pawcanada

Well for me personally there are few figs who coincide with what I personally collect. As I mentioned before I tend to focus on "Warrior" type figures (e.g. Spartan, Ninja, Knight), "Horror" type figure (e.g. Vampire, Mummy, Werewolf), "Mythical" type figures (e.g. Mermaid, Elf, Dwarf), "Sci Fi" type figures (e.g. Space Hero, Space Villain, Robot) and the "Costumed" figures. I have no interest in Civilian/City type figures unless they coincide with a hobby or interest I have. Therefore only the ones that coincide with my tastes are the Mermaid and Panda guy. Admittedly the robots COULD coincide with my tastes but I'd prefer it if they were more generic.

I hate to be a sour puss, but These two quotes reflect how I feel. I tend to only focus on characters from a particular "sub theme" (namely Horror, Sci Fi, Mythical, Costumed and Warriors) and so far only the Mermaid and Panda Suit appeal to these tastes (the robots are a maybe). Perhaps my opinion will change after I get the two I want but for now I think I'll be skipping the rest of this line and probably 13 if it is Simpsons based.

I pretty much second Blacktron. I love the variety of the first 11 waves of minifigs (i.e. warriors, mythical characters, a variety of monsters and horror characters etc.) and personally don't mind the variants like "Evil Knight/Robot/Spaceman" to compliment a previous fig. Thus I'm likely to get at least some of wave 12 if this is the direction it seems to be taking. For example I missed out on the S1 Wrestler so I'm keen on the S12 version, especially if he comes with the lightning accessory. I'd also be interested in seeing what S14 has, especially if it ties into the MMO game (I'm hoping Hades is in that wave). As for blind bags based on current licensed lines, to be honest I'm not interested in any bar maybe TMNT, Marvel and DC. However I'd prefer it if TMNT branched out into other incarnations (i.e. original comics, 87, 2003 or IDW's current run) and the DC line included heroes who aren't related to Batman (am I the only one who's was sick of the Batman sets after 2011?).

Not sure how I feel about the new designs. On the one hand I'm happy to finally get their hair on a fig and the chest decal looks great. However the lack of decal on their legs is dissapointing and I'm also a bit annoyed once again Lloyd gets the kickass shoulder armour and no-one else does. I know it's an easy fix (which I did for this years) but I like the armour and like everyone looking the same. I'm also on the fence on the half masks as I did like ones used before. I'm keen to see what Zane looks like (I'm wondering if he'll have a half face like on the promo art) and I am wondering/hoping the purple dragon comes with a sixth, purple ninja. This may be due to the fact I'm a bit of a Sentai/Power Rangers fan but I always like it when an established team like this gets a new member, especially purple as we've not had a purple ninja so far. I was hoping the grey Nindroid fig from the games was going to get made this time. I'm a bit disappointed they haven't but then again I love the look of the mooks so I don't mind as much. Minor nitpicks aside, I can't wait for these sets.

As someone who only collects figures of a certain theme, I'm mixed. On the one hand I have zero interest in the townie figures and I do feel there are too many of them here (why not put some of them in future waves and gives us some more horror or sci-fi guys). However the three warriors look AMAZING. I am glad they've done another Roman warrior as he looks amazing, as do the amazon and Native. The Medusa also looks TONES better with the snake tail legs. I recently started collecting the animal costumes as well and do like how the Bee Lady turned out. The rest I will probably skip (I may get sky diver and paintballer if I can get them cheap enough). To summarise the ones I don't want look okay but not my cup of tea but the ones I do are AMAZING! I want them in my collection now :D

I hope so. I felt it was shame the "grey nindroids" never got made as figs (but I appreciate they made be a semi-easy custom). So far Chima has looked pretty dull and dissapointing and frankly has failed to interest me in the way Ninjago has so I'm glad TLC has realised their mistake and revived this line (no offence meant towards any Chima fans; just not for me). I just hope it doesn't get stretched out too far like Bionical apparently was.

