Marvel Collector Corps - 2015 - Box 5 - Guardians of the Galaxy

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and there are less than 6 hours before 2016 here in Toronto. What a perfect time for a final review before 2015 ends! And, what box happened to show up right before Christmas so that I could give Jess something extra special from it? Why, the Guardians of the Galaxy box for Marvel Collector Corps, of course!

Before I move on to describing what was inside the box, here's some vital pricing info if you're new to this program by Marvel Comics and Funko Toys:

Bi-Monthly Subscription

$31.95 USD to the US / $39.00 USD to Canada (Shipping Included)

Yearly Subscription

$191.70 USD to the US / $234.00 USD to Canada (Shipping Included)

As you may have noticed above, this isn't a monthly subscription. Instead, Funko sends a box out every 2 months, thus the higher box price compared to programs like Loot Crate and Nerd Block. If you get the yearly subscription, you get an 8" bonus figure each year on the anniversary of your subscription.

Okay, now that the business is out of the way, here's what my box looked like when I opened it:

That looks very promising, yes? Well, here's a list of items with their approximate Canadian pricing:

- Collector Corps Pin ($5.00 CAD)

- Collector Corps Patch ($5.00 CAD)

- Guardians of Infinity #001 Comic ($5.00 CAD)

- Pop! Bobblers Christmas Ornaments ($25.00 CAD)

- Star-Lord Pop! Mug ($15.00 CAD)

- Guardians of the Galaxy Scarf ($30.00 CAD)

Collector Corps Box

As with previous months, the inside of the Collector Corps box has a comic panels design. This time around, the panels are from "Guardians of the Galaxy" and they're very dynamic. Nice!

Collector Corps Pin

This is honestly my favourite pin to date. Groot looks amazing here!

Collector Corps Patch

This Rocket Raccoon patch is not only pretty badass, but it also complements the Groot pin quite well. Also, this is my favourite patch to date!

Guardians of Infinity #001 Comic

My buddy Ryan and I had a conversation recently about receiving comics in subscriptions boxes. We've come to the agreement that although it's awesome to get comics, neither of us are ever encouraged to read the rest of the different series being promoted. This "Guardians of Infinity" comic has a fantastic Variant Cover and all, but I'll be honest when I say it's wasted on me. I've kind of lost interest in Marvel comics lately due to their "reboot", so this issue will probably just sit in one of my comics boxes collecting dust. Still, for anyone who is still into Marvel comics, it's a good item.

Pop! Bobblers Christmas Ornaments

Not only is this set of Pop! Christmas Ornaments ridiculously awesome, they're also very appropriate for the season. They're my favourite part of this box!

Star-Lord Pop! Mug

Finally, something that doesn't have Groot or Rocket Raccoon on it! LOL Seriously, this is an awesome mug. It'll definitely be use quite a bit!

Guardians of the Galaxy Scarf

This is the item that I gave to Jess as part of her Christmas Gift Package. I'm pretty sure it was her favourite present from me. Thanks, Funko and Marvel!

OVERVIEW

This was honestly one of the best Marvel Collector Corps boxes so far. I'm sure my opinion was obvious from how many times I used the word "favourite". Great items, incredible value, and amazing fun. I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store!

If you want more information on this subscription box program, check out the Collector Corps web site HERE.

And, that's all for 2015. Thank you for supporting this blog and have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - December, 2014 - Anniversary

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and this month, I wasn't sure if I would be writing a Loot Crate entry or not since Canada Post is notoriously bad during the Christmas season. To my surprise, I found my box at the front door yesterday, which was a Sunday. Either the postal service actually worked on a weekend or my Crate was accidentally delivered to someone else earlier in the week and then they left it at my door. Either way, I'm just glad I got it! :)

For those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a themed box of 6 to 8 items. What's interesting is that Loot Crate has different subscription programs. Here's a breakdown:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

DECEMBER - ANNIVERSARY

This month, Loot Crate went with a theme that is a little out of the ordinary. Instead of something "nerdy" like dragons or space, they decided to celebrate the anniversaries of nerdy franchises. 30 years of Ghostbusters. 25 years of Simpsons. 30 years of Tetris... I'll stop there 'cause now I'm feeling old! Ha ha! Anyway, Looters were promised some sweet items, including an exclusive Pop! figure, so I was really excited for this box. What did I get? Here's a list:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Ghostbusters Door Hanger ($3.00 CAD)

- Tetris Stickers Set ($17.00 CAD)

- Simpsons Mighty Wallet ($12.00 CAD)

- Captain America Air Freshener ($5.00 CAD)

- Groot Socks ($13.00 CAD)

- Batman #36 Comic Book ($5.00 CAD)

- Joker-Batman Pop! Figure ($15.00 CAD)

- Crunchyroll Coupon ($7.50 CAD)

- Candy Cane ($0.15 CAD)

Custom Loot Crate Box

I guess it's no surprise that we Looters got a custom box yet again. Seriously, Loot Crate rocks in this regard. What I love about this month's box is that not only is it the Batcave, it's a Funko Pop! Batcave! It's official - This is my favourite custom box so far!

