Hero Factory 2011

[Antrozek]

I need scans before my heart stops working

[Brickthing]

I need scans before my heart stops working

Courtesy of Cholie, here they are!

[TheDesuComplex]

Courtesy of Cholie, here they are!

These are very good scans indeed. This comic is a very good one, albeit a bit short. Too bad they never picked up on the Fire Lord's story, it seems like a good one. How come Stormer doesn't remember? Also, why did the Fire Lord mention a washcloth? Why'd Nitroblast call the Heroes 'Bums'? All questions I want answered.

(I'm guessing that, on the last one, the voice actor for Nitroblast in Ordeal of fire has an Irish/Scottish accent. I'd love that.)

[CabooseBM]

Courtesy of Cholie, here they are!

I love how Stormer's face is covered up by the logo, he'd love that.

[Aethersprite]

Courtesy of Cholie, here they are!

THANK YOU SO MUCH. Anyway, a few things I noticed instantly on the cover:

1) Why do they still have 4 fingers? Was the artist not informed of the new hands?

2) How goofy Furno's goggles look head on.

3) Where are their spikes?

4) Stormer's face ironically blocked off by the HF logo.

Great read!

[Aanchir]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. Anyway, a few things I noticed instantly on the cover:

1) Why do they still have 4 fingers? Was the artist not informed of the new hands?

2) How goofy Furno's goggles look head on.

3) Where are their spikes?

4) Stormer's face ironically blocked off by the HF logo.

Great read!

1) Probably the same reason the Toa Metru had the wrong eye colors and no chest covers in the comics-- the artist was working with preliminary models.

2)If you're talking about the front cover, I actually think they look pretty cool, especially since they've been swiveled out from in front of his eyes. It seems like he's wearing them on his forehead.

Also, Fire Lord asking for a washcloth to wash off "hero oil" is supposed to be a bit ominous. It's the equivalent of a human character saying "Ugh, now I've got blood all over my hands! Someone get me a washcloth."

I also wish we could learn more of Fire Lord's backstory. He's certainly made out to be a creepy villain in this story.

[Aethersprite]

Well, but one think I dislike about this comic is the transformation. "Upgrade"? Lame. It happened too quickly, and no one can dispute the similarities to the Toa Nuva's transformation.

Now that is an aspect of Bionicle that I miss. Oh well.

[Jouster]

This comic is good, but it is kind of cheesy in my opinion.Especially the "Find a soft rock to dump her on" , "Let's see how well you can take the heat, pal" (I find this line kind of stupid because the villains have fire based powers so it's pretty obvious they can resist to fire attacks) "Nitroblast, get me a washcloth" (I did read the post above, but still this line is too weird and out of place). Also there are some errors.Surge was not left behind to distract the villains, the re-fitting room is totally different (the UPGRADE panel is funny and out of place), and Drilldozer instead of saying "Nitroblast" he says "dozer" for some reason. But overall the comic is good but not as good as the first two comics.

[Aanchir]

Well, but one think I dislike about this comic is the transformation. "Upgrade"? Lame. It happened too quickly, and no one can dispute the similarities to the Toa Nuva's transformation.

Now that is an aspect of Bionicle that I miss. Oh well.

Yeah, I'd have much preferred a "re-assembly" much like the lovely assembly sequences we got last year in so many animations. Sitting in weird cylinders isn't nearly as exciting, and kind of undercuts Hero Factory's identity as, you know, a factory. It could have been much better handled IMO.

This comic is good, but it is kind of cheesy in my opinion.Especially the "Find a soft rock to dump her on" , "Let's see how well you can take the heat, pal" (I find this line kind of stupid because the villains have fire based powers so it's pretty obvious they can resist to fire attacks) "Nitroblast, get me a washcloth" (I did read the post above, but still this line is too weird and out of place). Also there are some errors.Surge was not left behind to distract the villains, the re-fitting room is totally different (the UPGRADE panel is funny and out of place), and Drilldozer instead of saying "Nitroblast" he says "dozer" for some reason. But overall the comic is good but not as good as the first two comics.

Ummm... the panel with the "Dozer" goof is something that actually happened all the time in the BIONICLE comics. It isn't that Drilldozer is calling Nitroblast "Dozer", but rather that their speech bubbles are pointing at the wrong characters. It's a pretty minor error, and one that even mainstream comics suffer from. When you read the speech bubbles as if they're coming from the correct characters (that is to say, the reverse of the panel's actual layout), it makes perfect sense.

I thought the "soft rock" panel was actually pretty effective. It establishes Fire Lord's character as a "gentleman villain"-- not afraid to put on airs even when being openly hostile towards his enemies. And as for Furno's fire attack against Fire Lord, even knowing the villains have fire-based powers doesn't mean Furno would expect the villains to be completely immune to flames-- much less to enjoy them.

The failure to leave Surge behind is a real issue, but it's probably an instance of the comic being written earlier than the web content that talks about Surge being left behind.

The only thing I felt especially corny about the comic was "code ultra-red". That "ultra" is totally unnecessary, and the message it's supposed to convey is overshadowed by how very silly a term it is.

