Yearly Archives: 2021

This rover has got us pumped.

In 2007, LEGO released the Mars Mission sub-theme for their Space line. One of the major gimmicks for that line was a series of pneumatic tubes that minifigures could travel through. This was accomplished by propelling them with a blast of air provided by a sub-theme-specific giant pump. Those pumps must now be sitting unused in collections around the world. Surely it’s too specific an item to make use of when you’re not constructing a tube-based travel system. “Not so fast,” says lokiloki29. This is the EOS-BA Discovery Rover, and it makes use of four of those pumps to create a set of over-sized wheels that look ready to tackle numerous alien terrains.

Considering the limited connection points that the pumps provide, this vehicle is an out of this world accomplishment. The vehicle contains a fully functioning interior, and even includes a mini vehicle that can deploy to travel through those smaller spaces the larger rover can’t quite handle. And, although it is crewed by a more traditional team of astronauts, I respect that the rover homages the Mars Mission sets with its pops of orange against the largely white color scheme.

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The Era of the new Castle Bros has begun....

When you put a title like Castle Bros on the line, you better be ready to back it up eventually with some epic, medieval models. After he and his brother succeeded in securing the victory, LEGO Masters contestant Caleb Schilling was well aware of this obligation. Compelled to revive the build that won the bet, Caleb did so with style. The Joust of Sir Bob and Sir Leon takes place high on the bridge above the castle gates, surrounded by colorful citizens celebrating the competition. Red and blue banners wave above their heads for their favorite knights as they look on from various levels of this towering castle. The molding of the bridge is brilliantly detailed, emulating carved stone with gold inlets. Honestly, the parapets of each tower and turret are beautifully designed with wonderfully textured walls and arrowslits dotting them. My absolute favorite portion is the entryway. This design is honestly gorgeous. The use of sand green and dark orange contrasts nicely with the highlight of white and peek of yellow from above. The plants adorning the windowsills, the ivy climbing the left turret, and the bright tree atop the entryway add an organic element to the stone and mortar.

Caleb Schilling, and Jacob for that matter, have impressed me so far in their tenure as the Castle Bros. Their use of bright colors to contrast the greys and browns common in castle designs breathes life into the concept. This model and that from the show seem almost animated with how the characters and buildings complement each other. I can’t wait to see Caleb’s next castle.

LEGO 40499 Santa’s Sleigh – Santa Claus is coming to town [Review]

Hang up the stockings because Santa Claus is coming to town! Flying down from the North Pole this Christmas is the new LEGO 40499 Santa’s Sleigh! We had the opportunity to get an early look at Santa and his holiday ride, the perfect accompaniment to this year’s Winter Village Collection set, 10293 Santa’s Visit. With 343 pieces, the set will be available October 1st for US $36.99 | CAN $49.99 | UK £34.99. Read on to see our review of the unboxing and building below.

Click to read the full hands-on review

Iron Man’s muscular mech suit, Igor, is here to save the day

First featured in Iron Man 3, the Mark 38 (as known as Igor), is the predecessor to the Hulkbuster. Ransom Fern has constructed this accurate interpretation of the original design with the ability to pose. By building in this scale, Ransom has been able to portray the muscular proportions in great detail. The bend at the torso is particularly effective in terms of suggesting the upper strength of the suit. Wedge pieces represent the eyes and ridged tiles create the angled cheek bones. At the shoulders, slide plates act as segmented sections of armour. Even the striped patterns at the arms and legs have been replicated. It’s great to see some love for the suit as Igor, especially in this intricate form.

A LEGO spider that is clearly terrifying

Spiders are are terrifying at the best of times and builder @brickybricks82 ups the ante with this transparent monster reminiscent of the crystal spider from the movie Krull. The gold hinges on the leg joints make a great (and necessary) accent that is repeated in the feet and fangs. The red transparent eyes add an additional look of menace and I’m particularly fond of the egg shaped spaceship windscreen for the abdomen. If you run into this beast in the basement, you better hope you see it before it sees you.

LEGO Marvel Eternals 76155: In Arishem’s Shadow – Not your typical space god. [Review]

Normally when LEGO and Marvel team up to offer sets related to an upcoming film, they go to great lengths to keep things under wraps until they can arrange for a big reveal. It’s just smart marketing. Unfortunately, the past couple of years haven’t been great for plans working out as intended.

