Wasn't planning on buying anything, but how could I resist the brand new Marvel Universe "Mighty Beanz?" How could anyone resist an inorganic Mexican jumping bean with Spider-Man painted on it?
Compared to the original Mighty Beanz, the Marvel editions are certainly poised to rake in a lot more revenue. There's 56 different in all, categorized either as "common," "uncommon" or "rare" on a convenient checklist on the card-backs. I'd liken this fad to the early 90s Marvel Universe trading card craze, which I was obsessively into. I was barely a comic fan, but the trading card craze transcended that. I've since read that the cards were credited with giving the entire comic industry a boost, as kids who never had any interest in the characters were suddenly buying tons of books. Might seem like a stretch, but now that I think about it, that's basically how I got started.
These Mighty Beanz might have the same kind of potential. It's easy to avoid Marvel and DC's action figures if you're not into comics, because there's a zillion other dollies to choose from. With Mighty Beanz, it's either Marvel characters or generic clowns and witches. There's definite potential, and any kid who's susceptible to "collecting things" is gonna fall in love with these.
Smartly, kids can only see one of the five Beanz included in each pack. It's a total game of chance, and considering that they've created oodles of rarer "chaser" figures and whatnot, this is an extremely clever scheme. If a kid gets interested in the toys, they're going to want lots of them. Lots and lots and lots of them. Since there's no good way to tell which Beanz are in each pack, they'll never be a case of kids going into the toy stores and not buying anything "cuz they already have those ones." Brilliant, and even if it's a bit exploitive, I totally appreciate it. Kids are going to have tons of fun with 'em.
Each Bean contains magnets and mystical powers, managing to stand upright despite their odd shape. They also do all kinds of strange tricks when placed next to each other. These tricks range from the Beanz falling over to vibrating gently. They kinda look like they're breakdancing. Not the best tricks in the world, but they're still tricks.
Let's see who else I got: Vision, the Wasp, Wolverine and Gambit. According to the package, Gambit is a rare find. Wolverine? He's uncommon. The rest are sucky easy finds. Jeez, if they're gonna make a Mighty Bean for the Wasp, they should've at least kept her as one of the rare ones. Give kids a reason to appreciate an otherwise unappreciable Bean. And don't start rattling off comic history that paints Wasp as "cool," because she's up against such esteemed Marvel femmy Beanz as Phoenix, Black Cat and Mystique. Nobody's gonna want Wasp over those gals, especially when she's so terminally "common."
All in all, I love 'em. They're going to make some people very rich, and some kids very happy. Everybody wins. Everybody except Wasp. Wasp sucks.
REPLIES: 48 comments
weird that wasp is rare in the marvel heroclix game. one version of her is even ultra-rare, i think
Chestnuts roasted by winkle @ 01/04/2004 02:45 AM EST
Dammit! Almost first post!
Anyway, Wasp does in fact suck. She's puny and ugly and ugly and puny. Puny/Ugly. Puny & Ugly. Ack! Well, the point is, I love Marvel stuff. But now I'm ditching my comic book collecting for something I loved even more so as a child. Mario, anyone? Zelda?
Chestnuts roasted by Nate @ 01/04/2004 02:51 AM EST
By the way, did you know that if I had gotten first post, that would've been the second time this week? (I know. Who cares? But I just though you might wanna know that.)
Chestnuts roasted by Nate @ 01/04/2004 02:55 AM EST
4th post. im getting closer. i want those vibrating beans ;) the little hands on it are cute.
Chestnuts roasted by Rachel Cakes @ 01/04/2004 03:27 AM EST
and stop making me jealous about the first post, nate. :) :p
Chestnuts roasted by Rachel Cakes @ 01/04/2004 03:33 AM EST
Hmm, they vibrate? I think I've found the perfect gift for my girlfriend, something that vibrates and will get her into Marvel, god bless Marvel!
