Algernon

I hope we get some clearer pics of that sea plane soon - I quite like it, and it's a better way to get the pterodactyl.

I don't think anybody's questioning the scientific accuracy of feathered dinos - it's pretty well established. What I'M questioning is the necessity of having scientifically accurate dinosaurs in a science fiction theme for children, especially when it would make the primary antagonists (the dinosaurs) look ridiculous.

Not to mention that LEGO would have to be out of their mind to release a dinosaur theme in which high-tech vehicles appear to be chasing after chickens on steroids. How would THAT sell?

Do we get to see any hi-res pics of the other Batman sets? Honestly, of the entire new lineup, the Batcave interested me the least.

Not bad at all. The base looks a lot more substantial from this angle. The truck and smallest set both look great too. This theme seems to be a pretty big win! EDIT: Some more detailed thoughts: 5882: At first I was 50/50 on this set but now I'm liking it a lot more, even though it hasn't changed much. It seems to be a pretty decent package for $10. The dino and fig are great, and extra foliage is always useful. I think this one is gonna go over well. 5883: Honestly not feeling this set at all. The minifig and pterodactyl are cool, of course, but the set itself is doing nothing for me. It just seems empty, and frankly I'd rather keep my $20. 5884: Still one of the best sets in the theme, although $30 is pushing it a little bit. I love the dinosaur, and the jeep is lovely - it looks nice and bulky. The minifigs are fantastic too (I LOVE the Indiana Jones-esque guy). I'll definitely be picking this up. 5885: I'll admit that it's hard to deny the appeal of a huge, tank-like truck, but I'm not completely sold on this one. I like it, but the likely price tag will probably keep me away. It also needs another minifig. 5886: I still really like that helicopter! It does look pretty empty, though, now that I see it from this angle. It feels a little off-balance. I don't know if real Skycranes look like that, but it still looks slightly off to me. On the whole, though, I'm still pretty interested in this one. Ultimately, the price will make up my mind. 5887: Okay, I take back what I said about this set before. It looks great! I'm loving the high security prison vibe, and the set actually FEELS like a base - something many LEGO HQs lack, even the good ones. The T-Rex looks fantastic with this color scheme (I wish they kept it for 5886) and the smaller vehicles don't look half-bad either. Again, though, LEGO seems to be skimping on minifigs. The exclusive female fig looks great, though, and I imagine a lot of collectors will get the set just for her. Jurassic park vibes galore! Again, my verdict on this theme is 4/5 s. Some the sets seem overpriced, yes, but on the whole there seems to be a lot of great buys. Can't wait for December!

I like it. It reminds me more of classic Batman than the new "serious" interpretations. Definitely a better fit for LEGO.

Goodness, that set looks MUCH better with clearer pictures. I actually kind of like it now!

So just to clarify, if sometime receives 10,000 votes and LEGO decides to release it, it will ONLY come out in Japan? If so, why would anybody outside of Japan bother with this?

I don't think I would ever buy a set with that kind of price/piece ratio. I simply have better things to do with my money than get ripped off by George Lucas.

That Tie fighter seems to have received a much needed facelift! I quite like the look of these. The X-wing looks better now, but I think I'll have to see a review before I consider picking it up. Thanks for the excellent pics! Pretty amazing how you got these- LEGO's been extremely tight-lipped this year!

Just got my Earth Defense HQ, and I have to say, it definitely lives up to all the hype. Best set of the year for me.

Not to mention that this Batcave looks quite a bit smaller.

Without a doubt one of the most creative MOC's I've ever seen. I particularly like the backstory you've developed for it; it's almost believable. The techniques you've used to give it such a nice balance between plant and machine are stellar. Fantastic job.

Paradise - Coldplay http://youtube.com/J6ZWlDks0nQ From their new album. I'm addicted to this song.

Well, I guess I can see both sides of the issue here. On one hand, I enjoy romanticizing LEGO sets as objects that bring joy to children, and I like the idea of just keeping one in-demand set for myself to enjoy along with the thousands of other collectors (children or otherwise). On the other hand, they are really just plastic toys like any other, and the concepts are market value do apply. LEGO itself is definitely more concerned with profits than the joy of children's toys - it's just that in LEGO's case, the two are directly related. I'm actually in the middle of a similar decision. I just bought the 7066 Earth Defense HQ for a fantastic discount price, and I'm waiting for it in the mail. The trouble is, I can't decide if I want to sell it back for the original price and turn a profit, or just keep the set and enjoy it. As a poorly financed college student, the idea of making any money at all is hugely appealing. On the other hand, I really do like 7066 and I am sorely tempted to just build it (which would dramatically reduce its market value for the next three years). I'm not sure yet what I'll wind up doing. Relating that to this, I'd recommend that you just wait for the next modern classic to come out. LEGO's had quite a few of those in recent years, so it won't be too long before an even better set comes out to spark your interest. And just to be realistic, you're never going to get 10,000 people to sign that.

