Captain Nemo

Cat. A #2 #10 Cat. B #1 (2)

Lego favors Simpsons over LotR because it is more successful. Granted the format is different--which didn't help LotR. I don't think anyone would say that wave one was a failure, but the second wave was pretty terrible. This has to be in part because of The Hobbit sets, which were clearly Lego's main intention with the Middle Earth sets--just as it should have been considering the new films were coming out, and would have the best market value. The focus was on The Hobbit, not LotR. It regards to Simpsons vs LotR, it's not a fair statement to say Lego favors the innuendo filled former just because it's less 'violent' than LotR. Clearly Lego wants something different with the Simpsons theme, which is why they are restricting it to CMF and D2C sets. LotR appears to simply have been used as a lead in with the first wave of the Hobbit--much like the initial Indiana Jones waves let to the sets for the fourth movie. I think LotR would work well on the D2C formula though, granted there'd still be a lot of complaining about set sizes... CMF wise, I don't think it would work well at all for LotR. It's obvious here people hate named characters, and so the CMF wave would have just turned into a hunt for the three or four generic army figures in each wave--understandably no one wants ten Frodos, but that's all the kids would get after scalpers snatched up every single Gondor soldier in site. Really, the theme could have benefited from at least two more sets: one to give in some fashion the presence of Gondor, and another (in my opinion) to give us the Witch King. Anything else would just be an added bonus. Hell, the 'fake' tree-beard is good enough for me, and that's most likely what he would have turned out like anyways. Although I will say I don't understand the clamoring desire for Faramir--there's far more important characters we never got.

Maybe the Swamp Monster and the Lighthouse Keeper are from the upcoming series? Spoiler Alert Lego! She does look like Quinn. Too bad she has the white head as the base for her print. Flesh heads with glasses are uncommon, and flesh female heads with glasses are way rare--and desired.

It's possible, and likely. Although lately I've not had luck with Toys R Us getting things early--granted I wasn't sure when the new Superhero sets were coming out (Apparently not for a while), so it's disheartening. I just cannot wait to get my hands on these Scooby Doo sets. I've even started building up my monster collection, both official figures and custom horror ones, for my own builds with the gang. Can't wait!

Even though the quality of that Suicide Squad video is terrible...damn does that movie look good! I'm very much surprised at how excited I'm for that movie now, even the Joker, who I thought was terrible. Leto nailed the voice--I just wish the appearance was better. Still, Harley Quinn makes everything better--the crowd was roaring when she and Joker made their appearances!

Looks much better than the first trailer. In fact I'm now remotely interested in seeing it--and being excited for it. I don't know what to think of the story though. Watching the trailer, I said to myself at one point--this looks really good--it's visually stunning, but I get the feeling it's going to be a letdown story wise. I do really like that there's a large emphasis on the aftermath of the destruction, as I think that's really needed to clarify some of the more jarring moments of the first film. On a side note, I still find the choice of Wonder Woman terrible. The short glimpses of her do not in any way suggest she is a strong powerful Amazon. The slow motion focus on her doesn't help either. Also on a side note I was very surprised and excited to see this film is actually in color...for the most part.

Thanks for the review just2good! I'm loving that set--and I absolutely cannot wait to get it, and to start building Scooby Doo creations. I think that set will sell extremely well, and will by flying off the shelves. It's such an iconic vehicle and it's been done great justice by this design. The stickers may be annoying, but they add so much character to the vehicle. It is a bit sad to see how cramped the inside is, but I think with some easily remodeling it'll fit everyone, especially if the sitting down version of Scooby is used. Can't wait to get my hands on this one!

I really don't think there's any reason to expect physical versions of any of the "old" Doctors; those from before the series revival in 2005. I just don't see any merit in Lego making them other than appeasing a small group of fans who know/watch the really old Dr. Who. I can only really see Lego building for the past few Doctors--and even then I think it would most likely only be either Smith or Tennant in addition to Capaldi. The other Doctors appear in the game, but that doesn't mean anything--hundreds of characters appear in Lego games and they never see the light of day as physical minifigures. On a side note, I personally wouldn't be too thrilled with a Dr. Who CMF, simply because of the logistical problems. As I mentioned on Flickr, it would be awful trying to feel out individual Doctors in the bags--they'd all basically be plain jane minifigures with vaguely similar hairpieces. Other than completing the collection of Doctors, I think it would make a poor wave overall.

