2024 Space sets

[Sir Dano]

For those wondering, the chef robot is probably based on the robot from Lost in Space:

I like that it comes with the trans bright green dome helmet, definitely gonna swap it onto the M:Tron guy.

Edited December 15, 2023 by Sir Dano

[danth]

47 minutes ago, Sir Dano said:

For those wondering, the chef robot is probably based on the robot from Lost in Space:

Ohhh, of course!

I wonder how many others in the Space CMF series are based on something and we just haven't realized it yet. Maybe we'll figure it out when we see better pics.

[legoturtle]

Do we have any clue what has happened that "Blackthorn 2 figure"? Some kind of disease in space... 

[Renny The Spaceman]

I feel like more than anything The Blacktron and M-tron ones are really underwhelming, the prints on both feel like a weird push and pull between remaining accurate to the original and modernising it in a way I don't thing it can pull off. The simplistic torsos with the solid colour and a massive logo in the center with no other details work great on the original figures with their simplistic 90s stylings but when that's mixed with say the very angular and detailed helmet on the M-tron guy it creates a clash that makes me wish they wish they altered the design more akin to the Blacktron bounty hunter from series 19.

[SpacePolice89]

25 minutes ago, Renny The Spaceman said:

I feel like more than anything The Blacktron and M-tron ones are really underwhelming, the prints on both feel like a weird push and pull between remaining accurate to the original and modernising it in a way I don't thing it can pull off. The simplistic torsos with the solid colour and a massive logo in the center with no other details work great on the original figures with their simplistic 90s stylings but when that's mixed with say the very angular and detailed helmet on the M-tron guy it creates a clash that makes me wish they wish they altered the design more akin to the Blacktron bounty hunter from series 19.

Is the M-Tron logo exactly the same as the original one? The images I saw were so blurry it was hard to tell.

[Renny The Spaceman]

11 minutes ago, SpacePolice89 said:

Is the M-Tron logo exactly the same as the original one? The images I saw were so blurry it was hard to tell.

I think? Even if the logo is slightly different that's not the point, the torso is just a solid colour with a logo and maybe some crease lines, it's super simplistic but the rest of the figure doesn't match, it's not a close enough match of the original to be a straight remake like the modern Classic Space ones but not changed enough to stand on it's own as a fig like the Series 1 Spaceman does. Puts it in a weird middle ground that feels doubly underwhelming to me 

[SpacePolice89]

4 hours ago, Renny The Spaceman said:

I think? Even if the logo is slightly different that's not the point, the torso is just a solid colour with a logo and maybe some crease lines, it's super simplistic but the rest of the figure doesn't match, it's not a close enough match of the original to be a straight remake like the modern Classic Space ones but not changed enough to stand on it's own as a fig like the Series 1 Spaceman does. Puts it in a weird middle ground that feels doubly underwhelming to me 

If it's the same torso as the original I'll acquire several and convert them to regular M-Tron astronauts. Otherwise I'll just buy one.  

[Aanchir]

6 hours ago, Renny The Spaceman said:

I feel like more than anything The Blacktron and M-tron ones are really underwhelming, the prints on both feel like a weird push and pull between remaining accurate to the original and modernising it in a way I don't thing it can pull off. The simplistic torsos with the solid colour and a massive logo in the center with no other details work great on the original figures with their simplistic 90s stylings but when that's mixed with say the very angular and detailed helmet on the M-tron guy it creates a clash that makes me wish they wish they altered the design more akin to the Blacktron bounty hunter from series 19.

I can't tell for certain, but to me it looks like both those torsos add some subtle detail such as contour lines/stitching along the abdomen, similar to the Space Police Guy's torso print. I imagine they may add back printing as well, like that figure did. I have no doubt there are still a lot of details that this pic doesn't show clearly that we will get a better sense of once we see clearer pics of these figures (as well as pics from different angles).

On the whole, I quite like these sorts of modernized old-school graphics like we've previously seen on the Space Police Guy or Rench. I have no problem with figures like the Space Villain or Bounty Hunter that introduce totally new spacesuit designs (I often like to think of the former as a Blacktron officer and the latter as a special forces operative), but it's often extremely fun to see these more direct sorts of callbacks, especially since it gives a fun taste of what those classic designs might have looked like if designers back in the 80s were able to achieve the level of printed detail seen in modern sets.

