Visorak-kal

Greg Farshtey doesn't sound very much like a BIONICLE name. The weirdest would have to be probably Lesovikk or Gadunka. Yep. But, guys, you can't be serious! Double letters make cool names! Vortixx, Zatth, Lesvovikk, Axonn, they all have double letters. Bad grammar, anybody? VK

I'm sure the Mask of Life would be having fun, save for the fact that it's destroying itself. Eh, side effects. They're everywhere nowadays. :-D I prefer Irnakk's former color scheme, this one is a bit too gold, but I like the idea of having his two lower back feet the same color; that bugged me a bit, but still, he was made with only Piraka pieces. (Ah, they cheated and used those gold tubes and spine!) I'm liking that Vezon-style warriors; I've always had an affinity for the opposite side of Vezon's head. As Shakar said, the Umbra style is nice on him, and that silver Visorak foot is also good-looking. I'm still trying to figure out how to make a cool silver Visorak, since Fenrakk, Axonn, and Roodaka give you just enough silver Visorak feet to do so. But don't remove the pistons! They're so Titan-esque, and awesome! And they're silver! :-) In case you couldn't tell, I like the pistons. After my Sidorak's legs became wobbly, they are my favorite little pieces. VK

I get you now. :) No problem, It had seemed as if you were deathly serious. I was even about to ask, "Why are you even posting if it so horrible?" I see now that you were being satirical, and it didn't actually mean much. Okay, no problem. They're not as bad as the Vakama Hordika talking mask in 2005. His voice was ridiculous and so evil. LEGO has at least improved in the fanfare. lol. :-D

rew12, all that you spoke of would be a problem... if these WERE Bionicle sets. They're not. They are little squids and swords for little children who may like BIONICLE. They are not in the storyline, they have nothing to do with the storyline, and I sure don't see any sets looking like them. You can find a million of this type of stuff for everything imaginable, from STAR WARS to Spiderman to Batman and beyond. (No pun intended.) How can this seriously affect your view of BIONICLE? It's not even like these replaced the sets. When these become the official sets, then I'll worry. Oh, wait, that's not going to happen. VK

I felt the same way in 2006, Lord Admiral, but I'm wondering if it is because of this: Look, in 2001-2005, we faced swarm villains, and the story followed the heroes as the protagonists. In 2006, the first book focused on the Piraka, as if they were the protagonists. In 2007, the first book focused on the Barraki, as if they were the protagonists. Granted, those books had Matoran as protagonists, but the fact that the Barraki and Piraka took up the meat of the book may have lessened their mystery, and thus the fear we would have had for them? What do you think? With regard to the Inika winning battles: Actually, the Toa Inika won their first battle because it was six-against-one, and they lost their second battle to Hakann and Thok. They won the third by defeating Hakann and Thok, but not before getting knocked out and letting the Piraka get a headstart. After that, you can't count any of the battles of Inika-versus-Piraka, because other factors played in, such as the giant bridge. (The Inika lost that battle.) The Inika got the mask because they figured out how to defeat Vezon and Fenrakk, while the Piraka lost to him because Vezok was to eager to kill Vezon and knocked out one of their number. I think the Piraka lost a bit of their "fear factor" because of the fact that we could almost count on them betraying each other, if you get my gist. The Toa Inika might have been defeated had Hakann and Thok not betrayed the other Piraka. There were so many betrayals and expected betrayals that the Piraka seemed to defeat their own purpose. It's a new kind of story, just as life-threatening to the heroes, but it just doesn't seem that way to the reader. (I thought Thok and Zaktan had the best characters of those Piraka, because the other four were very similar. Thok had a more silent betrayin nature, and Zaktan didn't really betray anyone.) I also think the Piraka were not as fearful because, although they one the first battle against the Toa Nuva, they didn't even DEFEAT the Toa Nuva. They didn't beat the Nuva; Brutaka did. The Nuva would have been able to eliminate Zaktan, (since the others were betraying him) and then would probably have eliminated all the others. Which only furthered Brutaka as a powerful villain and the Piraka as being his little servants. Now, with the Barraki this year, I've got a different feel. They seem less likely to betray each other, and more creepy and dark, more villanous. The Barraki more ruled by emotion such as Pridak and Ehlek do not seem as creepy as the cold ones such as Kalmah and Takadox. If you read Bionicle Legends 7, in which the Toa Inika first face the Barraki, I think you'll agree that they are better villains that the Piraka. They have a coldness about them. (Ex: When Kalmah says, "Feed my little ones..." to his devouring squid.) The PIraka lacked this coldness, they were more hot-heated. I'm liking the Barraki, but they fall short to Makuta. VK

