Algernon

Lol. So basically, Dino Attack in space.

Holy unfounded presumptions Batman! These set names remind me much more of Johnny Thunder's variation of the Dinosaur theme than anything else. And frankly, I find these set names promising. I hope we get some prelims soon.

I don't really see why anybody would buy this - $400 for a gallon of gray plastic and a small handful of non-exclusive figs?? It looks nice once it's built, but I'm not really seeing much value here. Your review is great, though, and it's definitely an impressive set for sheer size if nothing else. Nice review!

Definitely have to applaud your effort here, as this is a stellar review. I've always been fond of the Naboo Starfighters, and I think this is the best out of the three (I had the UCS version). I doubt I'll be picking this up, since my cash is being saved for Alien Conquest, but I'm content to appreciate this little beauty from afar. Thanks for such a good review.

Such a gorgeous set. I really wish this still went for reasonable prices on Ebay... oh well. Excellent review, definitely a real classic here. Johnny Thunder really is one of LEGO's best themes in my eyes. I'd love to see more.

With so much news cropping up for other themes - Dino 2012, Superheroes, and now even LotR - I'm starting to wonder why Space has been so quiet. More Alien Conquest? Another classic re-hash, like the return of Blacktron? Or something new entirely? Or, alternatively, will Space be taking another hiatus? I hope not, but you never know. So here's a thread to discuss the future of LEGO Space. Have at it!

I love LotR as much as the next guy, but if this is true, then I'm starting to feel like LEGO is turning into a license machine. However... I'll still be anticipating this license. LotR always appealed to me more than Star Wars.

I just caught my first glimpse of the Lightning Dragon set... and I really have to admit, this theme is bizarrely appealing. I mean, skeleton helicopters?? What a strange idea. That said, though, it's actually a pretty nice looking set. I'm liking the direction they took with the Ninjago dragons, in general. The somewhat oddball price range will probably keep me from ever picking it up, but who knows - I'll probably give this theme another look.

VERY excited for the new B-wing and new X-wing! They might very well be the first Star Wars sets I purchase in years. Are we POSITIVE that the B-wing is UCS? I like UCS sets, but I would prefer a minifig-scale B-wing to go along with the X-wing.

Lol... that's an unusual opinion. Even disregarding the 90s classics, the Galactic Enforcer is leaps and bounds better than that thing. Frankly I think Alien Conquest is perfectly "up to Space standards", but the question of it being truly "Space" is a reasonable one. It is definitely sci-fi, but then, so was Power Miners and Atlantis. However, I'd argue that it isn't at all "City", since the sets themselves don't include many City elements. The focus is definitely on vehicular combat. With that in mind, a better question would be whether AC is actually an Action theme. I think it is, but the Space influence is there. It definitely seems to be inspired by the old UFO sets (which I actually liked) and the ADU definitely have classic Space vibes. I think Alien Conquest, simply put, is its own animal. If I had to choose a place for it, though, I'd say it's in the same ballpark as Atlantis and Power Miners. Either way, it's an excellent theme. I haven't seen too many people express dislike for it.

The only reason why this could even be a possibility is because of the The Hobbit (part 1 and 2) coming out. But even then, this seems far fetched, since LotR is kind of violent for LEGO.

You might want to suggest how to do that to LEGO then... because that seems pretty difficult to pull off, lol. I'm personally hoping for something closer to the Dinosaurs theme, since I liked those sets, and a solid handful of useful molds came from them. I think (or rather, hope) LEGO's learned their lesson about the oversized molded pieces, especially after the Galidor catastrophe and the generally cold reception to the Dino Attack dinosaurs. It really will depend on the audience LEGO is attempting to capture, though. If this turns out to be the new Power Miners, then we can probably expect eye-bleedingly bright colors and massive molded dinos. Ughh.

I don't know. Are there?