Truth be told, there is a part of me that wishes that the pilot minifig in the Blacktron Cruiser set were modernized more in this sort of way, instead of sticking to the minimalist white-on-black graphics of the original flight harness pattern. For Classic Space, I get the appeal of keeping the designs as simplistic as their classic counterparts, but for factions like Blacktron 1 that suggest a spacesuit with more varied components and materials, I kind of prefer the benefits that more varied print colors and line weights can provide.

One aspect of this M:Tron torso print that I have some misgivings about is that it might have been neat for it to incorporate yellow, orange, and magenta into the monogram (like how it appears in the theme logo) instead of sticking with the simplified red and black striped monogram used for classic M:Tron printed parts. But I suppose perhaps they felt it made more sense to stick to the simpler version since it more closely matches the vehicle and uniform colors used for that faction.

[Murdoch17]

9 hours ago, legoturtle said:

Do we have any clue what has happened that "Blackthorn 2 figure"? Some kind of disease in space... 

Probably the last stage of the Andromeda Strain.... 

[legoturtle]

The Andromeda Strain is a 1969 novel by Michael Crichton, his first novel under his own name and his sixth novel overall. It documents the outbreak of a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism in Arizona and the team of scientists investigating it. The book is framed as a report from a secret government project, which the scientists are part of, and contains primarily text-based computer imagery illustrating the results of various tests on the organism.

 

- Wikipedia

[Murdoch17]

26 minutes ago, legoturtle said:

The Andromeda Strain is a 1969 novel by Michael Crichton, his first novel under his own name and his sixth novel overall. It documents the outbreak of a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism in Arizona and the team of scientists investigating it. The book is framed as a report from a secret government project, which the scientists are part of, and contains primarily text-based computer imagery illustrating the results of various tests on the organism.

 

- Wikipedia

Yes. That's what I was referencing. Although I've not read the book, but I've seen the 70's movie.

Anyway, back to the main topic....

I want the retro space robot one, the retro space lady, and the totally-normal human civilian.

[Classic_Spaceman]

On 12/14/2023 at 1:25 PM, Mandalorianknight said:

Be cool if the Ice planet head was Dr. Kelvin, though I wouldn't mind if it was that dude with the wicked mustache I vaguely remember. 

Commander Cold. Which one the Minifig ends up being is dependent upon the colour of their belt; if it is silver (as it appears to be, despite the lack of a breathing harness), it will be Doctor Kelvin, but if it is gold, it will be Commander Cold. 

On 12/14/2023 at 1:25 PM, Mandalorianknight said:

I don't think so- look on the side of the legs, I'm pretty sure you can see the side, and it's all red. I'd attribute the crispness to it being both a CMF figure (which tend to do better print wise) and their display fig, meaning they likely selected the best of the batch. I'd be estatic to be wrong though, those legs would be perfect for Clone Shock Troopers.

I am not sure that we can see the sides of the legs; I do see what you are looking at, but I do not think that the figure is angled enough to actually see the side (also, the image is blurry). Additionally, I am not sure why the legs would not be dual-moulded, both since it is common practice for CMFs (6/12 in Series 25 have dual-moulded legs!), and because the design of the legs is the same as on the Space Police Guy (who had dual-moulded legs). The bigger question for me is whether the Ice Planet astronaut will have dual-moulded legs; I certainly hope that they do! 

On 12/14/2023 at 1:25 PM, Mandalorianknight said:

As-is, it's giving me halo vibes for some reason.

The head (particularly the mandibles) and legs are similar to those of the Sangheili from Halo. 
 

4 hours ago, Aanchir said:

I can't tell for certain, but to me it looks like both those torsos add some subtle detail such as contour lines/stitching along the abdomen, similar to the Space Police Guy's torso print. I imagine they may add back printing as well, like that figure did.

The Blacktron II mutant definitely has those lines (I am not as sure about the M;Tron astronaut, but he also seems to). 
 

[CP5670]

The Blacktron II guy is cool but seems too "unique" to make an army out of, while the MTron and Ice Planet ones would work better in multiples.

