Batman Visual Dictionary minifig

Posted by orwellian in United States, 27 Jul 2012 14:26

Yes and Yes.

I don't know why Lego refuses to widely distribute Green Lanterns, Bizarros, Shazams, Phoenixes, and Black-Suit Spideys among others. It's one thing to only have Harley Quinn in 1 set from each generation of Batman Lego sets (not counting the upcoming and awesome Dr. Quinn) and something like that I totally understand and stand behind. But to tease and then not even offer a variation of incredibly popular characters? That just turns a lot of people off - myself included.

It's because of this that I've nixed my plans to own the full line. I've got plenty of bricks to build the sets from the online instructions if I want to and struggling to keep up with an incomplete line of minifigs is just an exercise in frustration.

Posted by sloopsjohng in United States, 27 Jul 2012 14:26

"I don't know about you, but I'm thinking of giving up on collecting Super Heroes figs: LEGO has made it virtually impossible for the vast majority of people to be able to obtain a complete collection, what with all those only available to a privileged few at SDCC, and I think that's wrong."

This is the very reason I never started. And, while I don't like it, my wallet thanks them for that.

Posted by Nightshroud99 in Canada, 27 Jul 2012 14:37

No, I never really try to get all the minifigs in a line. Mostly because there are always a few I don't want...

However, I am still very peeved about Green Lantern. Now I will never be able to have a complete Justice League Minifigure collection (assuming they make the others and put them in sets....)

That being said, what is an electro suit Batman?

Posted by pantzman in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 14:39

But we didn't know that those rare star wars exclusives would become more widley available at the time did we? So maybe these exclusives will do so in time.
The reason I gave up on Star wars mini figs is there is just too damn many of them now and with expanded universe etc it could potentially never end...
I like collecting sets / figs that have finished. That way you know that there is a finite amount to get. ie Harry Potter.

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 14:52

^ Trouble with that approach is that once a theme has finished, collecting them becomes harder and more expensive...

Posted by legofanatic2414 in United States, 27 Jul 2012 14:58

YES. The Superheroes theme has so much potential. Most of us grew up with these characters, and seeing them finally become part of our passionate hobbies, we were all thrilled. I sincerely want to complete the Marvel line while still getting my favorite DC characters.

It irks me that LEGO released such amazing mini figures but won't ever release them to the masses. What is even worse, is that some of those exclusives are fan favorites and really popular, for example, Green Lantern and Shazam. I know so many AFOLs, TFOLs, and KFOLs, that would love to have Jean Greys And Bizarros. For me, personally, Spider-man will always hold a special place in my heart, and the thought of never being able to get that amazing black-suit Spider-man to go along with the awesome Venom coming out next year, really rubs me the wrong way.

We want these mini figures. It just seems unfair. Why release two of the most important heroes of DC (especially JUSTICE LEAGUE members) and not ever release them to the public? Green Lantern and Shazam are necessities. Black suit Spidey, Bizarro and Jean Grey are sure to be sought after as well. Oh well, I really would've loved Green Lantern just like everyone else.

Posted by legomatt in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 15:00

I completely agree with you @huw, I just never mentioned it myself cos' i assumed i would be shouted down by a lot of collectors. I can accept there being a couple of unique figs out there, but the sheer number they produced purely for the con this year really takes the biscuit. In fact it's in the same vein as figs being put into expensive sets, forcing collectors to buy subpar large sets just to get that last theme fig. It REEEEAALLY is beginning to bug me that LEGO are starting to plan their themes and releases (it seems) around the figs in a set, while the actual lego set is becoming akin to a rushed thrown together afterthought, and not deserving the price tags they slap on them at all. I mean, if Lego feel a set design isn't strong enough to sell, they should REDESIGN the set, and NOT just lazily throw in a unique fig to secure a sale. It's almost turning me off the company as a whole, they just don't put the love into the set design anymore, it's all about the fig these days.

Posted by DarthLuke824 in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 15:00

I have never even glanced at LEGO Super Heroes at a Toy Shop and yet it is so popular! Only if the Super Heroes sets were ever reduced (70% or more) them I might consider it. I stick to the main themes. (Ie- Star Wars, City, Pirates)

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 15:03

I have been trying to gather together the exclusive Super Heroes Minifigures and have three of the six, the Green Lantern, Bizarro, and the black suited Spiderman all still elude me. I only got those three as I was able to get them for a reasonable price luckily, for anything over about £50 there is no way I would buy a single Minifigure.

I agree in part that being forced to pay vast amounts of money for rare Minifigures is frustrating, however once you have a figure, there is something wonderful about sitting there looking at these rare Minifigures and saying to yourself "there are only one or two thousand of those in the world," and I own one of them! I have had to forgo one or two sets as I spend money on these hard to find Minifigures so I totally agree with that statement.

Overall I would agree that Lego releasing these rare Minifigures is often annoying and it can often be hard to justify the purchase. Figures which are exclusive to certain polybags available for a limited time like TC-14 or the Hulk are as far as I think Lego should go to release rare figures.

@Pantzman - Lego have promised that the four new exclusives will never be included in sets, at least not in these outfits. They made no such guarantee on the Green Lantern and Dark Knight Minifigures (or the Superman one of course).

