The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (II)

The Return of the King Update Set concludes my review of the top 5 cards from each set of the trilogy.  We start off with Card #91, The Lord of the Rings:  The Return of the King.  Checklists are usually poorly done across the hobby, but this one is spectacular with the movie-poster theme on the front.  It features many of the heroes, except for Gollum, that made the movie so memorable.

​Hobbits are sometimes compared to children for their carefree nature and short stature.  Pippin also possesses the curiosity and disobedience of a child, ignoring Gandalf's stern warning not to touch the Palantir.  He must have thought, "Oooh, shiny.  Magical bowling ball.  Me touch."  Well, there are repercussions when doing things one is not supposed to do, and Card #97, Lure of the Palantir, is where that magic bowling ball erupts into flame.  Sauron gazes upon the hapless Hobbit and Pippin soon enters a comatose state of fear.

​Two of my favorite characters are the fair maiden, Eowyn, and the Dark Riders, the wring wraiths.  To have them both featured on one card is inevitable as their battle is a major turning point in the story.  Card #133, Slaying the Witch-king, is when the King of the Nazgul is finally destroyed not by man as foretold, but by an unforeseen woman.

​We see how the Ring of Power corrupt and destroys any that wears it.  This is clearly evident on Card #149, The Ring At Last!  Gollum, who was the ring-bearer for many years prior to losing it to Bilbo Baggins, has it once more after fighting Frodo for it at Mount Doom.  The desire and smirk portrays the greed the ring instills, and Gollum's frail body illustrates the devastation it has upon any poor soul that wears it.

​Throughout the entire story there is an unsung hero, Samwise Gamgee.  He goes through an extraordinary struggle in getting Frodo to their final destination in destroying the ring.  Where many would have been corrupted by greed, or given up by exhaustion, Sam carried Frodo up a mountain with the last of his energy so that their mission could be accomplished.  When Sam returned to the Shire, he soon had the courage to express his love to the one gal he was smitten over, Rosie.  She, in turn, felt the same and they were soon married.  Card #158, Sam's Wedding Day, illustrated the happiness of this perfect match.

​That concludes the review of my top five cards from each of the Topps sets of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I plan to upload my favorite cards and then hunt down some cards from my son's favorite trilogy, The Hobbit!