We have had a bunch of Blacktron and SP1 figs at this point, so it's good to see more such themed minifigs. I'll pick up some off Bricklink/PAB.

[playgood]

I could see both of the recent Ice Planet figures working together well in a MOC. You could have the bomber jacket torso from the Chinese New Year set on a figure that sits inside a vehicle or structure. And the Ice Planet CMF for the outside, exposed to the elements.

[Space78]

Just saw a pic of the "space" minifigs.  Very disappointing for CS fans.  The pink space baby is the only one worth getting for me.  I'm not as optimistic now that we will get another re-imagined CS set next year like 10497.

[legoturtle]

Can someone tell me what you mean with classic space? Because it sounds like minifigure can only have that smiley face. No other faces. Yellow. AND then what? Should that CS also evolve somehow... I agree that CS should have bee taken more seriously, CMF (2024).

[Renny The Spaceman]

14 hours ago, Aanchir said:

I can't tell for certain, but to me it looks like both those torsos add some subtle detail such as contour lines/stitching along the abdomen, similar to the Space Police Guy's torso print. I imagine they may add back printing as well, like that figure did. I have no doubt there are still a lot of details that this pic doesn't show clearly that we will get a better sense of once we see clearer pics of these figures (as well as pics from different angles).

 On the whole, I quite like these sorts of modernized old-school graphics like we've previously seen on the Space Police Guy or Rench. I have no problem with figures like the Space Villain or Bounty Hunter that introduce totally new spacesuit designs (I often like to think of the former as a Blacktron officer and the latter as a special forces operative), but it's often extremely fun to see these more direct sorts of callbacks, especially since it gives a fun taste of what those classic designs might have looked like if designers back in the 80s were able to achieve the level of printed detail seen in modern sets.

 Truth be told, there is a part of me that wishes that the pilot minifig in the Blacktron Cruiser set were modernized more in this sort of way, instead of sticking to the minimalist white-on-black graphics of the original flight harness pattern. For Classic Space, I get the appeal of keeping the designs as simplistic as their classic counterparts, but for factions like Blacktron 1 that suggest a spacesuit with more varied components and materials, I kind of prefer the benefits that more varied print colors and line weights can provide.

 One aspect of this M:Tron torso print that I have some misgivings about is that it might have been neat for it to incorporate yellow, orange, and magenta into the monogram (like how it appears in the theme logo) instead of sticking with the simplified red and black striped monogram used for classic M:Tron printed parts. But I suppose perhaps they felt it made more sense to stick to the simpler version since it more closely matches the vehicle and uniform colors used for that faction.

The thing is Space Police and Blacktron 1 already lend themselves to this better because they already have more detail than Blacktron 2 or M-tron. I just feel like a couple contour lines don't really help the design, like imagine the Black Falcon from series 22 having just the original torso with some added grey lines, it'd kinda feel unfinished. The torso is minimalist in a way the rest of the figure doesn't really match up with. I think even something as simple as a solid colour visor would go a long way

[Black Falcon]

50 minutes ago, legoturtle said:

Can someone tell me what you mean with classic space? Because it sounds like minifigure can only have that smiley face. No other faces. Yellow. AND then what? Should that CS also evolve somehow... I agree that CS should have bee taken more seriously, CMF (2024).

It might depend what a person is referring to. Classic Space is what the first space theme of Lego is called nowadays, but is also used when people talk about the older Lego Space themes, such as Classic Space, Blacktron, M-Tron and so on.

If people are talking about the Classic Space minifigure, then it has to have the classic smile, yes - also it should have a plain torso with just the classic space logo printed on it, and no other prints - legs, airtank and classic space helmet of the same colour as the torso, again no prints. 

