Winter Soldier and City in Crisis/Spider-Man Saves the Day in production?

Rick and Alex e-mailed to let everyone know that Winter Soldier Saga and City in Crisis (listed as Spider-Man Saves the Day) have hit eBay thanks to a seller in China. In all likelihood, these are the run-of-the-mill stolen from the assembly line figures, so while stealing is bad, the plus side is that there were figures on an assembly line to steal!

There's also reports on the Super Hero Squad forum that a few Toys R Us's have put out, and sold, the long awaited Collector's Pack 2 so all signs point to some happy Super Hero Squad hunting in the coming weeks.

Prof. X and Shadowcat (at long last), Winter Soldier, Crossbones, Falcon, Mary Jane, Green Goblin, Mandarin, Dreadknight, Iron Man (Movie), Iron Monger... it seems like it's been a while since we've had so many new characters!

This may be our last farewell post... on Winter Soldier.

Same news, different delay:

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 12/23/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 12/23/2008

Once again, you need to contact Hasbro to let them know that you still want these figures, now scheduled to ship sometime around Christmas apparently.

One more last word on Winter Soldier/City in Crisis

And that additional, final last word is... a date. September 23, 2007. One month, 5 e-mails threatening to cancel the order... one can only hope that this is in fact the final last word.

Hopefully the last word on Winter Soldier/City in Crisis?

An e-mail saying there was going to be a delay until 8/20, but that orders would not be canceled.

Then the e-mail saying the product was delayed until 8/26 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Then the e-mail saying it would be delayed until 9/2 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Then the e-mail saying it would be delayed until 9/8 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Then the e-mail saying the item was backordered, would ship on 9/8/ and that the order has been confirmed.

Then the e-mail saying the item was delayd until 9/12 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Can you guess what just showed up in my inbox? That's right... an e-mail saying that the item is delayed until 9/17 and will be canceled without confirmation.

So we've had 5 e-mails threatening to cancel our order unless we confirm it, 1 e-mail saying the item was delayed but no further action was needed, and 1 e-mail saying it was delayed, full stop.

Hasbro, maybe you should consider giving us faithful shlubs a gift card, free shipping or maybe just a new poster?

At the very least, with all the delays, we should have flawless paint jobs. Mary Jane better be the best figure you've ever put out because you've had more than enough time to work on her.

And again with the City in Crisis!

Everyone knows the drill now... Hasbro has sent out e-mails saying "whoopsie, our bad. City in Crisis and Winter Soldier are like... IDK, on a truck or something somewhere. Whatevs." And then we, the concerned pre-orderers, have to call or e-mail to confirm. Anyway, their new e-mail has an estimated ship date of 9/12/08, but honestly, at this point I think the "estimated ship dates" are automatically generated to be a few days after the original because this is what, the fourth time they've pushed the date back a few days, not counting the times they've sent e-mails saying there's a delay and we DON'T have to call them.

Anyway, when you do contact Hasbro, be sure to voice your displeasure, and let them know if you'd prefer a system that only cancels your order when YOU want it to, without forcing you to jump through hoops to keep something you ordered on order.

City in Crisis/fulfillment issue?

One reader reports that after responding to the most recent request to confirm that they want the City in Crisis and Winter Soldier sets, they received the following e-mail.

Thank you for contacting us with your confirmation.

Please be aware that the items you ordered are currently not available but en route to our fulfillment center. We expect to be able to ship it by the dates indicated below. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Your credit card will not be charged for backordered items until they have been shipped.

Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman - Expected Ship Date 09/08/2008

Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone - Expected Ship Date - 09/08/2008

Will tomorrow be the real ship date? Will we have to call and confirm for our orders, again? Look for all this drama, and more, on the next edition of As Our Plastic Ships.

And again with the City in Crisis...

Third time is the charm?

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/8/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/8/2008

And yes, once again, you must contact Hasbro or risk having your order canceled.

City in Crisis/Winter Soldier... one more time

Hasbro Toy Shop has sent out another delay notification for City in Crisis/Winter Soldier, and again requires people who have placed their order (months ago) to (once again) tell them that they still want it. The updated shipping date is 9/2, but we'll see if they send another delay e-mail on 9/3.

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/2/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/2/2008

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your order or would like to change your order, please call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-408-0052. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL THE DATE(S) INDICATED ABOVE TO RECEIVE YOUR ORDER, YOU MUST CONTACT US TO CONFIRM THAT YOU STILL WANT THE ITEM(S). IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU, THE ITEM(S) WILL NOT BE SHIPPED, AND YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR THEM.

