2018 Upper Deck Black Panther Movie Trading Cards

Review

2018 Upper Deck Black Panther Product Review

Reviewed by Trey Treutel

Good: Designs really pop; awesome memorabilia selection; great overall collecting experience.

Bad: Signers list is very small; Vibranium metal insert can be the main box hit; box price is pretty steep.

The Bottom Line: 2018 Upper Deck Black Panther can be tricky to size up because the cards look great but the tiny autograph checklist removes much of the purchase incentive for many collectors. However, the premium Black Panther Suit redemptions are an awesome addition that could entice those still on the fence to try their luck.

Card Design: 4.0/5.0

The design is a clear strength of the 2018 Upper Deck Black Panther movie set. Normally, the frame would be more of a distraction in my eyes, but I like what it adds to the base set and appreciate the purple foil accents. I also enjoy the way the parallels were handled. In my option, the purple-heavy frame would have been ruined by a mix of other colors to denote parallels, and I think the decision to stick with just silver and black foil logo options, plus acetate, which is another strong choice, was a great decision. I really enjoyed the Photochromic version that has a subtle embossed effect and changes color when exposed to UV light.

The inserts stand out nicely from the base cards thanks to the gold foil in the design. I can't say that one really jumps out at me, but I like the variety they offer.

I will admit that although I have no issue with the dense jungle design on The King's Mantle memorabilia cards, it is harder to make out the details of the cards except in direct light. The more futuristic design contrast of the Wakandan Writings set was a very good decision in spite of the continued reliance on sticker autographs.

Checklist: 2.75/5.0

As one of the biggest movies of 2018, there was considerable excitement for the set. And when the final autograph list was announced, there was considerable disappointment. It's not that the lineup is bad, per se, it's just that it's only three subjects. All three are strong names, but none are among the main characters that collectors wanted or expected to see. That does hurt the set as a whole.

Upper Deck did do a great job trying to offset this negative by going deeper with the memorabilia. Specifically, the Premium Black Panther Suit Relic Card Redemption that features actual pieces from the title character's movie suit. It would have been nice if UD provided the packs odds for those as it appears they are very tough to pull.

Value: 2.0/5.0

Despite initially coming in over $100 per box, prices sit in the $70-90 range at the time of this review. UD Entertainment releases tend to fall on the higher side but the key chase is quite rare and that is a tough price to work with by the box and still see value. This is especially true when a metal card counts as a box hit.

The Fun Factor: 4.0/5.0

I had a fun time with 2018 Upper Deck Black Panther. So much variety comes in a box and it does a good job tying in multiple aspects of the film in a creative way. Sure, the autograph list is not ideal, but the collector in me was still impressed by what I came across.

2018 Upper Deck Black Panther Hit Gallery

The box used for this review was provided by Upper Deck Entertainment.