Agent Kallus

Hey hey. The Goat said no retail sets. So it might get a Lego exclusive set, or something like that. Retailer exclusives have previously blindsided us before. Rebellions are built on hope and I'm not giving mine up just yet. (And we'll always have Supermech)

How could you possibly know that? Are you the guy that watches me sleep?

Never say never. That would be cool if they include little combinable building sections with other sets like early MK sets or like the TLBM powerplant. I suppose to TLDR my whole point from my last couple of posts (taking exclusively about minifig system sets here): Ninjago and it's ilk can focus on being good toys first leading to better sets, Star wars can focus on being Lego replicas first leading to better sets. Superheroes can is stuck in a medium place leading to more mediocre sets. This is why TLBM is best the superheroes them has ever been, those sets were ostensively TLG's own version so they could focus on being good sets first rather than being Batman sets first but because it was the Lego BATMAN movie they also were able to make them perfect batman sets. I suppose one thing is the superheroes is more about the larger the life characters even morso than other themes so In many consumers minds the builds are more of an after thought than they would be in themes like Ninjago and Star wars. This isn't to say Ninjago and Star wars don't have thier own problems. As a jack of many trades Afol I follow all 3 themes and they very much do have their own problems: Ninjago has stopped doing as many sets for villains despite them being the main thing that changes each season! And Star Wars loves to fish ideas from a small pond when they have an ocean of content and star wars prices are straight up painful. See that's one thing about having sets based off various different things movies and such: it means you don't get as many sets designed to work together and interact. Like that or like @mrcngrck was saying about the Spider-verse bodega. Yes! Again, I'm not trying to pin this soley on the designers, they are limited in what they can do and what sets they're told to make, the direction they're given (and some truly superb sets have come by in recent years, like the bugle or even the new Asgard house). And I do know I'm not telling sole audience but I do think it could be so much better for everyone!

Oh definitely. I'm not really trying to pin this on the designers per se, but the direction the theme has been been taking. And I mean superheros as a whole really but I'll focus on marvel since that's the thread we're in. And yes you're right again about that direction becoming predictable and repetitive partially because 'they knows what sells' or they know what of what they've made sells well though they don't always know why or what umade ideas might actually be best sellers. And the thing is they still do take risks and try new things, however that approach seems to squarely aimed at their adults welcome sets which as we here are Afols already we don't really need. Need is strange word to use there, but I mean we in general are all interested in Lego and ere interested king before they start to go heavy into trying to tap the adult market, that's not to say we don't have the potential to like the some of the adults sets but I imagine most of us here prefer sets like OG civil war battle or the infinity war benatar over sets like the carnage head, marvel logo or big black panther helmet and gloves. Should they being making more interesting playsets to appeal to Afols then? No, but truth be told what will be interesting to us isn't all that different from what will be interesting to kids, sure we tend to care more about looks and less about play features, but I'm sure both categories would like more new characters ( yes kids see the theme on a shorter timescale in year but even looking over just 3 years periods it's just so much repetition, yeah some of the get different outfits but nonetheless), more villains in movie sets (okay that's more on Marvel than TLG as they seem to have stopped trusting them with as many details due to fear of Lego leaks spoiling things, but often we still miss out on obvious things that are even in the trailers) and most importantly in terms of design some more unique or accurate builds, okay the infinity saga looks back old films missing the limited information problem but they keep looking at the same films over and over, so repetitive yet again. I mean yes themes like Ninjago, City and Dreamzzz do repeat the same idea. But with the exception of city ( which does try to emulate real life designs) those themes give themselves the freedom to do different take of the idea, take Kai mechs: the climber mech has 4 arms, backwards legs and shooting grappling hooks, the stormrider has a flying hovercraft thing for the mech to ride, and he even has a mech with its own motorcycle (something totally absurd that marvel did do themselves to be fair) but if we look at Spiderman cars over past years, it's been a genericish car for miles, 2 generic cars for Peter, a generic venom car yawn. Eh, Lego plays it too safe sometimes and we can have a different and valuable perspective, the company always knows best isn't always true.