This line up looks amazing. It has a brilliant mixture of horror, warrior/action, sci-fi and "mythical", all of which are the mini figs I tend to hone in on. The fact we've gotten a Dr Jeckle/Mr Hyde "expy" alone is enough to make this a good wave though it does make it a shame we won't see any more Monster Fighters waves that could incorporate a variant of him like the did with other CMFs. I will admit I was originally dissapointed at the idea of the Knight not having the larger sword the Highlander and Evil Knight when I saw the previews last week. However I'm loving the design of the new short sword so that more than makes up for it. I will admit I am a little dissapointed by the Roman Emperor. I was expecting something similar to what's in the design sheet that we have seen (i.e. an armoured/field leader styled Emperor) so I could display him in my "warrior/action" line up. However I am willing to forgive them as the Cyclops, Battle Mech, Alien Avenger, Knight, Mermaid, Mr Good and Evil and Forest Maiden more than make up for it. However this does look like it's the last wave I'll be excited for until Wave 12 is announced, as the leaked line up for ten and eleven is sadly lacking in the "genres" I like to collect (although this may change when images become available). None the less, great job on the review; you've made me even more excited about this wave than I was before :D

That's actually a fair point and one I forgot to mention. I do also like ones that tie in with either extreme sports, like the snowboarders, the skiers, the divers (though technically the second one is more of an explorer) and I would say the skaters except I only have the wave 4 one or hobbies I have an interest in, i.e. rock climbing, drawing, snowboarding and martial arts. I will admit I also tend to go for any western/gunslinger (i.e. the gangster from wave 5) based characters but I don't have them on display. Sadly the "City" characters are just to plain to fall under those misc criteria and I don't have any city sets to add them into, so I don't have any interest in them.

As someone who doesn't care for the normal/"city"-esk figures this is probably one of the weakest waves I've seen. Granted Medusa, Roman Commander, Warrior Woman and Tomahawk Warrior (I look forward to seeing the tomahawk) all sounds awesome and I can't wait to get them. The Revolution Soldier and Sky Diver are on my maybe list but I am very specific in what I collect (namely Horror/Mythical/Legendary, Warrior and Sci-Fi) so it depends on how they look. But as I said, as someone who doesn't care for the "normal" civilians this is probably the most dissapointing wave to date (though my wallet is cheering) and as the Gold one I feel that's a shame.

The "Horror" side of the CMFs has always been one of my favourite aspects of the line but I was disappointed how after wave 4 we didn't REALLY get any horror based figs (at best I felt the ones we got fitted in with more fantasy/fairy tale/mythology, i.e. Minotaur and Sea King). I'm glad they seem to be picking up again with the vampire bat in Wave 8 and "Dr Splitz" in Wave 9 who looks like he could be one of my favourite "Horror Figs" to date based off the limited art we've seen so far! Can't wait to see the rest of this wave.

The only thing I'm aware of is "Original Swop'ems!", which YouTube reviewer Ashens once covered in a Blind Bag episode: I will add that the figures do come with some nice Lego compatible accessories.

The "weapon upgrades" that Mikey and Don have undergone are one of the aspects of this new series that I like. To me each TMNT series needs something unique to make it unique - the original was the first, the 2003 was very close to the original comics and mature (making it my favourite) and this one seems to be between the two and offers some different weapons. I'll certainly be displaying Don and Mikey with this "weapon upgrades" when I get them. I do wish they used something else to link the two bo parts together, or at least made it purple but hey hoo.

To be honest all I want is Aquaman and Nova. While both are often view as a joke/scrappy, I do feel they're horrible under appreciated, especally after the amazing work Geoff Johns and DnA have done on the characters respectively. Can't say I care for the rest of the sets they come in, so I may buy them loose; hopefully their limited popularity will drive down the price.

