Algernon

I really hope that Iron Man helmet isn't final.

I'll hop on the bandwagon here and agree that a steampunk theme would be FANTASTIC - provided it was done correctly. I've noticed that modern non-licensed themes seem to carry a friendly, child-like atmosphere. Alien Conquest was full of cheese (which was fine, for that theme), Space Police had a distinct cartoony vibe, Dino and the upcoming Monster Fighters have generally cheery atmospheres given how dark those sci-fi worlds usually are. So that kind of begs the question, how the hell do you make a steampunk theme kid-friendly in the same sense? More importantly, how would you explain the marketability of a cartoony steampunk theme to LEGO? Unfortunately, I think a steampunk theme is pretty far-fetched. Much as I'd like to see one.

I doubt there will be a second wave, if only because LEGO doesn't seem to keep new themes around for very long these days, but if there is I'd like to see some water-based vehicles. Something like a dinosaur prison transport ship, like an aircraft carrier but with cages full of dinos. Or perhaps a submarine.

I picked up my favorite set of the line (the jeep and raptor set), and I am quite happy with it. Really nice construction and it feels like a good, complete set. If I wasn't saving my money for LotR and Monster Hunters later this year, I would buy more.

From what I can tell, the minifigs here look unique enough. Several have already mentioned the derby hat and rapier man - I'll probably get that set just for him. This theme appears to be the replacement for Pharaoh's Quest. I'm pretty happy with it, actually. You could almost call it "Monster's Quest" and it could be thought of as the next chapter for Jake Raines.

The X-Wing and TIE might just find their way into my shopping cart one day.

I would love a futuristic Mech line, in the vein of Exo-Force but with a western style instead of that godawful anime crap. Something along the lines of Mechwarrior would be a dream come true. It's probably a little too war-like for LEGO, but still, a guy can dream.

This model seems to look better in real life than it does on the box. However, since I still own the last rendition of the Y-Wing (and I'm pretty happy with it), I don't think I'll be shelling out $50 to pick up this slight update. Also, for my taste, the cockpit is just a bit too boxy. I don't know if that's more movie accurate or not, but it's still just a pet peeve of mine. That said, great review! Thanks for helping me make up my mind on this one.

For me, the must-have set is the castle. If anyone here remembers the Castlevania series, you can probably guess why. The ghost train also looks promising, but as usual I'd like to reserve my judgement until we see some pictures that are more reflective of what the sets will actually look like once they hit stores.

I think people use "<insert that tiresome argument>" to mean "appeals to kids more than adults". By that logic, you must hate LEGO.

I wouldn't hold your breath for a Halo theme... and to be honest, I don't think we need one. We're drowning in licenses this year.

Happy new year fellow LEGO nerds. Looks like we have a lot to look forward to in 2012. Meanwhile, time to pop some bottles.

LEGO won't be using any minifigs from the CM series. Those are placeholders.

This overly harsh criticism isn't unique to the LEGO fanbase. Dedicated fans of any media tend to know more about it than your average layman, and thus, judge every new release with a highly critical eye. I think it's healthy. If LEGO thought they could appease AFOLs with whatever they decide to throw at them, we would probably be seeing very few AFOL-oriented sets. But I will agree that some of the stuff I read on this forum is borderline ridiculous... people dismiss entire themes based on the most irrelevant nitpicks you could imagine.

Wow guys. He took the time to put together a full review for our viewing enjoyment... is that not enough? Not everyone is a master photographer, he's just telling us what he thinks about the set. For my part, I like this set. The minifigures are obviously the biggest selling point here, but the funhouse itself isn't too shabby (if a little bare-bones). I don't know if I'll be picking it up, but we'll see. Thanks for the review!

This. Minifigures don't make a theme - if it did, then the collectable Minifigure line is the best theme ever. Besides, how can you look past the incredibly imaginative builds we're seeing here? A ghost train, a classy black hearse, and a castle straight out of Castlevania are all brand-new ideas from LEGO. It's really creative and works exceptionally well. Once these are finished I think this will be one of the best themes we've seen in some time.

Despite the obvious preliminary status of these sets, I think they have a TON of potential. The minifigures already look intriguing, and I am totally in love with the last three sets shown: the flying train, the undead van, and the castle all look outstanding and I can't wait to get clearer pictures of them. I'm really happy with the look and vibe of this theme. I'll reserve most of my judgement for finalized shots, but in the meantime count me among the excited. These look great.

First off, it HAS to be said that it's useless to judge these sets right now. They're still about six months away from release. Chances are, these will change substantially before we ever get our hands on them. Don't start lighting your torches and brandishing your pitchforks. That said, I'm actually pleasantly surprised by these sets. Helm's Deep looks amazing to me. I think that LEGO is taking a good direction with LotR, judging by these prelims. The Mines of Moria and Helm's Deep are probably my two favorites, at least so far. Gandalf's carriage just kind of looks like a Castle set. The others aren't too remarkable so far, I'm hopeful that LEGO patches them up before release. I don't think they look as bad as PotC - I'm convinced there will be at least one or two standout sets by the time these are being found in stores. They might not ALL be incredible, but lets face it, since when have licensed themes been consistently great? Usually the smaller sets are pretty forgettable and the bigger sets are great, but overpriced. In this case, I'll probably wind up going the extra mile and picking up one of the bigger sets. But I'll wait until more finalized photos surface before I start judging too harshly.

As many have already said, these pictures appear to be VERY preliminary, so I don't want to judge too fast, but I have to say that these look nice. That EU TIE set, in particular, looks fantastic. It looks like Star Wars might be roping be back in this year... I've been resisting this theme for so long due to the prices, but the lack of a true Space theme makes it hard for me to resist these awesome sets. I'm especially liking the large number of OT sets. Great stuff. As for LotR...

I hope these sets are better than the PotC sets... those were pretty underwhelming for me, and those set names strike some similar vibes.

I KNEW IT!! This is amazing news. Most anticipated theme of 2012 for me.

I second this... not that I'm complaining, since if you're right, that more or less confirms one of the most original themes we've gotten in awhile.

Actually, there's no reason to expect concrete evidence of any of the summer 2012 sets yet. Ordinarily, nothing crops up until mid-Winter or so.

Dang... that wrecking ball crane is hard to resist. What an original idea. I gotta give NinjaGo some credit, there's a lot of creativity in this theme. That said, I have a feeling that the price of the crane will be a little to high for me. Looks like a $49.99 set.

That guy seemed pretty harsh on the Batwing. I don't think it looked that bad at all. A little flat maybe, but still decent.