MisterPL

I'm sure Adam will crank out pages for his book as fast as he did for All-Star Wonder Woman. For that matter, I'm also still waiting for issue #3 of Big Numbers. I can't help wondering what would happen if this project not only fails but manages to collapse any future interest in the original, making it so unprofitable, DC stops reprinting it and the rights revert to Moore and Gibbons. Would they also acquire rights to the prequels?

My wife has a shadowbox for her modest thimble collection. It's only got about 25 thimbles in it (with room for 100) but someone added four Fighter Pods figures recently. The blind exclusives are killing my interest in this line but my daughter – who collected Gomu erasers – loves them. She can spend her money on them and I'll collect vicariously through her.

One small distinction: DC doesn't own the license. They own the property. It's theirs. They can license it out to whomever for whatever reason with or without Moore's or Gibbons' blessing. DC is not remaking Watchmen. They haven't hired other creators to re-write Moore's story and dialogue nor have they hired illustrators to redraw Gibbons' art. No one is altering the original work. Nothing is replacing it, even in part. I understand your point but for myself, Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the original picture. Burton's movie was a vanity piece, plain and simple, brought on by a guy who – much like Moore – has made a career of retelling other authors' tales, using their characters but putting his own stylistic spin on them. As much as I loved seeing Rick Baker work on a Planet of the Apes movie, it didn't save the film from being utterly unnecessary and a pale shadow of the original. Moore and Gibbons created a world plenty of fans think is pretty cool, an alternate universe that's still full of stories worth telling. Some of my favorite entertainment is a bastardization of what I considered to be untouchable work. For example, Star Trek is supposed to be about the voyages of the starship Enterprise, boldly going where no man has gone before. Along comes Deep Space Nine; no ship, no captain, just a space station half-crewed by non-Starfleet and anchored near a wormhole, essentially waiting where no one had waited before. It was practically anti-Trek. That lame concept became my favorite of all the series. Then there's Batman, my favorite fictional character. Back in my day, Bruce Wayne was Batman, period. No one else. Then WB decided to appease Hasbro by creating a cartoon based on a teenaged Dark Knight-in-training. Again, what I thought would be nonsense turned out to be pretty enjoyable. I'm so glad that DC has allowed so many different creators to work on Batman because, while much of it is forgettable and some is outright crap, there have been some very good stories since Bob Kane and Bill Finger left off. They've even managed to make one or two good movies based on the character. Nostalgia's a powerful drug and, believe me, I appreciate the frustration of someone pissing all over your fondest memories. I really don't think that's what happening here. This is just DC (specifically Dan Didio) saying, "Okay, enough. People have been interested in playing in this universe for a while and, out of respect for the creators, we've held off but it's time to let someone else have a turn." I get the impression Moore would take back the rights in a heartbeat and never publish the book again just out of spite but Gibbons has given his blessing and that's more than enough for me. I'll admit that I don't hold Watchmen in the über-high regard that others clearly do (you won't find a Moore shrine on my shelf) but I am one of those curious to read the adventures of a Rorschach in his prime. Hell, if they could get Jackie Earle Haley to reprise the role for an HBO series, I'd be there. Especially if I got a Minimate out of it.

A few things: 1) I don't give a crap what DC decides to do with Watchmen. As far as I'm concerned it's a derivative work anyway (unlike Moby Dick, Alan) and if other authors and illustrators want to add to the universe, let 'em. It's not like George Lucas revisiting Star Wars every few years to eliminate your favorite parts. No one's coming to your house and taking your trade paperbacks away and you can bet that DC will continue to publish the original as is if only to keep the rights to it. (That WAS the contractual detail you foolishly dismissed, right Alan?) 2) The new DC logo works. Like it or not, it's very versatile. I know how much folks on the internet abhor change so no one expected it to be embraced immediately but the vocal opposition's already dying down. I'm curious to see what it will look like in front of the next Batman movie this summer. 3) Most importantly, this "sacrilege" offers another opportunity for DST to work with WB Consumer Products and maybe – just maybe – get the license for Watchmen Minimates. There's a potential silver lining here, folks, regardless of how you feel about the prequels.

On a sidenote, there were a TON of Galactic Heroes taking up an entire endcap at TRU last weekend as if they were the latest thing. WTF?!

The blind packaging wouldn't bother me so much if they included army builders. Did the bag come with the checklist of figures? That lists which ones are "exclusive" though I'm a little confused as to what that means. I thought it meant exclusive to the blind bags since the text says something about including an exclusive figure but some exclusives are pictures with vehicles sets. For example, the 4-pack I bought included Chewie and Cody, though it might not be the same Chewie.