Thank you, Hewkii9! Lord Admiral, I too liked the style of the 01 comics, but although each comic held more story, the story year for 01 was basically untold through anything other than MNOLG. Those without internet at that time, such as myself, were lost until Comic 4 in 2002. So, it wasn't necessarily the best decision for LEGO, as some of the story was lost through the comic outlets. While the comics in their own are not as good as 01, at least in 2006 and 2007 they end up telling you the end of the story. (Which 2003-2005 SORELY lacked.) Hewkii9, I think the comics are re-hashes of Legends 6 because they receive more widespread reading than the books and must tell the story in the whole year. I may sound naive, but I like looking at the pictures, lol. :) And you noticed those trivia tidbits, too? I really liked those, and I'm glad that Greg will be doing more of them in the future. They remind of 2001, in which the story was not solely focused on the Toa. That was missing a lot in 2004-2005, and started to pick up again in 2006 since it focused on Matoran heroes in the first half of the year. I am noticing a lot more character developement in 2006 and 2007 than in 2004-2005, because since that was the past, we could predict how the Toa Metru would change in character because we knew them as Turaga. It's sad that Hewkii gets little characterization in the comic, because in the books he is an interesting character, VERY reminiscent of his matoran self. I'm glad that Greg commented that he liked Matoro best since his character grows the most, which shows he puts an emphasis on characterization. It just can't be done in 12-page comics where fighting is needed to please the target audience. Zaktan of the Shadows, the comics are shorter for the first half of the year because budget money was taken to make that movie that appeared on Bionicle.com. I believe that Mask of Life that appeared was Lord Admiral's favorite part of 2007. :) I thought it was a neat style as well, too bad it won't be made into plastic this year. I also like Sayger's style, though I think sometimes he makes the character's too thin and spiny. His full-page pictures are the greatest. I still think Toby Dutkiewitz is the best artist BIONICLE has had. (He drew 2001 and those special BrickMaster editions in 2005.) VK

I too wish that LEGO would try a game like MNOLG again. But it won't happen, for a simple reason: What made MNOLG great for all ages was its focus on Matoran; everyday heroes, which made the Toa legendary. MNOLG existed for no other purpose but to promote sales; it's not like LEGO decided to be nice to their adult fans or anything. Since Matoran turned out not to be the sellers, MNOLG-like structures will no longer exist. TEMPLAR is not a bad idea; I will have to ask Greg why LEGO has not made another deal with TEMPLAR; their animations were spectacular compared to 2005 and 2006 animations; it could be because there were only three comics that years, so LEGO had the budget to hire TEMPLAR. Who knows? My point, Lord Admiral, is that they can promote sets and aim it at ALL ages. But attempting to do so (like in 2001) may bring hazard to the current formula that is working. (It may not.) WHY should they, when their current formula is working well enough to have an increase in BIONICLE profits? And where did Greg Farshtey say that it was impossible to do that? I don't recall him saying that? VK

Yes, LEGO can do that if they take the time and effort. The point is; why should they? Adults do not make up the bulk of their LEGO sales. Hey, even BZPower doesn't make up even one-third of LEGO's Bionicle sales, and we all know how a lot of them love the new sets. So, the question is; why should LEGO focus that extra time and energy to please adults when that time and energy could be spent on more ways to please those that actually buy the sets? Plus, I doubt the building is THAT inferior, otherwise that means millions of little boys like inferior builds; highly unlikely. BIONICLE was technic in 2001 because LEGO hoped it would appeal to technic builders. It didn't, and even those of us that loved that style were not numerous enough to make it a profitable idea. So LEGO changed to make BIONICLE for the target audience, and by the sales it's working for them. I read on BZP that they did a test for comics, and their focus groups liked the comics, especially the fighting. The comics are nothing special to me, and to you all they stink (okay, maybe MORE than stink), but we aren't enough of the profit to count for much. We have louder voices, but we don't have louder pockets. On a different note, I just finished Bionicle Legends 7 yesterday (One-hour read: yes!) Some more characterization from the Toa Inika than we had in the past; unfortunately, they were also crammed in with the Barraki, so I'm really missing the Bionicle Legends 7 that was cut by scholastic; that would have been Inika-only, a book we haven't had yet. In the book, Jaller asks Kongu the question we've all been wondering; why and how did he become the funny-boy when he wasn't in the past? (Perhaps Greg is watching us...) Reasoning being that Toa Lewa taught him that in tight situations, comedy can be helpful, and saving the universe is a tough situation. Toa Inika/Mahri, Hydraxon (you know who), Maxilos, Toa Nuva, etc. I must really applaud the way Greg manages to make the 21+ characters actually important to the story; none of them are really superfluous in any way, and they all connect to the main plot, within 122 pages. None of the characters did nothing, so to speak. Except Spinax, who appeared for one page. But he's not really a character. The book really makes me want to get Hydraxon and Maxilos/Spinax. It is good that Dekar was mentally transformed into Hydraxon, because we now have an insight into the mind of the jailer. He is a pretty cool character. I'm getting Maxilos and Spinax because they're cool, and because Maxilos is Makuta, and Makuta is, well, Makuta! (Been around since '01, and even more awesome, since he's taking matters into his own hands rather than using Visorak, Bohrok, Rahi, etc.) I would recommend it, but perhaps this is not the place. :-D VK

