Comics News: Heroclix The Brave and The Bold Expansion and Blackest Night Starter Set

The Brave and The Bold Expansion and Blackest Night Starter Set
by Wizkids/NECA

You may recall there was a time on comicsonline when the site was consumed by Heroclix information. That was 3-4 years ago. The game kind of disappered for a bit and now it's back. Hammer of Thor was the first release through NECA based in New Jersey who bought the product license from Topps.

Hammer of Thor featured the inclusion of The Runaways (Chase, Molly, Nico, Gert & Lace and Karolina) The Agents of Atlas (Marvel Boy, Jimmy Woo, Gorilla Man, M-11, Namora and Venus) Some Thunderbolts (Mac Gargan Venom, Songbird, Moonstone, and Penance) many Guardians of the Galaxy (Starlord, Rocket Raccoon, and Moondragon) and, as you might expect, a whole lot of Asgardians. The newest Captain America is a beast.

DC will get it's turn on April 14th with the Release of The Brave and The Bold. The set will include a lot of Duo Figures which matches the Brave and Bold concept of teaming up characters. It will be intoducing a new game mechanic (aptly called Alter Ego) which will allow a figure to start off as Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne and, at a critical moment, transform into Superman or Batman, respectively.

If you played the game in the past, this may sound a bit like the starter click on many Hulks, Hawk and Dove and others, but it's not. It's an entirely different figure that looks like the Alter Ego, such as Reporter Clark Kent. When the transformation occurs, an entirely different figure representing Superman would then be placed on the board.  The specifics of how it's performed and what limitations exists is not yet clear.

Previews have begun over the past few weeks and the figures are looking pretty good.

So far confirmed are:
Clark Kent Alter Ego Figure
Superman Alter Ego Figure
Inertia
Kid Zoom
Hawkman & Atom Duo
Martian Manhunter
Black Adam & Shazam Duo
The Flashes (Barry and Wally) Duo with one of the craziest coolest special powers ever!!! No exaggeration here. INSANE!
Braniac
Green Lantern and Flash (Hal and Barry) Duo
Posion Ivy & Harley Quinn Duo

The Buy it By the Brick Figure is Batman and Catwoman Duo Figure

Rumored:
Bruce Wayne Alter Ego
Batman Alter Ego
Batman & Green Arrow Duo
Braniac & Lex Luthor Duo

If my understanding of how the Duo ability will work with The Flashes is correct, the sixth click will allow this figure to move 32 squares and use Flurry 4 times doing 2 damage on each attack with Probability Control. To put this in perspective, most maps are 24 squares long.

That INSANE special power I mentioned is another power still and it's a suicide click with a huge benefit for the right situation.

It's called INTO THE SPEED FORCE.  You give the Flashes a power action remove all objects and up to 300 points worth of other figures and then place the removed objects anywhere you want and the 300 points worth of figures where you want them.

So you know all those Snipers in Stealth and turtlers that you've fought over the years? On his last click, the Flashes can turn the tide of the battle so that the hidden figures are suddenly surrounded in close combat by your team. Their hiddering terrain token now placed right next to your super strength chargers; the brute who has been closing the distance on you is suddenly back in his starting area away from your forces until you can remove his support and then take him down.  The Flashes immediately take 1 click of unavoidable damage that kills them and thus costs you 225 points, but in a big game, this may be a price worth paying.

If played right it's an amazing power, but will be very tough to coordinate just right.

Less than one month later on May 12th, a Blackest Night Starter will be released.

The set is the first to use a new "super high-tech digital resolution" sculpting technology.  I have to say these figures look awesome. I hope the retail product will look nearly as good as the previews.

The set will represent the deputized lanterns who were unveiled in Blackest Night #6 (Spoiler Alert):

Red Lantern Mera
Orange Lantern Lex Luthor
Yellow Lantern Scarecrow
Green Lantern Hal Jordan ( I think this should have been Ganthet but whatever)
Blue Lantern Barry Allen Flash
Violet Lantern Wonder Woman
Indigo Lantern Atom Ray Palmer

All in all both sets look good.

Game On!!!