The Unofficial "I don't like the current direction of the Marvel Minimates line" Thread

[fwoosheyman]

Well since we seem to be growing in number I figured I'd make this thread for me and my fellow grumblers.

What is the Unofficial "I don't like the current direction of the Marvel Minimates line" Thread???

It's a place where you can come to wallow in despair about the lack of the Warrior Three and Enchantress.

It's a place where you can bemoan the lack of Falcon, Alpha Flight, Zemo and the Brotherhood of Mutants.

It's a place where you can wonder what was DST thinking when they announced an entire wave of Spidey variants instead of a wave dedicated to the greatness of Kang.

It's a place where you can commiserate with your fellow man (or woman) about another boxset featuring Cyclops/Jean/Wolverine/Magneto instead of the Wrecking Crew.

It's a place where you can dread the coming Spidey/Iron Man/Cap/Thor/Hulk variant fest that 2012 will surely be with both the Avengers and Spiderman movie due for release.

So to my fellow malcontents I say "Welcome home...let the grumbling begin!!!!"

Edited July 23, 2011 by fwoosheyman

[Valo487]

I'm not upset about it, I still love the line, but it does get a bit tiresome when everything has to go on hold because a movie is coming out and we typically don't get many new characters in movie waves, and they fail to capitalize on awareness from a movie to get us more conic characters, we got a wave a piece for the Thor and Captain America movies, but both got crammed into one comic wave. Our best shot at getting Zemo and Winter Soldier has passed, who knows how long we'll have to wait now.

My only other grievance is the constant retreads of characters, even ones who aren't that popular. We had to have another Captain Britain in the Excalibur boxset, Juggernaut and Nightcrawler weren't popular enough to carry the box themselves? And why is it that teams like the Wrecking Crew aren't popular enough to warrant a boxset, when the only places that carry boxsets are specialty stores? I thought the whole point of comic shops was they could carry characters that the average person wouldn't know.

[BannersID]

wow, what a sad,sad concept for a thread on a "fan site"

[Valo487]

Why? No ones saying the line sucks, we're just expressing our feelings on it. Almost every thread on the site is overwhelmingly positive, criticism can be valuable if it's constructive.

[ImABarRoomHero]

I'm happy with everything coming out, even ones I don't like. Why? Because with every new set that comes out, it means the line is not dead or dying anytime soon.

[Valo487]

I am glad about the health of the line, I'm 100% in agreement with BarRoomHero on that.

[jcastick]

I'm happy with everything coming out, even ones I don't like. Why? Because with every new set that comes out, it means the line is not dead or dying anytime soon.

^ This

If something is keeping minimates alive, it is a good thing.

Sure we can use some NEW characters but if those new characters are coming in slowly, at least they are coming in.

[buttheadsmate]

Grumbling is healthy .

[lastmaximal]

Grumbling certainly is healthy. It's alive and well wherever there are fanboys

[Cyc]

Grumbling is fine, but increasing movie stuff and existing character variations is part of why my passion is gone and I'm getting out...

[buttheadsmate]

I'm not sure I could get out even if I wanted to I just cannot see how a civilianised Thor & Cap (recent proto announcements) would in DST's view would sell whilst a Falcon or Zemo wouldn't ??? I know that for a change most everybody else here would agree . I like variations of character but I can sure as hell put a leather jacket from another Minimate character & put it on Captain America without having to buy one. I'm a completist so I will buy one but DST can't rely on saps like me/us forever.

-grumblemate

[stack32]

"Civilianized Thor" was one of my top ten most wanted 'mates, and since Cap's jacket looks to have an Avengers logo I'll probably pick up multiples. Another Cap or Thor villain would have been good to see, but are we really complaining that Series 42/ TRU 12 is only giving us Baldur, Crossbones, Arnim Zola, Beta Ray Bill, Thunderstrike, and the Stone Men from Saturn? I'd like Falcon, Zemo, and Kang too but it's not like DST is just making more blue and red Spideys.

[buttheadsmate]

A long overdue update.

Top 10:

* Thunderstrike

* Major Victory

* Gladiator (Kallark)

* Annihilus

* Black Knight

* Iron Fist (Orson Randall)

* Darkhawk

* Drax the Destroyer (Guardians of the Galaxy)

* Star-Lord

* Executioner (Has to come with an axe and two M-16s.)

I can see that Thunderstrike was on your list & I'm truly glad we're going to get one ,it just shows how diverse our opinions are. I rarely complain about who we get from DST ,my irritation lies with who we don't get. Maybe I'm wrong but it seemed that very few people even knew who the Stone Men were & I have yet to see anyone refer to them as Kronans....not that that matters but these choices from DST stink of re-use of parts rather than spontaneity of ideas.Crossbones,Balder,Arnim Zola & 'Halo' Ray Bill are very welcome additions.

