Marvel Collector Corps review: Hulk box fails to pack a punch

Photo courtesy Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel/Thor: Ragnarok

This December’s Funko’s Marvel Collector Corps service turned to The Hulk for inspiration for its latest box, which surprisingly failed to deliver.

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Following a stellar box inspired by Thor: Ragnarok, the Marvel Collector Corp subscription service switched its attention towards one of the film’s breakout characters to serve as inspiration for its December box: The Hulk! With a rich comic book legacy and breakout turn on the big screen, The Hulk seemed like the perfect character to headline the final box of 2017. However, despite incredibly high expectations for Funko’s Hulk-themed box, the final box of the year proved to be one of the service’s less than memorable boxes.

Warning: The following post contains spoilers pertaining to the contents of the Marvel Collector Corps’ December box. If you have not yet received your December box and wish to avoid any spoilers, proceed at your own risk!

The Hulk T-Shirt

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Out first Hulk-themed offering came in the form of a graphic tee which depicts Bruce Banner’s transformation into The Hulk against a black backdrop. It’s a fun design and a nice way to capture the character’s two sides as well as his infamous transformation. That said, the shirt doesn’t really feel like an exclusive Funko product but rather a shirt one could find online or in big-box retailers.

Hulk Dorbz Stress Ball

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If I were to pick a standout item from the December box, the Hulk Dorbz stress ball would easily win the title. As I’ve mentioned countless times before, it’s unique items such as this that make subscription service boxes seem more exclusive and give fans something to look forward to when their latest box arrives. The stress ball is nearly identical to the character’s classic Dorbz and is a fun addition to subscribers’ collections.

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Hulk Patch

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The patch is back, yay… said no one. Look, I’ll be honest in noting that I’ve never cared for the patches as I’m not someone who irons them onto anything or has any real use for them. When the Thor: Ragnarok box opted for other unique offerings like the deck of playing cards or fidget spinner, I was excited to see different items replacing the patch. Unfortunately, it returned in this month’s box and left me wondering what we could have had instead of the patch,

Thor: Ragnarok Pop! Keychain

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Wasn’t this item already released as part of the Thor: Ragnarok line? Nope, okay my bad, but that was my honest first reaction to the Pop! Keychain as I removed it from the box. Sure it’s great to add yet another Marvel character to my ever-growing Pop! Keychain collection, but I would have much rather received something a bit more memorable or unique; something like a Hulk Rock Candy figure, water bottle or even an exclusive Pint Size Hero.

The Hulk and Bruce Banner Pop! 2-Pack

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From the moment Funko first revealed the Pop! for the December box, collectors were split down the middle. Either they absolutely loved the set and it was the driving force behind their decision to purchase the box or they weren’t impressed by it and chose to pass for that very reason. I was the latter.

The decision to use an iconic comic book cover as inspiration was a fun and different idea and the inclusion of both a Bruce Banner and Hulk Pop! was a nice way of featuring both sides of the character. However, as someone who’s never been the biggest Hulk fan from a comic book perspective, the 2-pack just didn’t do it for me and would have been an item I’d passed on had it been sold in stores.

Next: Ranking the top 5 comic book movies of 2017

Final Look – Is It Worth It?

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Each new Marvel Collector Corps box promises to provide subscribers with a box filled with $50 worth of exclusive, high-quality Marvel and Funko collectible products. With this in mind, let’s take a quick look at the estimated retail value of each of this month’s items:

The Hulk T-Shirt: $15-$25
Hulk Dorbz Stress Ball: $7-$10
Hulk Patch: $5-$7
Thor: Ragnarok Pop! Keychain: $5-$7
The Hulk and Bruce Banner Pop! 2-Pack: $30-$40

After such a strong showing with its October Thor: Ragnarok box, the Marvel Collector Corps took a major step back with its final box of 2017. While Pop! collectors are sure to be pleased with the Pop! 2-pack, the overall box just seemed to be lacking that wow factor.

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We have a t-shirt that features a fun design, but that looks like a shirt one could purchase in any retailer rather than something you’d only be able to get through a Funko subscription service; the return of the patch, which has never been a fan-favorite in my opinion; a Pop! Keychain I’ll honestly admit I thought had already been mass released as part of the Thor: Ragnarok line; and a Pop! 2-pack that is extremely polarizing (either you love it or you don’t). The only item that feels remotely unique and exclusive to the service is the Dorbz stress ball which is a fun item, but not enough to save the box’s overall appeal.

If you happened to miss out on the December Hulk box, you didn’t happen to miss out on much. Here’s hoping the new year starts off on the right foot with February’s “Do Not Feed Wild Animals” box!

For subscription information and more information on Marvel Collector Corps visit CollectorCorps.com today!

Disclosure: Hidden Remote was provided with a free December 2017 Marvel Collector Corps box for the purpose of this review.

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