Comic Bento Mystery Box Review!

The field of subscription mystery boxes is relatively crowded these days, but I’m intrigued by a recent entry that cuts out the fluff and gets straight to the delivered goods I’m looking for: pure comics from Comic Bento.

Whereas other subscription box services fill you up with tee shirts and collectibles, Comic Bento promises at least $50 of surprise graphic novels (or collected editions) delivered to your home.

My package came promptly, with 4 hardcover collected editions of comics tightly wrapped and secured. As anyone who has ever ordered comics from Amazon knows, corners and edges are at serious risk of bending and tearing during transport, so I particularly appreciated the clear efforts to avoid that with Comic Bento.

My sample pack of books included a Comic Bento exclusive called Damsels in Excess, the first volume of Marvel’s Champions by Mark Waid, Vampire Huntress by Dynamite Comics, and Akaneiro from Dark Horse.

In the case of Marvel’s Champions, the collection is a bit disappointing for a few reasons. Primarily, I’ve already these comics, and simply am not that into the series. Additionally, if you’re a subscriber to Marvel Unlimited, you may find that the overlap feels like spending money twice on the same product. Then again, more readers than not are going to recognize Marvel comics over the remainder, so really it’s a matter of taste and expected audience.

I do appreciate that the three remaining collections are comics I would not likely have read. I read so many comics on a regular basis that the notion of a curated suggestion list outside my typical bubble is potentially appealing.

Comic Bento plans range from $25 for a single month (plus shipping and handling) to $22.50 for a full year subscription, with free shipping.

If you’re interested in checking out the comics subscription service, and would like to consider it for a gift, you can sign up through Comic Book Herald’s affiliate link to Comic Bento!