MisterPL

I just received the Amazon 4-pack this afternoon, and that was with free ground shipping! My Minimate horde is finally growing! Still no sign of the TRU exclusives from the first or second series, though.

The big question is: How many collectors here are going to want to add a Superior Spider-Man Minimate to their shelves after this?

The good news: AMC has picked up The Walking Dead for a 4th season. The bad news: We've lost Glen. That's two showrunners gone thanks to "creative differences" in three seasons. Frank Darabont was a big reason I even gave the show a look. While I liked his work, Glen Mazzara did a great job of picking up where Darabont left off. Chances are they'll fill his role with someone already on the show because I think they'll have trouble attracting anyone with as much talent given the rate of succession. That and promoting someone will probably be cheaper.

You know, it's bad enough I already feel like I'm being targeted by Viagra and "natural male enhancement" ads simply by watching The Walking Dead. Now I'm going to be considered a chronic masturbator, too? At least I know who to blame now. I guess it makes sense that it's someone who collects "mini figures."

Well, we do see Klingons (in helmets) in the trailer. They may play a larger role. Tha said, as eager as I am to see Abrams' take on Klingons, they're kind of the Lex Luthor of this franchise; a bit overused. Whom Gods Destroy. And I wish I could take credit for that idea myself but it's been bouncing around for a while now. I wasn't that familiar with the character until I did the research and thought, "Holy crap! That really could be Garth."

(I'm one of the "mostly" ones.) Welcome to the 'verse!

I like the new packaging but it doesn't exactly show off the 'mates inside, does it. :tongue:

In under the line, I hope! My nerves can't take much more!!!

For a long time I was hoping Khan wasn't in the film at all. And I'm still okay with that but plenty seem to insist that he is. They point to the "hands on the glass" shot that echoes Spock's death in TWOK. Then there's the inclusion of Carol Marcus, who was introduced in TWOK. They even stretch and say, "Well, this IS Star Trek 2... from a certain point of view." But if Abrams & Company really want to resurrect a villain from TOS like Nic Meyer did with Khan, there are plenty of others and two who fit Cumberbatch's character so far. The favorite has been Gary Mitchell, a Starfleet officer who introduced Kirk to a blonde he almost married back in the second pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before." He's close to the right age but in that story became a demi-god. Not sure what a guy with such power would need with weapons and starships. The dark horse is Garth of Izar. He's a former captain who was badly injured in a battle but healed by an alien race. While they could teach him to repair his body, they couldn't repair his mind. He ended up being sent to an asylum for the criminally insane after ordering the annihilation of the aliens who helped him. He was a contemporary of Pike so Cumberbatch is a little young but it's a new timeline and Garth gained a shapeshifting power as part of his healing. That healing he was taught might be what his character was referring to in the 9-minute preview. Now I'm thinking Cumberbatch's "John Harrison" is simply a new character with a secret, one that has to do with eugenics. I'm beginning to think that Khan is in the movie but he only shows up for a cameo at the film's end, as a possible set-up for a sequel. Or not. Either way, I can't wait for May to get here.

Oh, and I've started a discussion thread for Star Trek Into Darkness over at the Minimates' Arms. Come on over!

You know, back in my day, half the Art Asylum board was dedicated to Trek! Imagine my disappointment when I come to the Arms and, only six months away from the opening of a new Star Trek film, there's no topic for it! Travesty! Anywho, it's time to catch up! Watch the the teaser trailer here, and then come back to speculate about this image:

I really like the sound effects! Very unexpected! Still disappointed that the chair isn't removable and that the Kirk figure is probably one I already own. Back to Square 1, I suppose.

Mark 47 is correct. Let's just say if you like Tony's Hall of Armor, wait' 'til you see The Cellar. Actually, that's what's got me a little perplexed about the assortment. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE getting background characters and army builders other manufacturers won't offer (I'm looking at you, Hasbro). But I'm a little surprised DST isn't taking advantage of a wider variety of armors. That said, an army dump called "The Cellar" featuring one of each armor would be fine by me, especially if the packaging looked like an alcove from the set.

Sorry, folks. I'm getting my walkers mixed up. It was the walker 2-pack from Series 1. Apologies for the confusion. I'm suffering from TWD withdrawal.

Jackie Chan is confirmed for a role in The Expendables 3.