[Valo487]

I should add that Crossbones has been on my Top 10 most wanted for a few years, so I'm thrilled we're getting him, my only complaint, and it's not even really a complaint as much as a concern, is that when a character like Thor or Captain America has a movie coming out, they don't utilize that opportunity to put out a whole comic wave to capitalize on that awareness, but we get a plethora of movie versions, and the comic line is what built the line in the first place. Comic based 'mates are the foundation of the line, and I don't like how frequently they get put on hold for movie 'mates. Both are equally valid, don't forget the comics these movies came from.

[Mystery Man]

I should add that Crossbones has been on my Top 10 most wanted for a few years, so I'm thrilled we're getting him, my only complaint, and it's not even really a complaint as much as a concern, is that when a character like Thor or Captain America has a movie coming out, they don't utilize that opportunity to put out a whole comic wave to capitalize on that awareness, but we get a plethora of movie versions, and the comic line is what built the line in the first place. Comic based 'mates are the foundation of the line, and I don't like how frequently they get put on hold for movie 'mates. Both are equally valid, don't forget the comics these movies came from.

I can't say it any better than this right here. Yes, we're getting characters that are welcome in comic form... but they're coming slower due to the onslaught of movie versions. I don't like the comic stuff being put on hold either.

[stack32]

It will certainly be a waste if DST doesn't put out an Avengers-themed comic wave next year. They could easily knock out some of the remaining Avengers and throw in a villain or two. I think that would make everyone feel better.

[murderofcrows]

Not so much that I dont like the direction, just freaking OVER SATURATED with Thor...Please dont get me wrong there are some nice figures and some of my wanted the zola and crossbones are really nice...but sooo many Thor's another Cap? ugh. They HAVE the tools for Falcon...I just, I just...sigh I really wanted to see Kang

ps MODOK does look nice too

moc847

[Dio]

Both of the comic stores I go to (Docking Bay 93 and The Comic Stop) still haven't received a few waves of Minimates, most notably the Iron Man 2 wave. The owners keep asking Diamond but they don't answer. They both said that Diamond is a horrible distributor. There were other things that my store ordered and didn't get, all from Diamond.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Dio

[fwoosheyman]

The reason why I'm grumbling and started this thread has been said by others before but it's the lack of new characters and the saturation of rehash/variants of existing characters.

I ran the numbers real quick for the comic-only (no movie lines) minimates for 2011 (That's TRU Wave 9,10,11,12 Specialty Wave 37,38,41,42 and the boxsets (X-Force, Excalibur, Thor Stormbreaker, Future Foundation, First Class, Curse, Galactus, Age of X) and it's about 80 minimates if you don't double count the ones in both the TRU and Specialty waves.

Out of those minimates less than 35% are new characters. 65% of this year's comic releases are rehash/variants of characters that have already had a minimate. Now I know the big names will always have to be re-released/redone for the casual buyers and some rehash/variants are highly requested and really well done (Juggernaut, Prof X in hoverchair, Elektra, etc) But a 65% rehash/variant rate is ridiculous and results in a lot of characters never being made and there are lots of good characters still to make.

I have hope for the future with Zack Oats now on board at DST and maybe the NYCC boxsets will be awesome. I wish I loved every release DST put out but the releases this year are frustrating and I'm currently unhappy with the direction of the marvel comic line so that's why I started this thread.

Edited July 25, 2011 by fwoosheyman

[Turtle]

I rarely complain about who we get from DST ,my irritation lies with who we don't get.

That is a great point. I personally don't even mind getting the same characters rereleased if there is some merit. Updated to match more sophisticated Minimate designs or costume updates are fine with me. I do wish that we got more, though. I for one love the movie products, and I hate that those lines don't get fully fleshed out. DST seems to think that they get a one-shot selling market for Minimates, and that's weird to me because they don't seem to have that same mentality in the Select line, and Hasbro certainly doesn't mind releasing movie-based figures months after the movie's release. More X:FC, Armored Whiplash, The Warriors 2 and Heimdall, and Arnim Zola, Colonel Phillips, and the rest of the Howling Commandos would all be welcome.

I know there is a fan base, but RGB, HALO, MvC3 (well, sorta... I love the M part), and Sony are all lines that I could do without, and that's a lot of lines taking up resources that I'd rather see used for Marvel properties, other comic lines(wishful thinking), and more original stuff a la MAX and Calico Jack.

[Valo487]

The X-Force boxset is pretty much the biggest example, they released a specialty boxset with not a single new character, then they put the only new character in a TRU wave because we needed yet another Wolverine in the box instead of Fantomex. And one of the few times DST makes a concerted effort to finish a team it's a team with only one new character and a team few people were asking for. But the Thunderbolts only need one character, but there's no sign of her. The Brotherhood, the second biggest Mutant team is ridiculously underrepresented, I mean Toad was on that poster six years ago I think? Chuck has made it clear from some of his comments he's not that familiar with the comics, so I don't understand why he thinks some things won't sell when he's not even familiar with the character. I mean, Baron Zemo has never been seriously discussed? He's Captain America's second biggest villain, founder of the Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts, and he killed Bucky!! (I know he got better.) If a villain that major has never been seriously discussed....wow.