[TheDesuComplex]

Also, Fire Lord asking for a washcloth to wash off "hero oil" is supposed to be a bit ominous. It's the equivalent of a human character saying "Ugh, now I've got blood all over my hands! Someone get me a washcloth."

I definitely get those ominous vibes you mentioned, but I still find it a bit odd how robots use washcloths.

I just find something in that statement to disagree with. I would've had Nitroblast say "What's a washcloth!?" after that line, but It's left as it is.

[The Crazy One]

I definitely get those ominous vibes you mentioned, but I still find it a bit odd how robots use washcloths.

I just find something in that statement to disagree with. I would've had Nitroblast say "What's a washcloth!?" after that line, but It's left as it is.

Realisitcally, what else would they use? This is based on Earth so its fine for them to use general human apliances.

As for the comic, I really like how they portrayed the Fire Lord as a gentleman. Really nice touch. Obviously Surge is an issue, so I wonder how they will clear that up. As sets go, I have now completed this wave. ( Just bought Fire Lord today ).

EDIT: The Fire Lords shoulder is easily fixable. Just pull all that jargon off, and the joint will hold. Problem solved.

I am annoyed that Lego have taken the old Hero Factory wave of the Online Shop. There goes my Furno Bike. I'll actually have to go out for this one.

Edited March 8, 2011 by The crazy one

[Front]

Did any of you guys notice that Bricklink.com messed up the inventory of the Heroes 2.0.

BL claims that 90625, the small torso with wide shoulders, is used on all six heroes.

Bricklink catalog entry 90625

Can't find the part design number of the more narrow torso right now. But Stormer 2.0 use it.

[Brickthing]

Did any of you guys notice that Bricklink.com messed up the inventory of the Heroes 2.0.

BL claims that 90625, the small torso with wide shoulders, is used on all six heroes.

Bricklink catalog entry 90625

Can't find the part design number of the more narrow torso right now. But Stormer 2.0 use it.

Strangely, 90625 is the normal Hero torso, 90623 is Fire Lord's extended torso, and there is no 90624. It's almost as if they know it exists but didn't want to add it yet.

I think the more likely explanation is that the person who inventoried the Heroes did so from promotional pictures without having the set themselves, so missed the fact that Stormer has a unique torso.

Speaking of the smaller torso, I'm still surprised that it was made. It isn't used as much as the regular torso and it has less connection points, although I've found the piece useful for better proportions when making MOC bodies out of multiple torso pieces.

[Aanchir]

Strangely, 90625 is the normal Hero torso, 90623 is Fire Lord's extended torso, and there is no 90624. It's almost as if they know it exists but didn't want to add it yet.

I think the more likely explanation is that the person who inventoried the Heroes did so from promotional pictures without having the set themselves, so missed the fact that Stormer has a unique torso.

Speaking of the smaller torso, I'm still surprised that it was made. It isn't used as much as the regular torso and it has less connection points, although I've found the piece useful for better proportions when making MOC bodies out of multiple torso pieces.

BIONICLE and Hero Factory parts often have dreadfully inaccurate Bricklink information. Someday I really ought to work up the nerve and join Bricklink to correct some of the more egregious errors (which generally concern metallic parts or blended parts), but the signup process seems geared towards people who intend to buy and sell using the site, not people who are merely interested in improving the reference catalog. Maybe I'll do it over break, and thus fix such nonsense as the concept of a blended part where both colors are lime.

Also, the fact that there's a gap between the part numbers doesn't mean the Bricklink users know it exists. After all, for those parts they take the part number directly from the official one embossed on the pieces. Such is the case with most parts where that's an option (the exceptions tend to be parts that are too small to have the part number actually embossed on them).

[Bfahome]

Nex has the smaller torso too, just for reference.

[Refia]

Today I bought Stormer 2.0 (the only 2.0 Hero I don't dislike), Jetbug (the only villain I don't dislike) and Fire Lord. I wasn't even planning to buy Fire Lord until two days ago. But when I saw the comic, he looked quite awesome, to be honest, and I liked his character. So, against better judgement because I've read and seen reviews of this guy, I bought him as well.

Stormer 2.0 is good. Aside from the new feet, which I really don't like, I have no complaints about this guy aside from the ones all heroes share: lack of individuality between em, generic look, uninteresting weapon. But the new building style is cool, and, look-wise, there's nothing wrong with him. A good set, though some personality would make me like him even more. 8/10

Jetbug is good as well. He looks appealing, has Bionicle-ish characteristics and pieces, and he doesn't have the, to put it bluntly, horrendous double-arm like Nitroblast or Drilldozer. The magma badge is a very nice piece, as are the transparent armor pieces. The only downside to him that I don't like is the head. The double-sided mask isn't very good, IMHO, and quite distracting. It also makes the head long, and hard to pose. But that aside, this is a good set, the best of the mediocre villain bunch. 8/10

