimited Plus comic sub - which revealed a terrific (and exclusive) Legends Rescue figure - I can't wait to see what DC/Funko will bring in one year.
The Delivery
Our first box arrived in good share, with Funko choosing an interesting silhouette over directly copying MCC or Smuggler's Bounty.
The Guts
Interior artwork is exactly the same as MCC, with images of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman plastered along the inside flap and storage area. Unlike MCC, DC has decided not to place dividers between their products, something you would think will change as they realize the safety it provides its products.
This might sound like a broken record, but DC has copied several elements over from SB and MCC, including the offer of two collectible "accessories" including a Wonder Woman patch (not bad) and Superman pin (meh). Each of these are exclusive to DC, but they're not quite the same quality as their competitors. The stitching on the patch is not as high quality, and the pin of Kal-El is not the best image. Still they'll stick around and probably show up in a DC-themed memory box.
The Shirt
DC's first shirt reminds me of last years Age of Ultron throwdown, this time with Bats and Supes getting ready to wreck each other. The shirt material is soft and should become a regular item in my wardrobe. It's a nice WIN.
The Comic
Hidden below all the other goodies is a variant cover of Batman/Superman #5. I know nothing of this line of comics, but with all the Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice marketing out there, it might be time for a little examination of this comic line. Sidebar: The fact that DC still doesn't offer an Unlimited service like Marvel is a crime! But for now, count this one as a WIN.
Holy Mecha-Batman!
We knew this one was coming, but Funko has included an exclusive figure of the mechanized Batman from the upcoming
BvS I've been happy in the past with these exclusives, and this one doesn't disappoint. It's such high quality, and its exclusivity makes it highly desirable on the secondary market. Not like I'll be selling this one any time soon. I'd hate the have The Dark Knight come to my house and batarang me for committing such a sin. WIN.
Depending on how you feel about them, Legion's incusion of two Dorbz figures will either make you very happy or decidedly meh. For me, the quality has never been there. But it doesn't mean that I don't like that they've included Aquaman and Kal-El figures in this box. I don't think that Actor Jason Momoa (who plays Aquaman) has ever smiled like this...ever...but he's well-represented here in terms of his armor and hair The Kal figure is merely ok. For this one, I'll give it a WIN but not by much.
The Bottom Line
DC's Legion of Collectors offers us a very good - but strangely familiar - collection of good-to-great items, including a terrific Funko Batman, t-shirt, and variant comic. The rest are merely good, with Dorbz sticking their head in to places they honestly shouldn't. But let's not get all Batman on this box: DC still delivers a solid submission and we should be happy that they've figure out what Loot and Geek still haven't: fill an alternating montnly box with high quality goods and we'll come back each time. May promises to be very good - with television's The Flash and Arrow featured - so it's clear DC understands its core audience and is ready to prove they're ready to compete with MCC and Smuggler's Bounty. We;re convinced more than ever that a general geek box plan no longer works, even if DC's feel a lot familiar. This box and series comes
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 2016
SMUGGLER'S BOUNTY REVIEWS
December
January
GEEK FUEL REVIEWS
October
November
December
January 2016
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