box: 25 packets (4 stickers + 1 card per packet) 1,00€ each
mini box 5 packets 4,90€
We have lost count, there are so many albums dedicated to Frozen, so much so that they can be considered an independent part of the Disney production. It is certainly a much loved product, probably the biggest hit since the time of the Lion King in Disney cartoons.
Could such a large production of sticker albums or cards make sense without a third chapter of the saga on the horizon? Of course yes, even if the story is now known. In fact, this album does not hide any secrets, a bit like illustrated books, it just tells the second adventure of Elsa and Anna, with a small preamble to mention where we were left after the first feature film.
The album is divided into chapters, faithfully reflecting what happens in the cartoon. Most of the stickers seem new to us, even if we remember several images in the cards, after all the “frames” of the film are those, they cannot invent others. But it is an album that you may like, especially the graphic layout is interesting, standard, special and shaped stickers that alternate.
The sore point is that Panini does not know how to go beyond the fixed pattern, the one already seen, perhaps not even with a certain foresight regarding the potential success of the album or it is simply more the obligation to release periodic products to maintain the rights. Hence the presence of the cards, which give a contribution to the quality of the album equal to nothing, essentially a repetition of what has already been proposed by the stickers.
With the pejorative fact that they only raise the cost of the product, making it unappetizing, also taking into account that we are towards the summer and The Kingdom of Ice has a much more Christmas theme. We think that an album with a much lower number of stickers (140? Even less) and without cards (50 are, almost always, an exaggeration, but perhaps it is the “minimum questionable” to maintain the famous rights) would have been much more suitable.
Pleasant album, nothing more. Staying on the Frozen theme, the previous “Crystal Edition” is much more appropriate.
comment: come to us lovers of special stickers! For each collection, the most stickers searched are shiny or rough or glitter, etc. When you make the swaps they are worth double the others. Put your heart in peace, in this collection they are ALL! Having reached the fourth different album on Frozen 2, Panini still manages to renew itself and make each collection different from the other. Here the characters are presented and the same in the key moments of the film, often the images for obvious reasons have already been used in previous albums but could not be done otherwise.
Among the 140 stickers we have something for all tastes: silver, glitter, holographic and even “scratch & discover”, use a coin to reveal the sticker below. To tell the truth, you could go further, for example the hairy or transparent stickers would have been fine. The strong point, however, are the cards, the oldest among us will remember the Pop-Up stickers in 90s football. At the center of the album is the rigid cardboard poster, where opening it reveals a triple scenario on which to place and play with the 35 different cards. This allows you to imagine many different stories.
As already happened with Onward album, here too we find 5 LE cards, a gift from the starter pack. If you have collected the previous Frozen 2 albums you can put them in the binders. Are four Frozen 2 albums too many? Is Panini running out of ideas and proposing the same things again? Personally, I disagree. Frozen is one of the best-selling brands in the world, it is likely to be used several times. Surely at this stage Panini had problems with novelty, given the almost total closure of cinemas for 6 months now, but I like to think that this really interesting album would have been released even in normal times.
(EN)
FROZEN 2 – XXL CARDS
EDICOLA NEWS: REVIEWS nr. 121
cards: 48 (12 magnetic + 36 interactive)
starter pack: album + 12 cards € 9.90
packets: € 2.50 (1 magnet + 3 XXL cards)
comment: third Panini production linked to Frozen 2, certainly the great success of the season even if the Christmas times 2019 seem, for various reasons, very far away. Strong of the positive feedback on the mega cards of the previous album, this presents a collection of 48 XXL cards, 12 of which are made up of magnets.
Observing only the starter pack you fall into a misunderstanding, rest assured, you cannot find a giant magnet to attach to the fridge! (I already imagined dozens of desperate mothers …), this type of card has inside them several magnets to detach and play with and, perhaps, to attach some of them also on the fridge. We actually think the aim is to allow children to always create new stories, not to upholster appliances.
In addition to the 12 magnetic cards, we find the other 36 “activity cards”, so called because if the various characters of the story resume in the front, they are born in the back to involve in small games, from coloring the drawing, to leaving the labyrinth, to perhaps returning to use or the magnets or mini figurines that were part of the previous collection.
Attention to the numbering, not sequential, but only per set, therefore 1 corresponds to the Elsa cards, 3 to the Olaf ones etc. (see photo below). The collector is also useful for storing previous collections, not only Frozen 2 but also, for example, Dragon Ball Super or going further back in time, the maxi cards of Calciatori albums.
I would have avoided all the use of disposable plastic, it is a false belief that the problem is the binders, born to be stored, but all the wrappers of the cards or stickers. Production, however, only for fans.
