EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 221
album: CARS stories and races (Panini)
stickers: 192 (1-180, X1-X12) + 50 cards (C1-C50)
starter pack: album + 2 packets + 2 cards limited edition 2,90€
box: 24 packets (4 stickers + 1 card per packet) 1,00€ each
It must be a period of renewal of the contracts for Panini, since the newsstands are literally invaded by new albums, several come out only out of necessity. The binomial now almost always present of stickers and cards follows the same logic. Maintaining existing contracts without the further financial disaster of releasing two separate albums.
It’s not always a bad thing, sometimes even interesting products come out (see for example the latest Harry Potter). Certainly the current market cannot withstand this overlapping of products, but, as written, unfortunately, several releases are born in the awareness of being announced flops. But for those who love stickers and sagas, it can be a renewed pleasure to browse these “best of” collections.
The album traces the trilogy. The first part is therefore destined to the first film of 2006 and to follow the others. The texts are a valid addition to follow the progress of the story through the images of the stickers. The graphic choices of Panini are appreciated, not a mere repetition of classic rectangular stickers but instead special, round and pure shaped with pages very rich in stickers to be attached.
It was an opportune choice to divide the album equally between the three films, everyone certainly has their own favorite, but the trilogy must be celebrated as a whole. It’s fun to find Saetta, first as a simple young car, then as a great champion, and finally as a declining star who will be able to return to the glories of the beginning and above all to mentor a new steering wheel ace. The story is that, always fun, as written the very varied graphics of the pages make the collection nice and fun.
Poster open in the center for the 12 stickers numbered with X, interesting because it looks like the central insert of a car magazine. A solution that we like.
Panini could set up the album by presenting all the protagonists, however, having to add the cards as well, he uses these to create a sort of Cars encyclopedia. The idea works, so 50 different cars are presented. It is a pity that the cards do not contain the name but only the design, indeed by daring they could have been made more intriguing with even some technical features. At least the name was needed anyway! There are actually 52 cards counting the two limited editions that we find in the starter pack.
As already written, the choice of making different stickers, even in shape, to make the album more fun is appreciable. In addition, compared to other collections, they are larger and give due credit to the quality of the images and the cartoons themselves.
Not essential album, but still a valid opportunity for fans of the trilogy, Disney / Pixar and even .. cars!
(EN)