#LootCrate Review: October 2015

After a dismal September decline, Loot Crate's October TIME box is perhaps the best EVER.

Review by Matt Cummings

OK, don't blame us for being cynical: September's Loot Crate was perhaps the worst sub box we've ever received. It certainly gave February a run for its money, placing en emphatic bookend on a run of very good boxes. We got great boxes in March, April, May, and June, and July, before August began a spell of declining efforts, lacking original thought and quality. But September was the proof we needed to end our subscription and seek the warmer shores of Geek Fuel (read our review HERE).

So when it came to re-up for October, we were more than a little hesitant. Luckily, SandwichJohn convinced us to try one more time, and we couldn't have made a better choice. Loot Crate's October box is the best of the year, and perhaps the best box we've ever received. You think we're kidding? Just read on, but Remember Loot's promise: a $22 subscription should yield more in value than the cost. What we got was nothing short of spectacular, more than paying for our one-month 'love it or leave it' toe-dip.

The box size was back to normal and heavier than any we had received from them in awhile. This was a good a sign.

Popping this bad boy open was like traveling back in time to 1985 - there's a Funko Pop! figure and...A T-SHIRT? This got our heart going, as some quick math revealed that our $19.48 payment had already been rewarded. But let's pop our cherry later - believe me, the best is yet to come.

This Funko Pop! Doc Brown was a total surprise: a Loot exclusive, we've seen eBay fetch hefty prices. But it's a great figure, highly detailed and lovingly reminding us of the film. It's a winner for sure.

Our inital reason for joining Loot Crate was in the promise of a monthly t-shirt. We've been more than vocal about our disappointment over their omission from standard boxes, so it was a great joy to see not only its return but honoring the great series of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. This was one of our favorites as a child (which certainly dates us), but the shirt is good quality if also a little smallish. We'll see what a good washing does to it, but for now count it as another winner.

Not to be beaten by a great shirt and Pop! figure, Doctor Who arrives with a memorable submission: a Sonic Spork! Yes, all of our Who fans probably knew this was available, but its addition here is magnificent. I doubt I'll be piecing food with it, but that doesn't mean it won't be displayed in my collection somewhere. This is another LC exclusive, and I can't say enough about how cool it is. Just look at that handle!

Without question, the highlight of the box is found here: a mini-replica of the Hoverboard from Back to the Future II. To say this Quantum Mechanix 5" homage is terrific is a gross understatement. Not only does it look to scale with prop from the film, it contained a mirrored base so you can see its 360-degree view. In a box that staggers the mind in its awesomeness, this addition is quite simply the best we've ever seen in a sub. This includes the Age of Ultron Funko Hulkbuster from Marvel Collector Corps. If you doubt us, take a look online at how the entire geek nation wet their pants when this puppy was revealed.

As always, Loot provides with a magazine (vastly improved over September's drudgery) with an interesting article about how their people choose the boxes. Is that perhaps in response to the last few months where subscribers were asking tough questions of the company? Even the monthly pin, another hallmark of boxes past, features the Flux Capacitor in all its glory. The inside of the box also features 8-bit renders of Bill, Ted, and their various friends throughout time.

The Best Box We've EVER Seen

And while we're ready to give October's Loot Crate all the credit it deserves, we are hesitant to re-up our yearly sub with Loot Crate. While not impossible, it's unlikely we'll see a box anywhere near as good as this in the coming months. It was as if LC saved its money for one big release, sacrificing other months along the way and pissing off loyal customers on the process. The appearance of a great shirt reminds us that Loot can include them any time they wish; whether they continue this practice is impossible to say, but the truth is out there.

We know James Bond and Star Wars are respectively releasing movies in November and December, so perhaps sticking around for a little while longer to see if they show up might be in our cards. But it's clear that our monthly sub love has gone elsewhere, leaving us with an easy choice for Loot: simply watch to see what their monthly theme is and decide whether we want in. You forced us into this, Loot; and even though October gives us everything we could want in a box, we're still not coming back.