I'm still not crazy about Lesovikk's vehicle; Lesovikk himself doesn't look so bad, but the vehicle is just not worth the extra 20 dollars I'd have to shell out for it. Gadunka is okay, but with my limited space, he's not worth it either. Hydraxon is looking pretty good, I was sort of surprised to find out he was really Dekar transformed. Makes sense, though, considering the real Hydraxon was buried under rubble from the earthquake. Plus in my own stories, this Hydraxon can be the real Hydraxon. A lot of these pictures are the same as Amazon, but the Lesovikk ones are new; that Lesovikk gold box is nice, too bad it doesn't come with an awesome set. :-D Zaktan of the Shadows and zero1312, maybe I can clear it up a bit, judging from the new comic. (The sixth book didn't have the Mahri transformation; the comic was short as usual, but at least it revealed the transformation.) 1. Makuta gets crushed by door, but his "essence" survives and floats to Voya Nui, where the Piraka creat a vat so he doesn't get dispersed. 2. The vat is broken, so Makuta heads to Mahri Nui and inhabits Maxilos. The Toa Inika were transformed into the Toa Mahri by the Kanohi Ignika's call for help. That's when Pridak touched it. Why would it want to transform the Barraki? Afterwards, as Dekar is swimming away, the Kanohi Ignika decides to turn him mentally into Hydraxon, this way he will go after the Barraki. (The pit jailer goes after the captives.) Hope that helps. :-) By the way, according to Greg, some of Dekar's memories still reside in the new Hydraxon, so that should be interesting.

I have some horrific news here, guys, unless it turns out well in the end. On BZP, a member asked Greg the following: 4. Have you seen Lesovikk yet? 4a. Is he mutated? The reply: Yes and yes. So, apparently, Lesovikk WILL be mutated. I was hoping we wouldn't have EVERYONE mutated this year, but apparently it is so. Let us hope that, although he is mutated, he will not look TOO mutated. So, Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn, looks like Lesovikk will probably be poorly designed. j/k. (Taking into account the mutation=bad sets conspiracy theory. :-D )

That was funny, I didn't get it at first. I was saying, "Who is this guy?" Then I saw the name, of course. Eh, take it with a grain of salt, guys. Chances are they make LEGO money, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. IT makes them money, it ain't part of official storyline, and Bionicle sets don't have them yet, so I kind of *cough*ignoreit*cough*. It's like Free the Band. Yeah, it's ridiculous, but I'm not seeing the AAR in the Bionicle Universe yet, so... No big deal for me.

When you put anything that way it sounds dumb, no offense. Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn's point is bascially yours, Strikin' Venom. Running out of ideas. I was waiting to see the comments of all the BIONICLE will end-believers. (Not to generalize you or anything. I just recall a topic a while back.) Still, considering there are no plans to end BIONICLE, and if there were, they would be wasting a lot of money on 2008 designs and 2009 story, I figure something has to happen. Otherwise, what happens to our precious Toa Nuva re-releases? I personally don't see it dumb at all. They are playing for all the stakes here, and it's good that the Toa Inika/Mahri don't "miraculously" retrieve the Ignika from the Barraki and their armies. You should probably wait to see how it turns out before criticizing it. And he's not talentless. His one difficulty in BIONICLE (that he himself sees) is that he deals with so many characters in those books. He is not talentless, otherwise I wouldn't enjoy the books. And Greg Farshtey is not the head BIONICLE man. It is not his decision ALONE that dictates the story. So, if you want to blame someone, blame the story team, the brand manager, and LEGO. And then you can blame Greg Farshtey. :lol: Just my thoughts on the subject, I think it seems to be an interesting plot twist, but I'm going to reserve my final judgement until I figure out the full details, and how the Inika get out of this one. :lol: VK

I personally do not see a drop in quality of LEGO bricks. Granted, my purchases mainly stay with BIONICLE/Exo-Force, (and I have not bought those windows), but in those sets the quality is still high. My only complaint is the double-ball sockets for BIONICLE; they tend to crack, though that has been happening since 2005, and it may be the way I take them apart, which I am trying to figure out. However, I do know that LEGO is moving their production facilities to other places, in order to save the company, so to speak. Because of this, there may be a difference in piece shades because different pieces might be made in different facilities. I also do hear that LEGO is trying to fix this. Also, with regard to that new double-axle pieces, I noticed that in my brother's Lava Chamber Gate. It may be that, again, some facilities have upgraded to the new piece, and LEGO mistakenly stuck some in last year's sets. I'm betting all the newer 2007 sets will not suffer from that problem. So, I have noticed a few quality problems, but nothing serious. LEGO, like any toy company, has problems here and there. I do hope they will attack and resolve these newer problems ASAP. VK

