Mnemosis

Wait, so. . .GrimZata is actually "That Guy," and through a hiccup in time encountered a thread he himself started, and started a new thread based on a vague recollection of viewing that thread, which he actually created the thread in the first place? *Keaunu Reeves voice*--Whoa. Eleventy billion points

Was going to say this. Sure, the books aren't what they once were, but timing a Minimate release alongside the movie seems like a good marketing move.

Here's the problem with that... phasing doesn't make her invisible, just intangible. "Phasing" Shadowcat figures are kind of stupid, especially where Minimates come apart to begin with. THAT is the PERFECT phasing action feature.

Colossus WOULD be a pretty brilliant move... I was just commenting on the fact that we haven't gotten the 90's look updated recently, and now they could use the new bulked out body, too. Or some variation on it. ::drools::

I was never an Excalibur fan. That said, a well made Nightcrawler would get me to consider this set. A well made Nightcrawler and an updated Juggernaut? I'd buy it in a hearbeat. But I don't see THAT happening. Nightcrawler Meggan Roma Douglock Douglock will have interchangeable parts, allowing him to function as Cypher for the new Mutants box set as well. At least, that's how I see it.

Here's how I see the BP/DD situation... they're trying to port Matt's cult fan following over to Black Panther, for whom they simply can NOT find a voice. Making him an Avenger means ignoring the character's personal responsibilities. Giving him his own book about Wakanda means stories no one cares about. By taking him back to his NYC roots while his sister rules Wakanda, they can make him relevant to the MU and build a fan following for him. Then, with the right scribe, they could kill off his sister and move him back to Wakanda, and he'd have a built in following of fans to take back with him and make Wakanda relevant. In the meantime, Matt Murdock will have his own stories that people will still eat up. Ultimately, it's not a bad idea, really. It doesn't flow well, no. But from a logistics standpoint, there's a damn good chance it will turn T'Challa around as a marketable character for Marvel. And yet Grim Hunt, bringing him back, was a pretty damned enjoyable yarn. Ultimatum did not read well, no. But it DID reset the stage for what Loeb's been doing in the Ultimate U since, and THAT has been pretty great.

Fixt. Assuming I'm not flat broke? You got it buddy! EXCELLENT POINT! I collect GI Joe figures, and when the new Pursuit of Cobra line came out, I very nearly snatched up the new Cobra Commander. I HATE the design and have plenty of CC's I like better, but this guy was supposed to be rare. I went back and forth on it before finally deciding I really didn't need the figure at all. Still, I was one moment of weakness away from buying a toy I really had no interest in owning.

We don't see that happen at our store, thankfully. The guys who come into our store are all true blue collectors. At least, the ones I've seen. They're actually a pretty great group of guys and a lot of times will stop to chat. IF that were something that was happening, I don't think there's anything we could do outright. I know, for my part, I wouldn't ever go out of my way for them like I would the actual collectors. And to everyone, please, don't get me wrong... bitch! I don't like the practice anymore than anyone else. When I work at a store and STILL manage to miss out on certain figures just because I wasn't there on the ONE day that we got a shipment of them, it's infuriating! I just always get soured by the "it's bad business" argument, because if it were, someone would've put an end to it by now. Finally, to those of you above, thanks! I don't want to upset anyone - Tenime's one of my best friends, in fact. I just wanted to bring a few points to light. Again, thanks for all the warm fuzzies. Now where the hell is wave 37!? Oh, and, um, FF wave? Meh. I'll almost certainly pass, but I MIGHT get Sue if I see her. Maybe.

Okay, on the topic of variants and what you do or don't buy when you come up empty handed... It IS a sound business model. A variant or short packed toy that sells for 7 dollars when it IS in stock, but generates repeat trips, stands to generate far more profit than a toy that sells for 7 dollars after a single trip. Ten, I know YOU set a budget. Trust me, I work at Toys R Us. Most people don't (OR that budget is ridiculously high). There are others among you who say you get angry when your goal isn't obtained, and leave frustrated and empty handed. Sorry? Or, good for you? I don't really know. I DO know that working at the store, you're in the minority. I see these guys line up every day we have a truck, and just because they don't get what they were looking for doesn't mean they don't get something. I know you hate the effects of this policy, but believe me... it IS good business, and I've seen it in practice. Four or five people on a message board accessible to the whole world have come down on the side of "If they don't have what I want, I buy nothing." I work at ONE store where we have five to ten people who do NOT exercise that approach. Even if you low-ball that number, but then multiply it by every Toys R Us out there, you're still looking at what would constitute a "good business practice." And here's why: They WILL get your 7 dollars, eventually. Or someone's. They don't care who buys that figure, just that someone does. And whatever else they sell along they way is additional profit. And the next time an exclusive comes out, everyone will follow the same exact practices. The number of people who are going to stop buying from TRU just to teach them a lesson is infinitesimal in the grand scheme of things, so this business practice is nearly ZERO risk. You all hate it, so you want it to be wrong, and you apply whatever reasoning you can to prove it's wrong, and I get that there are plenty of ways that it APPEARS to be wrong, but I assure you... if it was wrong, it would stop. It's been time tested. It works for them.

