RedHoodPug

Yep, the actual theme ain't going to save you anytime soon! Now you're trapped mwahaha! See how you're mocked by the ghosts of Saturn Girl, Samurai and Gleek. But who's to say they're not on the same level? It's all subjective.

If you removed editing from that list you essentially have theatre. Is it really just that one element that elevates cinema above it? Is editing a play all it would take to see a stage based Lego set?

I'm not angry, but thank you for telling me how I feel. I have at no point made any indication that I believe that it's not easier to make merchandise for films rather than books. Are you genuinely telling me that you think that that has been the crux of my point? Is it a bad thing if every reader interprets a character description differently? What's the worst that could happen? People might discuss it? Did I say that anyone was wrong to think that way, or stupid, or bad? No. Everyone is entitled to believe, think or feel what form of media they consider the best, and no one is wrong about their choice. As far as condescending goes, you're the one suggesting that people need all of the above elements combined to enjoy a particular experience, and putting the word conditioning in speech marks like you're above it. I have to say it strikes me as a little bizarre that people are arguing against promoting the use of imagination in a forum centred around Lego.

My point was there in my original comment, that we are conditioned to believe that films are the best form of media. You’re the one who said comics were dying. Is it not true? Is there not more money in moving visual media? It’s not a hole, and a lot of early comics started life as storyboards. How do we know that for example Harry Potter has a lightning scar, glasses and messy hair? Or that Hobbits are shorter than dwarfs? Movies and television shows are the most effective ways of sharing stories, and to support that a vast industry has been built. To maintain that industry money needs to be made. To make money something needs to be sold. For something to be sold someone else needs to be convinced that they are buying the best product. Enough time passes and before long the world has been convinced that this product is better than all others. Pretentious? No. Cynical? Yes. I like films, but they aren’t always the best versions of stories. My two favourite book series are the Strike novels, which have been translated onto the screen but at the cost of abridged plots, and the Discworld, which has had a few attempts to bring it to life but none successfully, barring audiobooks. I would dearly love the Ankh- Morpork City Watch made in Lego, but at the moment it’s a case of moccing it and no minifigure exists that suits them all. In the meantime I collect DC Lego, which has suffered from a dismally handled film franchise, and that dictates all. And we come full circle.

Missing my point entirely, but never mind. And wrong. The market growth for the comic book industry has a 2022-2029 projection of USD 15.35 billion to USD 21.37 billion. Incidentally half of the System sets to come out in the inaugural release were comic based and more interesting than the Avengers based others.

Because humans have been conditioned to believe that the best form of media is the cinema, and that regardless of how good other forms of media are or how well they sell, they are not worth paying attention to. When in reality there may not be a best form of media, my personal opinion would say books, but not many toys get made off the back of book sales alone. There has been a slight shift in the inclusion of the odd TV show and video game, but cinema is king. On the flip side of it, if the MCU was dross and hadn’t taken off, the Marvel sets would still be comic inspired and DC would still be on shelves.

It's about the stage in the conversation where I nail my colours to the mast, and those colours be the Hall of Doom. I'm quite intrigued by the idea of an Arkham in the Hogwarts style though. Hey! Hey! Less of that. We have a Technic Batcycle as well.

There's just as much evidence to support as not. As for missing two Koopalings, you seem to be under the misunderstanding that Lego are competent in the ways of completing subsets of themes.

Alright, one set in May, we're off to a strong start! Woohoo!

One of the first pictures he posted was of Kingdom Come and recently followed it up with confirmation that Elseworlds stories will take place alongside the main continuity. Interestingly a relatively new character has been revealed to appear in KC in the future, which potentially makes it canon after all. He’s also stated that he’s taking a lot of inspiration from the aforementioned TV shows. There’s also talk of Deathstroke.

Over in the world of hopeful potential, the terms Kingdom Come, JLU and YJ have been bandied about. It's years in the pipeline, but getting KC versions of characters we still don't have is very Lego. So is looking at the Unlimited and YJ lineups and thinking that there's nothing to be mined there.

It's called taking things how I find them. Everyone is biased about everything. Everyone who loves a particular franchise is biased towards it and the merchandise. Honestly because until the DC theme picks up again I'm metaphorically homeless, and I'm fond of playing devil's advocate. It's not like I'm spamming the thread or punishing myself passing through here. I just happen to disagree with the perceived greatness of this franchise. Love it.

