Packaging for the upcoming 4th Wave of Star Trek (image courtesy of Playtrek)

While Wizard World Chicago has been somewhat void of coverage from any of the other major toy sites, some images have surfaced, via Playtrek’s John Tenuto, that show off the new packaging design for the Star Trek Minimate line. On display (in these photos, at least) were Wave 4’s packaging along with another look at Wave 5. Also showcased was the packaging for the “Mirror, Mirror” box set.

On a side note, while capturing some of the other Star Trek figures being created by Diamond Select, the photographer managed to catch some incidental shots of Marvel’s Iron Man and Hulk movie ‘mates. Some points to mention are the apparent switchable legs on the Iron Man figures and the much greener look of the Hulk figures. Also, the Iron Man Minimates were shown as being slated for an August release.

Special thanks to Matty-lad for offering the heads up, and Playtrek for giving us a glimpse.

Marvel’s 20th Wave: Havok & Polaris

Review by Dragon
Images by Cappy

HAVOK

Alex Summers is the younger brother of Scott Summers, the mutant known as Cyclops. As such, it was an inevitability that he would become exposed to the world of the X-Men, eventually joining their ranks under the code name Havok.

Havok sports his more classic look as opposed to his current one. His classic look is a bit more simplistic in nature than some of his other costume choices, but it works fine here. The chest is awash in white swirls, presumably to show off his powers. His back features a toned down version of the front, which can serve as a reversible chest piece for when Alex is not blasting an opponent. The face is well done, with the appearance of an angered yell obscured ever so slightly by his mask. The head itself is an interesting sculpt, with three white bands that wrap from the forehead to the back of the head. They are fairly accurate to the source material, though they do look just as silly as they did in the comics.

If there’s one thing that hurts Havok, its the simplicity of his look. There are other, far more appealing costume variations that he has sported over the years than the black with some white circles look that he features here. Also, the demonstration of his powers could perhaps have been handled differently. As is, the front looks like a jumbled mess rather than a visible display of power. The look might have been better suited as the simple circle design on front and back, only instead of using white, apply the black detail to a translucent torso, allowing light to pass through. One area where he lacks simplicity is in the face. A deal of effort was used to add bone structure to Havok’s face, though this is greatly obscured by his painted on mask (done in the same color as the detail line, which can be quite confusing). Finally, Havok comes with no accessories. The inclusion of any of the energy projection pieces we’ve seen over the years, particularly Ryu’s fireball, would have helped flesh out the simplistic look of this figure and really helped give it some personality.

Overall, Havok is a well designed Minimate that closely mirrors his comic book roots. Unfortunately, the particular root that was chosen as a source material leaves a bit to be desired, which carries over to this figure. The simple costume and lack of accessories emphasizes that this figure likely exists as a cost effective filler to round out a wave, which is a shame when you consider the potential that the character carries with it. That’s not to say this figure is bad, only that it lacks luster when compared to those it ranks among.

For a rather eerie coincidence, check out Lurch’s concept art for Havok which predates the release of this figure by at least a year.

POLARIS

Lorna Dane, code named Polaris, is the daughter of Magneto, inheriting by blood his magnetic mutant powers. Her history with the X-Men has been intertwined with Havok’s since almost the beginning, as the two have had an on-again, off-again relationship that has almost seen marriage on one occasion. Having recently lost her powers due to M-Day, she had them restored by Apocalypse before jetting off with the X-Men to the unknowns of space to battle Vulcan for the fate of the Shi’ar Empire.

Though someone more well versed in X-Men lore could tell you better than I, Polaris seems to be sporting her classic look as opposed to any of the numerous other costume choices she’s made over the years (though her current look seems to be a throwback to the classic one, which only complicates pinning down this look that much more). The design looks great, really giving the blocky Minimate style more of a sexy look with the appearance of curves. The detail lines are well done and consistent throughout the figure. The face is also well done, retaining a simplistic look that mirrors the source material quite nicely. Finally, the new sculpt piece, the hair, is really well done, capturing the look of the character with high detail and clean separations between the varying shades of green.

My only real complaint with the character is a lack of accessories, which is hardly a complaint. The ability to attract metal is not exactly an easy power to capture using plastic, though the addition of the long used Iron Fist chi accessory would have made a nice place holder.

