Ah finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Except not really. Nope, no trailer yet, BUT we’ve got 8 brand spankin’ new CHARACTER POSTERS.

Today, 8 websites each released a different poster (Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Rue, Cato, Haymitch, Effie and Cinna), giving us glimpses of some characters that we haven’t seen before.

So what’s our take on it all?

Well, first, ain’t it a little reminiscent of Panem October? The different Hunger Games fansites each released a different character’s Panem ID (we had Thresh). So could we as a fandom have inspired Lionsgate’s marketing team? Who knows, but we like to think so!

As for the layout of the posters themselves, we’re liking the profiles idea. Provides just enough of a glimpse of the characters’ costuming, most evident in the posters of Haymitch, Cinna, and Effie. We’re liking how the shots are lighted, some more than others. What struck us though is that the photos might be a little too edited, which you can tell more in the fullsized images. Someone was a little too enthusiastic with the healing brush and blur tool. The placement of the logo and text is a little strange, we must say, but it isn’t terrible. And the posters have given us a bit more on the color palette of the movie in general.

Now for individually.

Katniss – We’re very happy to see that her expression isn’t typical tough girl. Her face is soft and almost contemplative, and it’s a much more inspiring way to go for the character. Remember that some people are being introduced to the series for the first time through the movies. We think it’s important to show that Katniss is not a purely combative character. She’s no young Lara Croft, despite the braid. Like Jennifer Lawrence said in her EW interview, when she first fires her arrow, she has to show remorse; she can’t look like a badass. Also, Jennifer looks very young in this picture, which is also a good sign for anyone uneasy about her age. We’re buying that she’s 16.

Peeta – We’re reminded how startling it is to see Josh Hutcherson, not just with blond hair, but with blond eyebrows too! But in all honesty, this is the MOST we’ve seen him looking like the Peeta we imagined. It just doesn’t really look like Josh, but we guess that was inevitable (or maybe it was a result of Photoshop abuse). And great job on giving sympathetic eyes, Josh. We’re totally believing it.

Gale – We’re diggin’ the scowl. Seriously, Liam is giving off a very Gale vibe in the poster.

Rue – Her stance is a bit different from the others. As much as she’s looking down, it looks as if her back is slightly arched, and… she appears to be ready to take flight! How very Rue!

Haymitch – For some reason, making Woody Harrelson’s hair longer didn’t even seem like it’d be an option, but it seems like a good choice. Many assumed Haymitch would have dark hair, but it’s a good look. We’re loving the clothes he’s wearing, confirming what Woody Harrelson was hinting at about his styling when he said that he wasn’t going to be “just like any bum on the street”. He looks pretty snazzy! We’re loving the color of the tie.

Cinna – The biggest thing we’ve found out regarding Lenny Kravitz’s portrayal of Cinna through this poster has been the inclusion of the GOLD EYELINER. Yes, yes, yes! Bringin’ in the book canon. If anyone could pull that off, it’d be a rockstar like Lenny.

Effie – Now hers is over the top colorful and styled. VERY Effie. Crazy curls of a very light pink, a purple hat (we’re assuming) and lots of pink feathers on her garment. And let’s not ignore the bright pink eye makeup. It’s a nice hint of what we can expect from the Capitol citizens, looks-wise.

Cato - We’re not really seeing too much of his menacing nature, but that might be a good thing. After all, we really don’t want Cato to become a caricature. Still there is a predatory vibe coming off him, especially with his almost hawklike eyes.

All in all, we’re very pleased with what they’ve come up with. We would’ve liked to have seen other characters, like Caesar Flickerman (if only to see exactly how Stanley Tucci was styled), Foxface, and Thresh. And of course, Buttercup but a fan has tried their hand at that already (by the way, have you voted for Round 1 of our Buttercup contest yet?).

Now about that pesky trailer
Twiffidy