I'm trying real hard not to get sucked into another line of figures, especially ones that are about $2 each and in blind packaging. I know my "Collect The All!" weakness and I did my best to resist but when I saw a 4-pack at TRU today that included Chewbacca and a stormtrooper (two figures that started my 3 3/4" addiction back in '78), I chalked it up to kismet and caved. Apparently a good chunk of the "exclusive" figures are offered in the blind bags but I noticed some come with the vehicle sets. Personally I'd rather have the vehicles than a bunch of super-deformed Princess Leia figures. Actually I'd rather avoid the blind packaging altogether but that might not be an option without resorting to *gasp!* trading. Anyone else giving these micro-Galactic Heroes a try?

Squinkies are from Blip Toys. If they're associated with Hasbro it's a Scooby-Doo mystery, especially considering they'd be cannibalizing themselves. As for the demise of Galactic Heroes, I think they wanted figures that had more articulation and therefore more play value. Costs have been going up and I'm sure key retailers have been pushing for added value given the price increases.

Someday, perhaps in my lifetime, Hasbro will grant the license for Star Wars Minimates. Until then they're giving us Fighter Pods. These could be pretty addicting thanks to their cuteness but I have a pretty low tolerance for blind packaging. My daughter's into Star Wars (she bought into Galactic Heroes big time) and also spent a year collecting Gomu erasers. I think she's on the fence about Fighter Pods but that may change once she sees them at retail. As for me... my wallet's thanking the maker these aren't Minimates. For now.

My LCS is buying more Minimates now. I was concerned about the TRU overlaps, too, but I've made a point of supporting my LCS first and only buying the TRU exclusives. I've also managed to get a friend hooked on this plastic crack so now the LCS has another regular addict customer.

I really need to know why these aren't Minimates. I see no reason why Mezco gets to offer these 2" figures when DST has had Minimates on the pegs at TRU and in the specialty market for years. Looks like Mezco simply caught DST napping. I'm beginning to think that DST is just playing the jilted girlfriend, waiting by the phone with a box of tissues hoping that her old flame calls her back instead of taking some initiative. Every time I see a DC Mez-It, I just get more pissed off with DST. If I have to broker the deal myself, I will.

This is out of DC Direct's hands now. DST needs to PICK UP THE PHONE, call Warner Bros. Consumer Products, and start talking about LICENSING DC from them. That's what LEGO did. That's what MEZCO did. If DST really wants to license the DC property, they need to make the call. They can't keep sitting around waiting for DC Direct to call like some pansy hoping that his ex-girlfriend's marriage falls apart, sees the error of her ways, and begs him to take her back. Damn, I really want to use harsh language here. Seriously, do I have to make this happen myself? Because I'm pretty sure I can!

The giveaways sound cool but I'm relieved there's nothing on that list that screams, "YOU MUST HAVE ME!!!"

I wouldn't mind collecting Minimates based on The Phantom, The Shadow, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, The Rocketeer, and Hellboy. Disney has John Carter coming soon and I hope like hell someone at DST has contacted Disney Consumer Products about acquiring the license for the block figure category before someone else snatches it up.

Not to spoil anything but I have it on good authority that this wave will forever be referred to as "The Aunt May Series."

I imagine it's easier to do bios on historical figures like Calico Jack than it is to make them up, especially when the character is "Cop #2."

According to LicenseMag.com, Marvel is tapping Super Rad to produce all sorts of stuff including do-it-yourself vinyl figures. I'm not familiar with this company but are these similar to the plain, white vinyl figures you decorate yourself? Because that sounds like fun!

I'm just not down with a 2-inch Galactus. Gimme a Minimate-flavored Galactus bank (ala Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man) and I'll be tickled shitless. I don't need another wee Galactus.

That would go a long way toward demonstrating to Disney that DST can not only deliver pirates Minimates but is able to do so in conjunction with a serendipitous street date.

Who are you? Seriously, give yourself some time and space. That's what I did after the Art Asylum era. I still poke my head in from time to time. I'm sure you'll do the same. By all means, yes, keep us posted on ducklings! In the meantime, enjoy yourself! I'm sure MMMV will keep the light on for you.

I just added the avatar I use at work on iChat; the black box. It just represents my general disposition. I usually don't have an avatar but this one suits me.

I understand that DST has to be cautious but I think volume sell-in with such a popular brand would offset the fees. If they could use their success with Marvel to develop a partnership with Disney, it could be a real boon for DST. (Pirates, Tron, Disney Princess, TinkerBell, Lone Ranger, John Carter...)

I'm looking forward to adding this line to my collection but I'm hoping it's just a pre-cursor to an official Pirates of the Caribbean line. I've got a couple fans in the house who would go nuts over Minimates of those characters. Savvy?

"Firefly" would be great. I'm having fun watching it on the Science Channel. Nice to see it getting a second life somewhere!

I just found this wave for the first time this weekend at my local TRU in NEPA. Had no idea they were supposed to be out already (shame on me) and was pleasantly surprised. Now I'm on the lookout for Wave 10, huh?