Speaking of BZP, you sould all go check the Storyline and Theory forum there for a sneak peak by Greg Farshtey about Comic 9 this year. Check out his last post in that topic. This is for those who believe that Bionicle will end in 2009. I tell you, it isn't going to die, but read this topic and I think you'll get a good laugh. :) I normally spend most of my day on BZP, seeing as there is a lot of info there, and one comedy in particular gives me a laugh every morning. I come here occasionally to see the newest pics. (Since BZP often doesn't allow early prototype pictures.) VK

Okay, I see. I thought you were talking about the fact that Umbra, Brutaka, and Karzahni are share the exact same lower leg piece. (The Piraka one.) I agree, though. That's why I mentioned the legs used on Botar; they make him much taller, and they do not follow the same exact design used since 2004 (in Krekka). Plus, if they use that design without the hassle of limited pieces (Botar was a combiner), they can have some nifty ideas. I like some of the humanoid box sets, but I agree there are a lot. Some Rahi would be nice. There's basically one unnecessary humanoid set; Keetongu. He's a Rahi; why does he have to be humanoid? I too am glad of the Toa with vehicle. VK

To take into account further views on it: 1. I agree with Zane. Why, LEGO, why does every set have to be built of Piraka or Inika one-piece bodies! I'm really hoping though, that perhaps Karzahni has more build around the body than previous sets. He seems to bulky to rely only on that Piraka body. At least we have a new Piraka body color. 2. The Takadox claws are pointless. I would have preferred something less bulky than Ehlek faces for hands, though they do look cool with the chains. 3. Darth Vader, the lower legs were used in Brutaka, Kardas ,and Umbra last. I agree that another leg could have been used, but I also think that the Piraka legs go well with the set. What leg would you have preferred? In my opinion, I think LEGO should turn to the techniques used with Botar (the combiner) last year; it allowed for long legs AND long thighs, without the typical leg usage. (You can see it in his instructions and pics of him.) 4. The Hordika heads are okay with me. They look well on the set, though I'm not sure how I like the use in general. I will have to wait and see the actual set from people who have it. 5. I don't mind two-tone pieces, and I actually love the head, as I like the usage of Pridak feet. 6. In this case, Darth Vader, the mutation may have been decided before the set came out, because Karzahni as a character was decided before the set was released. But you can't really just blame mutation; the story DOES exist to promote sets, so anything that happens in the story to main characters (Inika bulb-heads, anyone?) is an excuse for the sets. (Not saying that the sets are bad.) 7. The disappointed thing is the whole Karzahni color scheme mess. The color scheme on this set is great, in my opinion, but we've had confirmation that Karzahni is black and gold. The Atlas picture and this set match nicely, but both of them are wrong! Mutation, again, is an excuse, as Darth Vader pointed out. 8. Overall, a nice set, due to the Matoran, trap, and Karzahni himself. He looks great to me, I'm liking what may turn out to be a better build than as of late, (though why the Piraka torso and Takadox claws are in, I am not sure.) I may get it, but I'll wait for the new Toa with vehicle to finally decide. I'm also glad to see the return of a function in a set. VK

At last, a set reminiscent of the 2004-2005 Titans! No more with the one-piece body easily visible (unless they hid it in there...)! A trap with hopefully a function! And two great Mahri Matoran, which is always a pleasure. I agree with those on the Takadox claws; they could have been skipped. Overall, a great set, and possibly a buy for me. (I have to see the first Toa with vehicle first, then decide on my Titans for this year.) Oh, and Karzahni travels to Mahri Nui this year, so the reason he is without a mask is because he got mutated like everybody else. In fact, I recall GregF confirming that Karzahni does get mutated this year, and he also said we would see what he looked like when he mutated (now we know why...) VK

I was alluding to the fact that Gadunka's build is closer to the older technic BIONICLE sets than the 2006 Titans were. 2006 began the trend of using a Piraka body, at least Gadunka uses a few of them. I find the build interesting, which makes me thing its pretty darn good. What I look for in Titans (besdies simple design quality and looks) is interesting builds that I haven't seen before. Axonn from 2006 lacked that a little, being a giant Piraka. Hydraxon, however, has a lot of tubes in him, and I like his looks. That was my qualm with Maxilos. He look good, but his build is lacking, being composed of pistons and Rahkshi arms. Mahri, for me: 1. Jaller, a defenite buy and better than Jaller Inika. 2. Hewkii 3. Hahli 4. Matoro 5. Nuparu 6. Kongu, can't stand the double chaingun. VK