Overall, Polaris is a well executed addition to the X-Men family. Her level of detail and excellent work in sculpting far surpass her single flaw in the lack of accessory. Top notch work, as has usually been the case with the Marvel line of late.

In a topic that has seen quite a bit of discussion, DC Direct’s Minimate line has warranted a mention at a recent trade show. Over on Toymania’s message boards, a user named Topkat74 made mention of a visit to the DC Direct booth at the recent Wizard World Chicago. Here’s what he had to say:

Oh yeah, according to the guy behind the counter the minimates are dead and going to be replaced next year with something similar to the Superhero squad toys. He described them as something for both the kids and adults.

So, is this another nail in the coffin that is the DC line? Since we do not have an official confirmation from DC Direct, we can only write it off as another rumor to the fate of the line, but with more and more information like this coming in, a collector would have to be blind to think that the future of DC branded Minimates is a bright one.

Thanks to MMHQ’s own JP for the heads up.

Perhaps not a new phenomenon, but one definitely worth mentioning is the increased popularity of Minimates on YouTube. From continuing series such as Madness for Minimates, Minimates Reality Chat, Mixed Up Minimates, and of course Figuratively Speaking, to numerous reviews of the countless Minimate releases, the video site is filling up with Minimate content.

The movement seems to have been started by the people of DAVE School, known best for their X-Men themed Darktide as well as their Batman themed New Times. DAVE School continues to be the benchmark in Minimate-related animation, though the pool of talent continues to grow every day. It’s only so long before we see a “Robot Chicken” of Minimates.

The Justice League from Smallville, created by Graham

In a bit of a resurrection of an old idea, we here at Minimate Headquarters will be featuring a different customizer each month. For the month of June, we’ll be honoring our first official Customizer of the Month: Graham. Graham was kind enough to sit down with us and answer a few questions. So, without further adieu…

MMHQ: So, how long have you been a Minimate collector?

Graham: I got my first Minimates just after Christmas in 2006. Although I’d had my eye on some cheap C3 stuff for a month or two, my first was New Avengers Captain America.

MMHQ: How long have you been customizing Minimates?

Graham: Beside parts swaps, which started 5 minutes after starting collecting? Early January 2007; I’d already being working on a bit of Lego painting before, so the transition was inevitable and swift.

MMHQ: What got you started?

Graham: As is often the case I stumbled across Minimates Central one day and spent far too long poring over all the reviews and customs. I’ve always loved to draw, and painting Minimates suits my unnatural desire to blackline the edges of everything.

MMHQ: How many customs have you created so far?

Graham: I didn’t think to count them until a week or so ago, so I think I still own around 70, plus the Lego vehicles and dioramas, and there’s probably about 30 more have gone to other, hopefully happy, homes.

MMHQ: On average, how long would you say it takes to complete a custom, from concept to finished product?

Graham: Obviously it depends on how complex but usually once I have the idea it’s around 45 minutes sculpting and 2 hours painting, though usually spread out over a few hours/days/weeks depending on how busy life is.

MMHQ: How does being an active member of the Minimate community influence your work?

Graham: A lot. I don’t post a massive amount in discussions but I’m always looking around the customs section for inspiration. There are so many fantastic customisers around the Multiverse I’m rarely short of ideas. I’d love to be able to give something back to the community, so if anyone’s interested I could attempt a painting tutorial.

MMHQ: Of all of your creations, which would you say is your favorite?

Graham: Usually I’m my own worst critic, but the Smallville group shot (pictured above) turned out mostly as intended. That was one of my favourite moments of the show and it looked pretty cool in Minimate form.

MMHQ: How about a creation from another customizer in the community?

Graham: So many to choose from. I’m going to have to go with TBT’s light-up Cyclops; a great idea and well executed. I have even more respect for this custom after trying to make a light-up Minimate myself and failing miserably.

MMHQ: Do you have any tips or tricks of the trade to pass along to aspiring customizers?

Graham: Patience and flexibility. If a custom doesn’t turn out as you intend, think about if either all or part of it could work better as a different character.

MMHQ: What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Graham: At the moment I’m working abroad so not too much for a couple of months. When I get back, I think the direction will be more TV and Movie-mates - it’s fun making Minimates look as much like the real actors as possible. That said, my Iron Man Hall of Armours needs filling…

MMHQ: Thanks for your time.