Back in December of 2020, LEGO sent out a catalog showcasing four sets based around the upcoming Eternals movie…a movie that had been slated to be in cinemas in November of that year. But, thanks to Covid, that film was shelved until November of 2021. The sets were not released, never made it onto LEGO.com, and probably just sat in a warehouse somewhere…waiting. Until now. LEGO Marvel Eternals 76155: In Arishem’s Shadow will (finally) be available October 1st for
US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £59.99. Was it worth the wait? Come along as we take a close look at this Celestial offering.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

LEGO Marvel Eternals 76156: Rise of the Domo – The triangle to end all triangles [Review]

Although we don’t know a lot about the plot of the upcoming Marvel Eternals movie, we do know a bit about some toy tie-ins. Back in December of 2020, four sets were revealed in the winter LEGO catalog, presumably due to the film’s original November 2020 release date. But Covid had other plans, and the Eternals movie was delayed until November of 2021. So LEGO held off on making the sets available for sale…until now, that is. LEGO Marvel Eternals 76156: Rise of the Domo will be available from the LEGO Shop Online starting October 1st for US $89.99 | CAN $119.99 | UK £89.99. This is the largest set in the wave, with 1040 pieces including six Eternals minifigures. Has this set been worth the extended wait? Read along as we look at the highs (and lows) of this capstone set in the Eternals theme.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

LEGO reveals 10291 Queer Eye – The Fab 5 Loft featuring the Netflix series’ iconic studio [News]

LEGO has taken the wraps off the next set based on a television series, 10291 Queer Eye – The Fab 5 Loft. Featuring the iconic team of “more than a makeover” experts from the hit Netflix series, the set pays homage to the unique personalities and talents of each member. Join Tan, Karamo, Jonathan, Antoni, and Bobby in a tour of their Atlanta apartment! The 974-piece set also showcases one of their most beloved heroes, Kathi Dooley, and their favorite pupperoni, Bruley the dog. The set will be available starting Oct. 1 for US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99

Click to see all the pictures of Queer Eye – The Fab 5 Loft

There’s a snake in my boot (and an alien in my mouth)

Toy Story Mania! is an interactive ride based on Pixar’s classic film franchise that you can experience at three of Disney’s parks around the world. But you can only enter the attraction through the gaping maw of a giant Woody head at DisneySea in Tokyo; an experience that has been replicated in LEGO form by builder nobu_tary.

This build does a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of the location. The white, tan, and azure color scheme is a spot-on match for the park’s American Waterfront land. Park details like the lamps and roof spires are properly represented. The ride’s logo is effectively built into Woody’s hat. And Woody’s head is pleasantly detailed, from the cattle horns used as his eyebrows, to the row of teeth set just behind his upper lip. I am surprised to see that Buzz has to wait in line, though. You’d think he’d have some sort of VIP Fast Pass.

An off-the-wall take on a futuristic city

If you stay in the LEGO game long enough, you’re bound to run into the problem shelf space. Specifically, the problem of not enough of it. Andrew Lee is combating that issue with Scumbag City, a multi-storied metropolis that ingeniously hangs on Andrew’s wall.

To achieve this gravity-defying effect, Andrew has built the bottom-most layer around an already existing wooden shelf. The upper layers are secured with screws placed into the wall through Technic brick holes. From there, Andrew has installed a central elevator shaft that allows the citizens to move between levels. Each level was then outfitted with storefronts and restaurants, each equipped with front facades that can be easily removed so you can see the action within.

I particularly like the way this build so clearly tells the story of life in Scumbag City. The top-level, with its large windows and gold fencing, is clearly the home of the city’s elite. The next three levels feature large railings and brightly colored shops and restaurants. The lowest levels have smaller railings, industrial areas, and businesses like a gentleman’s club. No doubt life on the lower levels is a little harder, if for no other reason than it’s probably pretty noisy living right above the engines the keep Scumbag City aloft.

Leaving LEGO Masters S2: We sit down with the ninth team to leave [Feature]

The eleventh episode of LEGO Masters Season 2 has aired. A new episode means another winning build and unfortunately, another team elimination. After each episode, we’ll be meeting these teams as they continue on their LEGO journey with the show behind them. This week the four remaining teams were tasked with building a castle that extended off of a vertical wall with only 10 studs total to build from.

We sat down for a talk with the ninth team to leave this season along with our friends from Brickset, BZPower and True North Bricks. We chatted about build inspirations, building with kids and the importance of bringing new builders into the hobby.

Read on, but beware… Spoilers lie ahead!

LEGO Creator Expert 77942 Fiat 500 limited edition comparison: blue is the new yellow [Review]

A few weeks ago, LEGO announced that they were running a trial in the UK to test variants of a few popular sets, altering their sizes or colors. The flagship model of this program is an update on last year’s Creator Expert 10271 Fiat 500, which overhauls the car’s light yellow to a light blue. The new set receives a new number, and 77942 Fiat 500 is sold from now until Nov. 30 through LEGO’s website in the UK (£74.99) or through retailer Zavvi. Unlike LEGO’s UK site, Zavvi does ship outside the UK, briefly allowing fans elsewhere in the world to get the set, though the first stock of Zavvi’s sets appears to have sold out and Zavvi has taken down the listing. LEGO has said that since it’s part of a trial program, once the set is sold out, it will not be available again. Today we’re taking a brief look at how the new blue Fiat compares to the yellow version we reviewed last year.

Click to read the full review