Not I the UK yet . I'll give them a little longer as I've got a long watchlist but if the time comes and it's still not here then ...Yarrr

Eh, @Lyichir had a point. The thing is we get themes like star wars here the sets are usually pretty decent (though often pricy or weirdly scaled or both) replicas of things from the universe. We then get themes like Ninjago, Dreamzzz and Monies Kid where Lego cam take more imaginative design first approach. But in superheroes we tend to get the worst of both world with sets that aren't really accurate and aren't really bold creative moves either. Now I don't blame the design team for this, it is (like all things) multifactorial, but the direction the them has been taking has just led into a direction of relatively bland set design. Allow me to elaborate on that. Well on all of it, but firstly on why I think the set design is bland. Well we often get sets for new movies but because the design team aren't given too many proper details so they end up barely related to the movie they're covering. And for the not movies sets (which are usually Spider-Man) we get the designers playing it relatively safe which then gets rather repetitive, a current trend is vaguely realistic cats themed after a character who really doesn't need a car ( them not needing a car isn't a big though actually) and they usually only get one seat. And if I wanted a tonne of realistic sports and muscle cars I'd just be into speed champions (spoiler alert, I'm not). Look at the marvel Dioramas compared to the star wars ones. The Star wars are basically freeze frames of the films, they go accuracy, but again the marvel ones find themselves in a weird middle ground where they're not really perfect playsets or perfect display sets because they try to do both. And DC is doing decently accurate Batmobiles but not much else and it is so repetitive. Even the infinity saga sees play it too safe and tend to mostly stick to just the avengers movies, what about the first 2 Thor films that never got any coverage! Now let's just ignore movie tie ins a sec, and look back to the 2012-2017 era of comic Spider-Man and Batman sets. The golden years perhaps? And I think it's partly because TLG treated them a bit more like one of Thier in-house action themes. Yes it was Spider-man and Batman but it was Lego's take on it and I think that led to more imaginative set design, it was a principal I tried to follow my self in my recent DC wishlist digital Moc series (shameless plug). So in conclusion I can surmise that I personally feel that the superheroes theme as a whole is in a relative creative rut. And maybe Dreamzzz regardless of your opinion of the sets themselves isn't in that creative rut. I mean Ninjago somehow manages to make like 7 Kai mechs across 2 years work but the best DC can do is the same Batmobile as in the D2C but somehow slightly worse? So yeah unlicensed themes tend to be a better deal with more creative thought put into them. And Star wars gets at least something from the source material. I feel like they probably would have led with that bit came here to see Nostalgia calling Dreamzzz shitty ( without explaining why they feel that) so I can see the reasoning for feeling unwelcome and lashing out. I mean I really don't care for speed champions, but I'm don't go about calling it shitty because I know it's just not for me. Though I will call out the bizarre decision to really oversaturate the market with those F1 type racecars across several themes, now that's insanity.

I did yeah, it's okay so far, but hopefully it'll pick up pace soon.

Honestly I think they could use the minion body and arms with a new head part similar to a shorter opaque version of the new neverwitch's raven domes to make modern Rock monsters in a power miners style. The new ninjago dragons rising show has had rock monsters in it and one is even an elemental master.

I'm still optimistic, after all we had the press announcement saying Lego was one of the merchandising partners for the movie.

My guesses would be Helicarrier update, Knowhere, Asgard, hulk's fist, buildable Flerken, big spider-buggy, buildable Ultron statue, Venomised something or other (Horse?), update bigger infinity gauntlet, marvel version of set 76391, daredevil helmet, Loki and Thor helmets, famous comic covers as an art sets or something like that?

Yes, the designers and other TLG staff. None of us here I can imagine though. D2Cs often don't get pictures till closer to release.

Where is your optimism my comrades?