Posted by Renny in United States, 27 Jul 2012 15:04

That's why I collect sets and not mini figures. At least that way I can feel like I have a complete collection and not have to spend hundreds more on special figures released only in very limited quantities. Saves me frustration, time and a ton of money.

Posted by aaclapham in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 15:05

I like the fact that there are limited edition minifigures because if I get them then my collection is a bit more exclusive than other people's. I think LEGO went a bit overboard with 4 SDCC 2012 minifigures. They should have left 2 for NYCC in October.
I gave up on Star Wars as there are just too many and since LEGO has signed another 10 year agreement there is many more to come. I am currently selling most of my Star Wars minifigures to pay for the Super Heroes ones and also custom display cabinets.

Posted by LukeSkywalker in Ireland, 27 Jul 2012 15:12

Here's an image of Electro-Suit Batman showing the details of his arm and back printing:
http://www.kollectobil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Lego-Batman-Visual-Dictionary-Electro-Suit-Minifigure.jpg

Posted by DrDaveWatford in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 15:16

I've long been a vocal opponent of all these LEGO exclusives, be it the Brickmaster sets which were only available in the U.S., or the poxy Comic Con give aways - definitely more "con' than "comic" IMHO.

I'd love to know exactly what LEGO are trying to achieve by doing this - antagonising the many in order to line the pockets of eBay scalpers doesn't seem like good PR to me....

Posted by bodybomb3 in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 15:24

I was expecting to get the green lantern minifig in this years line up but now i've realised that sdcc are just going to keep on distributing exclusive figs every year to get more people and collectors to the lego stands, but if they did make them available to everyone, then they could make a ton of money of it. Maybe the brickset effect can have a positive effect on the lego we buy.

Posted by yamaki in Germany, 27 Jul 2012 15:30

legomatt, I am completely with you. It's something I noticed especially in the past years when they realised how much people are willing to pay for the minifigs, either on secondary markets, or to get the set just for them.

I am happy that they brought us the collectable minifigs as a result of this, that there're more minifigs in SW sets these days and such. But I am not blindly following many other AFOLs into the trap and blindly buy and collect. Money and space on one side, but my feeling that I am cheated on the other and it becomes more important.

The sparse appearance of important characters, I realized, was already a problem with LotR and PotC, same as the set design, which was rather uncreative. Some new SW sets also suffer from this. I would like to own a few Marvel sets or Batman sets as well, but the sets as a whole don't really appeal, the package I get is just not satisfying.

Posted by toon10001 in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 15:50

I am dissapointed by the lack of these figures, and i find it ridiculous. I have made custom figures though and i might take a spin at these sdcc exclusives.

Posted by gunoz in United States, 27 Jul 2012 15:53

Couldn't agree more. This isn't a problem exclusive to LEGO by any means. I really don't think companies truly understand how much they piss off their loyal supporters by making these ultra rare exclusives that most of us can't afford on the secondary market. For example, years ago Playmates basically destroyed their very successful Star Trek Next Generation line by creating three figures in quantities of only 1701 each, where regular figures routinely sold hundreds of thousands. The backlash was so great collectors dropped out and the line withered away.

At the end of the day who really benefits from these exclusives? A few hundred lucky LEGO fans who were able to attend SDCC? A few hundred more people who sold them on eBay? Are any of those people really going to start collecting LEGO superhero figures because they got those exclusives? Instead how many of us who were collecting are now going to stop because of this? I'm hoping LEGO understands we will speak with our $$$ (your currency may vary) and stop buying superhero sets because of these unattainable exclusives.

Posted by 123Mr.Brick in United States, 27 Jul 2012 15:58

Plain AWESOME!!! The Star Wars and Harry Potter figs were okay, but you couldn't get much fun out of Harry at a party or Luke with a medal (I own both), but Batman? In a suit from Batman 2: DC Super Heroes? Awesome. I think that Super Heroes is the first theme to have sets meant for the game, and not vice versa. I'm getting this one. If only he came with the backpack...:(

I see why people complain about not getting Shazam and the others. Venom was a comic-con exclusive, and now he's in a set. LEGO always does that. They give away the ones everyone likes, and then they show up later slightly altered in the most expensive sets.

Posted by Mickitat in Germany, 27 Jul 2012 16:02

I stopped collecting minifigs for the sake of completeness. I know only collect minifigs I like or which I actually need for mocs. Some of the figs have just tiny differences which just do not warrant the trouble one has obtaining them. TLG is on thin ice here, constantly creating the need to buy stuff no-one really wants just to get an exclusive or to buy them on the after-market for ridiculous prices might disgruntle more people than it attracts.

Posted by Mr. F in Canada, 27 Jul 2012 16:05

Where exactly is it written in stone that the 'exclusive' figs won't be made available to a wider audience (either as polybags or in larger sets) in the coming years? Just because there was no Green Lantern or Bizarro fig shown amongst the 2013 figs doesn't mean there won't be one. Remember there were more figs in the 2012 line than were shown at ComicCon last year. It's possible there are still more figs lined up that have yet to be revealed. My guess is that TLG knows full well ComicCon exclusives of something as popular as DC and Marvel characters would cause much wailing and gnashing of teeth among the greater Lego community and they will eventually find a way to make them more widely available, even if just to shut the collectors up and stop them from whining. (I kid, of course.)