I'm definitely getting Gadunka as well, and Hydraxon. Both of them have amazing builds and look great. My only dilemma is Maxilos and Spinax. They look great, but Maxilos is basically constructed out of two pistons and two ball joints, with no real body. I'm wondering how stable his arms can be, if they're only held up by pistons and a Rahkshi arm. What do you guys think? Stability or not? Spinax, on the other hand, is a marvelous four-legged Rahi, really a great combination of Ehlek spines and Bordakh staff from 2004. As for the Mahri, my opinion is still undecided on Matoro. (I loved his Inika form, best of them all.) I can't over the thigh armor, the Toa Metru arm (which I hate) and the large tube on his back. But I really like that mask and body. Right now, I'm liking Hahli, Hewkii, and Jaller. Jaller is a definite buy, so we'll see about how Hahli and Hewkii fare versus Matoro. VK

Remember, though, that the ability to create the perfect prison is up to Avak. He commands his power about what to create. For example, in Bionicle Legends 2, Avak creates a prison for Zaktan consisting of bars. He has to give the bars a smack to get them vibrating at a frequency that disturbts Zaktan's protodite forms. Avak HIMSELF creates the prison, his power doesn't automatically create a prison. Avak saw a Toa of Air, and so created a vacuum prison. It's not his fault he didn't know that Kongu had a Kanohi Suletu. See what I mean? Another example is how at the end of Power Play, Avak imprisons Hakann in a cage of ice and vibrates the bars so he can't make a mental blast. However, Hakann simply smashes the bars because he has the strength of Brutaka. Avak himself created the prison, but didn't know the extent of Brutaka's powers, and so wasn't ready for Hakann to simply smash the bars with Brutaka's awesome strength. Avak designed the cage to hold Hakann, but not Brutaka. VK

I saw the pics as well. Shakar, though, it is unknown whether or not Gadunka will have a squid launcher. The version shown at ToyFair has the plain blue Hahli Inika armor, and no squid launcher. However, the Press Kit says that Gadunka comes with extra squid ammo. These pics further that. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Hydraxon is looking really nice with all those weapons. Although I somewhat dislike the Cordak blaster, I must say that it looks the best on him. Maxilos may have a hollow body, but he's still dang cool. VK

If you're talking about the 2002 flash animations, THAT was pure magic. Shame they don't do that anymore. They tried to get back to it in 2005 and 2006 (with those animations) but the quality just wasn't the same. Although, I can see their reasoning for eliminating the flash animations. A lot of them focused on Matoran (especially in 2002), and Matoran weren't the sellers, so flash animations didn't further sales any. So they dropped them. Shame, but it's a world of money. Don't worry, though, when I win the lotto, I'll pay LEGO to make more of the classic flash animations. :-P That's probably part of it, but another reason is simply time. Research shows that series sales drop as time goes by. Bionicle Adventures did well in 2004, Bionicle Adventures slowed down in 2005, and in 2006 things continued to slow down. Though the change in characters from legendary Toa Nuva to novice Toa Metru/Hordika no doubt played a part in it. The Piraka-Toa Nuva battle could have been more, I agree. The Toa Nuva-Brutaka battle, although it makes sense from storyline view, could have been more climactic from my view. Storyline-wise, Brutaka was just way more powerful than Toa; you have to imagine basically a full-fledged Makuta powered up with energy. (From the antidermis spheres that Zaktan shot him with.) Climactic, yes, but not for the villains. Well, the Piraka were planning to let Zaktan die. I actually would have preferred the Toa Nuva charging, then Brutaka swipes out the Matoran resistance and sends the Toa Nuva flying. Tahu's shield protects them, so they get up, but by that time Brutaka has appeared by the antidermis vat and is throwing Zamor spheres through himself like crazy. By the time the Toa Nuva get to him, he is so strong that they don't have a chance, and he beats them off one by one, while Zaktan distracts them with his flying form. Nothing beats a villain who keeps growing in power. That's the point. In that scene, Kongu knew about Avak's prison power and knows that most powers are tied to the mind. If Avak had known that Kongu had a Suletu, things would be different. The powers of the Toa Inika were decided before that battle. It's not like Greg Farshtey said, "Look, Kongu will lose, so let's give him a Suletu so he can win!" Unfortunately, it's one of three choices each year: Transform the Toa into new heroes. (Mata to Nuva, Metru to Hordika, Inika to Mahri.) Get new heroes every year, dumping the old ones. (Basically, the Nuva incident every year.) No heroes on certain years. (2003 was a non-hero year, and not so good. The Kal were part of it, but basically, like Greg Farshtey says, people buy all those millions of batman figures but not as many villain figures because the audience likes heroes better than villains, period.) Luckily, a new choice is optioning for LEGO: re-release the Toa Nuva with a weapons upgrade, rather than a transformation. The Toa Nuva will also have added articulation, etc. I'm okay with this, provided our favorite heroes aren't "botched up" like some of the Mahri. Just a thought: taking into account the location BIONICLE is at now and the audience it is targeting (remember, the target likes the Inika/Piraka/Barraki), what do you guys think BIONICLE should release next, in terms of books, story, and sets? City in the sky? Toa Kapura? j/k Just interested. VK