Don't assume we aren't getting sets/set DC said otherwise. I feel like it's best to keep up with the battle in a box approach and include a villain to fight. Maybe Bleez for GL and Lobo for Supergirl. No *big* cameos? Well the dead stoneified Eternal is in it and he's pretty dang big. But in all seriousness just look at the leaked post credit scene: Sam has broken bad with the American government and is in a alleyway. A rat scuttles across a sewer grate holding a slice of pizza in his mouth. Sam: Uptown Rat? Genetically distinct for the downtown rat? That's where it's at!!! Mystery Voice: Sam Wilson ... I've heard a lot about you... I guess you're some sort of outsider now. The camera pan to show us the source of the mysterious voice it's Robert Pattison Batman! And with him with are the outsiders! In this film composed of Katana, Jason Todd, Halo Metamorpho, Black Lightning, Geoforce, Tigress, Looker, Catwoman and Now Captain America. The credits start to roll again again but then we hear Uptown Rat: Big shot batman putting together a crew? I'm in. The Uptown Rat stands up revealing himself to be master Splinter!!! The TNMT burst out of sewer grate! Donatello: Scratch that! WE'RE in! Mystery Voice 2: and don't forget me.. Camera turns to show Scooby Doo: Scooby Dooby Dooo!! Velma: and the mystery Inc crew! Obligatory Venom Horse reference: obviously I'm here too. Captain America will return in Batman and the Outsiders undo Brexit.

TBH I think Absolute Zane looks better than real big figs.

What's was the spring wave again? The winter wave is fresh on the mind with the new pictures and the summer wave just has descriptions. Was it just the Arc Dragon of focus, thunder fang chaos dragon and the crossroads or was there some cheaper sets too?

Difficult to see, always in motion the future is! But I'd guess any day between now and February, Ninjago just got Thier summer sets names and prices. ( We might get numbers sooner but really don't give a damn about what number a set has other than it being how we find out what number of sets are coming) Okay, it's overpriced. But like you say Smyths or somewhere will probably reduce it soon enough, though TBH it's not at the top of my list especially as sets that start overpriced and are reduced to being somewhat reasonable are obviously less value for money than sets that start somewhat reasonable and are reduced to surprisingly decent.

The sets look good though TBH I'm not digging the suit design for the ninja. Seen more pictures. Arins suit is good. Pixal's figure is very white. Zanes mini mech is weirdly wide and has a different minifig than the dojo set with a silver torso. Really liking the Dragonians shame they don't get many sets of thier own. Interested to see the combo mech separated.

So now they're saying we will get death troopers ( or a death trooper) in the nigh trooper BP. The Arc 170 looks good, doesn't really need to be any bigger to work for minifig scale imo. I won't call it overpriced until I see the UK price.

I'll definitely try my hand at this!

I think this could turn out pretty great. It's basically just a narrow diorama (and it might open up) I just hope the Balrog looks great. Minifig scaled or not, I have an Army of Gandalf the Grey so I'll put one with it if one's not included. I do have a tonne of books so I might actually display this among them as intended.

Are our expectations are so low that even DC themselves confirming that Lego is making tie-in products for the film won't convince us?

You wound me. Noooooo nooo nooo. You've summoned him. You thought Brickheadz joker was bad? He's far worse. As a Brickheadz myself I know the danger posed. You've doomed us, you've doomed us all. He's coming... Brickheadz Hitler. Hitler and Churchill by Bismuth83, on Flickr The only thing holding him back is brickheadz Churchill ( I know Churchill wasn't a saint but if he's good at anything it's holding back Hitler) To keep this on topic here some batman Brickheadz Batman beyond and Terry Mcginnis 1 by Bismuth83, on Flickr (My apologies for this, this is worst thing I've posted here.)

Amen to that my brother in Mara Jade.

I think its from Max Bautde of Promobricks.

A Minifigure version of the thing would be better. Amen to that. Size is a problem with bigfigs but it's the smallest problem of many. ( Ugly, stuck in a squat, don't fit the design sensibilities of minifigures, less poseable than a minifig, less interchangeable parts than a minifig & so on.) This is just about the standard hulk style bigfigs ( or ones near that standard) stuff like :TLBM Killer Croc, Hagrid, Eggman & the TNMT ones, are a different beast and generally much better that the Hulk type ones. The removable/ turning minifig type head is an improvement but there's a way to come.