Posted by legoDad42 in United States, 27 Jul 2012 16:52

I think what they'll do is that these comic con figures will eventually be in sets but different torso and even head and leg graphics. Like I believe no way they'll leave out Green Lantern from an upcoming set. So the Green Lantern that'll come in a new set will be closer to the comic book costume while the one from SDCC and NYCC I believe was closer to the movie costume.

I think for NYC Con you'll see these same figures with just the card graphic different to show it's from NYCC (like last year) and maybe they'll have a NYC Con new exclusive added to the mix.

Posted by bartneck in New Zealand, 27 Jul 2012 17:02

On the plus side, LEGO is currently not trying to make money of ultra rare Minifigures. They give them away for free. On the down side, having to pay hundreds of dollars for a Minifigure is just outrageous. This is where collecting is approaching a clinical disorder. Unless you are really rich. So maybe I am just jealous. In any case, imagine if LEGO would start selling limited edition Minifigures for hundreds of dollars? How would that work for you?

Posted by jasor in United States, 27 Jul 2012 17:05

I know these arent exclusives, but look at the 2013 lineup for Batman. Mr Freeze, new Scarecrow, etc...I Think we will get some of those figs in a different configuration like mentioned above. New torso, face redesign, etc. there will always be exclusives, whether it's TLG or someone else. I am disappointed that the Olympic figs are only avail in UK. I get it, but aftermarket is making a killing where TLG would have prospered. Sometimes, big businesses just dont see the collector perspective through normal means. TLG at least seems to care vs other toy co's.

Posted by iccarus in United States, 27 Jul 2012 17:10

I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never have a full set of the Super Heroes figs. If I have to choose between picking up an awesome/large EOL set I missed in my dark ages and four figs that were exclusive to a con, the EOL set is going to win every time.

I have a copy of every SH set from the first wave. After the SDCC exclusives, on top of the ones from last year, I probably will not be doing that with future waves. It really will suck if some of those figs never make it into a retail set in some form and my buying decisions will be influenced by this.

A little perspective though, and something brought up in the forums when these were spoiled...the DC and Marvel universes are huge and if TLG keeps this theme alive for awhile, there is a good chance we will see some version of these characters down the road. It may take 3-4 years, but I can see a very good chance of that happening.

Posted by ghostmind in Canada, 27 Jul 2012 17:20

Not concerned. I get what I can, within reasonable means, and don't worry about those that I cannot.

That said, I will be getting the Batman book, as I love the Star Wars ones.

Posted by homelesshomie in United States, 27 Jul 2012 17:22

I and im pretty sure im not the only one, that is getting mad at Lego, between these comic con exclusives being produced in such low amounts and the fact that the Lego Star Wars line is going way up in price per piece. I'm going to start collecting some other toy like action figures or something else. But as far as just buying to buy i will continue to buy the superheroes sets.

Posted by axisvega in United States, 27 Jul 2012 17:40

I desperately want that black spiderman mini, as that is my favorite iteration of the character, and has been ever since the secret wars. I will hold on to hope that these figs will be available to the masses someday.

Posted by iccarus in United States, 27 Jul 2012 17:45

Tilius, I think the bigger complaint is that some of the con exclusives are seen as "must have" characters by many fans of this line. The DC figs don't bother me as much, but the black suit Spider-man is a fig I would love to add to my collection. I'm sure the same issue is there for a bigger fan on the DC line, since Bizarro and Green Lantern are not exactly minor characters.

I think the bigger issue is the fact that these characters are ONLY being made available as a limited convention exclusive. If you could buy a variation in a set or as a promo with $50 purchase, then that's not a huge problem for me. But if the only way I can get a Bizarro is to plop down $125+, that will turn off many fans.

Posted by perfectlydark in Australia, 27 Jul 2012 17:46

I agree with the sentiments. Exclusivity of a few things not so bad, half the bloody line is another matter altogether

Posted by Modok in United States, 27 Jul 2012 17:57

I'm not a completist, so I never intended to have all the superhero minifigs, but I too despise the SDCC exclusives. I ranted about that in one of the SDCC-related threads a couple weeks ago.

Lego's not the only company that does this...in fact, they only jumped in recently. For instance, Hasbro absolutely goes nuts with SDCC exclusives, releasing them for every major line. And all of this merely rewards scalpers and the privileged few who can make it out to San Diego.

It would be one thing if Lego's exclusive were just a repainted version of something already released. That would still suck, but least it wouldn't be an *entirely new figure* everyone's missing out on. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's any end in sight.

Posted by ben30024 in United States, 27 Jul 2012 18:12

i used to feel like i had to have every ninjago 2012 snake tribe, but now i've given up on that for a collection of all 5 monster foghters, and i only need the werewolf and the castle!

Posted by krklint in United States, 27 Jul 2012 18:16

I am one of the fans who wants a Bizarro and a Green Lantern (specifically THIS G.L.). How turned off am I with the Lego Group? Still working through that... and my mind keeps linking back to the changes in the Lego brand from a kid-friendly line to one that does now include guns.

