Finally!

I don't know what it was. Usually my local Target is pretty good about getting the new stuff out on time. In fact, it's pretty regularly getting things on the shelf before they're released. Not the opposite.

So, it was frustrating when trip after trip turned up empty. I'm not even usually the type of guy that needs to have new things the second they come out. I mean, I waited three days to see The Force Awakens. I first saw The Avengers on DVD. So, it wasn't that I was desperate to get my hands on some 2017 Topps cards. It was just the fact that they weren't there when they should be. Where were they? What was going on.

So, I know I'm late to the party, but I was finally able to get my hands on the new product! I know you're all beyond curios to see what I got. The highlights of my blaster.

Or the lowlights. Would you believe that these are the first two cards in the very first pack of 2017 Topps I opened? Seriously? What is wrong with Topps? What's wrong with the universe?

But, at least that first pack was able to produce a Red Sox card. And, a darn good one at that. Hopefully Mookie is able to pick up right were he left off last season.

This is probably a good point to talk about the design. I'm sorry, but I like it. I actually really like it. It was surprising because I definitely thought I'd be one of those "Get your gosh darn computer graphics off my base set!" people. But, once I got them in hand, they really appeal to me. It calls me back to the classic Stadium Club feel. Simple graphics with full bleed photos. Everything tucked away at the bottom. I have a hard time finding a fault. 

Weird, I know.

Oh, and I know I'm not alone in being glad that the league leaders are getting their own cards. Too many cards in my collection with the same three guys crammed into too small a space. Plus, it limits the Yankees sneaking into my Red Sox binder.

Ok, onto the next pack. The first card in the next pack was...

Very funny universe.

Looks to me like Jacoby jumped too early on this one. 

The rest of the packs were much better. Here are some of the highlights.

This fantastic '87 Topps style rookie card of Red Sox phenom Andrew Benintendi. That's a great looking card.

One more card of old friend David Ortiz. The dark colors on the award winners inserts take up too much room for my liking. I think there are some color schemes that work. This one doesn't. Perhaps if the red and blue were reversed.

And a collection of the young superstars on the Red Sox. Bogaerts gives a look at the design in the horizontal format. It doesn't work as well, but it's still pretty fantastic. The Betts inserts are better than the Ortiz. The design is simple, but you still get the point that they're special cards. I wish you could see the 42 on Betts's back...but I guess a set of people's backs would be a bit annoying. The Father's Day card works better, since you can tell he's wearing the Father's Day blue.

So, there we have it. My first blaster of 2017 Topps. Hopefully the first of many. 

And maybe more of them will be chock full of Mookie Betts.