Jake Raines vs. a return for Johnny Thunder

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Maybe I'm a bit too conservative when it comes to themes, but after Indiana Jones was discontinued, I was disappointed to see that Lego created a new adventurer character instead of resurrecting Johnny Thunder, because I always loved that character. Would you have rather had Johnny Thunder in this new theme, maybe even revamped, instead of Jake Raines, or do you prefer what Lego did?

Edited November 19, 2011 by johnnyvgoode

[Darkdragon]

I enjoy all the new stuff. If you like Johnny more than Jake, you should continue his adventures on your own. I think that is the point with introducing new action characters and moving on - they want the kids to get a small foundation for building their own stories with the characters.

Edited November 18, 2011 by darkdragon

[Athos]

I bet this has been discussed in another thread somewhere... but anyway...

I would have rather had it both ways. I think it would have been cool to have JR be a part of JT's universe. And it still can be in your own play, but an official connection (like an older JT figure) would have been a nice nod to the original adventurer.

Steve

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

@Athos I agree with much of what you said.

Things like these make me thing what it would be like if he had returned:

[Lyichir]

I voted Jake Raines. I loved Johnny Thunder back in the day, but I thought Adventurers came to a stunning conclusion with Orient Expedition. I'm glad that rather than bring back a cohesive theme, and risk befouling it, they tried something new. I always saw Adventurers as sort of a knockoff Indiana Jones, and after having actual Indiana Jones sets, I felt Adventurers would feel far less unique. But instead LEGO took a different route, making an desert adventure theme based more on "The Mummy", giving fresh life to the concept. It's similar to how rather than redoing Life on Mars, they reimagined it as an "Alien"-style space horror theme with Mars Mission.

[Algernon]

I liked Pharaoh's Quest but I would easily give it up for a return of Johnny Thunder. It's just classic LEGO charm for me - I grew up with Orient Expedition.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Don't get me wrong - I do like Pharaoh's Quest. However, I would have preferred the protagonist to be Johnny Thunder instead of Jake Raines, even if Johnny has already had adventures in the desert.

[Ardelon]

I would prefer Johnny Thunder, as it already had fleshed out characters and an epic storyline. I was sad to see it go, I wanted them to visit other locations, like an ancient Greek ruin, under the sea (with old fashined diving suits), safari with animals, etc.

That said, it's ancient Egypt that excites kids, and it would be weird to send JT and company back, so naturally they had to introduce new characters. I'm afraid that TLG will keep milking the Egyptian idea like this, introducing a completely new cast of characters fighting mummies every few years.

I do think the PQ mummies and Egyptian pieces are much better than the Adventurers ones. In the end, I don't really mind which way TLG goes, so long as we get another theme with an antique and/or vintage feel.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Ardelon

[Blondie-Wan]

I respectfully think there's at least one obvious option missing from the poll (keeping Indy around), and a less-obvious fourth option (having some mix of these, with Johnny, Jake, and/or Indy, and their respective companions and adversaries). I personally would love to have more Indiana Jones sets, and I was hopeful we'd get at least one more for this anniversary year, but it now seems clear LEGO Indy won't return unless and until a fifth movie comes along.

Barring that, I tend to consider the Pharaoh's Quest sets an extension of / successor to the Adventurers theme, with Jake carrying the torch from Johnny. I would dearly love to see Johnny return, though.

[Hexx]

I like that they tried to make something new, and I prefer Jake to Johnny as a minifigure, but overall, they should be called Adventurers too, like Fantasy era and Kingdoms were both part of the Castle theme. These Mummy style sets are great, but the thing I mostly miss from the earlier adventurers are the villains! Sure, mummies should be there as antagonists too, but I think that there should be another fraction of explorers out there. Like, they have to beat there opponents to the tomb and then they have to subdue the mummies and overcome the traps.

And about the poll, Jake or Johnny... it matters little.

[TheDarkBrick]

ITS JOHNNY ! Yeah Adventures was a great theme,great minifigs, decent story, and with all those printed hieroglyphics bricks... !

PS(Kinda off topic): PQ is being discontinued after the holidays, along with Atlantis, MMV, Imperial Flagship, Emerald Night,and the 2010 Kingdoms sets.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Wow, we must make a difficult public. Lego must have a hard time figuring out how to please us.

[Echo]

I bet this has been discussed in another thread somewhere... but anyway...

I would have rather had it both ways. I think it would have been cool to have JR be a part of JT's universe. And it still can be in your own play, but an official connection (like an older JT figure) would have been a nice nod to the original adventurer.