Lego was a part of my childhood, as was Green Lantern (the first comic I ever sought out issues from before I was born). What TLG might be missing is that part of the message being sent out is that there is no concern for the AFOL community as a large purchasing body. Limited editions are nice, but this is very much similar to what killed the baseball card hobby in the 1990's.

I will not buy the argument that only 250 people want a G.L. mini-fig. I could see Bizarro in such an argument, but not a cornerstone character which has been re-invented and survived for 72 years in print.

I did like that this years comic-con mini-figs were produced at larger quantities, but it they are going off of the strength of current movies or cartoons for these releases, then I will never collect the coolest of the Captain Americas... cuz it is either drop a paycheck to get the one of three still loose in the wild, or pay student loan bills. Nope, can't do it... and to that end, have not purchased more than three of the Super Hero sets because I know I will never complete these lines. Might actually bricklink but about 10 of my mini-figs, thats how these comic-con exclusives have affected my purchasing habits.

Posted by jezzatheshed in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 18:23

I always think back to the Star Trek action figures in the 90s, nice things to collect. Then the manufacturer started adding chase and exclusive figures to the collection. Result was people got fed up with not being able to complete a set so stopped collecting.
Character options have done the same thing with their Doctor Who range with chase figures which come in tiny numbers meaning you cant complete a set unless you have deep full pockets.
So for me collecting the DC/Marvel minifigures is a no-no, anyway LOTR has better sets!

Posted by dmm32552 in United States, 27 Jul 2012 18:37

The ones that are only country-specific or very limited run of 500 or so at the SDCC are just maddening. They only ever wind up in the hands of people who don't even collect LEGO and just wind up on ebay hoping to make a few hundred bucks off some poor saps. I'm glad Harry Potter series never went this route and I hope Lord of the Rings can avoid it too.

Posted by Lego K in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 18:47

This also happens with Tranformer fans, at the Botcon convention they give out exclusives and you have to pay big fee's to get them.

This means that only a select few with the cash to go can gain them AND you pretty much have to live in the country as overseas fans have to pay MORE to come over.

My basic view on ANY con exclusive is -

If its a main/popular character or one based on their classic/main look it should be availible at retail.

If its a costume/colour or any other varient that a standard fan does not 100% need then they can be con exclusives.

Example - The Jean Grey Phoenix figure. The con exclusive version SHOULD be a retail figure, however if Lego did a varient based on her 2 player colour in Marvel VS Capcom 3 that should be the con exclusive.

That way the Phoenix fan gets the fig they want and the die hard completist has another figure to add to their goal.

Posted by ytjedi in United States, 27 Jul 2012 19:06

I figure even we can have patience then we will eventually see variants of these figures down the line. Characters like Bizarro and Green Lantern are just too iconic to not ever have in a set. Now, for those that are completest and absolutely have to have them all, you have my deepest sympathies, because yes, this situation sucks. However my wallet isn't as deep as my sympathies so I've come to terms with not be a variant-completest a long time ago.

Plus, I like to play with my figures. If I had any of the SDCC exclusives and knowing how rare they are I'd just feel bad if I even took them out of the package, and that's just not how LEGO should be.

Posted by Erinlyn80 in United States, 27 Jul 2012 19:06

Do we know for certain that lego will never release the ones from SDCC? Maybe they will make similar ones slightly different from the SDCC ones later?

Posted by The_Mack in United States, 27 Jul 2012 19:26

Exclusive can mean a lot of different things. The word exclusive these days, most of the time means a "Time Exclusive". Yeah, there isn't a Green-Lantern minifig set yet. But there will be, you just have to be patient and wait. As for other characters I'm sure they will come. You don't want to release all your characters at once. It's only the first wave of The Super Heroes Theme. With much more to come.

Posted by Zordboy in Australia, 27 Jul 2012 19:26

I think I agree with the consensus here. It stinks that all these great figures are only available to a tiny percentage of customers. I'd love a Green Lantern or a Bizarro or a Captain Marvel, but what they're doing is infuriating.

Posted by The_Mack in United States, 27 Jul 2012 19:31

Is there really enough content for a Batman visual dictionary? Seems a bit too early, and more of a way to cash in on selling a book with an exclusive minifig.

Posted by UtarEmpire in United States, 27 Jul 2012 19:40

I think we should give it a bit of time. We have only had one wave of superhero sets. I'm sure we'll see ersatz Green Lanterns, Venoms, and the like in time if the series proves popular.

Posted by richselby in United Kingdom, 27 Jul 2012 21:39

Guys - quit with the completist thing and just collect those you like!

Posted by copperwonder96 in United States, 27 Jul 2012 21:40

Wow, great post! I was thinking the exact same thing as I started collecting these. I hate not getting a whole set so i stopped getting Super Heroes and now I focus on LoTR. Cleaner and more minifigs!

Posted by SD6 in Canada, 27 Jul 2012 22:15

I completely agree with you - BUT NOT regarding the subject of this article

Batman Visual Dictionary minifig = anybody with $15 can get this.
Don't need to get on eBay or Bricklink or the seedy underground wild streets of Lego.
Anybody who has FIFTEEN DOLLARS can buy it.

