DC C3 = A-OK! (the DC minimates thread)

[RooJay]

I recently picked up the first couple pieces in what will become my collection of Art Asylum DC Comics C3 (collect, create, customize) sets. It seemed like I had been waiting forever to get my hands on these things, and now they're finally here! I've always thought the minimates concept was really cool (they always seemed much cooler to me than the other types of mini-figs on the market for some reason), but I'm a dyed in the wool DC fan and the Marvel minimates never really did it for me. Needless to say, I was really excited when I heared this line announced. Not only would I finally be getting minimates of my absolute most favorite comic heroes, but they'd be coming with Lego style building block sets just to sweeten the deal!
The first two sets I've bought are the Batman Batglider with Stealth Batman and Catwoman and the Mini-Batmobile with Batman and Robin. The figures I love, but I was also pleasantly surprised with the building blocks and the vehicles they combine to create. I was a bit worried that I'd be buying these toys only for the figures and that the blocks would end up as junk; which would've made the figures more than a little expensive! So many companies try to copy Lego's style with little success. Non-Lego building block sets usually end up looking cheap, poorly molded with occasional partionally formed blocks and often don't fit together well (I've had problems before with other companies' blocks, such as MegaBloks, actually popping apart). The C3 blocks don't suffer from any of this, and seem just as high in quality as Legos! Not to mention the fact that the vehicles not only look cool, but also represent Lego styled versions of Batman vehicles just like I've always wanted!
The figures themsleves even come with a decent number of accessories - things like actual folding Batarangs, Robin's staff, Catwoman's whip, a grappling hook with a line to swing from, a bag of loot, and a few others. The coolest accessory has to be the extra Batman costume for Stealth Batman that comes with the Batglider! To be honest, I didn't think I needed a Stealth Batman, and considered him just another useless variant. I was surprised to find that I could just take off his mask and cape, replace them with the black cowl and cape with torso armor that's included in the set, and voila...instant movie style Batman! Of course, I ended up really liking Stealth Batman after I got him out of the package anyway (he's one of those variants that seems to "make sense"), but it's a nice little extra nonetheless. I imagine a kid having to choose between getting the Batglider set or the Mini-Batmobile set will be pleasantly surprised that he'd get some sort of basic style Batman with either set! It all works out!
So far I have only found one other C3 construction set - the Batwing, which I do plan on buying soon enough, but I really can't wait for the Apokolips Throne Room with Superman and Darkseid, the Chemical Factory set with Batman and the Joker, the full size Batmobile and the awesome Batcave playset which comes with Batman, Bruce Wayne, Alfred, and a new Joker! The most recent Diamond Previews catalog also has pics of the new upcoming mini-vehicle sets featuring smaller sized vehicles each coming with figures such as the Flash, Martian Manhunter, the alternate universe SUperman from the cartoon, Batgirl, Nightwing and the Riddler. Also upcoming are sets featuring characters such as Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman and Solomon Grundy.
I have high hopes for this line and would highly recommend it to anyone that likes mini-figures or Lego type building block toys, or if you just happen to be a huge DC fan like me! I'm hoping to see a lot more sets in the near future with figures of Green Lantern, Aquaman, Captain Atom, Green Arrow, Red Tornado, the Atom, Supergirl, Hawk and Dove, Zatanna, B'Wanna Beast, Vigilante, Elongated Man, Wildcat, Sand, Mr. Terrific, Atom Smasher, Aztek, and all the other characters from the Justice League Unlimited series (so far the line appears to be limited to the comic and animated versions of Batman and friends, and the animated Justice League; though I am hoping that we'll get some comic versions of DC's others characters as well).

These things are awesome!

[JediTricks]

I have been seeing the Bat-glider set and the Batwing at Kmart for like a month now, but have avoided them so far. I spotted the mini-Batmobile last week at TRU and was tempted, but the paint on Batman's cowl was screwed up on each one and I didn't like how cheesy the vehicle looked. I have also heard that the studs on the bricks are shallow and don't hold that well. On the other hand, I have picked up 3 different Marvel Minimates 2packs from WM over the past month specifically to hang out with these DC Minimates. I can feel myself slipping to this line, but I can't really afford it.

[JediTricks]

Well, I picked up the Mini Batmobile set yesterday. The paint was still sloppy on Batman's cowl, but I picked the best I could. The building bricks studs are more shallow than Lego ones, but the bricks are higher quality than MegaBloks (I'd say they fall somewhere in between MegaB and Lego). However, I was a little disappointed that they had wonky tires compared to the pictures and most of the sets colors were blue rather than black, both are different on the packaging. I like the little C3 logos on some of the studs, and the design is based on an odd number of studs rather than even (the Lego set would have been 10 studs wide rather than C3's 9 studs - the C3 pieces can be used with Lego but this odd number central design will make them a little more complicated to with Lego). The mini mobile uses a lot of specialty pieces and offers few details, but it's a cute little piece I guess and the removable spinning flame is entertaining.

The real stars are the Minimates, both of which are very cool and Batman's cape is quite creative. Robin's wig comes off way too easy, and his elbow doesn't hold that well, but otherwise they're neat figures (though they have the same waist stop issue as all the other minimates I own). The accessories are ok, but I don't know what's up with the string/suction cup thing, or the handle on the batarang. I ended up using the wig from the Iron Man/Dr Doom minimates 2pack I picked up from WM last week for Bruce's head when he's not wearing the cowl.

I haven't really decided if I'm going to get the Batwing or the Glider set, but I am somewhat tempted.

[evenflow]

I picked a couple of the sets up, but am still not crazy about having to get the blocks. I like what they are gpoing to be doing with the future waves with smaller vehicles.