Frankly, I strongly dislike anything post-OT. The movies ranged from terrible to mediocre, and the Star Wars universe suffered because of it. That's a big reason why, despite being a die-hard Space fan, LEGO Star Wars has never interested me. Besides getting the same sets every year, the remarkably ugly Clone Wars minifigs kept me from being interested in anything BUT the UCS sets - which, of course, are way out of my price range. That said, my personal taste regarding the Star Wars trilogies doesn't affect my appreciation for a well-designed starship. If LEGO decided to come out with a well designed model based on the PT universe, I'd be tempted to buy it, if only for the cool aesthetics.

Finally pictures!! I enjoy the Batman franchise, so I was disappointed that I missed out on the previous wave... and lets face it, only the deepest-pocketed LEGO fans can pick any of them up now. It's almost as though LEGO is deliberately thwarting the monstrous profits people have been making on Ebay off of the Batman sets with these releases. 6858: I'll be honest, there's nothing here that interests me. The small size means it's probably the most affordable set of the bunch, so it's probably a good way to get the figures, but I'll more than likely pass on this. 6860: Unfortunately, this doesn't appear to be a worthy successor of the first Batcave at this point. It seems rather bare-bones and significantly smaller. Another set I'll likely be skipping, unless better pictures change my mind (which I'm not ruling out yet - these pics are pretty poor). 6862: HELL yes, now this is what I was hoping for. This set just has massive appeal to me, from the excellent exclusive figures to the fantastic mech design. The color scheme is great as well, and I get a great Superman vibe from this picture. I don't even like Superman, but this set might very well be on my list for next year. 6863 I'll go out on a limb here to say that this set has promise. The picture isn't great, no, but comparing it to the original version, I'm seeing a lot of improvements. The smaller size of the Batwing suits it much better - it looks much more solid. Joker's chopper isn't anything to write home about, but neither was the other version, and I like this color scheme much better. It reminds me of Batman: TAS, which is always a good thing. I'll have my eye on this set, as it's probably my favorite of the Batman lineup thus far. 6864 This set appears to be a step up from the original Batmobile, but only in the smallest of ways. As a set, it seems much more complete, with a bank (including a nice Police minifigure) and a safe along with the two vehicles. But, this set seems to exhibit the same problems I had with the original Batman wave: small, underdeveloped vehicles without any sensible aesthetics. Two-Face's jeep looks mediocre at best, and the Batmobile's cockpit is way too large. There's just nothing here that's grabbing my attention enough to warrant a purchase. However, I fully expect that my opinion of these sets will improve with better pictures. Given that most of these sets are completely black, we're not seeing any detail at all. Also, these are probably preliminary shots, so hopefully the models will start looking a little more complete before they hit retail. Right now, I'm cautiously optimistic.

I bought the Alien Conquest Earth Defense HQ for a fantastic price of $63. Now I'm debating between just keeping the set and enjoying it, or selling it for a profit. It's kind of a tough decision.

This is a fabulous set, I particularly love the detail and attention provided for the huge gate. Great minifigs too. The whole set just screams "renaissance fair". LEGO's really knocking it out of the park with these exclusives!

There's an excellent sale going on at Amazon.com right now. I just picked up my Earth Defense HQ for $62.99 - a really great deal, considering how widely loved this set is. I'd hurry up and take advantage of it before it ends!

That's encouraging. I'm surprised that we're potentially less than 2 months away from release, and we haven't even seen any non-prelim shots yet. It really looks like LEGO's cracking down on those leaks this year. I will probably be having Dinosaur battles on Christmas morning like someone half my age.

This is a charming set. My interest in LEGO Town has grown over the years, but the only sets I've ever seriously looked at are the winter exclusives like this one. They just radiate homey nostalgia in the purest LEGO sense. Being a family man who loves Christmas time, these sets are even more appealing. This set gets high marks in my book. However, the Bakery is still my favorite of the trio... great review, by the way!

Oh dear god. Lets not start that up again, we'll be here for days. When do you think these sets will become available? Typically, by early December, people starts seeing the next wave pop up in stores... I hope that's the case here, I want that jeep.

Wow, you're right. I definitely hope they're prelims then.

^ here are the most recent photos. I wouldn't put too much stake into these being preliminary shots. Although they are, typically when LEGO has the box artwork finished, the sets don't change too much. And honestly, they look pretty final to me. That said, I have to admit that the colors on the dinosaurs included with the large base look quite a bit better. At the very least, they look much more realistic. I wonder why LEGO decided to use different colors? I'd like a better look at the minifigures, too. At first glance, they don't look too interesting, but upon closer examination I'm noticing a nice bit of variety. I'd like another shot of that Jaine Raynes looking character.