SDCC figures = Not everybody can get these.
THAT is what pisses me off. Aside from a select few, the only options to get these are for HUNDREDS of dollars on eBay/etc.

Posted by richl in United States, 27 Jul 2012 22:22

It's frustrating, especially as I'm just getting out of my Dark Age, and the Super Hero theme is a big part of that (well, that and the winter themed sets). That said, I'm relatively sure we'll see Hal Jordan in a set at some point, but in a costume closer to the comic than the movie. But the four SDCC exclusives, if they're not being released in any set in the future, that really chafes me.

Posted by legofanatic2414 in United States, 27 Jul 2012 22:38

Now that I think about it, has anyone noticed that Green Lantern has a different torso design in the Batman video game than to his exclusive figure? I'm starting to get a feeling we will get a Green Lantern soon but with the torso from the game and not from the exclusive....

Posted by TekkamanRaiden in Canada, 27 Jul 2012 22:40

Being not a completest, I just buy the sets I like. It would be nice if the SDCC exclusives would be more available especially at other large conventions.

Posted by noggin in United States, 27 Jul 2012 23:04

LEGO could have made the Batman Visual Dictionary an irreplaceable item for collectors, however they selected their exclusive figure as "Electro Suit Batman" - REALLY??? What a missed opportunity. Had they considered creating a cool / unique minifig (idea: BATGIRL!!), they would have had a product that would be highly sought after. Instead, TLG just settled for yet another version of Batman, how quaint.

Posted by autosomatic in United States, 27 Jul 2012 23:44

I miss the times when minifigs gained value simply because they become increasingly harder to find over time. Honestly, I don't understand why Lego (or any company) offers convention exclusives at all, as it's the fortunate convention attendees who profit from them. Maybe someone can enlighten me...

I will continue collecting Batman for sure... but I think that I will just ignore convention exclusives from now on. It was the New York Toy Fair Iron Man and Captain America exclusives that made me realize that I'll never have a truly "complete" collection. :(

Instead of convention exclusives, I think Lego should do online shopping exclusives, like TC-14 and the "comic" variant Hulk. :)

Posted by Drmnez11 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 00:01

I think I'm going to buy the book because it will probably be cheaper to buy the book and get the fig than to go on eBay or bricklink and get it that way.

I love the super heroes line. I am not interested in all the figs though... Just the actual heroes and villains. No jail suit joker, henchmen, j Jonah Jameson... None of those. The NYC and sdcc minifigs are a pain to collect but I am happy I got them, and I'm currently after the toy fair 2012 iron man and captain America. Which I wish was in a character dictionary for the super heroes line lol

Posted by icey in Denmark, 28 Jul 2012 01:52

By this exclusivity, I think what LEGO is trying to achieve is PRESTIGE and COMMERCIAL.

These ultra exclusives, might set a records in just how high the price of one minifig become. That's PRESTIGE for them for sure! It makes their productbecome art for collectors. Which again generate news. If the "sold-on-auction-price" gets very very high it might even reach mainstream news, which is even greater commercial for them

Posted by Jon_Brick in Canada, 28 Jul 2012 03:10

I too find it deeply irritating that lego has made acquiring such popular figures so difficult. In the case of star wars collectibles such as the chrome finish C3P-O and Darth Vader it is understandable give that they are just common figures give a special treatment but every super heroes exclusive figure has been a common character in it's own line of comics and has no justifiable reason (such as price of production) to be an exclusive. It is very discouraging knowing that so many great figures will never be widely available to the public.

Posted by legomaster65 in Canada, 28 Jul 2012 03:11

I agree completely. If Lego is going to make exclusive figures for conventions, at the very least it should be just a special variation of said character. I don't think they should do convention exclusives at all, but that would at least be an improvement. Would I like a black Spider-man? Absolutely, but I can at least get a regular Spider-man in a set; it's the other three I'm really annoyed about. Or going back to the previous years exclusives; Superman comes in a set, Batman we have plenty of other versions, but Green Lantern? Nope. That one would even be easy to do, just make a comic-book version as opposed to one based on that awful movie. I don't even have a problem knowing that I'll most likely never have a chrome C-3PO, I have three other versions of him.

To take popular (or any) characters, tease them at conventions, and then never make them in sets is borderline insulting. I'm a huge fan of the X-Men, and to not be able to get Phoenix means I'll never have (almost) any incarnation of that team complete.

I still plan to collect as many of the Superhero characters as I can, but I won't be buying sets just for the figures. And you can bet I won't be stooping to eBay/Bricklink prices for the others.

Posted by fyrmedhatt in United States, 28 Jul 2012 03:55

The cost for these figures in are already sunk (design, molds and printing), so other than the extra time and material, it would cost Lego no more to produce 20'000 Green Lanterns, Bizarro's, Iron Man than 125 or 1000 of the figures. That's why I think it's silly for Lego not to create promotional polybags with these special editions, they can give them out free with a certain amount purchase on S@H and thus stimulate extra business, instead of only handing them out free to opportunists with no appreciation of Lego or minifigures at the cons (ebay shows pretty clearly that a very large number of these figures are resold). Why should Lego needlessly sponsor these comic convention goers, while such gestures are unheard of at Lego conventions where their true fans are.