What an unexciting reveal that was. Hoping for more was asking too much I suppose--at least with the crackdown on movie spoilers via the sets.

Are we getting more/actual Dr. Who sets--or is this just assumed? Either way the Cyberman looks amazing, absolutely amazing! I cannot wait to get that figure. Dalek not so much. He's a disappointment, but I think he could also easily be approved upon. The reason I ask about the sets is because I hope we get some--it would be a pain to army build some Cybermen and Daleks off of a Dimensions set. It would be like $15 for two figures, and the aftermarket prices will be horrendous.

Looks like a sweet set! I love how civilian oriented it is.

I think you're being overly pessimistic about this line. Granted there's no reason to expect Scooby Doo will become one of the top four/five sellers. And that's not surprising--Lego has a lot of themes, and they're all very competitive. Star Wars and City are the undisputed kings of the Lego Best Seller List. As are Superheroes, Friends, and Ninjago--the latter of which will kick into overdrive once the movie comes out. But this means it's not fair to state that Monster Fighters (which I always vigorously defend--because it always needs defending for some reason) was a complete failure because it didn't sell more than Star Wars or City. Of course it didn't and no one expected it to! That doesn't mean it was a failure--the complete opposite, in reality it was a huge success. Lego had to continue to produce and sell more sets for that theme for months, and let's not forget the D2C Haunted House--rarely do themes not named Star Wars or City get D2C sets--if that's not a sign of success I don't know what is. Really, it's not fair to compare Monster Fighters to the powerhouses of Star Wars and City, and then attribute absolute failure to it because it failed to outsell the outsell-able. And it's also not a fair statement to then suggest the Scooby Doo will be a complete failure because it's similar to Monster Fighters--and likewise won't outsell Star Wars or City. If anything, Scooby Doo will be more successful than the already successful Monster Fighters because it's an established brand with an established audience. Lego obviously knows this is a successful avenue. If they had any reason not to think this, they would not be making both Scooby Doo and a CMF Monster wave at the same time, only three years later.

Oooo! That's a sweet Wonder Woman. And a new hair piece! Regardless of my feelings on the BvS movie, I know for sure I'll be getting that figure.

Those pictures of the back of the boxes just makes every set so much more exciting. I am a bit surprised that the alternate personas of the monsters are show at all though, instead of being a surprise. Still, this wave cannot come sooner!

What? No! Sir Brickalot's figures look great--but I don't get inspired, I only inspire others! Ok Nemo, back to being humble...

He just means Deadpool was used for comedic affect in the game...

Seriously looks like something Megablocks would put out...

I managed to get an entry done. I was really unsure if I would be able to, considering that smack dab in the middle of this contest was Brickworld Chicago--which really used up all of my bricks, time, and enthusiasm. Still, I managed to get a few brick figures done! Category A: Slave Leia vs. MODOK

Slave Leia vs MODOK Star Wars vs. Marvel Contest, Category A As a very last minute entry, I've created a build that depicts the predictable consequences of a Star Wars and Marvel mashup: Built Time: 7 Hours Enjoy! ~Nemo

Here it is! Looks alright in my opinion--a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The windshield is a surprise...as are those stud shooters... I do think it's funny that we basically already have that Batman figure though--he's so similar to the 52 one.

For sure we would be getting a bunch of sets for the Lego Batman movie, which doesn't come out until 2017 by the way. I'm betting that would be the perfect time to introduce many new characters we've been lacking for years--like an updated Killer Croc, Mad Hatter, Ra's, etc...really we all just want Killer Moth anyways! Lego will most likely be making tons of sets, as they did for the Lego Movie, whenever one of their films come out--such as when the Ninjago film comes out next year. Hopefully this will give us all some comic colored relief from those grey and boring Synder sets that we'll only be getting for years...not looking forward to that. I shutter to think that we'll be getting wave after wave of sets just like those MoS ones...