I don't think this will wind up being too much like Dino Attack - in previous theme re-hashes, LEGO's been pretty good about keeping everything fresh while still referencing the source material. Space Police 3 was unquestionably about Space Police, yet it bore little resemblance to the Space sets from the 90s. Pharaoh's Quest was a little more similar to Adventurers, but it was still very distinct (mummy warriors are definitely new to LEGO). Based on that trend, I think that even if Dino 2012 is a "re-hash" of Dino Attack, it will still bring its own ideas to the table. Hopefully, that means overweaponized futuristic vehicles and mutant dinosaurs are unlikely. I don't really want any LEGO Flinstones, though.

...which is actually the best news we could hope for at this point. The fact that LEGO hasn't outright announced the discontinuation of Harry Potter surprises me, so who knows? Maybe there's hope for this theme yet. The fact that the last Harry Potter video game has yet to come out could mean that there is some untapped potential in the theme (as LEGO sees it). Personally, I'd love to see a Diagon Alley-style Hogsmede.

I've always been drawn to large capital ships, so this set appeals to me. Still, the typical outrageous price point of licensed sets (especially SW) will probably keep me from ever picking it up. Your review, though, is excellent! One of the best I've ever seen. I'd love to see you review some more.

That would actually be pretty cool. I'm intrigued by this theme, mostly because it's pretty rare that we really don't know what to expect... for example, when Space Police 3 and Alien Conquest were announced, it was pretty obvious that we would be seeing vehicle-heavy multi-faction themes. When Pharoah's Quest was announced, it was logical to assume that we would be seeing Adventurer's-like playsets, in the vein of Indiana Jones. But I really don't know what this will look like. The possibilities are almost staggering. I kind of hope they don't go with the sci-fi route, since that's been done to death. I'd love to see a Prehistoric theme.

I'll second the hope for 2001-style dinosaurs, since I actually quite enjoyed them and they did a great job of looking realistic while still feeling like LEGO. But to be honest, I'm far less interested in the dinosaurs as I am in the theme itself. Is it going to be largely vehicular or more playset-style? Has anybody considered that this is the replacement theme for Alien Conquest (though I certainly hope it isn't)?

Lots of people, actually. I don't have it but from the reviews I've read, I think it's definitely among the year's finest. It sure doesn't LOOK fragile to me...

I can see where you're coming from, but you must understand the difference between passive American stereotyping (annoying as it is) and referencing ongoing tragic events that very well could have affected some people here. I am also American and I would not describe myself as a bloodthirsty rugrat, yet I don't really think your comment was warranted. That's just my two cents... back to the subject at hand, I would rather see Jake Raines go to India or the Jungle than some quasi-sci-fi dino island, but if this means more Pharaoh's Quest then I won't complain.

That's disappointing, I really enjoyed these sets. So much potential for a future wave, too.

Honestly, I kind of hope that this theme doesn't replace/continue Pharaoh's Quest, because I'd much rather see something more akin to Orient Expedition for that theme's second wave (assuming there is one). Besides, the "main" protagonists for Pharaoh's Quest weren't all that interesting - it's the mummies that stand out. For this theme I'd much rather see a less <insert that tiresome argument>, less violent interpretation of Dino Attack, complete with awesome post-apoc minifigures. Either way though, this theme definitely has potential!

If the figs are half as good as the ones in Dino Attack, I'm in.

We will probably have to bid the boy-wizard goodbye this year, in a similar fashion to how we bid Indiana Jones and the Prince of Persia goodbye after their respective movies came out. Disappointing, especially since the Harry Potter lineup was so good this year, but I think it was a proper sendoff. It's not really worth comparing HP to Star Wars, since the longevity of LEGO SW is pretty unique in LEGO. Besides, LEGO has expressed doubts about Harry Potter even before the 2011 wave was released - I doubt they'd bother with the franchise after the final legitimate burst of HP craze dies out. It's disappointing, but let's be realistic here... HP is over.

Why not just sell 3 of your 5 rooms of collectable items and make a small fortune?