[The Vox]

After 42 waves, I'm honestly just impressed these are still going. I have loved the bulked up mates that have been coming out (I know I'm in the minority) and I've even been won over by the movie mates (at least the ones with costumes). There are new mates I would like to see from time to time.. but my core list was covered years ago so I have a hard time getting too passionate about the Marvel line at this point.

I do see the merit of the different posts here, and I agree it is good to provide constructive critisism of a collectible line that you care about.. but my concerns lie more in the realm of lines killed before their time, and lines that could have been and never were.. (DC & DW)

As for the Marvel line.. they keep making them, I keep buying them. I just stopped buying them by the case once all of my main favorites were made.

[Gillbob316]

Ya'know... honestly... I don't really have a problem. *Shrug* Like... at all. Same old same old. Still love the line. Some waves have characters I love. Some don't. I move on. It's not the end of the world, and as long as they keep making them, there's always the next wave to look forward too...

I mean like, one could say, "But we're not getting highly demanded characters like Kang and Zemo" and I'm like, "There's an unmade character that people want. So what else is new?" We don't have Kang. Whooptie doo. Before Kang it was 90s X-Men, before them Deadpool, before him Hawkeye, before him Thor... remember those days? 30 waves ago... when nobody could ever shut up about why they hadn't made Thor yet?

This isn't exactly NEW... ya'know.

Now we have Thor coming out our ears, and people are bitching about THAT.

And the movie waves... Sure, I like comic book waves better, but am I SUPRISED to see the movie waves? Do the movie waves this year offend me more than any of the past few years in any particular sort of way? No... Movie tie-ins sell. They make money. It's not just this line, you see them in every other action figure line too. Go look at a Wal-Mart aisle. Bigass Cap section. Bigass Thor section. Itty Bitty sliver of Marvel Universe at the end. These things have been standard practice for like... 25 waves, 3 X-Men movies, and almost 5 years now. Would I like more comic characters? Sure, but I feel the movie lines have their place, because like it or not, toy lines are made for kids. And like it or not, us adult collectors have to roll with it...

And we ARE getting comic tie-ins to those movies. Sif, Beta Ray Bill, Thunderstrike, Zola, Crossbones. We're getting a decent showing of new comic book characters to tie in with these movies. But what, they're not KANG so they don't count? Sure, we're getting alot of Thors and Caps along with them... but that's the nature of the beast when you have a male action line. Go open a case of Hasbro's Spider-Man toys and you'll find 11 Spider-Men and 1 Villain. Go open a case of Power Rangers and you'll find 4 Red, 3 Green, 3 Blue, 1 Yellow and 1 Pink. Boys want their manly well known super heroes. It's not Diamonds fault that's how the market works...

When a little boy's mom tells him he can have ONE set... he doesn't give a crap about Gabe Jones and a HYDRA Agent. He wants a Cap and Red Skull pack.

So... I dunno. I'm not trying to get preachy on anyone... but I don't see what we have to complain about. This line is great. I can't BELIEVE it's gone as long as it has, 40+ waves, plus countless box sets and special release waves is more than most lines DREAM to reach. I can't believe half the obscure characters we've ALREADY gotten... sure Marvel Universe has Wrecking Crew... but there are still dozens of characters minimates has that they don't. Frankly I'd take Jubilee over Wrecking Crew any day of the week. I'm sure everyone can think of at least one character they similarly love that isn't a Marvel Universe fig yet, but is a minimate.

And if the money they bring in from movie tie-ins and Marvel vs Capcom 3 and More Spider-Mans keeps it going another 10 years, I'll be thrilled.

At least it's not dead or virtually dead like, DC Minimates or Mighty Muggs or Marvel Legends or so many other once good lines that either don't exist or barely exist now.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Gillbob316

[warburger]

I freaking love minimates.

I dropped Marvel Legends, DC Direct, Marvel Universe and many others over this toyline. Of course, being a collector of the X-Men and the Big 7 of both companies, I retained a select few but the point is, Minimates is the only line wherein I am not limited by my fondness of the X-Men and/or Big 7 and collect whatever strikes my fancy.

That being said, I don't think people who offer suggestions, recommendations and even complain are treating it as if it's the end of their world if their favorite character does not get minimated. Likewise, people who complain about Fantomex being released exclusively through TRU does not equate to a mini-grumbler. Like you said Gillbob316, before it was the 90's X-Men, before that it was Deadpool, before that it was Thor. I do think, in a way, even in the smallest of ways, that people requesting for these characters made DST listen, and voila, we got them. Would it offend them so much if people keep requesting for new characters, or would it just signify that the line is alive, and there are more characters to be made, and people crave for minimates?

Yup, it wouldn't be the end of my world if they never did MODOK. But it made me happy that they did.

[TM2 Dinobot]

I'm just gona say 1 thing. Thunderstrike. Agree with me or not, the fact that we're back to re-releasing variants now means we are so far off the beaten path I don't see a way back. It should never have come to this.