I went to a grand opening two or three years ago now, but it was a cool experience--if a crowded one. I think I got there some hour and a half or two hours early (And it was at like 8 or 0 on a Saturday morning), and that was a good choice, because the line was really, really long even then--I couldn't see the store for the longest time. They let groups of people in at once, so there was on average 40 or so people in the store. Once I got in the store, it was incredibly crowded, and there was indeed a feeling of being rushed--you should go in with an idea of what you want to buy--to get the "free" item--but don't expect too many things like brand new sets to be floating around. Actually when I went there I was intending to buy Helms Deep, which had just started coming out, but the new Lego Store did not have any of the then new LotR sets. Having an idea of what you want to buy first is very helpful, because you really should just go in, grab it, and then get in the next line, that for purchasing. As long as you get there early enough, and are not dilly dallying around, you'll get the free thingy. I managed to get the Micro Scale Lego Store model they were giving out. I do remember conversations with other people in line, where we were worried we'd not get the set, but it turned out we were like guests 200 out of the 500 sets they had or something, and we got their fairly early. As long as you get their early, you'll be able to get the exclusives.

This is too out there for me. I personally use LifeLites, and I think they're great, cheap, and best of all you can easily incorporate them into any build. Aside from the fact that I just don't think he'll reach is goal whatsoever (I don't think he'll raise that much money with 22 days left), I am concerned about the power source application--or lack there of. Is there any pictures of this power plate? I mean what's the point of wireless lights if you have to include a large metal plate under all of your builds? The wireless function becomes restricted to what you can place on, over, or near the plate, so it's not very "wireless" after all. For example, for my latest Sentinel design, I used LifeLites--and incorporated a battery pack, switchboard and lights. It was a pain to wire, but I can have the lights on any time I want--even when I'm swooshing them around in the sky. With i-Brix, the lights would only work if the Sentinel is standing on the power plate. I just don't see much of a benefit, especially when you could buy basically four times the amount of wired lights for the cost of four i-Brix.