Frozen Magazine: nr. 48 and 49 € 3.90 (1 packet + 1 limited card each)
box 24 packets
comment: the Disney + Christmas cartoon combination is almost always a guaranteed success, even more so if the cartoon is the sequel to one of the greatest hits of the new millennium. Panini knows this well and after the album stickers + card ( https://figurineforever.com/en/2019/12/09/frozen-2-panini-2/ ) in a few days it doubles with a collection entirely of cards.
The album is well made but some doubts remain, the nice choice to unify the traditional stickers with the most modern cards in one collection was very effective and the result was successful, so much so that it was defined as a really nice album to collect. This card only version does not have the same appeal.
Not only that, the cards of the first collection are sincerely more beautiful and cared for, these having to follow the story of the film (like the stickers in the previous one) are more standard by necessity. The special silver or glitter details are still a nice product, but we remain convinced that in terms of quality the first product could be enough, in terms of quantity and also of marketing, Panini is certainly right. “Better beat the iron until it’s hot.”
However, this collection is very structured, almost like the Adrenalyn Calciatori, in addition to the 198 basic cards (including 100 regular, 54 magic, 44 glitter) there are 8 limited edition cards! Cards that to have them all, do not forget to buy the various products related to the collection, 2 limited are within the starter pack, 1 each in the Frozen magazine nr. 48 and 49, 4 in the dedicated tin box which also has three different images printed on the box.
Collection not easy to complete, some numbers are hard to find and be careful to buy more boxes together, because it can happen to find practically the same ones repeated.
Some alternative advice? Buy the starter pack and use the binder to put the 100 cards of the previous version plus collect the 8 limited of this which are really beautiful. It cannot be defined as complete, but it will make a good impression in your collection.
mega tin box: € 29.90 (HARD COVER album + 7 packets + 3 XXL cards)
packets: € 1.00 (4 stickers + 1 card)
comment: the richest album ever! No, it is not the classic promo of the new Calciatori, but the pleasantly challenging album linked to the Christmas cartoon par excellence (the one yes): Frozen 2. The story is known so let’s go directly to the presentation of this new effort Panini.
The “blockbuster” albums are increasingly becoming an adventure in trying to complete them and above all to be informed about all the connected exits to have them really complete. The main new is also the realization of the hardcover version, presented inside a mega tin box and available ONLY by booking your copy on the circuit www.primaedicola.it, the newsstand distributor.
Don’t worry, for the mega tin box it is not necessary to free up space in the car, the album is small. A sore point for Frozen lovers who wanted to place all the various albums close together in the library (between Frozen and Frozen 2 they came out, we think, another 3 albums), since the first one is rectangular, this is small vertical, in the middle a giant type Calciatori recent years, other standard format etc. etc. Help!
The choice of the small format has its flaws but also the merit of making it similar to a fablebook, of course the advice is to start the collection AFTER having seen the movie, as the album traces the story, there are no pages of introduction with character gallery or other. The story is so beautiful that it has to be told in detail.
Add to this a central giant poster where to place the F1-F12 stickers, unlike other times it is impossible to attack them without moving it from the album, the advice is perhaps to buy 2 starter packs (looking for all the 5 different XXL cards, since it is not clear if the complete set is found in the Mega Tin Box) so as to keep it attached in the copy where the stickers are attached. Or at the newsstand you will also find the album priced at € 2.00.
The stickers are really beautiful, with a colored outline that increases their charm, in addition to the classic ones we find many shaped stickers (stick them with caution!), silver, glitter and transparent! In addition to the 204 stickers for the album (1-192, F1-F12 for the central poster), we find other 12 decorative mini (L1-L12) with small stickers that can be attached where you prefer but are born above all to personalize the back of the cards of the same album.
About cards, we have 55: 30 with all the characters in the cartoon (C1-C30), 20 specials dedicated to Elsa, Anna and Olaf (S1-S20), 5 XXL format. In addition to the Mega Tin Box, we find 3 different standard tin boxes, 2 with Elsa and Anna together (horizontal and vertical), one with the nice Olaf. Tin boxes are naturally also made to hold their own card collection.
After the first disappointment for the format of the album (but later convinced by the choice), it is impossible not to fall in love with both the cartoon and this product. There will certainly be criticisms for the high cost of this product, it is a very open debate, Panini is certainly heading towards the future, uniform stickers and cards in a single collection is the solution to entice new generations and, frankly, do not disappoint not even the most “dated” (for example the album Spider-Man Far From Home had a really splendid collection of cards).
Differentiating the offer (starter pack, box, hardcover, tin box, etc.) does not always mean to force the collector to buy everything. On the contrary, the hardcover only on order is an excellent solution to make products in a much smaller edition compared to what would be needed to cover the national distribution (as was already done with Calciatori). Not having yet “touched it”, we do not add other considerations.
Marvelous movie, beautiful album, Christmas is coming, what do you want more?