Now there are less than 50 Toa. Yes, at one point, there were thousands, which opens up new ideas and room for people's own storylines. In great action stories like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc, there are thousands of rebels and a whole host of rebel planets or imperial planets, but they weren't featured in the main story. There were 3,000 Toa, yes, but they aren't featured in the main story. That is purely trivia, which plays no importance to the story, but can be fun for storyline buffs. Dark Hunters have a lot of members, but actually the member count HAS NOT been specified, though it could be hundreds. We don't know. An expanded universe is a good thing, IMO. Star Wars has an expanded universe, and it's a blockbuster hit. PLus, they don't even cater to set sales. There are so many Star Wars characters it boggles the mind, but people like them, they liked that expanded universe. Not saying the story has to focus on it, but it can make things more interesting if it's there. I don't quite find the action brainless. Any action in which the villain attacks the hero and the hero fights back is not brainless. It happened in 2001-2005, and that was fine. I have a feeling, though, that regarding books comes somewhat to what people define as to their liking. I read BIONICLE books in under 30 minutes, so I have both the time and I enjoy them. I would see movies as more of a pain. The books and comics can exist simultaneously. The books do not degrade from the comics in any way. Movies, on the other hand, took away from the comic ending of the year, because they wanted people to buy the movie. THe books are not being marketed in the same way, so they do not detract from the comics. If I, for example, think the comics are a better story than the books, I can subscribe to the comics and not buy the books. I have a feeling your arguments are the same as most. And they're valid arguments, ones that I myself have thought over. I've come to this conclusion; that the Toa Nuva are just as powerful as ever. In their first fight with the Rahkshi, the three Toa Nuva underestimated the power of the three Rahkshi, and did not know their enemies, and got crushed. The Rahkshi, on the other hand, knew about the Toa Nuva because Makuta knew about the Toa Nuva; their strengths and their weaknesses.(Comic 13, Rise of the Rahkshi) In their first fight with the Piraka, the Toa Nuva did not know their opponents. The Piraka, on the other hand, were trained Toa killers. Regardless, the PIraka DID fail to successfully eliminate the Toa Nuva, even after their first defeat. Later on, the Toa Nuva were ready and knew about the Piraka; they and the Matoran resistance would have ended it all there. But neither knew about the existence of a final enemy; Brutaka, one who is near the power level of Makuta. They didn't know his strength, they didn't know that he was really a member of the Order of Mata Nui; so they got crushed instead. With this, I agree completely. I'm not trying to defend the decision to make Jaller and Co. Toa. I was disappointed when I saw who the Toa INika were. But, given the situation now, it's impossible to deny that Matoro has grown, has done some exploring. Perhaps, but isn't it possible he's never seen Infinite Crisis? Whether or not heroes should kill villains is something a number of writers could incorporate. Regardless, what I'm saying is that this is exploration into the hearts of the heroes. The story isn't bland. Just because I've seen an example where the hero's fatehr is a villain (STAR WARS) doesn't make it a bad idea when I see it again. (ERAGON) Similarly, just because the idea has been used before (LEGO STAR WARS VIDEO GAME) doesn't make a similar game bad (BIONICLE HEROES) I mention the latter two because many reviews of Bionicle Heroes criticized it for being similar to Lego Star Wars Video Game. But, what I"m saying is, "yeah, it's a copy, DONE BY THE SAME PEOPLE. But isn't that better, since its core concept is from another good game?" --- With your analysis on 2001-2003, I agree that they were different. There were different in exactly the respect that you wrote. I wasn't criticizing them, per say, but I was saying that the level of variation in 2004-2007 CANNOT be said to be less than 2001-2003. That's the point. 2004 onwards was very similar plot point, but it was not any less similar than 2001-2003. With regard to the Toa Mata dialogue, I agree somewhat. They had great dialogue all the time there, but I must say that some dialogue in the recent story is good as well, it just is missing that...I don't know, ancient or legendary feel. You know what I mean? It certainly isn't. I think Greg's point there is that many people complain about the BIONICLE storyline, just as many people complain about Eragon. Those who like it are free to do so, and those who dont' have to make the best of it and make up their own BIONICLE or their own Eragon, if they please. Complaining is fine, but his point is that it probably won't change LEGO's mind a lot. :-D Avatar may be great and innovative (I don't know, I rarely watch cartoons), but things like that are basically rare. How many fantasy-fiction stories have you read that are as innovative as Avatar and Lord of the Rings (when it first was written)? Not many to my experience, and I've read a lot of fantasy-fiction, I've even written it. And you know what? My ideas cannot be said to be original and have a lot of "newness" in them. It's not about "newness", it's more about "goodness." And yes, you may argue that there is no "Goodness." :-) Zane, what if he breaks the BIONICLE mold and goes more towards 2001? You can't condemn him if you dont' know what it is. As for new things to complain about...let's hope I'm not a complainer. (Like I am on the Toa Mahri subject...don't get me started on Matoro's arms.) I think he does, he's been there since 2001. He still fights for Mask packs, and for our favorite Toa Nuva to exist and be there. Had the Toa Nuva not appeared in 2006, they would've looked liked chickens...better fallen heroes than chickens! Now they are on to something tied to their original quest, which is good news. Greg supports BIONICLE greatly. You can argue he doesn't, and there may be some things for which he is at fault (there may be aspects of his writing that you don't like), but I think he does. Remember, BIONICLE is not defined. BIONICLE is whatever the LEGO Company comes out with, be it good or bad. If it's bad, I"m leaving, if It's good, as it has been so far to me, I'll stay. VK