Graham: Thanks Minimate Headquarters and thanks all for reading!

So here’s a fun little web toy: http://wordle.net/

I ran the whole JP1000 & Friends story through it and came up with the following image. It’s an interesting perspective on JP’s history.

As for the ongoing story, I’m looking at this weekend for the next installment. Thanks for your patience.

Star Trek Minimates, Series 5 (picture courtesy of Alter Ego Comics)

By Dragon

After the major announcement last week of the 24th wave in the Marvel license, Minimate news has slowed considerably. That being said, this one nugget managed to pop up over at Minimate Multiverse: the 5th wave of Star Trek. Here’s the scoop, courtesy of Alter Ego Comics:

Journey into the unknown with the legendary crews of Star Trek with this fifth assortment of interstellar Minimates from the revolutionary franchise! Featuring “The Trouble With Tribbles” Kirk and Yeoman Rand from Star Trek, Captain Decker and Lieutenant Ilia from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Star Trek Deep Space Nine’s Captain Sisko, Gul Dukat and variant Commander Sisko.

While an official release date has yet to be revealed, Alter Ego is expecting a December release.

This is a MiniMate Action News breaking report.

MiniMate Action News is working to uncover the background of this alleged JP1000 and his unknown army. Stay tuned for further updates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the dank and echoing catacombs beneath Castle Doom, JP1000 stopped and tilted his head. “Do you hear that?”

The army of logo mates that followed him bunched into a jittery pack and paused to listen. A deep, thunderous boom pulsed through the walls around them and shook their very bones. A second detonation erupted. Before it died away, others arose to merge in a continuous rumble of devastation.

Dr. Doom turned to the hesitant blanks. “We are one hundred feet beneath the surface, yet we hear the battle begin. Your vacant minds can not comprehend the forces that are even now punishing my beautiful fortress.”

“Glad we slipped in the back way,” Fake Gold Spidey said.

JP1000 shook his head in wonder. “Good thing our mission is secret, I wouldn’t want to meet that kind of power.”

“No doubt your puny forms would shrivel before the assault above us,” Dr. Doom agreed.

From within the group, Spider-Fan Blank quipped, “I liked him better when he played with dolls.”

“Silence!” Doom bellowed. “I will not suffer the prattle of lesser fools! We must end this farce of a mission now.” Working point, Clear Blank padded ahead. Dr. Doom continued, “At this next intersection, do not venture up the stairs — our mission demands a right turn, moving through the Great Hall and to the dungeons beyond.”

“eep,” Clear Blank said from the next turn.

Emo peered ahead. “What’s wrong? Is he just standing there?”

“It’s so hard to tell what he’s doing,” JP1000 grumbled, then motioned to Fake Gold Spidey and jogged up to join Clear Blank. They reached the intersection and froze. “Ummm…” was all JP1000 could manage.

“Crap,” Fake Gold Spidey supplied.

I hope you all can forgive the sporadic updates this week, as I have been sick for the bulk of the week. Special thanks to Fujis and Cappy for covering for me in my absence.

Marvel Wave 20’s Smart Hulk & Abomination

Review by Dragon
Picture by Cappy

Bruce Banner, scientist and all-around weakling with a troubled past, worked for the military on a gamma bomb project. His life would change forever when they tested his work in the Nevada desert. Saving an innocent from the testing blast, Bruce would take the brunt of the explosion himself, transforming himself into the Hulk. Battling his troubled fate over the years, Bruce would experiment with ways to rid himself of the Hulk, only to bring it on in different, startling ways. One of the numerous incarnations of the Hulk was the Smart Hulk or “Professor” Hulk: a Hulk with Bruce Banner’s intellect.

