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Marvel: Wave 15


Urban Saboteur

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Just to weigh in here, at the request of Urban Saboteur:

- These figures were never slated for mass. Minimates were only going to specialty retailers at this point, not Toys "R" Us.

- Without sharing these figures with Toys "R" Us, the production would have hinged entirely on the specialty orders. I'm actually surprised they reached the test shot stage.

- DST is NOT set up to sell direct-to-consumer in any sort of real numbers. Selling direct-to-retailers is the best we can do, and based on the mixed reactions from serious Minimate collectors on these forums, I doubt fan response would have been much different than the retailers' commitment.

- Windows for the movies are limited, so we can definitely not produce these figures any more.

- I do not believe there were ever any plans to do GR2 Minimates, possibly due to the initial reaction to these figures, and the generally low expectations for the sequel.

- While I personally did not care for the first movie, I am looking forward to the second. Big Crank/Gamer fan.

Should we be safe to assume no Spider-Man mates for the new movie either?

LOL we would be so bloomin lucky.

Amen!

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. . .and the generally low expectations for the sequel.

Anyone feeling this way must not have seen the first trailer. The man pisses flames. PISSES FLAMES, I SAY!!!

Should we be safe to assume no Spider-Man mates for the new movie either?

L-O-L!!

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- DST is NOT set up to sell direct-to-consumer in any sort of real numbers. Selling direct-to-retailers is the best we can do, and based on the mixed reactions from serious Minimate collectors on these forums, I doubt fan response would have been much different than the retailers' commitment.

Question Zach: Do comic retailers have a lot of sway over what characters you guys release?

Like I know Wal-Mart can tell companies “we want x, we don’t want y” and if those demands aren’t met the buyers won’t purchase the line for ANY of the stores, but with comic shops doesn’t it work more like “here’s the merchandise, if you want it order it” so if store K knows only one guys buys minimates they won’t order and get 3 sets left over, and if store Q knows they only sell out on X-Men waves and this is Avengers themed they’ll order less units, etc...

There’s no Comic Shoppes Cabal telling you “NO KANG! MORE SPIDER-MEN!” is there? (I mean, aside from their order numbers doing the talking, like do they have a guy who tells you what you can and can’t sell them?)

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Question Zach: Do comic retailers have a lot of sway over what characters you guys release?

Like I know Wal-Mart can tell companies “we want x, we don’t want y” and if those demands aren’t met the buyers won’t purchase the line for ANY of the stores, but with comic shops doesn’t it work more like “here’s the merchandise, if you want it order it” so if store K knows only one guys buys minimates they won’t order and get 3 sets left over, and if store Q knows they only sell out on X-Men waves and this is Avengers themed they’ll order less units, etc...

There’s no Comic Shoppes Cabal telling you “NO KANG! MORE SPIDER-MEN!” is there? (I mean, aside from their order numbers doing the talking, like do they have a guy who tells you what you can and can’t sell them?)

If retailer orders are low enough, we cancel waves. I assumed that was what happened with GR, but there may have been other issues at play, like timing. If reference art was late in coming, we might have missed our window -- maybe they would have gotten to shelves late. Regardless, it would have to be bad for us to eat prototyping and painting costs, as well as tooling. I can't remember another Marvel wave or set that has been cancelled after prototyping and solicitation, although some were cancelled in development. (Please do not ask me what they were.)

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Just to weigh in here, at the request of Urban Saboteur:

- These figures were never slated for mass. Minimates were only going to specialty retailers at this point, not Toys "R" Us.

- Without sharing these figures with Toys "R" Us, the production would have hinged entirely on the specialty orders. I'm actually surprised they reached the test shot stage.

- DST is NOT set up to sell direct-to-consumer in any sort of real numbers. Selling direct-to-retailers is the best we can do, and based on the mixed reactions from serious Minimate collectors on these forums, I doubt fan response would have been much different than the retailers' commitment.

- Windows for the movies are limited, so we can definitely not produce these figures any more.

- I do not believe there were ever any plans to do GR2 Minimates, possibly due to the initial reaction to these figures, and the generally low expectations for the sequel.

- While I personally did not care for the first movie, I am looking forward to the second. Big Crank/Gamer fan.

Should we be safe to assume no Spider-Man mates for the new movie either?

LOL we would be so bloomin lucky.

Amen. If they make a spider-man movie wave it will be the first spidey related wave I won't get. I HATE that costume.

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I can't remember another Marvel wave or set that has been cancelled after prototyping and solicitation, although some were cancelled in development. (Please do not ask me what they were.)

You are some kind of tease, you know that? :tongue:

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Perhaps when the 15th anniversary rolls around we'll see a pair of Comic GR Box Sets

Ghost Rider through the Ages

Johnny Blaze

Dan Ketch

Current female Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider 2099

All with extra heads and hair for human and demon transformation

the second would have to include

Western Ghost Rider

Vengeance

Mephisto

Blackheart

Both boxes would have giant 15th anniversary stamp on the front as an extra nod/Easter egg for collectors in the know.

I would buy that first box in half a heartbeat. Swap out Mephisto (since we already have him) for Blackout in the second box and I'd jump on that too.

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Obviously im not going to ask what they were, but hiw bad could a set be if it was canned, whilst age of x or curse of the mutants got made?