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

This month's magazine is one of the best I've seen. I was blown away by the cover designed by Josh Mirman, who is known for his art style of using words to create characters. Inside, there is an interview with none other than Stan Lee! Wow! A definite treat for True Believers!

Loot Crate Theme Pin

I want to criticize the simple design of the pin we got this month, but I can't because I actually like it. Sure, it's just the Loot Crate logo with a couple of stars next to it on a gold background, but it looks good. Thumbs up over here.

Ghostbusters Door Hanger

This is honestly not the best Ghostbusters item they could have given Looters, but it's still very cool. Plus, it's 2-sided and exclusive to Loot Crate. I'm not really a fan of the Slimer side, but the Ghost Bustin' side is definitely being displayed on one of the doors in my house.

Tetris Sticker Set

This is cool. Really, really cool. I love stickers and this Tetris set is just awesome. I can't wait to show them to my niece, who I'm sure will have half of them all over her stuff in a matter of minutes!

Simpsons Mighty Wallet

I love the Simpsons and I've always wanted to get a Mighty Wallet. Now, I have a Mighty Wallet with an awesome Simpsons design on it! Sweet!

Captain America Air Freshener

Apparently, Captain America smells like vanilla. Let the jokes begin!

Groot Socks

This! THIS! This is the kind of item that keeps me coming back for more Loot Crate month after month. Easily my favourite item in this box and one of my favourites from Loot Crate so far!

Batman #36 Comic Book

I love the Loot Crate exclusive cover on this comic and the fact that it comes with some bonus digital comics. However, I will say that I would have preferred a #1 or #0 comic over one that puts you right in the middle of a story arc. If you Google "Batman 36", you'll see that this issue is actually the second part of the Endgame arc. I understand that DC probably hopes that people will buy #35 in order to be able to read the story arc as a whole, but I feel that a better way to get people into a comic series is to get them in from the start with a #1 or a #0.

Joker-Batman Pop! Figure

Now, we come to the most talked-about item that was announced for this month's Loot Crate - The exclusive Funko Pop! figure! I admit that this is not even close to anything I would have expected. Batman is awesome, but I honestly don't know what to think of this figure. It's so... weird... I'll just leave it at that.

Crunchyroll Coupon

I had never heard of Crunchyroll until I received this card and I really appreciate the 30-day trial. I love Anime, so I'm hoping to take full advantage of this trial.

Candy Cane

A December subscription box wouldn't be complete without some nod at the fact that it's Christmas month. It's why Nerd Block is such a disappointment. They don't even acknowledge the fact that Christmas exists. I understand not everyone celebrates Christmas, but why be PC about it? Christmas is fun! So, this candy cane? It's awesome. Thank you, Loot Crate.

OVERVIEW

My first December Loot Crate was wonderful. I was blown away by not only the amount of items, but by how awesome most of them were. I even have a new item added to my all-time favourites list! The thought and effort put into making this box and all the ones I've received before it are what are keeping me on as a subscriber. I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store!

Speaking of 2015, in January, the theme is going to be REWIND. I'm super excited since I love retro stuff! If you're interested in learning more about Loot Crate, please check out their Web Site. And, if you would like to subscribe, you can get $3 off using the code REWIND

This concludes my final blog entry of 2014. Here's wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and very MERRY NEW YEAR! See you in 2015!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - August, 2014 - Heroes

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and I'm a little late with this month's Loot Crate review. It's been a loooooong month for Jess and me at work, and since I received my box this past Monday, I've been extremely anxious to tell you all about it. In fact, the photos for this entry were taken in my company's board room before a meeting! Here, check out this "Unboxing" pic:

Don't you just love the wood pattern of my company's board room table? ^_~ Now, for those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a themed box of 6 to 8 items. What's interesting is that Loot Crate has different subscription programs. Here's a breakdown:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months 