Smart Hulk comes decked out in a brown jumpsuit, much like the one worn by the Green Goliath during his smarter days in the comics. Distancing itself from previous attempts at the Hulk, this version makes a few changes to the formula, particularly in the bulk department. To better capture the brutish aspect of the character, the long used Powerhouse chest piece was discarded for a newer, bulkier, more detailed version. This chest piece also sports detailed sculpting to accentuate the shirt, which will likely cause some muttering from the minimalist crowd. Still, it looks nice, and the added detail helps capture the look of the character, with the muscle detail standing out nicely from the green skin. The belt is another new piece that serves much like the waist piece on the modern Cylons from the Battlestar Galactica line. It wraps completely around the outside of the lower torso piece and adds a buffer between the upper and lower torso to give the illusion of added height. It works, adding some needed bulk to the character while being stylish to boot. Some new feet were also included with this figure, adding some more needed height. For those fans of the smaller feet, an extra pair has been included with the figure. Finally, the head is a new sculpt. The hair style of this Hulk would be problematic to capture as a hairpiece for a standard head, so instead it was sculpted into one piece. It looks kind of odd sitting atop the rather bulky character, but actually matches the source material pretty closely. The facial detail adds some personality to the character, capturing the knowing look of the smarter Hulk. Rounding out the figure are some detail lines around the ends of the sleeves and pants.

The only real drawback to this character is the very same effort that bulks up the character. The bulky chest piece is nice and adds new size and detail to the figure, but at the same time it makes the chest huge while highlighting just how small the arms are in comparison. The Powerhouse chest piece made some effort to bulk up the shoulder, an effort that was not mirrored here. Also, the amount of sculpted detail will sour the moods of fans who prefer the minimal, more boxy look of the earlier Minimate designs. The feet, however, seem to go more in the route of the minimalist approach, which really throws the figure off balance. Instead of sculpting toes, or even just making them look more foot like, instead we get something that looks more like a duck’s foot. Whether you’re for sculpted detail or against it, the feet miss the target either way. If they’re going to overly sculpt the chest and the head, why did they stop at the feet? And if they were going to make basic, larger feet, why didn’t they just sculpt them to be larger versions of the standard 2″ scale foot? Thankfully, the problem can be avoided entirely by just swapping them out for the standard feet that are included as accessories.

Overall, Smart Hulk is a highly detailed experiment in pushing the limits of the Marvel license size restriction. While it achieves its goal of capturing a good Hulk and squeezing as much as it can from a standard 2″ Minimate, it fails to achieve its goal of making a good, well rounded Minimate. The attempt at bulking the character was not balanced throughout the entire figure, making a tall, lanky Hulk rather than a massive brute. While I personally don’t mind the sculpted chest piece, I still can’t help but feel some bulkier hands and a different angle on the feet would make all the difference in the world.

Abomination

Emil Blonsky was a KGB agent who subjected himself to a similar Gamma treatment as the Hulk, making himself far stronger while still retaining his mental capacity. When he could no longer return to life as a man, he became the Abomination, blaming Bruce Banner for the life he lost and launching himself as one of the Hulk’s most memorable villains.

Abomination, much like Smart Hulk, sports some new innovations in making the most of the 2″ scale. He sports a highly detailed, bulky chest piece, though slightly less sculpted in detail than the Smart Hulk. The detail lines work nice, as do the scaly lines. The belt, too, is a toned down version of Smart Hulk’s, which again works well for the figure. The head is an interesting sculpt. The reptillian like features of the Abomination have been sculpted onto a makeshift hairpiece and really captures the look of the character. The facial detail also works well to capture the truly abominable features of the comic book character. Rounding out the character is the bulked up feet, this time working much better than the Smart Hulk’s feet, since extra effort was used to craft the toes rather than opt for the duck feet look.

On the other end of the coin, Abomination still suffers from the same weight of bulk as Smart Hulk. His proportions aren’t distributed equally, giving a massive brute some really weak arms and legs. The chest block doesn’t feature as much sculpted detail as Smart Hulk, but still distances itself from the standard design. The head looks a tad odd with the reptile like features being a separate piece rather than attached to the rest of the face, giving him a rather sunken face. This may be one time when a fully sculpted head would have been a better choice than building off of a standard one. But the real problem comes from Abom’s inconsistent paint apps. If you look at his shorts, you see detail lines that run parallel to the ground, whereas the blue paint stops at the 45 degree angle, meaning the detail line is for one type of shorts and the fill in color is for another type. Also, the scaling on the figure does not carry over the entire figure, as the hands and feet lack the detail. Given that not even Spider-Man can overcome this particular hurdle, I guess that is a small complaint though.

Overall, Abomination serves as another elephant in the room, a massive hulk that stands out, but you really don’t want to notice. He’s well designed, but some design choices and some inconsistency with the paint really take away from what could have been a powerful addition to the Minimate family.