Found the walker twins at another TRU here in NEPA. They were the last 2-pack in store inventory and the manager couldn't say if more were on the way. I'm remaining vigilant.

Do I need to read this comic? I agree that the character designs would translate beautifully into Minimates and I'd probably be tempted to pick up the trades. Gotta love it when a toy gets you to read a book.

Speaking of army-building, is a future "Best of" wave a good place for a two-pack of army-builder 'mates? Something like The Hand and A.I.M. soldiers? I didn't buy the first "Best of" series either but I'll be keeping my eye out for this one. Too tempting to pass up, dagnabit!

The comic book fan in me really likes the idea of Superman being the first superhero in a new DC cinemaverse. Trying to wedge it into Nolan's Batman trilogy just seems forced. I'd rather they start with a clean slate. Still, I can't help wondering where we'd be if Man of Steel had happened instead of Superman Returns. WB wanted to reboot both Batman and Superman franchises side by side and have them dovetail into a "vs" flick. That might have altered the direction Nolan took with TDKR. Actually, TDKR probably wouldn't have happened at all since everyone was signed on for a three-picture deal. As planned, the last film would have been Batman vs. Superman, directed by Troy helmer Wolfgang Petersen.

Yeah, I'm not sure I appreciate how DST has managed to take money from a Venom-hater like me by offering a 4-pack this good. I feel so... dirty.

Thanks to this "Luke" guy everyone's been raving about, I just got Series 1 of the specialty assortment. (Thanks, Luke!) The lone Walking Dead Minimates peg at my local TRU was up for about two weeks. Looks like they got in one case and took the peg down. Not feeling good about getting those exclusives but I'll keep looking.

Not that I think Superman the character is going to be darker (although the story certainly appears to be) but I think Batman would almost need to be a little lighter. Personally, I consider there to be two Batman characters; the Dark Knight who's Gotham's sworn guardian and the Caped Crusader who joins the Justice League on global and intergalactic adventures. It's hard to reconcile the two but this might be the time to do it. In all seriousness, WB has been wanting to do an Aquaman movie for ten years now. I wouldn't be shocked if there was at least an Easter egg referring to Atlantis. Without spoiling anything, audiences might wonder where Hal ws when the shit hit the fan over Metropolis. The answer could be as simple as "off-world hunting Sinestro" but no, I don't think Green Lantern needs to be swept under the rug. Consider it a prologue. I'm all for adding a new human GL. I wanted a sequel with Kilowog in human form on Earth training John Stewart while Hal was off in space hunting a power mad Sinestro. Bring down the budget and amp up the story. What's interesting is that there have been rumors swirling about Joseph Gordon-Levitt making an appearance in Man of Steel and/or Justice League, rumors that were shot down by his people but not entirely denied by MoS producer Chris Nolan. I know the studio thinks tying future films to the Dark Knight trilogy might help bolster audience enthusiasm but I think that's a mistake. The DC cinemaverse needs a clean slate.

It's my understanding that there aren't many filmmakers in executive offices either. That's the bigger problem; studios run by bean counters.

In all fairness, Sucker Punch was his idea, his story. Granted it was probably born of dumping his toybox onto the floor and coming up with an excuse to play Danger Girl vs. Steampunk Nazi Zombies in Space but visually it held my attention. In that regard he's perfect for Man of Steel. I do agree with others that WB is a hot mess when it comes to making DC films. As far as I'm concerned, their success with Batman is a fluke and it still manages to demonstrate an inability to maintain an ongoing franchise, given how the last film ended. Batman Begins was a fine launching pad for an ongoing series of films – maybe even a TV series – but Nolan's Dark Knight was a reluctant hero, a guy constantly looking for a way out of that batsuit. He wasn't the Batman I recognized from comics despite how entertaining the story might have been. Green Lantern needed to be more "Wrath of Khan" and less "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" but I suppose it did a good job of introducing general audiences to the character. I wouldn't mind if future films like Justice League referred back to it if only because I don't think GL is worth a total reboot. I just hope Man of Steel ends up being the catalyst not only for a new series of Superman films but the rest of the DC cinemaverse as well. Oh, and I still want my fucking DC Minimates, damn it!

Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand his theme is like that of James Bond. I wouldn't mind them sneaking it in at the end. On the other hand, I trust Hans Zimmer and am looking forward to something original from him.