Marvel Collector Corps October 2015 Box Review: Villains

For the first time since Marvel and Funko joined forces to start the Collector Corps, there wasn’t anything obvious to push. No movies, no Secret Wars (I mean, it’s still going, but they couldn’t have known that would be the case at the time), nothing to push. That’s why this month’s theme was “Villains,” kind of appropriate for Halloween and even more so since my box didn’t arrive until the 29th.

It goes without saying that Marvel has a deep roster of bad guys it could feature with a theme like this, but the question is how it would all come together. The answer is that it really didn’t, at least in the sense of having the various items relate to each other, but it was still an enjoyable assortment of goodies.

The Box and Accessories

The unmistakable visage of the Red Skull shows up on this month’s patch, while a classic Green Goblin is on the pin. I haven’t really been taking notice, but the patch is round as compared to the angular Captain America from the previous assortment. I’ve seen some cool ways of displaying the accessories floating around on social media, but I just have them sitting around in my office for now. The box art consists of old school Marvel Comics panels as always.

The Vinyl

My impression is that plenty of collectors would have been pleased if Collector Corps stuck with two Pop Vinyl figures per box, which is what we got in August. We’re back to just one here, which is a suitably seasonal (and exclusive) Morbius. Some boxes look like they will get a Zombie Morbius variant instead.

I’m a fan of Dorbz, so I was happy to see the exclusive Loki show up here. Last but not least (except in terms of size) is a Venom Pocket Pop.

Would you rather have two Pops or these three items? That’s going to be a matter of personal preference, but with a looser theme for the month, more variety seems like the correct way to go.

This is probably also the place to mention that Funko at least seems to be trying to address the packing issues that plagued the first few shipments. I’m sure some people are going to find some damaged items, but for the second consecutive box, there’s some though going on as to how the vinyl is packed. That is appreciated.

The Shirt

Similar to the shirts found in the debut Collector Corps box, this month’s tee is gray and gives off a bit of a faded, retro vibe. It’s also perhaps the best examplar of the overall “Villains” theme, as it has a bunch of Marvel’s heaviest hitters. Some we’ve seen elsewhere in this box, including Venom, Loki, Green Goblin and Red Skull. They’re joined by Thanos and Ultron for a “Who’s Who” of bad guys.

The Bonus

By now, a comic with a variant cover is pretty much an expected part of the deal. We get one again this month, and it’s Invincible Iron Man #1 with the Armored Avenger taking on the Marvel Zombies. It’s good for Halloween, and a good read, though one assumes most collectors will keep this one sealed with its bag and board.

Next: Marvel Collector Corps August 2015 Box Review: Secret Wars

The Verdict

As a matter of personal taste, this was my least favorite Collector Corps box so far, mostly because the theme was just so vague. On the plus side, you’re less likely to feel disappointed by any single item since there’s so much variety. The value proposition remains strong, so unless you got damaged stuff in your box, you should feel good about this one.