These 1 of 1000 or even 1 of 125 minifigures cannot be compared to Star Wars releases like the chrome gold C3PO, as they are ten times rarer, and have never seen widespread distribution. The prices these figures will command a few years in the future will be astronomical if the line and collector base increases, just look at what a chrome Vader or C3PO costs today...

Posted by bricksan in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 04:06

It is dis-heartening as I won't try and collect something unless I know that I can complete it, I know full well that I will never be able to afford to get the rare ones so why bother. LEGO seems to forget that we are not just here to spend silly amounts of LEGO but we actually have other things, such as bills to pay for.

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 05:40

I know I'm stating the obvious here: the reason LEGO attends SDCC, and gives away these figures there, is to gain new customers. Super Heroes is a range that is likely to be popular with Comic Con attendees that perhaps do not already buy LEGO, so LEGO wants to cash in on that.

The fact it pi??es off LEGO fans probably doesn't occur to them, or worry them, to be honest. Perhaps this article, which seems to have touched a raw nerve, will help highlight it, but I can't see them changing their behaviour any time soon.

It is galling that they don't provide the same sort of exclusives at LEGO events, but then looking at it from their point of view, they don't need to: attendees are already customers so, from a marketing perspective, it would be wasted money. All they need to do to keep us happy is roll out an exclusive set that we'd all buy anyway...

Posted by icey in Denmark, 28 Jul 2012 06:24

@Huw, Are these the first minifigures from Licensed themes you do not manage to get hold of? I mean, do you have all other licenced minifigs produced, except these comic cons limited editions?

Posted by nightmarevalkyrie in United States, 28 Jul 2012 07:35

There is some figures I understand TLG wouldn't mass produce like Shazam and Phoenix since technically that would be a weird set for Lego to make and DC and Marvel wouldn't give them the rights, but figures like Green lantern and Bizarro would actually be great sets, and it wouldn't kill Lego if they did mail away exclusives sort of with action figure exclusives so these exclusives would be easier to get for other people in other countries, I still have not been able to get a complete set of my Dc collection but have a full Marvel collection luckily since Lego doesn't really have that many Marvel Villains and Heroes, but with the Dc figures there is SO MANY variants of Batman, Robin, as well as other villains that lego has made duplicates of. I however have been lucky to attend comic con and obtain most of the exclusives accept several others I didn't even know Lego was giving away like the Darth Maul exclusive and Bilbo Baggins when I was attending there was literally grown adults getting into disputes with Lego employees over the limit on exclusives, but the problem was I didn't attend Comic con 2011 for the Green lantern and TDKR exclusive. If lego would make these exclusive at most Comic cons in several cities and Lego conventions then maybe most of their fans wouldn't be angry at Lego.

I am luckily to have some collections almost complete though like my Dc has almost at least one variant which i am trying do at least that other than the duplicates I could care less about.

Posted by psychopuppet in United States, 28 Jul 2012 08:20

I am not a big fan of convention exclusives as a lot of the people that buy or pick them up at a convention are doing so to scalp them later. That said at least with Hasbro and Mattel's offerings those of us in the US can pick most of them up in some form directly from them online a few days after SDCC. Though both Hasbro and Mattel's sites usually crash during those sales. I'd love to go in person ,but I think last time I checked it'd cost me at the very least $1000.00 for just the trip , food , and hotel. NYCC is closer to me ,but still not a cheap trip to buy something that should be made available online in some form. Why not just offer a slighly different version of the figure online. Least that way we could obtain a version of the figure we want. I'll still be picking up the Superheroes sets at retail,but with great disappointment of not having a Green Lantern or Bizzaro.

Posted by matt71young in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 09:07

I think it's madness that Lego do not develop this as profit making line! They would sell in their hundreds of thousands! They could be sold individually for those people who collect Lego and/or are DC/Marvel fans.

It seems they are completely missing a trick here - if they are wiling to make them to give away why not use the prints/moulds to sell them?

Seems a bit daft really.

Posted by vwong19 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 09:45

@Huw - I have been a strong opponent of exclusives at SDCC as I think that it is a major reason why the convention is so hard to get tickets. Since I am a collector of Lego and some Hasbro products I have to budget a lot of the convention towards acquisition of the exclusives. I would love to eliminate the stress knowing that what they give away or sell could be bought outside. Hasbro is in fact a poor example as psychopuppet mentioned because the demand for the exclusives are so high that you have to budget a lot of time post SDCC to get them online and is much easier to get them in person.

I am sure that Lego knows that they are upsetting many fans of Lego, but at the same time they are making many fan of exclusives very happy. I know that Lego associates understands the value of these exclusives since they take extreme measures at times selling or distributing them by limiting how many they sell and give away to each person at the conventions.

Their goal with the exclusives is probably to attract new customers, and bank that existing Lego fans will continue to support their regardless. It just seems that this could have been achieved better by increasing the exclusive supply and drawing even more fans at the convention. Instead of 1000 why not 10000 (the convention draws about 100000) and what was the point of the NY Toy Fair minifigs... 125 really?

