R is for Requisite

The summer season of LEGO releases is close at hand. It is time to start gearing up and planning what I absolutely need, and what I can live without. Sadly, my lowly teacher’s salary does not allow me to go crazy, or even get all the sets I would like to have. So, I pay close attention to what is out, what is on its way to retirement, and what is looming on the horizon when I plan my purchases. I sometimes buy sets because I love the look of the set. Other times, I buy a set because it contains a lot of pieces that I need for my custom projects. My third major reason for buying a set is the Minifigures that come with it. I have been known to buy sets I don’t really like for the Minifigs in them. So, my list of sets that I want is not always the same as the list of sets that I want for just the Minifigures. Today, I will introduce you to my 10 requisite Minifigures that will be released in Summer 2017 (in no particular order).

10. Minifigures Series 17 – Parisian Man
In truth, I will probably get most (if not all) of the Series 17 Minifigures. But, if I had to pick only a few, I definitely would add the Parisian Man to my list. He will go very well with my Creator modular Parisian Restaurant set. He also comes with the first LEGO bulldog that I have ever seen.

09. Minifigures Series 17 – Corn Suit Guy
Who doesn’t want a Minifigure dressed as a corn cob?

08. Minifigures Series 17 – Jazzercise Fan
I am always on the lookout for new and original Minifigure parts, and that hairdo is one I have never seen before.

07. Minifigures Series 17 – Pastry Chef
While I have a large number of LEGO chefs already, surprisingly, none of them are female. This one also comes with a new pie design, and a whisk! She will take over the bakery in my Creator modular Assembly Square set.

06. Star Wars – Darth Maul
Darth Maul is my all time favorite Star Wars character. Say what you will about the prequel trilogy, but Darth Maul was awesome. I was psyched when they brought him back in the Clone Wars series, as well as Rebels. Shockingly, I do not have a regular Darth Maul Minifigure yet. I get the Star Wars LEGO advent calendar every year, so I do have Christmas Darth Maul. I don’t generally collect Star Wars LEGO for budget and storage reasons. But, this Darth Maul comes in a relatively inexpensive set. Technically, it is not a “summer” set. It was released in February. But, it was also released after my last round of LEGO budgeting, so for me, it goes in my summer purchases. The set is called Duel on Naboo (75169).

05. The LEGO Batman Movie – Bane
While not strictly a traditional Minifigure, I am thrilled with this Bane figure. He will arrive this summer in set 70914: Bane’s Toxic Truck Attack. Bane has been released as a normal Minifigure in the past. He was never quite imposing enough in that form. He is supposed to be all pumped up on a fictional super-steroid called Venom, and this figurine finally captures that. The set has a number of interesting pieces that I can see myself using in other projects as well. The new wave of LEGO Batman Movie sets is set to be released sometime in June.

04. DK DC Comics Super Heroes: The Awesome Guide – Wonder Woman
This is an exclusive variant of Wonder Woman that will only be available with DK’s new DC Comics Super Heroes book, The Awesome Guide. It is based off of a Wonder Woman costume variation seen in the comic books in 2015. The book is set to be released on May 2.

03. DC Super Heroes – Wonder Woman
What? Wonder Woman again? I already have two Wonder Woman Minifigures at home, but this summer it will be four. This Wonder Woman is based on her look from the upcoming movie. I am pretty sure that this is the same Minifigure seen in the Batman V Superman sets, but I skipped that one because the set itself was expensive and did not interest me. This is a much cheaper alternative, and this Wonder Woman comes with blue hood and cape like you see in the movie trailer. The set it comes in is called 76075: Wonder Woman Battle, and it is slated for a May 1 release date.

02. City: Jungle Exploration – Leopard
Again, this one is not strictly speaking a Minifigure, but it is definitely a figurine that I need to get. I love big cats, and I have been waiting for LEGO to start making them. The one seen above will be part of the new City subtheme that centers on jungle exploration. It is their science based series of sets for the year. These sets are also expected this June. The leopard will come in the largest (and most expensive) set, called the Jungle Exploration Site (60161). An all black variant of the cat will be available in the slightly cheaper Jungle Halftrack Mission set (60159). I would like to get both…

01. The LEGO Batman Movie – Tiger Suit Batman
This little set is supposed to be offered as a freebie at some point. I am aware that it has already popped up in a couple of places around the world, but it has yet to surface in Canada. My hope is that it will be an upcoming LEGO Store free-with-purchase offer. Maybe in conjunction with the release of the Blu-ray of the LEGO Batman Movie? Or perhaps with the new wave of LEGO Batman movie sets? It is officially known as the Battle Pod.

What Minifigures are you looking forward to this summer?

This post was written as part of the April A-to-Z blogging challenge. You can read more about the challenge by visiting the official website. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my LEGO themed letter “S” post!

Until next time,

-T.N.B.