“Sure, why not,” I said. “I’ll review puzzles!” I do love a challenge.
Vault Puzzle Collection
Vault Comics
April 29, 2022
Puzzles are a thing in my household. It’s kind of fun, actually–one of us can just set a puzzle out, and the entire household will descend upon it, circling the table and collaborating on strategies in the assembly. Naturally, being the kind of comics enthusiast I am, I jumped at the chance for more comics-based puzzles, and when Vault announced they were dipping into the medium, I had to try them out.
I received two puzzles from them: the covers to Money Shot and These Savage Shores. The puzzles on offer are 520 pieces and measure 16×20 inches. I’ll admit that 520 is a little less challenging than I typically go for, but if you want a nice, less intensive puzzle process, it’s few enough pieces that it won’t take forever, but not so few that you feel like you’re doing a kids’ puzzle. Another advantage of the size and piece count is that you can complete the puzzle in a smaller space; I have a corner desk that I typically use for one 1000-piece puzzle, and was able to complete both of the Vault puzzles on that surface, one after the other, without breaking the first one down in between. The price point is $30 per puzzle, which is about double the price you might normally pay for a ~500-piece puzzle at retail, but also keep in mind that these are smaller batch items for a limited market!
Packaging was interesting; I’m told the boxes I received were the way they are because they’re sample copies. In both cases, the puzzles were in plain black boxes, with only a sticker on them to mark what was contained inside (this should also be different when ordering the official thing). Within, each puzzle was bagged in a clear plastic bag approximately four times the size required by either the puzzle or the box! It’s neither here nor there in the experience of the puzzle itself, but it’s a lot of plastic, so here’s hoping they figure that out.
The pieces themselves were the thing I found most interesting; avid puzzle builders all have opinions about the puzzles on offer from different companies! I recently completed a couple of Buffalo puzzles, for instance. Buffalo advertises themselves on the “perfect snap,” i.e. a puzzle piece fit that is so precise that when the edges clear and pieces lock together, it’s the ideal tactile sensation. They’re not always as successful at this claim as I think they’d like to be, but still, it’s a nice experience. Aquarius puzzles I find are a little bit looser even than Buffalo, and often the images are vulnerable to nail scratches and the like while assembling, which can mar the finished image, but they trade off well in both availability and price.
For these Vault puzzles, however, the pieces seem to have this extra reinforced edge to them. I’m not sure of the exact reasoning that’s gone into this method, but the result is both pieces that click together in a very satisfying fashion, as well as a kind of durability. I enjoy passing puzzles along to friends when I’ve completed them, and it seems like this feature will help these puzzles last quite a long time indeed.
Overall? These were very satisfying puzzles to complete, and I’d love to see this line expand. I understand the choice to start with covers to iconic runs, but I’d love to see some notable interior panels as well, not to mention offerings in a variety of different sizes and difficulties. I’m not sure if Vault plans to do so; these puzzles were mentioned as being a limited-time offering (which may also explain the higher price point), but I’d really like to see it! 520 pieces aren’t bad, but give me a thousand! Two thousand! GIVE ME MORE, VAULT!
