{"id":5750,"date":"2010-05-24T05:07:15","date_gmt":"2010-05-24T10:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5750"},"modified":"2012-04-16T03:54:22","modified_gmt":"2012-04-16T08:54:22","slug":"vault-review-lego-minifigures-series-1-codebreaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5750","title":{"rendered":"Vault Review: Lego Minifigures
– Series 1 (+ Codebreaker)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was never content with the complacent yellow faces Lego men had when I was a kid. I still remember the first time I saw the Pirates theme in the 90s. These Lego men, although still smiling, now had beards, stubble, and sideburns \u2013 not to mention an occasional hook or peg leg. It was a paradigm shift that renewed my interest in Legos. Minifigures have come a long way since their very humble beginnings in the 70s. This year, they\u2019re finally available as singles and Lego has rehooked me yet again. <\/p>\n

Lego Minifigures Series One (#8683) are sold in individuals bags and include the figure and any accessories, a new 4×3 black base that has a row of four studs in the middle for them to stand on, and an insert checklist. There are sixteen figures available in series one and I\u2019ll take a look at them individually below. While I\u2019m happy with most of them, I do have to make one general comment on something that left me a little dissatisfied. The current trend in minifigures is to print costume details on the front and the back. Sadly, these individual figures don\u2019t follow that. All of their reverse sides are the color of the body only. At $2 a pop, I\u2019m not going to complain, but it\u2019d be nice to see these fully on-par with their set-encased brethren.<\/p>\n

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Click here to go directly to our Printable Decoder for Series 1<\/a><\/p>\n

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Click here to go directly to our Printable Decoder for Series 2<\/a><\/p>\n

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Unless otherwise noted, the figures below all have new heads, torsos, and legs.<\/p>\n

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#1 Tribal Hunter<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThis “tribal hunter” doesn’t really fit in with the previous “tribal hunters” released in the 90s Wild West sets, so I wasn’t as excited by this minifigure. I do have to admit, though, that the guy is happy. Just look at that face. Surely, it’s the face of the best hunter in the tribe. The Hunter includes a trademark bow and arrows, and his lucky feathers. The package included a second plume, in case you misplace the first one.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#2 Cheerleader<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nYou can\u2019t build a pyramid without one right? This Cheerleader comes with two pompoms (all-new piece) that have little handles inside and cover her hands entirely. Her hair piece is a stylish ponytail, so it doesn\u2019t get in her way when she\u2019s rooting for the home team. It’s also the first time this particular hair piece has been released blonde. My question is, what\u2019s the “M” on her shirt stand for? Shouldn’t it be “B” or “L”? <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#3 Caveman<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThis Caveman was the earliest brick builder. Wearing the latest in stone-age fashion, nothing draws the ladies in like animal pelts fastened with bone. The Cavemen includes two new pieces – his scraggly hair\/beard and a club. Interestingly, the club is a shrunken down version of the Giant Troll\u2019s. I wonder if this Caveman is just copying what he\u2019s seen, or if he was inspired by a Lego-brick monolith?<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#4 Circus Clown<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nClowns may be scary, but you have to admit, this guy\u2019s giant red afro is a great new piece. As is his other new piece, a neat little horn to entertain (terrorize) animals and small children. The clown is awash with great clashing colors and a patched up costume. My question is, why doesn\u2019t he have big shoes? Those feet are way too small. Back to clown college with you, sir.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#5 Zombie<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThis guy was on his way to work one day when he was bitten by a rabid brick. Twenty seven hours later, he\u2019s a mindless undead beast with a shovel. Is it to dig up more zombie friends? Or maybe dig up some dead people to eat? I don\u2019t know. He also comes with a turkey drumstick (left), which is a new piece that\u2019s bigger than the previous one.
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#6 Skater<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nIs it just me or does the Skater have Bieber hair? I know it\u2019s not the right color, but the brown version of this hair is only available on the Lego Club Max keychain (making this the first usable version of this piece). To further his skater boy image, he\u2019s wearing a hoodie with a skull on it. His pants are standard, dark blue legs. He also includes the standard Lego skateboard in blue. It\u2019s a little big, but it does stay balanced and can roll around.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#7 Robot<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nI love the Robot because of his cool bucket helmet and a wrench arm. The arm is the mechanical one from the recent Agents sets while the hand is an older claw piece. The new helmet is one of the standout pieces for the entire wave. Its only problem is that it hides the detailed robot face underneath. His torso has some nice details too: buttons and gauges on one side, and some sort of liquid leaking out beneath a riveted plate on the other. Truly an engineering marvel, but I would\u2019ve preferred two wrench arms instead. He also included an extra claw piece.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n


