Welcome to the sting. Lego did this last year and I asked myself the same question, why buy thier sets if I can't get the minifigures I want. Last year Lego had Shazam, Bizarro, Phoenix, and Black Costume Spidey. Being a big Superman, I was ticked off about not getting the Bizarro, this year I will most upset about Black Superman and Spider-woman.

I got into Legos when the 1st Star Wars series came out, buying whatever I thought was cool and whatever my sons were into. Now that Lego has created these uber rare exclusives starting with SDCC last year, I did not get into the LOTR Lines, Galaxy Squad, and any Pre-OTC Star Wars Sets. In Europe, Lego coordinates many promotions to give away minifigure polybags sets free with newpapers. In the US, I have to spend 2 weeks or more trying to track them down in TRUs usually finding out that 1 store out 6 carry them (case in point with Lone Ranger Tonto).

Lego has got us where they want us, and adult collectors really have no say. Kids/Parents buy whatever and don't know SDCC Exclusives like Green Arrow even exist. Did you know about the Iron Patriot Exclusive Promo from Walmart when you pre-order the Marvel Lego Game? Why wasn't Iron Patriot put in the IM3 Sets; War Machine wasn't even in the movie. Are you ready for the Back To The Futures set coming out Thursday? Just frustrating.

Yeah, as a Captain Marvel fan, last year's was worse. I wish the exclusives were new 52 stuff exclusively or something like that. With Green Arrow, at least, they could still potentially make a different version of him as a regular release, but Shazam and Spiderwoman and Bizarro are pretty much unchanged over time (except for that horrid new 52 Shazam getup).

I didn't even know about the Lego Shazam figure. Ugh! I just started collecting but have already spent a lot of money on Lego. The thing is, I want these sets but not if they are going pull stuff like this. I'm still curious as to why we don't have a mass retail Green Lantern minifigure & we get characters like Nova & Beetle. Nothing against those characters but it makes you curious as to who gets a wide release & who get exclusives. Any idea on how much these will be on the secondary market?

Most of the Exclusives started around $200+ last year, some settled down now to $100 to $150...still just too high. Whatever the price, someone will pay top dollar, they just have to have it.

I am more of a Marvel guy, than DC when it comes to Lego, only because Lego devotes 80% of the offering to Batman, a line that came and went when The Dark Knight Movie was out.

The New Marvel Lego Game Trailer features the Fantastic Four, a set featuring them would be terrific, but instead we'll probably get more Iron Man or Spider-man.

That's ridiculous. I think I'll hold out. Maybe Lego will come around & put a Green Arrow minifigure at retail. A Fantastic Four set would be cool!

The Spider-man themed sets are actually from the Ultimate Spider-man cartoon, which is why we get the movie Nick Fury, Nova, and Iron Fist (not that I'm complaining, I love Nova, though I still hesitate buying a Daily Planet for him).

I would have though GL was tied up by some movie license or something, but other lines have come out with GL so I'm not sure. At least being centered around Batman we get other figures like his sidekicks, his rogues gallery and Aquaman and it's not just movie stuff. I really thought that Superman/Lex/Wonder Woman set and the Batman/Deadpool/Magneto set were the start of some general comic book sets, but so far it's all been media based or Batman.

Heck, if they wanted to do a blind bag set of just comic book figures I'd probably buy a case (instead of having to rummage through leftovers like the current blind bags).

edited to add:

And they just revealed a Batman racing set with... the Flash. So yeah, I'm fine with Batman if he keeps a comic line going.

I saw Lego set with, The Flash. I'm now even more disappointed that Green Arrow is a SDCC exclusive. I did see the cover box for the, Back To The Future set. That eases the pain a little. lol

I had no idea that this had even happened and now I am angry about it, too! LOL! Too much like the old days!

It kinda stinks but you can't hold a grudge just because this small thing happened. Think of all the happiness lego has probably brought you over the years. It evens out

Once the Star Wars Line started hitting stores, Lego brought the good and the bad of adult collectors to a mostly kid friendly line. Since then, Lego has been just rolling with it in every fashion with impossible show exclusives, extremely limited sets, Mr. Gold, and anti-US Promotions. The SDCC Exclusives are the most frustrating, because they "giving" away charactors that they do not plan on releasing in sets. And just to elaborate on the anti US Promotions, overseas Lego runs FREE polybag promos through various retailers and newspaper companies all year long. In the US, its either a promo with a more expensive purchase or a limited sale through TRU, Walmart or Target. Only around the holidays does the US stock polybags, you just have to guess where the employee with a 3rd grade education stocked them

But when you weigh the good with the bad, the good still has an edge. I know for the most part, once a new set is released during a reset you will have no trouble getting it. And with having 2 sons into Legos it makes toy hunting so much more fun.