I'll have a more in-depth post about this sometime in the future when more details emerge, but I wanted to throw some of my initial thoughts out there.
- Nameplates: The nameplate gets a vertical treatment on all cards and the names rotated 90 degrees. This looks to me like only the second time Topps has treated names in this fashion, maybe as a nod to the 1999 set? Not the set I'd steal design elements from, to be honest.
- Bowman?: At first glance, it looks a lot like recent Bowman releases. Don't ask me which ones; I think most Bowman from the last five years or so looks incredibly similar. This doesn't seem to have much personality.
- Color: The design seems to lack color. The nameplates coordinate with the players' team, but we only get small bursts within the largely semi-transparent frame. Of course, this is a full-bleed design, so most of the color comes from the photo itself, but I would have liked to see a more colorful set. I suppose I'm a border purist when it comes to Flagship. Of course, the backs could contain a ton of color, but we'll have to wait and see.
- Photos: More of the same with the four photos above. I didn't expect anything less in the sneak peek, and I'm sure there will be gems in the set, but I still would've loved to see more variety.
From the very limited images we have, I can't say I'm a big fan. The set doesn't feel decidedly "flagship" to me, resembling Bowman or some of Topps' more recent digital releases. The design can still change, however, though based on the production process, it'll likely only be small tweaks here or there.
What are your thoughts on the 2020 design?
It feels like Topps Finest or Bowman ate Flagship.
ReplyDeleteI think if the nameplates were sideways, the color they contain would pop a lot more as well. Going vertically up the card, the color in the nameplate kind of gets lost in all the action in the picture, as opposed to setting a really nice base/tone at the bottom of the card.
Who knows though? I'll reserve total and final judgment until we see more of what it looks like in the end. I'm guessing it won't be rated as a top tier set though.
Not a fan at all. I thought we'd gotten away from the TV-graphic stuff that made 2016 & '17 Topps so awful...guess not.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't care for it either. And I think it's dumb of Topps to reveal the design so far in advance. If they listened to their customer base and made adjustments with the feedback they got, that'd be one thing. But they don't. It's just, "Here's what you're gonna get next year. Try to act surprised." Dumb.
ReplyDeleteLooks like cards you'd find in a Walmart pizza.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick - definitely that '16-'17 type of TV graphic. I also miss borders.
ReplyDeleteI totally feel the Bowman vibe. I think it kind of looks like 2003 Flair Greats and 1993 Ultra has a baby. Nothing special, and back to the same no border tv graphic stuff that I had hoped they had gotten away from. One of these years, everyone is going to boycott Topps flagship if this keeps up.
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