Chestnuts roasted by The Dude @ 01/04/2004 03:34 AM EST
Yeah I was never really into Marvel all that much aside from my awesome spiderman jacket as a kid, but recently ive become a fan of the Hulk, I think mostly due to this site and the mass propaganda associated with him.
hulk like that me his fan. hulk smash poeple that not fans. hulk like that green is heeloyd's favorite color. hulk green too. hulk happy.
Chestnuts roasted by heeloyd @ 01/04/2004 04:07 AM EST
damn double post....oh yeah, Matt did you get the email from me with the skeletor YMCA flash file? it's greatness in animated randomness.
Chestnuts roasted by heeloyd @ 01/04/2004 04:10 AM EST
Its not just that wasp is ugly, but if you read the comics, particuarly old avengers, you will find that she is also an obnoxious ditz. If you have been reading recent avengers you will find her to be an ideotic whore who likes minature men crawling around in her vagina. In light of that who in their right mind would want a Wasp bean
Chestnuts roasted by Zero Handle @ 01/04/2004 10:54 AM EST
hooray for updates!
Chestnuts roasted by vvhjj,vh,vhv @ 01/04/2004 11:06 AM EST
Yeah the asp is pretty lame......now the scarlet witch she is a cool avenger.
Chestnuts roasted by Scourge @ 01/04/2004 11:24 AM EST
Zero Handle, that makes me want to read The Avengers. Something I've never, ever wanted to do even when I'm in the middle of comic withdrawal and all around are bigass Essential Avengers books.
Chestnuts roasted by fangirlx @ 01/04/2004 01:11 PM EST
thanks alot matt! now i have to go buy these stupid things when otherwise i wouldn't have known about them. maybe ill try and drown them in ecto cooler.
Chestnuts roasted by mikey @ 01/04/2004 02:14 PM EST
MmmmmmmmMighty Beans! I didn't know they had Marvel Beans! I have about a billion of the generic ones. Even caught an ultra rare Blue Moose Bean in my very first package. When I looked it up on eBay people were paying stupid amounts for them. My roommate gave me some beans for xmas and a bean track thing that they're supposed to do tricks on. It came with a f***ed up looking rooster bean which I promptly launched in the air via the bean track thing and it was lost for days. All in all Mighty Beans make good projectiles. They're also fun to watch. Something about them just hypnotizes. Now I need to go to Toys R Us and find me some hero beans. Or tell everyone that's what I want for my birthday. No, I'm sticking to my original birthday waqnts. Video games and cheesy horror DVDs. My roommate is the only one who buys the right DVDs. No one else pays attention.
BTW, will the Hulk pinata be coming back? Those were some of my favorite articles. Too much funny.
Chestnuts roasted by Killer Duck @ 01/04/2004 02:26 PM EST
reminds me of my old X men underoos.
Chestnuts roasted by whakman @ 01/04/2004 02:42 PM EST
I saw a midnight movie yesterday that both shocked and delighted my senses. It is called "Thrilling Bloody Sword" and the story is basically Snow White by way of He-Man. Although the He-Man character is dressed more like a S&M She-Ra, with her crown/headdress included.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0122286/
Review: http://www.interlog.com/~lamedog/film/logs/old/thrillbs.html
Video:
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:Q-YJQIhqsL0J:www.karatemovie.com/tai/kungfu.htm+%22Thrilling+Bloody+Sword%22+karatemovie.com&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Chestnuts roasted by ME @ 01/04/2004 02:48 PM EST
OH SHIT matt was in my hangout place.... i think.
Chestnuts roasted by Jared @ 01/04/2004 03:55 PM EST
i once got the first post 2ce in one week. go me
Chestnuts roasted by Jared @ 01/04/2004 03:56 PM EST
Even if the wasp bean was the rarest one i wouldn't want it. The wasp has to be one of the worst characters in marvel comics history.
Speaking of marvel anybody else here collect the marvel legends figures? These have to be my favorite toy line out right now. All the figrues have a ton of articulation,have awesome paint jobs, and come with a free comic.
Chestnuts roasted by Bright Noah @ 01/04/2004 05:02 PM EST
Matt,I've dropped an insane amount of money into the Marvel figures you spoke of. Marvel Legends in particular.