Second. I disagree with the "Legend of Chima is a superior replacement to Ninjago" comment Lego was saying a few months back as for me personally it lacks the same umph that I feel Ninjago had. However I know next to nothing about it so my opinion may change. I'm still a little disappointed at the lack of spinners. Not because I cared for the game but because it provided me with a cheap(ish) way to get the figs and some cool "weapons of choice". As great as the sets look, they personally don't appeal that much to me (bar Kai's mecha) but because I want the five ninjas I'll probably get them and perhaps sell on what I don't want or wait until later in the year when they are cheaper. Design wise I do like the "Kimono" look, but miss the lack of individuality ZX had. I also feel the Golden Ninja would have worked better if he was black and gold as opposed to pure gold with a few bits of green, but I guess they want to keep the concept from NRG. It is a minor complaint though, as I look forward to having him with my NRG display. While I will miss Ninjago (especially when I don't feel Legend of Chima looks half as interesting), my wallet and ever declining shelf space is happy. I do like the buildable weapons and the general designs of the figs, especially ZX. I can understand why others would feel it would be overblown but I do wish we got maybe another one or two ZX ninjas (simply as I wanted to see what designs they'd have); I know there was a Grey robot ninja in some of the games who sadly didn't get made as a fig.

Weeeeeeeeeeell... Iron Man 2 had "unofficial Movie Crimson Dynamo" as one of the main bad guys and he was pretty big (never played it sadly). http://www.superrobotmayhem.com/images/comic-book-movies/iron-man-2/iron-man-2-game/iron-man-2-in-game-picture-of-the-crimson-dynamo_287.jpg Anyway, I LOVE how those two came out (especially with the Iron Man head fitting perfectly, as others said), and agree with others who said the colours matched the characters very well. Awesome job and can't wait to see more :D

THANK YOU! I completely agree with this and find it frustrating when people brush him off without bothering to give him a fair chance (heck I consider Batman to be more overpowered, but this is more due to the way some writers make other heroes incompetent by comparison). While I can certainly see why people feel the way they do, I've been following him since New Krypton and while not all stories have been good (Grounded springs to mind), I've yet to see the "boring, un-relateable" character people claim he is, as I've always found at least one aspect interesting, human and something I can relate to (partly due to me losing my own father a few years back). I too am hoping this film works as I'd love to see a Superman franchise that can match The Dark Knight trilogy I'm personally very keen to see what we get from the Superman sets, especially General Zod and any other villains, namely due to me wanting to build up my collection for his rogues gallery.

Which I personally hate. I've been following Aquaman since Geoff Johns revived him as part of Brightest Day and namely the "New 52" series since last September and Geoff has turned him into an interesting and decent (I'd strongly recommend the first "New 52" storyline to those who view him as a joke). I'm also not a big Batman fan and have been HATING how almost all of the DC waves to date seem to focus purely on him, so I'd be much more interested in getting Aquaman in either a Aquaman specific set which is VERY unlikely) or at least a mini-JLA set with maybe the Flash and Green Lantern as well. I'm hoping after the Man of Steel sets (I'm hoping we'll get Zod in there so I can have him battle my Superman fig) we'll get more DC sets with other characters in them.

Pretty much the same. Having said that, considering most sets are below £30, it might be possible to get the four/five(/six...?) ninjas in their "Kimono" gear without breaking the bank too much.

I understand what you are saying, and as I don't care for the game, normally I'd agree. However... TheLegoDr pretty much hit the nail on the head for my situation. I only want the ninja figures and their "weapon of choice" (which is how I view the weapons they come with in the booster/spinner sets). I'm not interested in the snake men, vehicles, arenas or anything else that comes in the set, JUST the figures of the ninjas. Now I'd rather get them loose off eBay but considering how expensive Lloyd ZX was (around $/£20) I am a little worries about how I will handle this next year. Then again bar Aquaman from the DC superheroes, anything to do with The Man of Steel and TMNT, none of the other announced/leaked sets and waves appear to me so I will hopefully have more in my Lego budget.

I clean forgot about the booster packs! I really wish they put more of the ZX/NRG ninjas in them as I have spinners and cards I don't really want or need. Fingers crossed they will take advantage of the under-used idea for 2013; I'm much happier to buy one or two small/medium sets to get some of the ninjas and the rest via booster than all via sets.

