Marvel Collector Corps June Box Review: All Ant-Man
By Nick Tylwalk
Marvel and Funko announced the theme of the June Marvel Collector Corps box before its initial offering even shipped, so people knew this one would be Ant-Man-heavy. If you’re looking forward to seeing Paul Rudd as Scott Lang or just a fan of the size-changing hero in general, you’ll probably love this box. For everyone else … well, check back in August.
RELATED: Marvel Collector Corps April Box Review
That’s not a knock on what’s inside, which is superb. My question after the subscription service’s debut offering was whether or not the quality and value would stay high, and I’m happy to say that’s definitely the case. Let’s check out what was inside.
The Box and Accessories
Just like before, this Collector Corps box has a big close-up of a character’s head on the outside, with panels from classic comics on the inside of the lid. An Ant-Man patch and pin are inside, on top of a second piece of cardboard that protects the rest of the contents. It’s pretty safe to say that the plan is for these two items to be the accessories in each shipment at least for this year, and as I’ve stated previously, I’m fine with that. Marvel and Funko don’t promise too much with these, so they’re fine. The pins will probably look cool displayed together for people who are regular subscribers.
The Vinyl
We didn’t get a heads up this time around as to what kind of POP Vinyl would be included, but Funko came up with a winner. The exclusive helmetless Ant-Man is cool enough, but the real hook is what the company is calling the “world’s smallest bobblehead.” And yes, it’s exactly what you’d expect: a shrunken-down Ant-Man packed in with the normal POP. The only gripe I had about my particular piece is that the box showed some signs of abuse, which could have happened in transit. It’s not enough to make me sour on the whole thing, but does make it less fun to show off in its packaging. I might open this anyway to get the little guy on a shelf somewhere (assuming I don’t lose him!).
Collector Corps also promises a second vinyl collectible of some sort, and this time you actually get two Ant-Man Mystery Minis. This series has four different figures at the same 1:4 odds, and we got the standard Ant-Man and Blackout Ant-Man.
I was kind of hoping for a Dorbz figure like in the April box, but that’s simply a matter of personal preference. The only disappointment I could see is if people pull two of the same Mystery Mini (they come blind-boxed), but then again, you can always trade with a fellow collector.
The Shirt
This month’s tee-shirt is pretty awesome, or at least the one I ended up with is. It’s an all black tee with the Ant-Man movie logo in red, and a picture of the mini bobblehead with the words “Actual Size” underneath. It delighted my kids, and while it might just be my imagination, this shirt feels heavier and more durable than the one packed in with the Age of Ultron box two months ago. There are other designs, but I’m glad I got this one.
The Bonus
Just to finish off the theme, there’s a comic in the June box as well, and it’s an exclusive variant in Ant-Man #5. It’s a fun series, and I recommend you give it a shot if you haven’t tried it yet.
The Verdict
Not only was I pleased with the contents of the box, which once again lived up to what Marvel and Funko have been promising, they actually helped me get more excited about the movie (my previous mood could best be described as cautiously optimistic). It’s hard to argue with that. There’s still one more test for Collector Corps to pass, because the August box won’t have a theme that ties into a movie coming out around the same time. I’m hoping for Secret Wars, though I’m not sure if that’s perhaps not mainstream enough for a service like this. We’ll find out in July.
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