After a year of building, my X-Men Layout was completed and displayed at Brickworld Chicago 2015 this past weekend, and was a rousing success! Days of Bricks Past The layout covered the bulk of my display table, and featured three large scale, fully lit, brick-built Sentinels--the X-Men crew, the X-Jet, and a ruined city landscape. FYI in the background you can spot builds by our very own ZCerberus. This layout has been a long process, and I'm really happy that I'm finally able to show off all the work I put into it! The Sentinels Easily the most memorable portion of my layout, the Sentinels added a splash of rare dark purple and magenta color to an otherwise destitute landscape. Although only three Sentinels were used on the layout, I actually constructed five in total. The remaining two were slightly unique, and were given as gifts to friends. A third was sold at the Brickworld Chicago 2015 charity auction. Each of the Sentinels featured immense detailing and electronic work. Interestingly, if you were to extract all of the wiring from just one Sentinel, and lay it end to end, it would stretch over seven feet! The Sentinels, each numbered, feature four lights on their feet, two on their hands, one on their chest, and two for their eyes. They also all reach 36 bricks in height, 14 inches, and thus are very capable of squishing any mutants they come across! *From the Left, the second Sentinel features unique arm bands (that of three frogs hopping), and Sentinel five is Dr. Who themed, with a TARDIS heart and Screwdriver right hand. Sentinel Design Sentinel number one was designed first, and built over the course of a year (June 2014- June 2015). It was an immensely stressful and difficult build to complete. I meticulously designed every portion of the robot, rebuilding sections dozens of times to get the perfect look. Initially, I intended to use ball joints throughout, to allow the maximum amount of articulation, but I later switched to various forms of click joints to increase stability. A significant issue was the LifeLites battery pack, which located in the Sentinel's spine, that caused constant balance issues. Other dificulties were grip, as the Sentinels have trouble standing on smooth surfaces without starting to slide around. * Early Designs Other notable changes include the attempted use of large dark purple cylinder pieces. I had initially intended to use these parts for the Sentinel's shins and forearms, and so I actually acquired a large amount of them (some forty or something)--but soon after I found these both too troublesome (their connection points being tremendously weak) and ugly (because the purple seemed a different shade when compared to the purple of flatter less curved bricks of the same color). These early images above show some of the changes that occurred. The first image depicts my first attempt at the Sentinel boot, only days after Brickworld Chicago 2014. It was a far more detailed design that I'm happy was changed! Other alterations included the use of tubing, which initially held a more significant role, as I had (for some reason) designed it was perhaps a good idea to use it to sure up the ankles and essentially hold up the entire Sentinel...Anyways this was phased out, and the metallic tubing was later only used decoratively, in addition to housing and protecting the wiring of the robot. Another change the was heart design, which went from a small trans clear ball design to that of the Galaxy Squad trans-pink pods--incidentally one of my favorite pieces. Features: Each Sentinel was fully equipped with lights to show off their most dramatic of powers. This included flight, in which each Sentinel contained four red LED lights in their feet, to give the impression of engines. Ironically however, this lighting affect was almost moot in person, as the lighting here is not very viable when the Sentinels are simply standing, and not being held up. More noticeable however is the lighting in the eyes and hands, which act as searchlights to spot out mutant threats. Additional Views: The Sentinels were all clad in dark purple, magenta, and dark pink--and were designed as essentially large versions of the official Lego Sentinel--which while I do in fact love, is of course...not so accurate in size. The X-Men: In all actuality, the Sentinels are only half of the layout itself. The other important portion was that of the mutant X-Men, banded together not only to save the world, but their own lives as well. The layout included ten X-Men characters, all created by myself, with the majority of them being purist minifigures. *Left: Nightcrawler, Rogue, Iceman, Professor X, Magneto, Gambit, Wolverine, Bishop, Storm, Kitty Pryde In addition to the X-Men, I also included their famous X-Jet. My own version, this jet featured a light up cockpit and engines. Mutant Powers: Storm An advantage of building in the X-Men theme was that it allowed me to show off multiple power sets, all of which created sunning visuals. The most notable was that of Storm, who created a massive tornado and summoned lighting to defend herself against a Sentinel. The tornado featured Power Functions to spin, and was light by blue LED lights. This was my first time using Power Functions, and I was very impressed with the results. A video of the tornado in action can be found here. To show the lightning affect, I developed a new technique, by which I chained individual lightning pieces by weaving them together with a Lego trans-clear fiber optic cable. Storm herself is mostly official, but she utilizes a different white hair piece, that found on Quicksilver--and a custom arm, by Crazy Bricks, to allow for the sideways angled attack. Wolverine Perhaps the most simple of powers, I depicted Wolverine simply, and characteristically, jumping into the fray. His hair piece is custom, and is made by Christo for a Ra's al Ghul minifigure. The dark blue torso, which is used also on Professor X and Gambit, is new and from the Jurassic World line. Nightcrawler: One of my favorite mutants and power sets, Nightcrawler's teleportation power was depicted through the use of trans-pink flowers. He is a combination of various pieces, from Ronan's head to Ant-Man's body. His blue tail is a rare custom piece by BrickWarriors. Magneto & Professor X: The mutant Magneto, here shown working with the X-Men, uses his powers to move metal to protect himself and Professor X from a Sentinel attack. On Site Images: Admittedly, I didn't take too many pictures of my own layout on site at Brickworld Chicago...woops. Although there are already many good photos of it circulating around, to which I now show you some of: * Photo by Hinckley * Picture by Victor Fernandez *Photo by Bill Toenjes *Photo by Pete Strege Additionally, here is another photo I took--that of the Award my Sentinel won. The Sentinel was voted "Best Mech" of Brickworld 2015--an award I'm extremely excited it won. Enjoy! ~Nemo

Most likely because people already are upset about spending so much on these sets, where most of the money goes towards the Dino molds and not much else. A Mosasaurs set? What would be in it--really. I mean the dino which would be huge, and take a chunk out of the set, but with that would most likely be some stadium stands poorly built and a tiny shark. Granted...that would still be a cool set...