Well, the title is a little pompous, because it is undoubtedly a novelty for 2012 in the LEGO Super Heroes Marvel range, but we do not know anything about this set except that:

- It bears the reference 6873
- It will contain at least Spiderman and Octopus
- It is scheduled for 15/08/2012
- Its price in Australian dollars is 69.99 AUD
- It is referenced on Mr Toys Toyworld, Australian online toy retailer

Wait & see therefore, while waiting to know a little more about this set which could be a remake in the spirit of the sets released in 2004 in the Spiderman range with at the time no less than four different versions of Doc Ock ...

2012, it's done, let's move on to 2013 ....

This is the site yakface which unveils the rumor: The official packaging of the products derived from the Star Wars license for 2013 could see Yoda replace Darth Maul who dresses the 2012 range.

Don't get carried away, this is just a rumor, which would come straight from Lucas Licensing anyway, and the visual above is a montage from YAK_Jayson meant to show you what it could be like ...

We will probably know a bit more in the coming weeks.

We have known for a few months now, a video game called LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is on the rails.

A visual was already available, announcing the presence of at least Superman alongside Batman.

A new visual confirms the upcoming release of the game on most platforms: Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS, XBOX 360 and Playstation (3 / Vita).

The game should bring together all the super heroes of the DC Universe line, Batman, Robin, Superman and Wonder Woman; who will unite to fight against the most emblematic villains: The Joker, Lex Luthor or Catwoman.
No release date has been officially announced, but we can bet on the end of the first quarter of 2012.

Note the mention RP (Rating) at the bottom right of the image indicating that the game is pending classification regarding the minimum age requirement.

To begin with, let's use the terms of press release dating from San Diego Comic Con in July 2011 and endorsing the partnership between LEGO and Disney / Marvel:

"... The LEGO SUPER HEROES Marvel collection will spotlight three Marvel franchises - Marvel's The Avengers movie, and X-Men and Spider-Man classic characters ..."

"… Marvel characters as Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Loki and Black Widow to LEGO minifigure form ... Wolverine, Magneto, Nick Fury and Deadpool… Spider-Man, and Doctor Octopus…"

But this partnership is only valid for the comic versions of Spiderman and the X-Men, while it takes into account the film The Avengers which will be released in May 2012. Indeed, the film versions of Spiderman belong to Sony Pictures Entertainment which manages the license for derivative products.

But that is no longer true since Disney which now owns Marvel (are you following?) Acquired the rights to the next movie The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). Sony will continue to produce and distribute the films in the franchise, but Disney will now have the right to market derivative products based on these films.
In my opinion, the second film in this new saga will likely be produced by Disney / Marvel, Sony having been ousted from the equation by then ... 

We therefore learn that:

1. The sets will be based on the so-called characters conventional from the Spiderman universe.

2. We will undoubtedly find Doctor Octopus alongside Peter Parker.

3. Disney has the rights for the next Spider-Man in theaters. Disney has an agreement with LEGO on the characters and their universe.

And that's all...

What we know elsewhere:

The film The Amazing Spider-Man, reboot of the series which will therefore not be linked to the films released previously in 2002, 2004 and 2007, will be released in France on July 4, 2012. Andrew Garfield (seen in not much significant so far) will don the spider-man costume alongsideEmma Stone.

The scenario of the film revolves around the youth of Peter Parker and the discovery and mastery of his powers.

LEGO will obviously take advantage of the buzz around the film to promote its sets.

What do I think of it :

If we refer to the terms used in the press release [... Spiderman classic characters ...], I can't help but think of the range of toys marketed in the early 2000s by Toy Biz under the name Spiderman classics. It was a series of collectible figurines sold in blister packs and accompanied by a comic book.
This range began in 2001 to be modified in 2003 (with the deletion of the comic book) and was taken over by Hasbro in 2009 under the name Spider-Man Classics (note the dash).

I'm more and more inclined to think that we're going to be entitled to union minimums for the Spider-Man and X-Men-based portion of the LEGO Marvel lineup. For lack of anything better, we should be able to get some mini-sets containing a hero and a villain, with a vehicle and / or a piece of wall, a lamppost and a trash can. A bit in the spirit of the set 6858 Catwoman Catcycle City Chase from the LEGO DC Universe range which is coming out in a few weeks.

On the side of the bad guys, we should find the most charismatic of the spider-man universe. We will probably be entitled to a new version of the characters of the range under license Sony Pictures Entertainment released in 2003 and 2004 with Doc Ock (aka Doctor Octopus), Green Goblin and some emblematic enemies of Spiderman such as Venom, Carnage, or even Mysterio. All with very cartoonish and up to date minifigs (or younger ones).

 Personally, whatever the result, I would be satisfied with these new figurines. Even if those of 2003 and 2004 are already exceptionally successful.
The photo at the top of this article brings together in the background the 4 versions of Spiderman released to date and in the foreground a custom that I love and that I got from Christo after a hard battle on eBay .... 

The MOCeurs have always set themselves the goal of filling the gaps left by LEGO in terms of ships, places or even characters from the Star Wars universe. The Rancor is no exception to the rule and many MOCs have already emerged.

To explain in a few words what the Rancor is, it is a carnivorous creature varying in size between 5 and 10 meters and originating from the planet Dathomir.

This creature has become cult for fans of the saga due to a scene in which Luke escapes the clutches of Jabba's Rancor in TheEpisode VI: Return of the Jedi. At the time the Rancor was a gigantic puppet filmed with skill to give it presence and credibility.

LEGO has produced many creatures in the Star Wars universe in the past such as the Dewback (4501 Mos Eisley Winery - 2004), the Wampa (8089 Hoth Wampa Cave - 2010) or Tautaun (7749 Echo Base - 2009 & 7879 Hoth Echo Base - 2011). But we never got a LEGO version of the Rancor.

In the cartoon LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace, the Rancor makes a notable appearance as a studded LEGO minifigure that looks elaborate enough to fit into the LEGO Star Wars lineup.

Waiting, ACPin produced a very detailed version of the Rancor (See the gallery of this MOC), Mood SWIM has also just offered a quality MOC (See the gallery of this MOC), puppetmasterzero even offered his Bionicle-Rancor (See the gallery of this MOC) and There are many other MOCs of this creature, a simple search in Google Images will convince you ...

What are the chances that we will get a Rancor in 2012? In my opinion, very weak. Even though rumors of a Jabba Palace themed set keep coming back, I find it hard to believe this set would include the Rancor Pit.
Unless it is a very elaborate playset with several modules and many minifigs in the style of the set 10123 Cloud City released in 2003. Or if it is a set exclusive in the vein of 7879 Hoth Echo Base, with a vaguely similar playset and a good dose of minifigs. The 7879 released this year also contained a Tautaun.

The appearance of the creature in The Padawan Threat still makes me doubt. Someone has obviously taken a serious look at a LEGO-like design, even virtual, of this creature. This could be the start of creating a real action figure.
Note that in the video game LEGO Star Wars II The Original Trilogy the Rancor was not in the form of a LEGO minifigure. It was a monster that had none of the attributes of known minifigs and figurines.