INSiGHT: Pop in a Box (July 2018)

Funko has positively exploded in recent years, going from being seen at the occasional stall at a comic-con or in the corner of the local comic book shop, to being on the majority of stalls at comic-cons and comic shops often stocking more Pops than comics themselves. Despite this, it's often tricky to find reliable sellers for Funko. The high street, stores like HMV, for instance, has a bad habit of marking prices up considerably, independent comic shops have a habit of taking out the possibility of receiving a chase, and various online sellers have vanished over the years, taking all their preorder money with them.

For years, though, one particular online seller has been trusted and continued to deliver, literally. Pop in a Box offers a subscription service where Pops and Dorbz can be delivered monthly. Pop in a Box has kindly provided a sample of its services to Cubed3 after meeting up at this year's MCM Comic-Con Manchester, with an example of its two-Pop subscription service.

First up is Deadpool. While the Merc with a Mouth has become rather oversaturated in pop culture recently, in Pops especially with the new series, this release is rather special. Pop in a Box has developed such a special relationship with Funko it has received two exclusive Pops and this is its second.

The first exclusive was based on the Deadpool's Secret Wars series, which re-imagined Marvel's 1984 mini-series to see the Venom symbiote bond with Wade after being rejected by Peter Parker. This first Pop showed Deadpool half being taken over by the symbiote.

This new Pop takes inspiration from the Deadpool Back in Black series and sees Deadpool completely joined with the symbiote. The result is Venompool and, unlike other symbiote Pops, this one is really embracing the style, with Wade using the tendrils of the symbiote to pack more firepower.

This is a really great pop. A totally unique mold and one that shows that the Marvel symbiote Pops could be so much more, something glimpsed in the upcoming line of Venomised Pops that have recently been announced for Venom's 25th anniversary.

The Disney properties continue with the second Pop, as Star Wars is on hand next.

Star Wars Rebels followed up on the hugely popular The Clone Wars and served to bridge the gap between Episode III and Episode IV. This series introduced "The Grand Inquisitor," a Jedi Temple Guard who fell to the Dark Side and was sent by Darth Vader to assist in Order 66, eradicating any remaining Jedi across the Galaxy.

The Pop is a superb recreation of this sinister looking villain, capturing the textured look to the skin and the sunken darkness around the eyes, double-sided lightsabre at his side.

Both these Pops were packed perfectly to ensure even the most meticulous of in box collectors will be satisfied, too. The subscription service allows a custom "Thumbs up, thumbs down" system, which means only Pops you want will be sent out each month and the more delivered, the bigger the discount. A monthly 1 Pop subscription is just £8.49, two for £16.99, three for £25.17, six for £49.44, or 12 for £84.99.

Pop in a Box isn't just the subscription service either, it is a fully-fledged online store, with all of the latest releases, competitive pricing, regular sales, and a 10% discount for subscribers. Check it out now. Also, more photos can be found at Cubed3's official Facebook Page.