I'll take this point first. There is still exploration going on, just not on the scale of 2001. Why not? Because the heroes of 2006-2007 are the Toa Inika. They were once Matoran of Mata Nui in the years 2001-2003. Those years were VERY Matoran-heavy, because Bob Thompson wanted more focus on Matoran than Toa. (That ended up being a bad idea, as Toa were the main sellers, not Matoran.) Those Matoran in 2001-2003 alreay DID their exploration. Jaller was even one of the main characters in Mask of Light. Hahli was the main character in MNOLG 2. Those Matoran did some learning, they fought alongside Toa, they know the ways of Toa. They still have learning to do, because not everything is as simple as a second-hand view. Take Matoro, for example. He always had the heart of a Toa, keeping the Turaga's secrets to himself, not being able to share them. However, he didn't believe he was Toa material, as is apparent in Bl2 and Bl3. Yet in Bl5, Inferno, Matoro realized that he had to step up, and he became willing to sacrifice his life for the mission. Another example; Jaller was determined not to make the mistakes of previous fire Toa, yet he realized that he had to take action; he couldn't step back all the time to think about Vakama's tales. Also, according to Greg Farshtey, a main plot point of Legends 7 will focus on whether or not Toa should kill their enemies. When the universe is in danger, and Mata Nui is dying, can they the Toa take a chance to leave their enemies alive, so they can return later? That's exploration, unless I'm mistaken. I agree with you there. Elemental powers, though interesting, were basically a limit to violence. (Hence the Toa's swords, hooks, etc. being 'tools' instead of weapons.) However, we've recently had a lot of interesting ways elemental powers have been used. Vakama absorbing the heat to freeze an enemy, Vezok using fire and ice to create a smoke screen for escape, and the Toa Inika using their elemental powers to harm Vezon and Fenrakk, since physical attacks only made them stronger. The comics have always been there; that is how the story was first told, in addition to the CD's. ALso, not all the sets had CD's. Many countries did not get that privelege, for reason(s) unknown. Movies were a bad idea, IMO. While Legends of Metru Nui and Web of Shadows were great films, they ruined the comics for the year. The comics didn't even tell the end of the story, which was a major disappointment. (For example, 2004's Comic 21 left us hanging, saying "See the Movie!", 2003's comic 15 didn't tell us the battle between Takanuva and Makuta ("See the movie!") and 2005's Comic 27 said, you guessed it, "see the movie!" Movies were a bad idea. Period. Books, on the other hand, are not. They provide a detailed story, with interesting plot points and information that GregF cannot include in the comics. Without Bionicle Legends 2, where would Karzahni play a part? He wouldn't. Without the books, the Toa Nuva would have DISAPPEARED in 2006. They were forbidden in the comics, although GregF pleaded for their appearance. (That's how we got Tahu Nuva's Kanohi Hau Nuva in Comic 1 of Ignition.) Books like Time Trap are purely for our enjoyment. Voyage of Fear, Maze of Shadows, and Time Trap served no purpose for LEGO's sales, but for books sales and the enjoyment of fans. The dilemma GregF faces with the books now is not a matter of top management being cruel, it's a matter of sales being harder. Books sales down in series after time; it's a retail fact. Bionicle Adventures sold over 100,000 copies, Bionicle Legends sold 30,000. That's a big drop, so Scholastic decided to cut the original BL7, Invasion, from the 2007 line. That caused problems, because GregF had to incorporate the same amount of characters with one less book. That's not easy, to incorporate over 20 characters in 3 books. But Scholastic believe that's the way to keep sales up. So far, GregF has not disappointed me in terms of Bionicle Legends 6, and Legends 1-5. Look at any book series; it becomes harder as time goes by. But get rid of the books, and what have we? Comics that tell hardly ANY character exploration, and miniscule story. Maybe the occasional CD, since LEGO will have lost an output. BUt how much story can you fit on a CD, without having to increase the cost of the set that comes with it? CD's are expensive; the more info you put, the more the CD costs (as with most things.) And books help sell sets; that's what LEGO wants. Books tell the story. The story is what made BIONICLE successful. IT was not a line where kids were given Biomechancial people and told, "These are heroes fighting Makuta. Go make a story, kid." The story was given to them, with room for embellishment. There still is room for embellishment. (Otherwise, BZP would not be full of fan fictions. :-) ) Books still tell story, and as of 2006, set sales are still high. "Newness?" Where is newness in anything? Compare Lord of the Rings to Eragon to any fiction-fantasy. Sword fights and dragon flames and heros facing far more powerful villains with magic. There's very little newness. In 2001 Onua lifted a rock and threw it at Nui-Rama. In 2003 Onua Nuva lifted a rock and tried to throw it at Pahrak-Kal. No newness in how he threw the rock. :-/ In 2001 Kopaka froze a Rahi. In 2002 Kohrak froze Lewa. No newness in how they froze the other guy. There was no newness between comics in 2001 and 2003. There WAS newness when LEGO took a new turn in 2004-2005. There WAS newness when LEGO allowed for more darkness in the story in 2006. There WAS newness when LEGO stopped swarm villains and moved on to great characters like PIraka and now Barraki. What newness are you looking for? I don't see their sucess as a cheap fix of added violence. I see it as a more complex story, instead of "Toa go underground, Toa almost lose, Toa beat villain, Toa return to surface, repeat." That was the story in 2001-2003. Yes, it can be argued that 2006 did that as well, but 2006 had way more backstory, and way more interesting plot points. 2001's advantage of 2006? IT was new; it was brand new and there was nothing like it. Now, we've had 6 years of Biological Chronicle. No newness, as you say. Will LEGO's new strategy of easier build and more story work? We'll sure find out as the years go by. VK