I think the prices although high are reasonable now. The reason that they are not even higher is the assumption that more will be available at NYCC and to a lesser degree in future sets. I have the SDCC minifigs because, in part, i attended the convention, but most of them I acquired through eBay. The Super Heroes are my favorite line so I WANT to collect the minifigs and not HAVE to just to be complete. I came in late for SW so I collect them also but I do not plan to collect everyone.

Posted by krklint in United States, 28 Jul 2012 09:52

extreme collectors will want to get pristine versions of each figure in package, but some of us do not care if the mini-fig is in a special collectors package. We just want to play/hold/MOC with the mini-figs - recreate our favorite scenes or concepts.

I do not need the SDCC logo to feel like my set is complete. I open my packages. TLG could easily sell a repackaged version for those who want to play/hold/MOC that does not carry the value of the NYCC or SDCC exclusivity. Change the color of the hands, if need be.

Too many of us just cannot afford to fly to the exclusive city or purchase these mini-figs in the after market. For me, I feel like these exclusives somehow go against the core of what Lego always was... at least goes against it in the sense that for most of the comic-con figures, they will probably never be played with.

I love the idea of giving away an exclusive, but not to the end where those who love the product feel separated from the joy of play.

Posted by Roborider in United States, 28 Jul 2012 10:43

I couldn’t agree more. I am pretty much okay with exclusive VARIANTS of figures that are in/ will be in sets like the exclusive Batman, Captain America, Iron Man, and Hulk. Even figures that are only found in expensive sets, even if I don’t really like it, is acceptable. But this is nonsense, making a figure that if don't happen to be in the right city at the right time you're out of luck (and even then, there is no guaranteeing that you'll get it). Honestly, I'd rather LEGO not make a figure at all if it is going to be so hard to get a hold of.

If LEGO really wanted to attract new people, couldn't they just release figures that will be in future sets early? Or if they really needed an exclusive, make a regular figure (any released, or to be released figure from either line), but have printing on the back that says which comic-con it was from, and the year. People who want the actual characters will not mind if they can't get it if a regular version exists/will exist, and I'm sure there will still be a market for completionists who will want every version of every figure.

Posted by Tyrell Archer in Canada, 28 Jul 2012 11:17

Are you really going to not collect a whole line that interests you because you can't get Electro-Suit Batman? I do get annoyed when I can't get major characters (Phoenix, for example) but I am not obsessive about the variants (black suit Spider-Man, for example). Major characters are available fairly easily - Captain America is an affordable set, and Iron Man and Thor are in multiple sets. Then again, I'm not a completist, and many are.

Posted by Roborider in United States, 28 Jul 2012 11:26

@Tyrell Archer, Huw wasn't commenting on Electro-Suit Batman when he was talking about quit collecting. He was referring to figures like Phoenix, Green Lantern, Shazam and Bizzaro, which there is no way of getting ANY version on unless you were at Comic-Con or are willing to lay down hundreds of dollars. Many of these are major characters within their own universe.

Posted by sonsofsceva in United States, 28 Jul 2012 11:50

The key, I think, is patience. TLG is very savvy right now. They know their demographics. They know that children know all of the characters and want them all with as many of the variants as possible. They are waiting for the right opportunity to bring out a number of characters. For example, with GL I think they would not put out an SDCC exclusive, then put him in the Batman 2 game, and then never bring out another version, thus rubbing salt in the wound. The Aquaman is probably a good sign of a JL expansion, and with the superman movie next summer and the revealed game plan of Marvel, I expect to see many DC and Marvel characters that have made exclusive appearances show up in the next year or two, though perhaps not with the exact same torsos as in the exclusives.

Posted by legos4ever in United States, 28 Jul 2012 14:21

I for one completely disagree with the masses here. I LOVE the exclusives, the treasure hunt to get a good deal on one. We do not own them all, but it only increases our love of collecting the Super Hero figures knowing how collectible some have become.

I think this will do more good for LEGO than harm, if it creates a huge buzz, and demand then all the more likely we will see more super hero sets. Maybe we will even see Blind Bag Super Hero figures one day.... if there were no demand we will just get more Friends.... sigh....

And lets get real, many of you may THINK the SDCC exclusives are mainstream and belong in sets, but the whole reason these are exclusives is because LEGO has NO PLANS to produce these figures in sets!! So be thankful we even have the chance to own them or we would NEVER get them (unless they were custom).

A Variant, sure, that may happen. I completely expect to see a Hal Jordan style Green Lantern at some point in the future. The SDCC version will still be different of course. And Bizzaro, Shazam, Phoenix, Black Suit Spider-man. I love them all, but these would not be arriving in sets in the foreseeable future that is for sure.

It seems to me most of the complaining stems from bitterness of not owning them. If that really prevents anyone from buying the Super Hero sets, then you really are not much of a fan. Me and my boys LOVE the superhero LEGO line and plan to keep buying them as long as they are produced.

Posted by Brickmatic in United States, 28 Jul 2012 16:12

Well, that's life.

Personally, I don't understand what is up with this compulsion to own every item in a line. How does the idea that owning 80% of a lineup is WORSE than owning NONE of it make sense? And how does there being awesome exclusive figures that are hard to get detract from the awesomeness of figures that are easy to get?

The silliest thing about all of this is that these cherished characters which currently are only available as exclusives will likely appear in sets in the future.

