It’s time to get mystical with Mr. Strange! Actually, that’s Doctor Strange …
Never let it be said that Marvel and Funko don’t have good timing. With the release of Doctor Strange right around the corner on November 4, it made perfect sense that the October Collector Corps box would also focus on the Sorcerer Supreme.
It’s perhaps a tiny bit of a risk as the good Doctor isn’t as universally beloved as Spider-Man or the Avengers, but that might change once the world gets to see Benedict Cumberbatch. In any case, I was anxious to tear into this month’s shipment, as it’s great to see characters who aren’t necessarily A-listers get the spotlight.
Was I right to be psyched? Let’s see.
The Box and Accessories
This might be the most intricate Collector Corps box yet. Not only is there a cool, stylized image of Doctor Strange on the inside of the lid, but there are additional pictures of the Eye of Agamotto all over the inside. Kind of gives you the idea that it can see everything, which is probably the point.
The eye appears again on this month’s pin. The patch is based on the same image from the inside of the box lid, featuring the Master of the Mystic Arts about to unload a spell or two. Pretty nice, and the round patches continue to seem like a wise change.
The Vinyl and Mug
Here’s a case where the picture doesn’t really do the items justice. This month’s Pop! Vinyl figure is an exclusive Doctor Strange in his astral form. The pose is a classic one, and the figure is constructed of clear yellow plastic with gold glitter to (slight spoiler) look like Strange’s astral projection in the movie. It’s very different and will instantly stand out from the rest of your Pop collection.
The mug is also exclusive to Collector Corps, and we’ve sung their praises in this space before. Great as collectibles or to actually use, and drinking coffee or hot chocolate out of Strange’s head probably barely moves the needle on the weird meter compared to things we’ll see in the film.
The Shirt
Now this is something you’ll want to wear to the movie on opening night. This month’s tee is one of the boldest we’ve seen from Collector Corps to date, with a cool image of the Pop Doctor Strange casting a spell of some sort. The slanted lettering is just right, and even the fact that it’s a navy blue tee works, as fanboys and fangirls can only have so many black, white and gray shirts.
The Bonus
This month’s comic is Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #1 with an exclusive cover.It’s inspired by an old cover and black light poster from the 70s. Does it glow under black light? We haven’t been able to test that out just yet.
Related Story: Marvel Collector Corps August 2016 unboxing and review: Spider-Man
The Verdict
Not much not to like here, provided you dig Doctor Strange or at the very least are looking forward to the movie. As mentioned above, this is possibly the theme with the least mass appeal so far for Collector Corps, but diehard Marvel fans will likely have no problem at all with it.
All of our items arrived in perfect condition this month as well, which is always a good thing. And we’re already looking forward to the next shipment, which will feature a popular but occasionally overlooked Marvel team: the X-Men. Can’t wait.