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Plus they said a villain who is not currently on store shelves, which doesn't have to mean they haven't been made yet - could just be someone not made recently. You're overstating the expense of printing compared to molding. Every single character in the Simpsons series had new, intricate head molds, and quite a few had dual-molded arms and/or legs, which were a brand-new thing at the time and require their own set of molds as well. Just because the printing was fairly simple (as befits the source material) doesn't negate that. Hell, Simpsons S1 was the first series I ever collected in its entirety, and obviously I wouldn't have done that if I didn't think the increase was justified, but then again I've never been one for the borderline-fetishistic obsession with leg and arm printing that tends to dominate the discussion of licensed minifigs.

I dunno if this has been brought up, but I was just looking at the upcoming Frozen II sets, and 41168 Elsa's Jewelry Box Creation has the unprinted transparent blue Nexo shield that was exclusive to the SDCC Asis set. Anyone still planning on piecing one together might appreciate that part coming into somewhat wider circulation.

Both look pretty good - might be tempted to get Cheetah just for the money bag!

Not my favorite variant of Wonder Woman, but I have a complete collection of every LEGO Wonder Woman released to date so why stop now? 😬What we've seen so far doesn't go quite as deep into the deep cuts as I might have hoped, but then again I had been hoping for stuff that probably never stood a chance. Like Red Tornado. The Ma Hunkel version.

Just because a handful of AFOLs have this obsessive fixation on leg printing doesn't mean its inclusion would justify the creation of a whole new theme. I'd much rather see something that offers an innovative building experience and pushes the boundaries of what an official LEGO set can be than just "same stuff, but now a few more pieces of plastic have ink on them." Just imagine the ad campaign for that launch: "We've produced over 100 Marvel minifigures with dual-molded or printed legs already, but get ready for a bold new direction! Coming in 2020... some more of that! But branded differently!"

I wouldn't worry about it. Star Wars is pretty much the only license that gets "expert" sets every single year, and Harry Potter is a comparatively pretty small theme. I wouldn't expect them any more frequently than two or three years apart.

That very same solution (unprinted) is on the trolley in the Hogwarts Express set for the Bertie Bott's beans, and since the chocolate frog itself is, in my opinion, more interesting and iconic than the box, I also doubt they'd bother with a whole new piece. That said, a printed Bertie Bott's box does seem like the sort of thing that might reasonably turn up as an accessory to a CMF.

I told myself I was done for the year. I should have known better. This thing is gorgeous!

Who says they're not making more?

The low quantities in stores weren't just due to the risk, but also the massive logistical hassle of shipping and storing a box that big. There's only so much you can do to mitigate that, especially as stores are ramping up for a holiday season and trying to meet demand for dozens of other sets that are jockeying for a share of the finite space in a cargo truck or storage room. So I wouldn't be terribly surprised if stock levels aren't much higher this time around; I think the best you might hope for is a wait list being implemented right away rather than as a last-minute scramble like it was two years ago.

Library remains my personal top pick, but I must say designers are missing out on some prime pun potential if the 2020 modular does not feature an optician.

Most likely two.

Dubai, Barcelona, Hong Kong, and I could see Tokyo happening next year to coincide with the Olympics, though it might be a bit awkward for it to share shelf space with Paris. So far there's been an American city every year, but there's no obvious contender now that the three most iconic skylines in the country, and also Las Vegas, have all been done.

Maybe I'm hanging around the wrong forums then. Seems like every time LEGO brings out a new brick-built animal there are a dozen commenters calling the designers "lazy" for not just making a new single-purpose mold. Oof, good one. If I had a nickel for every AFOL who was convinced their buying power could make or break the company, I'd be eatin' nickel soup.

1. Themes and sets I don't care for have just as much a right to exist as things I like, because LEGO does not exist for the sole purpose of catering to my specific interests. 2. "AFOL" is a misnomer except under the loosest possible definitions of both "adult" and "fan." 3. Printed parts (especially legs and arms) are vastly overrated. 4. Innovative uses of existing parts are more interesting than just making new molds.