2012 Comic shot discussion
 

So as we know the MU 2012 series features a comic shot in place of the insignia that usually defined the series.

Let us discuss this new addition in light of the changes this line has undergone since its debut!

I don't know how many of you have their hands on the new 2012 figures and have seen these comic shots.

When I first heard about them, I felt mixed. I really like the fury files that the first two series featured and I was really jaded to see them go.

Year 3 featured no file and only stands. Now this year we have only the comic shot and no stand. The comic shot itself is very underwhelming, a piece of cardboard and it is very small. In my opinion it is NO replacement for the Fury File or even the stand. It seems like an idea a collector would come up with when they create custom packaging for their custom made figures. It's a great idea on that level, but Hasbro really dropped the ball on this idea.

One positive thing I do like about it is the personalization and the stability of this idea. The fact that MU is in it's 4th year and it is still changing style is disturbing to me. We all loved how they would create themes for the figures "SHIELD, HAMMER etc" but it no longer makes sense without the Fury File to try and do that. To me, this comic shot is something they can keep going with (although it is still underwhelming of a concept)

With all that in mind, GIVE ME MY STANDS BACK!! >.<

The comic shots aren't bad. Just got the new waves off of ebay. But yes wish they had the comic stands.

This new gimmick is crap. The stands had all the functionality. Doesnt help the collectors that throw away the packaging in five minutes after opening. A piece of cardboard isnt going to keep these guys from falling off my display shelf. The stands were a blessing.

Too true, glad I'm a MOC =)

I opened up the new wave last night, and although I knew beforehand that they didn't include the stands, it was still disappointing once I got them open. The comic shots are neat in theory, but it would be better if there was more to it than a tiny flimsy piece of cardboard. The stands were functional and added to the perceived value for the price of the figures. I enjoyed the Fury Files, too, but I can understand why those would be the first thing to get cut to save costs.

I think the comic shots concept would have been much better if the stands were still included, and somehow modified to hold the comic shot. Like maybe have a clear part of the stand that the cardboard comic shot could be slid under to personalize it for that character. That would have made them more functional. As it is now, I just feel like I'm getting less for my money. The fact that this wave (and the last) contained no new tooling doesn't help that perception, either. The only thing keeping me from being upset is the knowledge that the next several upcoming waves are heavy on new tooling.

Fallen brings up a good point. A lot of this could revolve around production costs.

Three facts stand true:

1. Articulation has gotten better over time
2. Inclusion of accessories has gotten better...albeit slowly
3. Extra items such as files, stands have wavered

So the question becomes...would you rather have a well articulated and accessorized figure without a stand or the opposite?

if they included the comic shots ON the stands i would have been happy. not including stands at all however is a step backwards rather then forwards

I am also sad to see the stands go although I DO NOT miss the variants of the stands because I was a completist until they started with the variant stands, that was stupid IMO. I was wondering are they going to do variants with the comic shots? Does anyone know?

Well.. All your points are valid but I Collect GiJoes as well and the articulation, detail and accessories that those figures come with are almost at the same level of say.. Hot Toys, it's fair to say that the GiJoes are the best figures when it comes to the 3.75" scale figures. They have removable Suppressors, removable bullets, replaceable heads and stands. So, I don't understand why the MU line had to remove the stands..

Although I definitely wouldn't compare the quality of GI Joes to Hot Toys, I will definitely support the fact that if Hasbro can give us such a high level of quality with GI Joes, than they should be able to produce MU of the same quality. I realize different teams design different figure lines, but enough is enough.

Give me articulation over stands any day.

With that being said, and with the amount of accessories a typical Joe figures has, there is no plausible reason in my mind why MU can't continue including stands. Even if it's a quarter sized disc with one peg on it it would be a huge benefit.

Also like Mr Chips said, you got guys like Low-Light that have accessories to the hilt, down to a cartridge box with a removable bullet! Great paint apps, well articulated (I'll overlook no thigh swivel, but c'mon man), and often a bit of change to a dollar less than MU.

But I''l be buying them no stands or whichever way they will come. I'm a sucker, I know.....I know.....

^ yeah, and check out the new Storm Shadow.. He has fricking ninja stars that he can hold! :D but aside from the fact that GiJoe figures are awesome and that they have different teams making and coming up with ideas for the GiJoe and Marvel figures you gotta hand it to the guys designing marvel figs as well 'cuz the articulation the new figures have is awesome. It would have been nice if we got more accessories for the figures and stands. Either way I'd still be buying MU figures

Ok, let me put things in perspective. If the figure doesn't include a stand, than why can't it stand on its own? That seems like a pretty reasonable request to me.

I give them (MU) a pass for accessories "cuz they haz sooper powerz" butwould it kill them to keep the stands, shoot charge me another quarter for that 2 cent stand. Damn.


I did see a Techno Viper at Walgreens today. Actually you could see it across the store, that purple uniform jumps! I like it but if I'm paying Walgreens prices I'm holding out for zombie Vipers......

One thing to keep in mind when comparing Joes to MU... Hasbro owns GI Joe outright. They don't have to pay any licensing or royalty fees to anybody. It's their property and they keep everything they make off of it. With MU (and any other property that Hasbro licenses rather than owns), they have to pay the licensor (Marvel in this case) a cut just for the right to make the toys, plus a percentage on whatever the sales are. This likely has something to do with the difference in "value" between Joe and MU. Hasbro can afford to include a shit ton more accessories in the Joe line.

That said, I don't know that that completely explains the reason behind dropping the stands. And not having the stands included any more sucks.

I can't afford it, but I want one of those pretty badly. What's up with that figure anyway, it seems out character for the GI Joe line. Is it from that GI Joe Infection comic?

That makes sense, but..... they're stands.
Action figures like this are so wildly popular right now because of collectors, not kids. For example, Hasbro knows they can put out an old school character like Iron Fist (again, then again, fuck!) and it will sell very well (at this point in the line at least). That said, to release the same line without something as standard and easy/generic to produce as a stand seems counterproductive. I mean hell, 1/3 of these figures are a pain in the ass to stand up on their own as it is.

To tell the truth I have no idea, I just know I want to troop build those creepy bastids.......

I know dude, I know... Doesn't make a lot of sense to me either.

Very good point. Who knows maybe Marvel is demanding more $$$ from Hasbro from the profits, so Hasbro decides to save cost by not including them. Or they could be alternating every other year or so forth regarding the stands. The first year they put these out they didn't include stands.

I agree with 100% of this. I'm still not sure how a GI Joe is 1 cheaper, yet packs in more articulation, better plastic, a stand, and all sorts of awesome pack-ins out the ass.

Probably licensing fees and that type of shit.

Eh, I use clear stands anyways, so the included stands are just one more thing I have to store. I'm fine with just figures with accesories

I took older stands from the Hulks and Thanos and glued my comic shots onto the stands. It looks pretty cool. I have them at work. I will take pics on Tuesday and share.

The stands are so ridiculously plain that they could be produced by the thousands and it wouldn't effect Hasbro's bottom line. The stands are all produced the same way, all the same, so unless it is expensive to print random names on them (it isn't) than they should have stands.

By the way. don't mind my avatar, it is my way of referencing some creepy cologne that I saw right away during my Chicago trip. Why would a company make a cologne bottle shaped like a torso with a crotch bulge? WTF?

I don't use the stands since I'm able to get them to stand on their own... But I do wish they would've brought back the file cards. No need for the envelope, just the cards would be nice.