Fire Lord is... a mixed bag. Visually, everything above his hips is plain awesome. He looks so well-armoured, a walking fortress, especially if you use his jetpacks as shoulderpads like in the manual. Put him in front of a light in a dark room and watch his eyes glow! His weapon is generic, but fits, and those magma armor pieces kick megablocks. This guy could have looked great! Then why, oh why, LEGO, did you have to make his legs so atrocious, look-wise? The shins are passable, the gap isn't as bad as with, for example, Takanuva 2008. But those thighs! Holy bricks, how can those twigs even support his mighty armoured upper body?! He NEEDED some armor there. Like DESPERATELY. ANYTHING to bulk that twig-stick-leg up! That, or he needed a different design of leg altogether, something more technic, like Von Nebula. I know you've made a new system, LEGO, but for this guy's legs, it doesn't work! There's no shame in using an older technique if it ends up looking better! And could his feet get any more generic? I find unused balljoints unappealing as it is, but unlike Meltdown, who hides it well, Fire Lord shows his uncovered ankles in broad daylight! It couldn't have taken the designer anything more than a minute to come up with these. They're literally only seven pieces each! The mobility of his arms at the shoulders is horrendous as well, but I don't play with my sets, and he still can get into some poses, so that doesn't bother me as much as his legs.

So, conclusion for Fire Lord? His upper body would get a 9/10 for me, but his legs drag it down. This guy can't get any higher than a 7 from me, and then I'm being very easy on him. A very critical person would give him a 6 or even a 5 at best.So unfortunate, because the upper body of this guy is really good. Do I regret buying him? Not really, I never really regretted buying a set before, and I won't start with it now. But he's definately very average, and it's all because of his legs. Too bad, LEGO! Luckily, Witch Doctor seems to solve a lot of the problems with the legs, so let's blame Fire Lord's shortcomings on the designers not yet being used to the new system. Such a shame.

Also, for some reason, whenever I look at Fire Lord, or more specifically, his helmet, I am reminded of Sauron. 0_o

Edited March 11, 2011 by Refia

[Rocketbilly]

I'm loving the direction Hero Factory is taking, especially the concept of snapping on armour to limbs to make a hero, which is why I'm so happy about the online build-a-hero or whatever they're calling it (Recon Team?)

Anyway, I'm aware that there wont be any exclusive parts for it, but I'm not sure exactly what that means. Does it mean we'll basically get to make a figure out of 100% already existing parts? or will existing parts be available in new colours also? I know there wont be any new molds, but I know there's going to be the exclusive black and silver marbled chest cap piece. What I'm wanting to know is, will it be possible for us to get, say, a generic Hero 2.0 helmet piece, but in black? I know that wont be appearing in the Summer wave so in order for it to exist Lego would have to specially produce it, which I suppose would make it an "exclusive" part, and thus I imagine the answer to my question would be "No".

Does anyone know any more about how the system will work? I can't find anything else about it on the internet, but some speculation or opinions from others would be helpful. Maybe I've missed something

I've already designed my Hero in my head, I just want to know if it's possible.

[Shine]

What I'm wanting to know is, will it be possible for us to get, say, a generic Hero 2.0 helmet piece, but in black? I know that wont be appearing in the Summer wave so in order for it to exist Lego would have to specially produce it, which I suppose would make it an "exclusive" part, and thus I imagine the answer to my question would be "No".

Does anyone know any more about how the system will work? I can't find anything else about it on the internet, but some speculation or opinions from others would be helpful. Maybe I've missed something

I've already designed my Hero in my head, I just want to know if it's possible.

Well, based on this, I'd say they offer a pallet of ten possible colors, which at least some of the elements can be set as.

[Rocketbilly]

Well, based on this, I'd say they offer a pallet of ten possible colors, which at least some of the elements can be set as.

Thanks! I've seen that picture before but nowhere near as clear as that and I'd also forgotten where to find it, so you've helped a lot.

Looks like my all black or black/gunmetal Hero is possible after all, so I don't have to buy a load of extra sets for parts and decapitate my Jimi Stringer :

[The Iron Knight]

Thanks! I've seen that picture before but nowhere near as clear as that and I'd also forgotten where to find it, so you've helped a lot.

Looks like my all black or black/gunmetal Hero is possible after all, so I don't have to buy a load of extra sets for parts and decapitate my Jimi Stringer :

Actually, it looks like individual parts will have less than ten colors to use.

I think it's based on what colors a given part has been released in, so it's likely that only existing 2.0 and 3.0 parts will be in the thing, minus the Recon Team chest piece.

Edited March 12, 2011 by The Iron Knight

[VBBN]

Does that bottom picture have...pink?

Edit OMG wait, that "pink" is the same color as furnos blade...which means we can use the trans orange one that was on jetbug(since their are no "exclusive" colors other than the recon chest) :')

[The Crazy One]

Can someone explain to me this Recon chest piece? Is it to colours? Why is it so special?

[The Iron Knight]

Can someone explain to me this Recon chest piece? Is it to colours? Why is it so special?

It's the marbled black/silver chest piece, which would be exclusive to the Recon Team members created by people.

[Antrozek]

I just noticed that the recon chest piece looks like Rocka XL chest piece

[JediStormX]

Speaking of Hero Recon Team, there are a few displays promoting the Recon Team in my local LEGO Store. However, I still can't find anything new about it on the LEGO-site.

I read something about HRT on www.herorecon.lego.com It sounds realli cool with the new leader Hero