I really want the figures from the Batcave but dont have the room or the money for the cave. If anyone buys multiple sets of the cave, I will gladly take the extra figures off your hands at a good price.

(Also, anyone else having trouble getting to the AA forums?)

[RooJay]

Oddly, I have had absolutely no problems with my bricks not holding. In fact, the two sets I've bought are actually kind of hard to take apart! I've also had no problem with my wheels - perhaps yours are defective? Mine seem quite solid and well made. Perhaps there are some quality control issues and I just managed to get lucky? :confused:

[JediTricks]

Dunno about the bricks, are you comparing the holding to Lego bricks?

It's not that the tires are defective, it's that they only are strips of rubber in the middle of the hubs unlike the picture on the box where the tire goes all the way across the hub.

[JediTricks]

Spotted the Batcave playset at TRU today, $50 and it only has 3 figures (Bruce, super-armor Bats, & Joker). I think the Bruce figure has an extra batsuit though. No Alfred figure shown anywhere, probably would have made the high price a little easier to swallow. The set felt fairly hefty and came in a big box for a building brick set, but they really should have shown off the features better, I wanted to see what the hidden elevator looked like in the top level. The box also has pictures of more DC Minimates, including an awesome-looking Batman that had a cooler cowl and a cape that wrapped around his front.

[evenflow]

Well I am all caught up with the figures, without have to buy all the playsets. I like how the second wave will be much smaller vehicles with a figure.

[RooJay]

I finally managed to find the two small playsets yesterday. I could hardly be happier with Superman and Darkseid! Now I can't wait for the new sets for more characters. Still haven't found the Batcave (okay though since I don't really have the 50 bucjs to spend on it - soon though, it shall be mine!) and haven't seen the full-sized Batmobile.
There are lots of possibilities for this line, though. I'd love to see sets made of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, the JLA Watchtower, the Daily Planet building, War World, maybe some kind of bank heist playset, lots of Bat vehicles - the Batcopter, Batboat, Whirlybat, Batcycle, Robin's Redbird, Batjet, Jokermobile - Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet, Flash's Cosmic Treadmill, perhaps some transparent green GL ring construct vehicles, a Thanagarian fighter...the list just goes on and on! :D

[LTBasker]

Wonder Woman's invisible jet would be SWEET considering the clear SDCC Batwing!

[JediTricks]

Good idea about the invisible jet!

I picked up the Batglider set last night, the Batman figure is apparently emulating Prince with all that purple, the cowl is really silly, and the extra costume doesn't do it for me (the mask is good in theory but doesn't look as nice on the figure, ears too big and nose too far down). The batarang accessory is great, my set came with 2 so I am thrilled (the instructions said 1), and Catwoman's accessories are great too, especially the whip (the bag with lengthening top is a funny addition). Catwoman should have had a hair wig, that would have made up for her squared body. The glider is WAY big, not quite as nifty as the mini-batmobile.

I also spotted the Supes vs Darkseid set yesterday, but the paint on all the figs in each set was jacked so I passed for now. I also saw the Bats vs Joker set, it's a C3 under the JL license and uses a different design for Batman's outfit and face, I'm not sure if I'm into it or not. This line is pretty cool though, I hope to get a few more Marvel Minimates to go with 'em.

[JediTricks]

Anybody else at all into these?

Anyway, I picked up the Darkseid set, the minimate figs are ok, but the building brick set itself is bland and boring, there just isn't anything really exciting here.

I haven't spotted any more Marvel Minimates lately, I fear they've dried up. :(

[evenflow]

I am into these, but not as much as the Marvel ones. I like the upcoming series with the smaller C3 sets.

I think once they get all the C3 stuff out Marvel Minimates for wave 7 will finally ship. I think they took on more than they expected and are obviously behind now.

[Reefer Shark]

I love minimates, but I'm just not really into most DC characters. I've almost bought the mini-Batmobile a few times though, maybe I will someday.

Now if for some crazy reason they release Lobo or Demon 'mates, I would be all over 'em. But I doubt that will happen.

[JediTricks]

Finally found the full-sized Batmobile at Kmart last night, $20.99 and I think it's worth it... not for the figure though, he's unique but not really different enough from the others, he seems like a mix-n-match of other Batman minimates but actually he's not. His accessories suck, the tiny stick mixer or whatever that is looks like nothing, and the wrap-around cape requires his arms come off and then it doesn't touch the ground. Still, the batmobile is a lot of fun, I posted my thoughts on it here: 364705

[RooJay]

Anyone else have the Batcave yet? I got it for Christmas and I'm quite happy with it. It would've been nice to get that Alfred figure included here but the sheer size of the thing and the number of pieces makes up for it in my mind. The sucker's heavy and it has so many pieces I swear it took about two hours to assemble! Just sorting through all the pieces to find the ones I needed took up a lot of time! There're a ton of cool features to boot - my favorite is the hidden elevator behind the clock. The tiny portrait of Brucie's mini-mom and dad is worth mentioning too. Compared to Lego sets of comparable size this one's well worth the fifty bucks, I'd say. A Lego set with this many pieces would run a hundred bucks easy.

[JediTricks]

I've only read one other review of the cave, it was not favorable at all, so this is a good counterpoint to that. What else is going on there? The box doesn't really give a good impression of what it offers.

On the Batmobile, I was looking at the 1/18th scale Hot Wheels one in my living room and realized that even the wings on the C3 Mini-Batmobile would be too big for it, but the little wings on the Batglider are much closer to the right size even though they have those yellow stripes and aren't exactly the same shape. I'm going to monkey around with the big Batmobile some more tonight, I haven't had much time with it and since I'm sick stuck at home anyway, what the heck.