I've genuinely never held much stock in RT, I'm going by the sheer number of reviews I've read. The balance has been very much weighted in one direction. Not a lot else I can say. I didn't know I hated it, and I didn't know that that was a metric for being allowed in the forums. I don't like it, and I'm pretty sure that unless I do something to get myself banned I can visit any thread I want. Why are you being so protective of it?

Nah, you’re argument with Murdoch is about whether it’s going to flop. The broader argument is about whether it’s actually any good. A vast majority of the reviews are positive? Really? By the same token I’m not really sure where all the positivity is coming from. Honestly it’s going to and has split opinion, and big box office does not equal quality.

Purely about box office? Not much further up this page is a pretty valid comment about how the reviews have been damning. My favourite so far, “it’s like being waterboarded with turquoise cement.”

It’s possible to be a box office success and a naff film. I’ve no interest in seeing it as the first one was nothing but a very pretty white saviour story. However I read a few reviews that gave away plot elements and frankly it sounds like a very pretty white saviour story. We already had one of those, and I watched it with my 3-D glasses on desperately trying not to picture Dances with Smurfs.

In the top of the tower there is a green jar on the floor, I’m guessing that’s the gillyweed.

A bit last days of Rome, isn’t it? Keychains.

Well, the studio has turned down Patty Jenkins’s treatment, so the film in its current form has been halted. It wasn’t even rolling with a projected release date, so it’s not like Lego sets were in the factory waiting to be pulled. Gal Gadot has stated that she’s up for another turn, so who knows.

I’m acutely aware of that, but Lego aren’t brave enough to state that out loud, instead using the lack of cinematic output. The excuse doesn’t stick when Marvel sets include characters not seen on the big screen - at least not for a long time. As for sets that will sell, despite Lego not releasing their sales figures I will wager that the Hulkbuster and Black Panther bust have struggled to justify their place on the shelves. Incidentally their excuse is laying the blame squarely at someone else’s (Discovery Warner) feet, rather than looking inward and accepting fault on their own side.

Right, so Lego can’t make DC sets because there hasn’t been enough related output to base things on. But Lego can make goofy mechs including one who isn’t even in the MCU proper, a set inspired by a non-MCU film because of a meme, a set based on a 5 year old film, and another on a 10 year old film.

The amount of misappropriated vehicles and weapons in comics and movies at the time was considerable. Artists drew from what photos they could find and looked cool, and film makers and prop/vehicle wranglers got what they could find or afford. It’s why there are so many anachronistic war films. That and the film is based on Silver Age comic books, where Batman went to space every other week, let alone tackled German submarines.

When the CCA kicked in the world of comics changed, including Batman. It basically meant that there was to be no violence between Batman and his villains, nor any violent crimes being committed by the villains. It also spelled the (temporary) end of investigating police corruption on account of the ban on portraying police in a bad light. That position ran from ~1954 to 1970, with Adam West's take occuring from 1966 to 1968. The show was reflective of the previous decade's restrictions and was aimed squarely at the kids who grew up with the only Batman they knew. With all that in mind, Adam West et al were borderline perfect. It won't be to everyone's tastes, but that's life and it would be very boring if we were all in accord.

I’m putting Kevin Batroy at the top of my list, because he gave voice to the Dark Knight of my youth and adolescence. From the early days of B:TAS to Batman Beyond, JL, JLU, particularly the emotionally charged episodes Panic in the Sky! and The Doomsday Sanction. Baleman is next for me, that trilogy was pretty damned good. Ledger’s Joker, the lovely Marion Cotillard, the Tumbler and Pod, the Bat, it all worked. Diedrich Batter comes third for me, if only because of the impressive roster and the vintage aesthetic. Batnett because he got the most Lego sets of any one Batman. Battfleck would be higher up but he used brawn more than brain, and relied on his ‘superpower’ too much. The actual performance was pretty decent in my opinion. Haven’t seen Battinson yet, can’t grade him. Like his car, though. Battam West because he was the Silver Age Batman. Controversial choice in Rino Batmano from The Batman animated series. Keatonman, solely because I can’t disassociate him from Jack Nicholson as the Joker, and I hate that version of him. Kilman then Clooman. Can’t add anything that hasn’t already been said.

It’s funny, the subject matter doesn’t appeal to me in the sense that I’m not a D&Der or table top gamer at all, but the whole thing impresses me. The siting of the figures, the amount of allegory in the dream state being upstairs in place of the outside world, and the grounding of the real world being the basement, they all tick big storytelling boxes for me. And it is aesthetically very pleasing. Nice one.