My problem with the Archangel is that it's STILL not X-Force accurate, only Uncanny X-Force accurate, which means he won't really go with the Wolverine, X-23, and impending Warpath figures. I'm still holding out hope for a future TRU pack of repainted X-Force Archangel and Domino And yes, I would assume leaving Fantomex OUT of this pack was a way to offer us both versions of the figure with one being the variant, though I'd guess the white outfit will be the variant as he'll be getting the biggest push of his life in the new costume.

For the record, the reason stores like Toys R Us DEMAND chase figures in low quantities is to keep us going back for more. Yes, selling 10 packs of Troop Builders would be great, but the logic is that if you go in ten times looking for one pack, you're likely to shop each and every time, and the store will make that much more money. I'm not saying it's great, or that it's even logical, but it IS the idea.

My top five lines would be: 90's X-Factor: Havok/Polaris Strong Guy/Wolfsbane Multiple Man/Sinister Multiple Man/Dr. Essex Runaways: Niko/Chase Gert/Old Lace Molly/Victor Carolina/Victorious Young Avengers: Patriot/Hawkeye Wiccan/Hulkling Speed/Vision Stature/Kang Modern Thunderbolts: Juggernaut/Ghost Crossbones/Songbird Man-Thing/Raft Guard Cage/Raft Guard Mutant Messiah: Night Crawler/Hope New X-Force Archangel/New X-Force Domino Bastion/Purifier Nimrod/Purifier I realize my Runaways and Young Avengers lineups are lacking troop builders. Oh well. I could also get behind a double box set in the future of the Age of Apocalypse: Magneto, Rogue, Iceman, Sabertooth Apocalypse, Holocaust, Blink, Morph Augmented by a two pack of Weapon X and an Infinite or Madri with a burned Weapon X variant Switch Rogue for NightCrawler and I'd love it! These are all pretty great!

I guess there is the chance that the other suit could be a tampo under the chest piece? Maybe he'll come with an extra set of rolled up sleeve arms too. I was surprised to see no one else speculating at these possibilities. I think we're all well aware of DSTs history of giving us multiple display options with at LEAST one figure per wave - Sentinel, Menace, Beast... Doesn't seem like it would be Thing, the Doombot, or Warpath. What would they come with? Spider-Man's harness will surely be removable, but is that "enough?" No, I'd guess that Lizard will have the parts to bulk him up (claws, feet, and head) and Xavier might have the jumpsuit under the jacket. I mean, why not make the jacket a tampo, otherwise? Also, it looks like Connors' t-shirt will be removable for a Lizarded out look. HELL! We MIGHT get option Dr. Connors pieces. A pinned sleeve would be insanely cool! Okay, CONVINCED it'll be Connors accessories, not more-Lizardy accessories. And on the Thing front... for me, I don't collect Minimates because they're BLOCK figures, I collect Minimates because they're AWESOME figures, and the best way to complete certain teams (currently). Therefore, what we're seeing with Thing, for me, is a natural evolution, and one that I absolutely love. More unique builds equals a more diverse display. If you prefer the old simpler look, you've got PLENTY of options to choose from. But, if you're looking for something that stands out from every other Minimate, now you've got these newly sculpted figs. I would LOVE a Juggernaut done in this style, since it would look a lot better than the Juggernaut Jr. I currently have.

Sweet! Thanks! And I FULLY intend to get both versions of Thing, assuming I'm not completely broke.

I've lurked here for awhile (thanks to Tenime) but never signed up until the picture of the 90's X-Men set was on here. Vol. 2 #1 got me into comics, and collecting the Blue and the Gold teams in every scale is a goal of mine, always. To that end, I couldn't be more thrilled with this Xavier (from what I can see). I'm VERY impressed with the Thing figure. Looks great to me, and I can't wait for more. I want Connors' jacket, but not enough to buy a figure that looks this poor, and I hate the harness for Spidey. As someone said... forced. Ten, you get my Doombots, bro. Oh, and thank FSM for modern Warpath. I couldn't be happier. Now I don't have to buy the Classic X-Force set (unless it comes with Stryfe armor for Cable)