Winter Soldier and City in Crisis Delayed, Action Required

After sending out e-mails saying that the Winter Soldier Saga and City in Crisis/Spider-Man Saves the Day sets would be shipping out on August 20 (and after we congratulated them on the far more reasonable policy of keeping the order on file in the event of a delay, instead of the puzzling policy of canceling delayed orders AFTER the products have been shipped) Hasbro has sent out the following e-mail...

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 8/26/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 8/26/2008

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your order or would like to change your order, please call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-408-0052. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL THE DATE(S) INDICATED ABOVE TO RECEIVE YOUR ORDER, YOU MUST CONTACT US TO CONFIRM THAT YOU STILL WANT THE ITEM(S). IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU, THE ITEM(S) WILL NOT BE SHIPPED, AND YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR THEM.

Which means that yes, once again, if you don't want your order canceled, forcing you to re-place the order and ending up at the end of the queue, you must contact them and waste your time dealing with customer service.

While we were on the phone, we asked them if they had any insight into the logic of making customers waste time in phone queues (I'm assuming e-mail will work as well) confirming that they want what they want, when it's Hasbro's fault they couldn't provide the figures on time. The answer got? "That's just the way the system is." Truer words, my friend. Truer words.

Winter Soldier and City in Crisis shipping 8/20/08

Hasbro has started sending out e-mails revising the availability of the Winter Soldier and City in Crisis sets and giving them an estimated ship date of 8/20/08, which is this Wednesday. And best part of it? While probably unrelated to our little rant some months ago about the bizarre logic of canceling delayed orders weeks after the orders have already started shipping, they include this little bit saying

"We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your order or would like to change your order, please call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-408-0052. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that you have agreed to the revised ship date indicated above."

Which means we hopefully won't have any canceled orders and panic setting in and OMGBBQFTW teh lien is dooommed sentimentality, we'll just have great new figures.

One interesting thing is that Hasbro Toy Shop tends to get figures a little slower than others, so the lack of City in Crisis and Winter Soldiers on eBay indicates they're not showing up at retail yet.

And slightly better pictures of the Winter Soldier Saga Set...

Well, better is subjective. Marvelous News has some more of the same pics of the upcoming Super Hero Squad Wave 3 set, Winter Soldier Saga. Basically, the shots get sent to the reputable news sites, but to make them look "theirs" some sites try coloring the background, and the result is Falcon's ear going bye-bye so while these are the same pictures, albeit smaller, they don't have the chipped photoshopping and the awkwardness of using fill to paint over part of Falcon. They do still have the same white specks all over the Winter Soldier box as the earlier photos though. Still, for photo junkies, this may be of interest.

Up close with Spider-Man Saves the Day, Winter Soldier Saga

Cool Toy Review has up close shots of the new Super Hero Squad 4 packs Winter Soldier Saga and Spider-Man Saves the Day. It's a little easier to see the text on top of the Spider-Man box in this photo set. There's some unfortunate photoshopping that cuts through Falcon's ear and left bits of the white background Hasbro usually uses for these promotional photos in spikes on Captain America's shield, but if nothing else it does show that the City In Crisis on Hasbro's site = Spider-Man Saves the Day once boxed.

City in Crisis, Winter Soldier official pictures.

And for real breaking news (as opposed to just rumor squashing)...

Hasbro also has up the first official pic of City In Crisis here and the Winter Soldier set is here

City in Crisis Description:

Spider-Man has battled his entire life to keep his loved ones safe, but sometimes even his best isn't enough. Two of his most dangerous enemies have kidnapped Mary Jane! They've got her captive in a position too precarious for the wall crawler to take any chances.

Help Spidey save the day and come to the aid of his smart and sassy girlfriend, Mary Jane! Fun four-pack of chunky, stylized characters includes Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman figures.


Winter Soldier Description:

Cap's old partner Bucky is back, but he's been brainwashed by the bad guys, and become the dangerous Winter Soldier! Captain America and Falcon rush to find him, hoping to stop him before he gets into real trouble. Unfortunately, Crossbones is waiting for them, and he can't wait to tear into the two Super Heroes.

Team up with this fun, four-pack and create lots of exciting adventures! Chunky, stylized characters include Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbones figures.



Long story short: no, you can not tell your Super Hero Squad figures from their foreheads alone, that was not Kraven's mane, and official is cool.