Posted by Mars Needs LEGO in United States, 29 Jul 2012 01:26

I agree with noggin, Batgirl would have made a far superior minifig for the Batman book than a costume variant. I bet we see a lot more of those Batman costume variants before we ever get a Batgirl. >.<

Also agree with the general consensus that LEGO is doing no one a favor by making so many of the Super Heroes minifigs convention exclusives. Personally, I'd rather have a Green Lantern that is based on the comics' version (which is what the video game has) rather than the one based off the mediocre movie, so in that respect, I'm not missing the SDCC version. But the Captain Marvel/Shazam figure they gave away this year looks to me exactly like the comic book version, so I'm not sure how they could do a variant; perhaps a Captain Marvel, Jr., which would be a blue costume instead of red? Who knows? Either way, I think TLG is making a huge mistake here, allowing the secondary market to make all the profit off these miniifigs when there are so many comic/LEGO fans who'd like to own them for a reasonable price.

Posted by 00cheese in United Kingdom, 29 Jul 2012 15:11

I would have liked to see either a Dark Night Joker, a Batgirl as Mars Needs LEGO said or a new nightwing

Posted by Professor Lego in Australia, 29 Jul 2012 20:09

I'm an older Lego collector. Here are my thoughts.

Theory: With the Superheroes line, I believe Lego is trying to appeal to comic fans and broaden their Lego collector base.

Fact 1: Superheroes originated from comics.
Fact 2: There is a comic book in the majority of the Superhero sets.
Fact 3: Lego's appearance at Comic conventions and distribution of limited minifigures.

Verdict: Just like the comics industry with their many limited editions and exclusives, this is how Lego are approaching their marketing campaign. There will be more limited Lego in the future.

Solution: Only collect minifigures you like. Collecting entire sets will merely appease your
inner (L) ego, displease your wife and parents. (Trust me I've been there!)

Posted by captain radda radda in United States, 30 Jul 2012 04:10

@Brickmatic totally agree with you on your opinion. While I would love to own the entire line of DC/Marvel figs, I'm happy with what I have and the sets that are out currently. The fact of the matter is that the superheroes line is only a year into its cycle (two years if you're thinking ahead. I'm not considering the entire line clearly hasn't been revealed) and that Lego will without a doubt have much, much, much more in the works. Don't worry, with time, we will definitely see the justice league and most of the marvel factions considering the amount of movies coming out. I think as a whole the community is expecting too much at once and wants the entire justice league in one wave simply because Lego has spoiled us in recent years with its minifigure heavy/diverse licensed sets (spongebob, lotr, star wars, potc, speed racer, toy story) Good things come to those who wait and although I am frustrated at the time, I am certain in the fact that we will see these figs in the future.

Posted by Sparky Ham in Hong Kong, 30 Jul 2012 09:51

Perhaps LEGO have a deal with the Comic-Confernce people, that to have a both, they need to provide an exclusive mini-fig to give-away. This would make sense if people attended Comic-con with the sole intention of picking one up.

I would be less painful if LEGO decided to give away, for example, an exclusive Key-Ring or other form of merchandise.

Posted by mission_zed in United Kingdom, 30 Jul 2012 12:11

I've tried to steer my son away from the Super Heroes, as I don't want him collecting yet another theme. Which is a bit of a shame, since I've been collection comics for over 20 years and only recently gave up.

However, I think a compromise would be different versions of characters.
Red & blue Spidey and black Spidey would be in regular sets, but black & white FF Spidey could be a give away.
Green Hulk and Red Hulk in regular sets, but grey Hulk could be a give away.
Half a dozen Batman's in regular sets, but exact-copy-of-Michael-Keaton-Movie Batman could be a give away.
Have various red & gold Iron Man's in regular sets, but the red-and-silver-folds-into-a-suitcase version from the second movie could be a give away.

I think kids should be able to collect their favourite characters at a reasonable price. Cater for your primary market first, then do what you want with the bells and whistles, they are not essential.

So it doesn't bug me that the gold plated C-3PO costs a fortune, cos the regular C-3PO is available. Cannot find the Clone Commander from Clones Wars Season 4 Episode 9 with the cool art work on the helmet ? Use the one from the battle pack and pretend. Some of the DK minifigs are pretty, but again they are not essential, so again, no harm. Not so with the Lego Super Heroes.

So I do think it is unfair that Lego is making certain characters only available in very limited numbers, but to be honest, I'm rather surprised as it seems really poor business strategy. Lego pay a pile of cash to Marvel/DC just to make limited edition minfigs which they give away, and then sky rocket on the secondary market. Lego make a loss AND annoy lots of comic fans, both kids and adult. Since most Super Heroes would use a standard body and just have funky printing, I'm surprised Lego are not making the most of the theme by flooding the market with every character ever conceived.

PS - I want Lego Captain Britain in the 80's Union Jack uniform.

Posted by sitkawitka in United States, 30 Jul 2012 18:04

I am NOT going to stop collecting the figs HOWEVER I do agree that this is UNFAiR I didn't like any of the comic con give away figures but still this is like being tied up and forced to watch people get free Lego sets. Lets stand together and put a stop this this so unfair. D=< Who else agrees?

Commenting has ended on this article.

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