Steve

This. An older Johnny Thunder as a mentor character to Jake Raines would have been outstanding. Personally, I would have preferred a return for Johnny, but Pharaoh's Quest ended up being pretty decent. My biggest issue with PQ is that LEGO is not continuing it in another location like they did with Adventurers. Amazon sets with Raines would have been marvelous for older fans like us, and they also would have had great potential for jungle monsters that would appeal to kids. I really don't think that LEGO realizes the great potential an adventuring theme has.

[SoupOrFishOil]

This. An older Johnny Thunder as a mentor character to Jake Raines would have been outstanding. Personally, I would have preferred a return for Johnny, but Pharaoh's Quest ended up being pretty decent. My biggest issue with PQ is that LEGO is not continuing it in another location like they did with Adventurers. Amazon sets with Raines would have been marvelous for older fans like us, and they also would have had great potential for jungle monsters that would appeal to kids. I really don't think that LEGO realizes the great potential an adventuring theme has.

They used to...

[Lyichir]

They used to...

Maybe it doesn't have the same potential it once did. I'd like to see a Mesoamerican-themed Pharaoh's Quest continuation, but have we actually seen the sales figures for Pharaoh's Quest? Maybe it didn't perform as well as expected.

[CptMugwash]

I wanted a return for JT because of all the additional locations but if the first wave (egypt) got similar results then they probably wouldn't continue JT either, hmm

[SoupOrFishOil]

Maybe it doesn't have the same potential it once did. I'd like to see a Mesoamerican-themed Pharaoh's Quest continuation, but have we actually seen the sales figures for Pharaoh's Quest? Maybe it didn't perform as well as expected.

Probably not. I think Ninjago might of over-shadowed it.

[just2good]

The Adventurers sets were a pivotal part of my childhood. I would of loved to see a return of Johnny Thunder. When I first saw the preliminary pictures of Pharaoh's Quest, I got so excited, thinking it was the return of Johnny Thunder. Nevertheless, Pharaoh's Quest was a good theme.

[JackJonespaw]

I would definitely prefer JT over JR any day. You had all of the good, classic themes that covered all basis.

[Cave Bear]

In my mind they're best friends and often share adventures or maybe thats just my love of the old Johnny Thunder sets talking and why I bought a few of him on brick link to put in the new sets .

[AMK152]

Oh I remember those days with Johnny Thunder. I remember looking through the catalogs (which I still have) circling all the adventures sets I wanted. And on Lego Island 2, when Pepper met up with the adventurers. Although the new sets look cool, it looks to me like they are ripping off the old characters with new characters by pretty much changing their names and how they look. Except for that hat. Prof. Hale has the same hat that Dr. Kilroy wore.

[Zzz]

I didn't vote, simply cause I would have gone for a third option: Indiana Jones. The fact it's a licence doesn't count a reason not to have it as one of the 3 adventure-themes. I remember someone complained once that the scenes didn't connect too will in the Indy theme, but I thought that's the strong point of it. It had the best vehicles for exploration, lovely temples with amazing traps, and simply awesome overall tone, colours, setting. Plus, it had different factions, and the sets with Germans (desert) and Russians (jungle) seriously had this adventure / exploration element perfected, while the Egyptians and Indians added to the native setting (just a Hovito missing, cough... ). Why not have the Chinese race against the Jones faction in his army truck for an important treasure in a trap-covered temple? It was simply amazing to put together your own adventure, nothing ever comes close to this theme in my book.

JT, I loved it but it became obsolete when Indy was out. Also, the vehicles were sometimes too unrealistic and the builds too simple. Still, 2 factions, nice characters, the Egypt and snow settings were amazing.

JR is an ok series. If you leave away the mutant scorpion and snakes (seriously, TLC, we are flooded with this: Vikings, Castle, Harry Potter, Aqua Raiders...) and improve the few vehicles, add a base camp, add another faction... there you go. As you can see, too many things missing that make a good adventure theme. Still, it's a shame this has to end. It could have evolved in a nice way, let them go to the south pole or somewhere..!

[Piranha]

I voted for a comeback of JT, Orient Expedition was amazing.

[Amset-Rah]

Personally, I like them both. Johnny Thunder for nostalgia's sake, but Jake Raines because, all things considered, his sets were pretty good. But I'm going to have to choose Johnny here. While Jake is more of a modern take of an archaeologist (Think The Mummy), Johnny's antagonists were better, and the sets were a bit better in design (No brick-built creature gimmicks lead to better designed temples and cars).