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

AUGUST - HEROES

Last month's Villains-themed box blew me away. It had awesome items and an incredibly imaginative custom box. When I heard about this month's theme, I was really excited and hoped for the same level of quality as the Villains box. Did Loot Crate deliver? Here's a list of what I got:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Mega Man Air Freshener ($5.00 CAD)

- TMNT Bandana Glasses ($7.00 CAD)

- TMNT Vinyl Figure ($10.00 CAD)

- Deadpool Magnet ($3.00 CAD)

- Exclusive Groot Pop! Figure ($15.00 CAD)

- Shwings Shoe Wings ($8.00 CAD)

- Bonus Digital Loot ($10.00 CAD)

Custom Loot Crate Box

I was pleasantly surprised by last month's custom Villains box. This month, I had a huge bout of nostalgia with the custom Heroes box I received. Do you see what that is in the photo? Yep, it's the Ninja Turtles lair! When I was a kid, I had the lair playset. It was donated when I reached adulthood, but now I have something just as cool and in a more compact form factor. Yay! ^_^

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

The design of this month's mini magazine cover is pretty cool and there is some great content inside. What slightly confuses me is the inclusion of Batman on the cover. I get that he's a hero, but DC Comics doesn't really make an appearance in this month's Loot Crate except for the Alex Ross painting in the magazine's table of contents and Batman's face in one of the magazine games. Oh, well. It's Batman, so I guess it's okay. :p

Loot Crate Theme Pin

I love this month's theme pin and I'm also happy to inform you that the print is not dark! I appreciate that the pin's design is not just a copy of the mini magazine cover art. Here, Groot has been replaced with Captain America and Leonardo has been replaced with Thor's arm, hammer, cape, and leg. I wish I could see the full art piece, though.

Mega Man Air Freshener

Jess has a Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar air freshener in her car. Well, now I have Mega Man in mine! This is a cool item I couldn't even imagine existing prior to getting it. Awesome!

TMNT Bandana Glasses

By far the most useless item in this month's Loot Crate for me is the TMNT Bandana Glasses. I mean, they're kind of cool, but I would never use them. My niece would probably love them, though, so into the Christmas stocking stuffer box it goes!

TMNT Vinyl Figure

Now, this Donatello vinyl by Kidrobot is definitely not going to my niece. I love the look of the figure. Plus, it apparently glows in the dark! I can't wait to get Donatello onto my shelf. :D

Deadpool Magnet

Wait, wasn't Deadpool in the Villains box? Why, yes. Yes, he was. See, Deadpool is both a villain and a hero! Thank you, Loot Crate, for recognizing that. More Deadpool equals more awesome, and this magnet is just fantastic.

Exclusive Groot Pop! Figure

I am Groot.

Translation:

"If you haven't watched "Guardians of the Galaxy", do it NOW. It's one of the best movies of 2014, and possibly the best Marvel movie to date. When I saw this exclusive Groot Pop! vinyl with glow in the dark hand in my Loot Crate, I screeched like a little girl in the 90's at a Hanson concert. I can't describe just how much I love this item. It's easily my favourite this month."

Shwings Shoe Wings

A set of shoe wings really isn't a "heroic" item, but I admit that they are super cool and I've wanted to buy a set for a long time. Well, now I have lightning bolts on my shoes. Sweet!

Bonus Digital Loot

This card has codes that get you 3 games. I'm really excited about the Doctor Who one and "Gauntlet". I've never heard of "Defense Grid" before, but I am definitely interested since I love tower defense games. The added value in this card is much appreciated.

OVERVIEW

August was an incredible month for Loot Crate. I didn't know if the Heroes box could possibly match the Villains one, but in my opinion, it did. I am absolutely torn over whether the Groot Pop! Figure or the Deadpool socks from last month is my favourite Loot Crate item so far. The fact that I like any item this much is a comforting thought for me since it means the people at Loot Crate are doing their job of not only giving me value, but a positive and memorable nerdy experience as well.

In September, the Loot Crate theme will be "Galactic". Their Facebook group has silhouettes of the Millennium Falcon, an X-Wing, the Serenity, and the Enterprise, which has got me bristling with excitement. If you're interested in learning more about Loot Crate, please check out their Web Site. If you would like to subscribe, you can get 10% off using the code GALACTIC

As a final note, I would like to once again mentioned that my sister-in-law Felicia has a fantastic food blog that I highly recommend you check out. Go to Food Hackerette. You won't be disappointed!

Thank you for visiting. See you again soon!

~ Mike