You've pretty much said everything I wanted to. My only worry is, with the lack of spinners, there may not be a cheap way for collectors to get the ninjas. While I may get a Stone Warrior or two, primarily I am just interested in the five (six...?) ninjas due to their designs (I agree the "Kimono" look is lacking in comparison to ZX but still looks good) and weapons. Considering loose Lloyd ZX's were going for the best part of £20 before the spinner set, and the set was from being over £100 which was too much for my budge and not something I personally wanted, I am slightly worried it will be as bad, if not worse for all the characters. To be honest I'd rather have had Ninjago end at the end of 2013 after a set of waves similar to 2012 and launch Chima end of 2013/start of 2014 but it's TLG's choice at the end of the day.

Same here, or maybe another magical/elemental series like Ninjago. Guess this means I'll only be spending my money on TMNT. Also a bit annoyed Ninjago won't have spinners in 2013. I never cared for the game, but it was a semi-cheap way of getting the ninjas (I had a thing of wanting to get the characters with their "weapons of choice", which is how I view the golden weapons and extras they come with, which is why, for example I waited for the Zane ZX booster pack rather than getting the cheap set he was in).

I did grow up with Pirates myself and did also manage to hunt down a Brickbeard on eBay a few months back (sadly he was missing the golden epaulette, which I still need to purchase to complete him), but I have always keep him separate from the CMFs. I do however agree with you about the design of the CMF pirate isn't half as good when compared to Brickbeard and may modify mine to try and rectify at least some of the design's weaker elements (I'm thinking a white epaulette). Like I said, as someone who doesn't want to crossover CMF with regular but wants a pirate in his CMF collection this suffices, but for someone who doesn't want to keep them separate, I do agree with what your saying (especially when I re-read your review to find the correct spelling for epaulette). Still, of the handful I have so far he is my favourite, but hen I appreciate my tastes in the CMF line is different from what you and others have, which is what I love about it. I will also add that I am hopeful for more "crossovers" in future CMF waves, such as a Swamp Monster (I'm thinking purple), Knight/King and Ghost so I can have a CMF variant of those mini figs.

Excellent review, but I have to disagree with your review of the pirate captain, namely about us not needing one. I personally don't like to "cross the streams" when it comes to CMF and other Lego mini figs, so I'm happy we got a Captain so I can finally display one with the rest and someone to fight my ninja. While I agree his design is a bit weak (can we perhaps get a pirate captain who ISN'T mutilated for once?), especially when compared to Brickbeard, as I don't want to mix a non CMF figs with my CMF figs this is the only way I can show a pirate in my collection and as someone who loves pirates I've been wanting one since day one. Otherwise this was a great review and I can't wait until these are finally released in the UK so I can get the remaining ones I want.

Not wishing to sound rude, but I feel the same about the Actor and Football player. Neither fall into the "categories" Horror/Mythology, Fighter/Warrior and Sci Fi, which I personally aim and look for in all future waves (granted some do fall into the "Misc" category such as Winter Sports, Cowboys or the Divers, but I mainly focus on those three). This is what I LOVE about the CMF because I find there's usually AT LEAST four or five that I have to have as soon as possible (Highlander/Celtic Warrior and Pirate being two of the more recent ones). The only exception has been the Olympics wave and even then I liked the Boxer as it gave my Wave 5 boxer a rival. Yes, I went gaga over the robot, because he's a good rival to the Wave 1 robot and he's another character for my Sci Fi collection. I'm hoping to do a few dioramas with him personally in the not too distant future. Same reason why I went gaga over the Pirate - a new addition to my Warrior collection and a nice rival to my Ninja and same reason why I went gaga over the Vampire Bat - a nice addition to my Horror collection and a minion for the Wave 2 Vampire. And it's also why I really hope the future CMF waves will add in an "official" Ghost, Skeleton and Knight (like they did with the Pirate) and perhaps delve more into the Mythology roots and perhaps give us more figures like the Sea King whom seem to be based off the old Gods. I'm frankly FAR more excited about that than I am another "civilian" like Lederhosen Guy and Businessman, again, baring a few exceptions. So in my eyes, if you don't see why someone is gaga over a specific fig, it's purely because of what they like to collect and you personally aren't interested in it. As for UK distribution, they do seem to have FINALLY removed the Olympics from stores (hurrah!) so I'm guessing once we hit end of August/start of September I'll be able to start buying the blind bags to round out my personal pickings from wave 8.