[legoturtle]

https://jaysbrickblog.com/reviews/review-lego-space-1978-1992-by-tim-johnson/

Well, this BOOK says Classic Space is also... sets from Blacktron for example? Space Police 1? and some others? BUT not Ice Planet :/

[Black Falcon]

3 hours ago, legoturtle said:

https://jaysbrickblog.com/reviews/review-lego-space-1978-1992-by-tim-johnson/

Well, this BOOK says Classic Space is also... sets from Blacktron for example? Space Police 1? and some others? BUT not Ice Planet :/

As I said, it is also used when people speak about old space series in general, however the timespan referring to might be different from person to person. Anyways, in the book it doesn´t state where classic space (aside from the theme) starts or ends, it is just referring to that the book ends at the time where the classic smile faces also ended, because at some point you would have to stop as it would be to much for one book to talk about the whole space theme, unless you want to get less detailed. 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Black Falcon
To avoid confusion

[1974]

I've never heard that

CS ended in 1987 when Futuron and Blacktron was introduced. From then on it was clearcut factions/themes until this very day

That the figs had smiley faces got nothing to with it. That head is still used today

Anyway, this CMF series is weak sauce. Looks like a bunch of dress-up kids in circus

 

[legoturtle]

I think the CMF series looks a little bit like our world today. Almost total MESS,,, :/ ... BUT there are some interesting figures but not many. Main point is that these figures don't fit together like other "licensed" CMF -series.

[Black Falcon]

43 minutes ago, 1974 said:

I've never heard that

CS ended in 1987 when Futuron and Blacktron was introduced. From then on it was clearcut factions/themes until this very day

Well, there are two different things we are talking about. The Theme Classic Space and when people are talking about Classic Space meaning old Space themes in general. However I disagree with the clearcut on themes. Futuron isn´t really a new faction it is just a redesign of the classic spacemen.

43 minutes ago, 1974 said:

That the figs had smiley faces got nothing to with it. That head is still used today

I was talking about the book there, not classic space - they decided to end it at the point where Lego moved away from the classic face.

[1974]

18 minutes ago, Black Falcon said:

Well, there are two different things we are talking about. The Theme Classic Space and when people are talking about Classic Space meaning old Space themes in general. However I disagree with the clearcut on themes. Futuron isn´t really a new faction it is just a redesign of the classic spacemen.

I was talking about the book there, not classic space - they decided to end it at the point where Lego moved away from the classic face.

I think there's a generational gap here. Folks at my age do not call Futuron, Blacktron, M-tron, SP1/2 etc CS. Those newfangled factions/themes have a clear-cut design, look and minifigs. CS (sets) is all over the place

Futuron had a very clear design philosophy, uniform colours and NEW figs. Sure, the golden planet was still there but that theme did actually have it's own logo allthough sadly only used in one set (and the worst Futuron set to boot)

So, yeah, that certainly is a new faction

Sure, if one grew up with SP3 all that stuff from the 70/80/90's is "CS"

What Tim Johnson thinks is CS is not something I've ever read anywhere in my diggings on LUGnet, USEnet, EB etc. Heck back then it wasn't even Classic Space, just Space!

Here's a bunch of interesting reviews going back +25 years :

https://adequate.com/lego/reviews/Space/

Cheers,

Ole

[Black Falcon]

4 minutes ago, 1974 said:

I think there's a generational gap here. Folks at my age do not call Futuron, Blacktron, M-tron, SP1/2 etc CS. Those newfangled factions/themes have a clear-cut design, look and minifigs. CS (sets) is all over the place

Well it isn´t called classic space exactly. Some just use the therm classic Space themes when they are talking about those product lines in general.

4 minutes ago, 1974 said:

Futuron had a very clear design philosophy, uniform colours and NEW figs. Sure, the golden planet was still there but that theme did actually have it's own logo allthough sadly only used in one set (and the worst Futuron set to boot)

So, yeah, that certainly is a new faction

Sure, if one grew up with SP3 all that stuff from the 70/80/90's is "CS"

The question here is. Was Futuron already called Futuron back then? I mean when you look into old catalogues you don´t find a mention of that name, whereas you can find Blacktron or M-Tron. Anyways, when you look at classic space some of the later sets had different designs from the original classic space design - and some of those already have the look futuron will later have. 

I don´t know, for me it just seems sometimes like someone tried to categorize the sets later and put them into themes, which don´t always really seem to fit to me.

4 minutes ago, 1974 said:

What Tim Johnson thinks is CS is not something I've ever read anywhere in my diggings on LUGnet, USEnet, EB etc. Heck back then it wasn't even Classic Space, just Space!

The point of my first answer to turtle was, that in the book it never was called classic space - at least not that it was mentioned in the linked Article. They were just talking about why they stopped with the book at a certain point.