Minimates were really in a different, bad place then. The brand felt like it was on life support, after waves 12 and 13 were kind of clunkers (and had been released only after a year-long dry spell) and 14 didn't seem to sell through too well. I don't think DST could afford another miss, and a line with six of seven characters being somewhat bland-looking civilians, that wave was just a bad bet. That they came out strong with the poppy, comic-focused, fan-favorite wave 16 instead may have been what saved the line, IMHO.

My point being that, with a much stronger brand and the support of TRU, Minimates can maybe afford to take some risks like Curse and AoX better than before.

Edited by Lobsterman
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Obviously im not going to ask what they were, but hiw bad could a set be if it was canned, whilst age of x or curse of the mutants got made?

I never said they were canceled for quality issues, but I'll ignore the dis and say that one of them was for a specific retailer, who cut back on the number of sets they wanted. I believe some of the cancelled figures will make it into the regular two-packs. But not all. And given this board's general attitude towards this year's event-based sets, I don't think they will be missed overmuch, especially since they were exclusives, and therefore a hassle for some.

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Obviously im not going to ask what they were, but hiw bad could a set be if it was canned, whilst age of x or curse of the mutants got made?

I never said they were canceled for quality issues, but I'll ignore the dis and say that one of them was for a specific retailer, who cut back on the number of sets they wanted. I believe some of the cancelled figures will make it into the regular two-packs. But not all. And given this board's general attitude towards this year's event-based sets, I don't think they will be missed overmuch, especially since they were exclusives, and therefore a hassle for some.

This is the part where Zack tells us it was "Avengers Forever" with Kang, Songbird, Captain Marvel and... does it really matter? Thankfully we dodged that bullet! :yucky: Am I right, guys? Guys?

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This is the part where Zack tells us it was "Avengers Forever" with Kang, Songbird, Captain Marvel and... does it really matter? Thankfully we dodged that bullet! :yucky: Am I right, guys? Guys?

Who's Zack?

And calling "Avengers Forever" an event is being generous.

Edited by Zach Oat
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This is the part where Zack tells us it was "Avengers Forever" with Kang, Songbird, Captain Marvel and... does it really matter? Thankfully we dodged that bullet! :yucky: Am I right, guys? Guys?

Who's Zack?

And calling "Avengers Forever" an event is being generous.

Whoops, my bad. Sorry about that. :blush:

And "Avengers Forever" might not be an event, and probably not deserving of a box set devoted to it, but it's possibly THE quintessential Avengers story, and about (I'm guesstimating here) fifty bajillion times better then any Avengers story Marvel has published in the last 10 years.

Busiek > Bendis :thumbsup:

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And given this board's general attitude towards this year's event-based sets, I don't think they will be missed overmuch

I think that attitude has been directed more towards the events chosen than the making of event-based sets in general. Unless you meant the cancelled set was tied into Age Of X or Curse Of The Mutants specifically, in which case sure...

BUT it's always a bummer to hear about cancelled Minimates, even ones I might not be personally interested in.

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And "Avengers Forever" might not be an event, and probably not deserving of a box set devoted to it, but it's possibly THE quintessential Avengers story, and about (I'm guesstimating here) fifty bajillion times better then any Avengers story Marvel has published in the last 10 years.

Given the fact that most of the team members are pulled from different times, and even alternate realities, and the consequences are not very tangible (Kang and Immortus split, Rick Jones and Genis merge), I tend to think of it as an alternate-reality side adventure. There's also way too much time travel (which I always considered the FF's realm) and non-members (Songbird/Capt. Marvel) and cowboys and a lot of talk about "destiny." I actually got bored halfway through and stopped buying it. Granted, I read it when it came out, so I was... 21? Practically a kid! If I read it today, in one volume, maybe I'd feel differently.

But when I think Quintessential Avengers storyline, I think of "Avengers Under Siege," or "Ultron Unlimited."

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And "Avengers Forever" might not be an event, and probably not deserving of a box set devoted to it, but it's possibly THE quintessential Avengers story, and about (I'm guesstimating here) fifty bajillion times better then any Avengers story Marvel has published in the last 10 years.

Given the fact that most of the team members are pulled from different times, and even alternate realities, and the consequences are not very tangible (Kang and Immortus split, Rick Jones and Genis merge), I tend to think of it as an alternate-reality side adventure. There's also way too much time travel (which I always considered the FF's realm) and non-members (Songbird/Capt. Marvel) and cowboys and a lot of talk about "destiny." I actually got bored halfway through and stopped buying it. Granted, I read it when it came out, so I was... 21? Practically a kid! If I read it today, in one volume, maybe I'd feel differently.

But when I think Quintessential Avengers storyline, I think of "Avengers Under Siege," or "Ultron Unlimited."

Granted, it's a little plot-heavy; I think you really have to have a deep knowledge of Avengers continuity to fully appreciate it (not saying that you don't, but my wife doesn't, so I'd never suggest she reads it). But I appreciate the scope, the fact that Busiek successfully tied up a lot of contradictory threads in Avengers history, and the interaction of the characters. Not to mention the Pacheco artwork. :wub: I dunno, I just think that when Busiek's writing a big story, and he's on, few can match him. BTW, if you're ever at a con (and I know you are....) you can often find the hardcover for around the $10 mark. Well worth it.

And I'd agree that the two stories you mention are right up there. Ah, I miss the days when I liked the Avengers....

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