I guess you don't like the kind of action, but, to be truthful, it's not all that different from 2003! The action in today's BIONICLE story is higher, but in some ways similar to 2003. Example? In Comic 10, Onua Nuva lifts a rock (a huge rock, for which he needs his Pakari Nuva) and prepares to throw it at the Bohrok-Kal. Pahrak-Kal melts the rock. In BL#3, Power Play, Hewkii Inika lifts a small rock, and uses his Great Mask of Accuracy to pinpoint how the rock will rockechet and hit Vezok. The hit is successful this time. Both Toa threw a rock. A frequent I notice on BZP is that many members who long for 2001 and say BIONICLE is headed downhill due to physical action, not powers, fail to realize that ONua Nuva picking up a giant rock in Comic 10, or Pohatu Mata picking up a giant rock and throwing it at the Bahrag is just as physical as Hewkii throwing a rock at Vezok. What is the difference between a Bohrok basically head-butting a Toa to knock of his mask, or Vezon slamming a Toa's head into a wall? Both are trying to achieve the same objective. (And remember that Vezon has no powers anymore, his only choice is physical contact.) Granted, a sense of mystique and legendary heroism is no longer there, but it's been six years; a lot of mystique is bound to go. Harry Potter 6 is no longer as mystical as Harry Potter 1. The mystery of how Voldemort came back is gone. Same with BIONICLE. Things lose their mystique as time passes by. If I remember clearly, Greg Farshtey said they were already working on story for 2009. You really can't assume that Bionicle is ending. 2008 has to be done, since sets and work are already done for it. BIONICLE will last as long as sets sell. If BIONICLE flops this year, 2008 will very likely be its end. If BIONICLE sales skyrocket, as they did in 2006, then the LEGO Group will continue BIONICLE in 2009 as planned. Just because a trilogy of BIONICLE ends with a bang doesn't mean the story will end. Although I have to agree that is sure does sound like that... In the end, I hold firm to the belief that the sales of BIONICLE will determine LEGO's actions. If BIONICLE continues to move up as LEGO's number one theme, I doubt really highly that LEGO will abandon their highest selling theme! (And they don't have to run out of ideas. There were seven story "books" created by Bob Thompson for BIONICLE. 2001-2003 was one story book, 2004-2005 was another, and 2006-2008 is only the third. There is more to go, provided that sets sell, which they are doing at this point.) Don't get me wrong; I"m not a hater of 2001-2005, and never will be. I miss complex and whole builds like the Bahrag, Exo-Toa, and Rahi. I miss the mystique and feel of 2001. But I also like the new direction the story and sets are taking. Mahri and their Cordak blasters disappoint me a bit, but sets like Gadunka, Hydraxon, and Nocturn entice me. The story is exciting, and very reminiscent of 2001. VK