Chestnuts roasted by Dude McGuy @ 01/04/2004 05:40 PM EST
How big are these things? There's nothing in the pics for scale.
Chestnuts roasted by Cameron @ 01/04/2004 06:26 PM EST
About an inch or so tall.
Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 01/04/2004 06:30 PM EST
I live by that TRU! I appreciate that they have the old *true* Geoffrey on the sign, instead of the obnoxious stand-up-comedian-trapped-in-a-giraffe excuse of a Geoffrey they use now.
Chestnuts roasted by Dystopika @ 01/04/2004 06:50 PM EST
So those things are good? I may have to pick up a pack of those. I always lumped them into the 'stupid trying to be collectable' group of toys. Do they move around as much as regular jumping beans?
Chestnuts roasted by KTK @ 01/04/2004 08:27 PM EST
yeah i hang out at that park and me and my friends go to Toys R us when it gets cold.
Chestnuts roasted by Jared @ 01/04/2004 08:30 PM EST
I'm not really a big fan of superheroes or comic books. I liked "Spiderman" as a kid, still love the "Superman" movies, had Hawkman and Aquaman action figures as a kid, and have always had a peculiar facination with the Incredible Hulk (must have to do with my fondness for big men). Batman, however, bores me stiff, and there are too many X-Men (and women, and whatever) for me to keep track of. I did like that big rock member of "The Fantastic Four" when my parents had Boomerang last year and I watched the 60s cartoons, though.
Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 01/04/2004 09:25 PM EST
KTK, they move with little encouragement. Once they get going they roll and roll and they're insanely stupid and amusing. Then again it doesn't take much to amuse me.
Chestnuts roasted by Killer Duck @ 01/04/2004 09:48 PM EST
Batman is actually one of the best written characters in comics too bad his live action representations are really bad... :[ i suggest u read "the Dark night returns" by frank miller u may not be a comic reader but u can pick up this one at alot of bookstores too
Chestnuts roasted by Scourge @ 01/05/2004 12:25 AM EST
I was wondering if you'd ever touch on these. Everytime I see them in the stores, I sigh and mutter to myself, wondering what stupid useless parent buys these for their stupid useless kid.
Alas, I seem to be mistaken. Big kids buy them for themselves. ;)
Chestnuts roasted by Melanie @ 01/05/2004 02:16 AM EST
Matt,
Did you take one apart?
What's on the inside?
Is it tasty?
People want to know!!!
Chestnuts roasted by Hungry for Beans @ 01/05/2004 10:46 AM EST
Mighty Beans? You haven't been around my brother after a big bowl of chili. (Having had a foot-and-a-half of his guts removed aint gonna help any either)
Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 01/05/2004 11:58 AM EST
My freind and I once tried to set up mouse trap, god help us. In the end I had more fun with the ball bearing, the box top, and a nickel. I am very easily amused. My favorite superhero was always batman, because IMO he had the best cartoon and I had a lot of his toys when I was little.
Chestnuts roasted by KTK @ 01/05/2004 03:13 PM EST
I always wanted to go to that Toys R' Us, ever since I used to see it across the water from the beach. I never ended up going, though.
I had the entire 1994 series X-Men Marvel trading cards, which I somehow managed to lose. I think I left them on my porch one day that summer and that was the last I saw them.
Chestnuts roasted by MG @ 01/05/2004 03:25 PM EST
Oh man, old Nintendo comics... boy, Mario really had it all back in his heyday, didn't he? Of course, as far as I remember, the Zelda one only lasted four issues. Why'd Link get the short end of the stick, huh? Oh well. At least he and his unholy plumber brother in the world of 'Tendo were equal when it came to cereal portions. Even if it was... very ODD cereal.
Chestnuts roasted by Freezair @ 01/05/2004 11:11 PM EST
Well this is alittle off topic, but it has to do with comics.
Today I got a job at the local comic shop. This is offically the coolest job I have ever had.
Chestnuts roasted by Bright Noah @ 01/06/2004 03:13 PM EST
beans with boobs.
Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 01/06/2004 03:58 PM EST
Hmm, I purchased a set of Marvel Mighty Beanz, with Iron Man on the front. I got him, Mr. Fantastic, Mystique, NightCrawler, and Beast. When put next to each other, they just stand there staring at me...
Chestnuts roasted by Phantasm @ 01/06/2004 10:44 PM EST
What is this...a pretending to the throne..I haven't posted in awhile..Matt hates me...but I'm the one true dude.
Chestnuts roasted by The Dude @ 01/07/2004 01:47 AM EST
Glad to know I wasn't the only person who couldn't resist these things when I saw them.
Chestnuts roasted by SBM @ 01/07/2004 03:46 AM EST
lucky me, i get to sell these at work. they're pretty much replacing crazy bones in the way of little kid crazes.
and matt, if you ever need some marvel mighty beanz, just let me know. i've got the hookup. or something.
Chestnuts roasted by candice @ 01/07/2004 11:55 PM EST
WOW...You went to that Toys R Us. I live right by there. I always go there and Best Buy. I can't believe. It's now a holy place to me and my friends. As for the Beans...I always saw them and was tempted to eat them because I love beans...especially ones with The Hulk or Spiderman on it.
Chestnuts roasted by NuKz @ 01/08/2004 11:05 PM EST
I was looking through a KBs the other day and they had a single pack of the marvel mighty beanz left. I was going to buy it until I noticed the single bean that was revealed. I promptly put it back on the shelf.
Is it jsut me or do all KB's sell 10 year old toys, not that I"m complaining. Every KB Toys i've been to has had Skeleton Warriors, Ronin Warriors, and recolored exo-squad eframes for sale.
Chestnuts roasted by Bright Noah @ 01/12/2004 12:40 PM EST
So, uhm, what was the single bean revealed, Noah?
Chestnuts roasted by DaFalcon @ 01/22/2004 09:29 PM EST
Granny got em fer da kidz
Chestnuts roasted by see monkeys @ 01/23/2004 11:35 AM EST
I love these beans and I am sooo relieved I am not the only one. I was worried after i purchased them that i might be crazy.
What is the deal though mine don't shake or jumo they wobble or walk or endo or whatever but thats it.
Did i get jiped?
Chestnuts roasted by poptart @ 03/09/2004 02:25 AM EST
I've got all em sucky mighty beanz !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
Chestnuts roasted by Chiam Daryl @ 04/09/2004 11:31 PM EST
Mighty Beanz Sux and Fux!!!
Chestnuts roasted by Mr Sucker @ 04/09/2004 11:33 PM EST
BEVERLY HILLS, April 2, 2004 – Moving beyond it origin of specially made items for top celebs, Beverly Hills Pimps and Ho’s (BHPH) will unleash its unique fashion line on the general public in Summer 2004. The line was created by movie producer Zachary Chaz Bautzer –and has already been spotted on the likes of Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, and Shaquille Oneal just to name a few.
Beverly Hills Pimps and Ho’s, described as equal parts rock and rap, is a lifestyle brand of street inspired clothing and accessories, ranging from $35 trucker hats to $3,500 leather jackets. The line has already had a successful test run in some of LA’s most exclusive retailers, including Fred Segal and Lisa Klein.
Bautzer and Crystal Kuns are the driving influences behind the BHPH style. Highlights of the line include tight-fitting tanks, velour “honey suits,” leather and suede jerseys and a range of logo treatments representing the brand’s irreverent style and street lifestyle.
Chestnuts roasted by Hollywood and Entertainment @ 04/14/2004 04:38 AM EST
We had to go into Brooklyn for a birthday party yesterday -- I wasn't looking forward to braving the Verrazano traffic, but took solace in the giant Toys "R" Us that was just over the bridge. Compared to the one we've got here, this TRU is amazing. It's a fantastic blend of new stuff actually in stock and remarkably old clearance junk, and while we only had time for a quick stop, I saw enough to make a decision. I'm going to pack my things and live inside this store.
