Is it All Over for Marvel Mega Bloks?????
Got lucky with my first purchase of the blind bag Mega Bloks Marvel micro-figures and found Silver Surfer and now...I can't stop! I've got incomplete sets of the first three waves and...I find out that this might be THE END! No more series of figures past wave three! Say it isn't so!!!!
I've been looking around the internet and can't find anything to confirm or deny it. However, I have run into some interesting information about Lego owning the Marvel license now and causing shenanigans with Mega Bloks through US Customs, Mega suing Lego and US Customs agreeing not to block Mega's product from entrance into the US. Crazy stuff!
So, if anyone knows anything definite about this situation, please let us all know. I can't be the only fan of these little guys on here. Just check out the sculpts that are scheduled (revealed at Toy Fair 2011):
at toyfair this year, they had spiderman movie megabloks, but that is the last of the line. there was no new blind packs on display
One of the boards I read dedicated to MegaBloks has MB reps consistently participate in discussions. Sad to say a MB's rep confirmed that series three blind packs is the last of what they are allowed to offer in the way of "comic" Marvel product. That being said, the MB rep did confirm they had the SPECIFIC movie license for the new Spider Man movie.
At last year's TF, MB showed off almost the entire Marvel universe "A list" in mini figure form. While not confirmed by MB in any way, I believe this was MB's last ditch attempt to keep the marvel license, as the first series of mini figures were selling very well at the time.
Unfortunately, Lego also surprisingly showed of Marvel sets at TF 2011 as well. Shortly during/after TF 2011, Lego made an official statement that they had the rights to both Marvel and DC. It was then that the MB rep on the forum confirmed they no longer had the comic license.
I love MB's mini figures and they are the "marvel legends" of pioneering more realistically sculpted, more articulated mini figures but unless there was something contractually stopping them, IMHO the sat on the Marvel license without exploiting it appropriately. Once they saw their Halo mini figure blind packs sell like hotcakes (and four packs) and given Lego's success in this area as well, they should have immediately rolled full steam ahead with TONS of Marvel blind packs and carded 4 packs. Could you imagine getting a 4 pack of the FF, Spiderman and three enemies, 4 X-men, 4 Avengers, SKrull, Aim, Hydra, Hand army builder for $10-$11 dollars. For me, They could not have made enough.
As a side note, again my opinion, I believe MB let the Marvel license slip through their fingers because they were focusing all their concentration on their new WOW/Starcraft line.
Thanks for the well-written and very informative post, Chris L. Sad news for all fans of the blind packs, but that's just the nature of this hobby, I guess.