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#8 Demolition Dummy<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThere’s not much to say about this figure. I mean, isn’t he more of an accessory like a Lego Recycle Bin or lamp post? Or is he that rare crash test dummy that has sprung to life? He does have the age-old Lego wrench and a 1×2 license plate. He wouldn’t need those if he were just a lifeless dummy, right? The minifigure was a cute idea, but I wish Lego had done something more with him.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#9 Magician<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTo me, this figure is more 1920\u2019s villain than a stage magician. You know, the kind that ties girlfriends to railroad tracks? But he is without a cape, has a magic wand, a cool jacket, and standard black lego pants, so I guess I\u2019ll trust him. For now. The wand is a new mold. It\u2019s shorter than the four-stud one used in the Harry Potter theme. It\u2019s more convincing as a magic wand, so hopefully it will show up more in the future. Also, if you don\u2019t want him wearing his hat, he comes with some nifty hair instead.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#10 Super Wrestler<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThere is only one job truly suited to this minifigure’s talents. So now he wrestles, every night. He wrestles for his pride. He wrestles for his family. Each match brings him closer to discovering the identity of the one-eyed man who stole his fianc\u00e9e. Yes, One-Eyed Man, he is coming for you. And there is nowhere you can hide. Also, when he enters the ring and discards his cloth red cape, you can use it to turn your magician into the classic villain he longs to be. I would\u2019ve been happier with this figure if he had an accessory. As it is, he\u2019s the one of only two in the wave that went without.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#11 Nurse<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThe City theme has had many female doctors and paramedics over the years, but they\u2019ve never made a nurse before. The nurse includes two new pieces: her hair and a syringe. She gets two syringes actually, so someone is in for a world of hurt. It might be the mysterious \u201cDawes\u201d because she also includes his chart printed on a 2×2 tile. She\u2019s also got this strange half smile on her face like she knows whatever she\u2019s going to do next is about to hurt. Her head and torso are unique to her, like most of the minifigures in the assortment, but she includes standard white legs.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#12 Ninja<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThere was a time when I fell out of collecting Legos. During that time I missed the Ninja theme completely, so I don\u2019t own any. Until now. See, while he does have a unique face and torso, he\u2019s still just your basic Lego Ninja. He comes with two katanas and a removable mask. The mask also has a clip on the back to hold a sword or other weapon of choice. I don\u2019t know what it is about this figure, but I want something more from him. Maybe a halberd or a studded rope that the Ninjas in the theme had instead of just two swords?<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#13 Spaceman<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nJust by looking at his face, you can tell the Spaceman is a cocky guy. Look at that smile. He\u2019s got any situation handled. His helmet is the same as some of the current Space Police figures use with the stand visor piece, but his sporting a new spacesuit with traditional Space theme symbol. This guy\u2019s true awesomeness comes from his ray gun. It\u2019s new piece and includes a new translucent blue three-stud bar for firing action. Easily one of my favorites in the set. <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#14 Forestman<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nI guess Lego is trying to avoid any sort of infringement, but let\u2019s be honest. We all know \u201cForestman\u201d is Robin Hood. Probably the Errol Flynn Robin Hood at that. This figure is a great throwback to the classic forestman, with only a new head and torso differentiating him from the pack. He includes a quiver, a bow, and two feathers for his cap in case you lose one. I used to think the old Forestman with the pouch was Robin Hood, but he\u2019s going to have to take a back seat to this guy from here on out. <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#15 Deep Sea Diver<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThere are no new molds here, but it\u2019s the first time we get an orange scuba tank and this specific snazzy blue wetsuit with dolphin fin symbol on this chest. He has the newer visor with attached snorkel and the standard orange fins. If you put the fins on, it will prevent him from being plugged onto his base. He has a self-assured look on his new head, which somehow makes me think he could be a Sea Devil. This figure could have used a spear gun or some other aqua-themed accessory. <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n


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#16 Cowboy<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nThis Cowboy may be a little loco. He comes with three guns, although he can only carry two. Maybe he can put one under his hat, which looks suspiciously like Indiana Jones\u2019 (available for the first time in dark tan). Guess he\u2019s planning on using all those bullets across his chest. The Longhorns belt tells me he\u2019s not an Oklahoma cowboy. I like the new head and torso, but I would\u2019ve liked to see a pattern on his plain, reddish brown pants. My dream of Lego chaps will have to wait another year. <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\nClick for Printable Version<\/em><\/caption>\n
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While Lego decided to blind box these figures, they also gave each package a second, unique bar code. Now, if you don’t read bar code, that’s okay because this gives any Lego enthusiast three options when buying the minifigures:<\/p>\n