Nerd Block Classic Review: February 2015

The challenge with subscription boxes, especially geek subscription boxes, is that you can't please everyone. I absolutely loved last month's Nerd Block, despite having some issues with them customer service wise, but this month's was kind of a dud. This month's Jr. box was great, though, oddly enough. However, in the last month, I've seen some real changes from Nerd Block, especially in the area of customer service. I don't know if they're aware of the nonsense from Voldemort, or if they just really are getting over growing pains, but I think they should be applauded for actually listening to customers. Especially geeks, since we can be a surly bunch. ;) 

I don't think, however, that this box was nearly as bad as everyone seems to think it was. The biggest fail, really, is that the theme was kind of dumb. Exclusives don't matter when things feel sort of just tossed in. I would have preferred something a little more cohesive. 

The first item was the first issue of Marvel's Star Wars. I would be a lot more excited if I hadn't gotten this last month with another cover from Loot Crate. Both covers are exclusive alternates, but honestly, with the random stamps on them, they lose value and even my comics collector husband (who's been collecting for 35 years) doesn't care about variants. Not a bad item, and since not everyone subscribes to both, it's good that they are also getting this out, but for us, it was just okay. 

We also got a Saul figure from Breaking Bad, which is actually their Better Call Saul item. I only half watched Breaking Bad when my husband had it on (the first season was interesting, but it got a little over the top for me). He gave up on Better Call Saul about thirty minutes in. He said it wasn't bad, but he just doesn't feel like watching a new show. We're pretty committed to Sherlock, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Broadchurch, Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead, and some sitcoms, so that feels like enough at this point. I like these figures, though, even if my husband was a lot more negative about the box than I was.

My picture of the desktop drum kit didn't come out, but basically it's a drum kit shaped notepad with pencils/erasers that look like drumsticks. I think this is cute. My husband's classroom isn't set up in a way where he has much desk space and I don't have an office really, but these are neat. Not really an item that is worth the whole box, but not so bad they annoy you.

I loved this month's shirt, although Mr. Comics (my husband) wasn't very excited because he's not a fan of The Flash. He said he'd prefer Gorilla Grodd eating The Flash, but I like it and will wear it, so boo on him.

What's funny is that Nerd Block got tons of backlash about the last item, which were trading cards of cosplayers. I expected something overly sexual in the images, which would have annoyed me, because I hate that there's this whole "geek girls have to wear minimal clothes" attitude, but these are great. They're well done, with some info about each cosplayer, as well as items of the people in cosplay. The sexiness of the costumes varies, but that's a commentary on the characters not the cosplayers. Sadly we received the exact same deck twice, but I don't really think these are bad. They're not sexualizing women at all. If people have issue with how women are represented, I don't think they need to put it on the cosplayers or Nerd Block. I think it's great that Nerd Block is embracing a big part of geek culture actually. Cosplay is an expensive and time-consuming hobby with little ROI, so why not celebrate something people do out of love for it rather than money?