About Chris Doyle

Chris has been involved in many parts of the LEGO community for over twenty years, and has been building most of his life. A love of transparent bricks and pop culture combine in most of his creations, which tend to be pretty large scale. His website, Reasonably Clever, featured one of the longest running brick-based webcomics, as well as one of the first LEGO-themed avatar creators. His photographs and creations have appeared in several books.

Posts by Chris Doyle

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

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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 Winter Village Collection 10293: Santa’s Visit – Some seriously fun holiday cheer [Review]

I know it’s hard to believe, but we’re already heading in the tail end of 2021. And that means it’s time for LEGO to unveil their yearly addition to the Winter Village Collection. This year there’s no beating around the bush – we get right to the main event. LEGO Winter Village Collection 10293: Santa’s Visit will be available to VIP members starting September 16th, and at LEGO stores starting October 1st, for US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £79.99, and brings that momentous event to life. But will it be a holiday disaster? Come along as we take a close look at this seasonal 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 Creator Expert 10290 Pickup Truck: A ride that’s very “Farm Fresh” [Review]

For years, fans have been demanding a LEGO Back to the Future vehicle – and LEGO has listened. Their latest Creator Expert vehicle is indeed a way to go back in time to the 1950’s – well, in a nostalgic way, at least. The Creator Expert 10290 Pickup Truck is a classic interpretation of vintage farm trucks from that era. Available for pre-order now from the LEGO Shop Online for US $129.99 | CAN $169.99 | UK £119.99 this 1677 piece set will will be generally available October 1st. But does this surprising choice of vehicle merit your time-travel dollar? Come along as we take a close look at this set!

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with a 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

Missing Maine and feeling blue.

A couple of years ago I got to spend a month-long sabbatical from work on the coast of Maine. I really, really wish I could go back. While I was there, I enjoyed quite a bit of lobster, but nothing quite as rare as this blue version from Walter Whiteside Jr. In nature, a blue lobster is the result of a one in two million genetic mutation. In LEGO, the blue lobster is even more rare. In fact, this is the only one I’ve ever seen. With the great organic shaping and realistic details, it’ll certainly do in a pinch. (Get it? Because of the pincers? Okay, that was a bad pun. Nevermind.)

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LEGO Creator Expert 10284 Camp Nou FC Barcelona [Review]

Football fans worldwide are in for a treat (as are the soccer fans in the US) as LEGO has created a scale model of FC Barcelona’s massive Camp Nou. The slogan on the bleachers reads “Més que un club,” which translates from the Catalan as “More than a club.” Can LEGO Creator Expert 10284 Camp Nou FC Barcelona hope to live up to that lofty promise? Available now for US $349.99 | CAN $449.99 | UK £299.99, this 5509 piece set isn’t about to back down. Come along as we take a deep dive into this highly-anticipated set!

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

A floating castle under glass

This microscale castle by Jaap Bijl (jaapxaap) is a miniature version of their full-scale build from 2018. Fitting snugly under a glass dome, this tiny wonder is full of fun details like golden unicorn spire-toppers and an icy base. There’s also complex building going on with the inversion of part orientations and somehow supporting the castle’s weight on just a couple of tiny minifigure ski poles. This creation is a great display piece, a tiny moment of wonder preserved for all time.

If miniaturization is your jam, check out our microscale tag for more tiny goodness!

Octopus time! An alternate build for LEGO 31203 World Map [Instructions]

The Brothers Brick contributor Chris Doyle is back with more mosaic madness! This time, he’s reworked the LEGO Art 31203 World Map into a vibrant octopus. He also shares the instructions necessary to build this version of the World Map yourself. You know. If you want to.

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There’s an art to this build.

This amazing stylized character build of Persona 5’s Ann Takamaki by Joseph Zawada pushes the limits of LEGO art in impressive ways. The offset round tiles in the hair highlights suggest an entirely new style of mosaic building, and the use of negative space in the mouth to create thin lines and shapes not possible with existing brick is an inspired move. I also have to note the creative part usage in the eyes; I’ve spotted everything from minifigure hands to flex tubing. Truly, this is a work of art.

Check our our art tag for even more examples of great creative expression in the plastic brick medium.

A coat that is pretty darn Cruel(la DeVille)

There’s some disquieting backstory to this great Cruella DeVille figure by Kale Frost -it started out as a BrickHeadz Dalmatian set. That’s taking the source material pretty literally. Less literal are some of the great part choices made to complete the character – that’s a Ninjago die spinner in the dress and balloon panels make up the coattails. The face is expressive, the pose is dynamic, and I’m still creeped out by it. Maybe it’s the tiny dog bones used as decoration along the edge of the display stand. That’s just dark, Kale.

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When your friends turn out to be slime. Literally.

The backstory of Rendevous at Slime Bay by Mathijs Dubbeldam (Exetrius) has the leader of the Black Spire seeking out allies from the Algus, an ancient enemy of man. Which, honestly, sounds like a pretty stupid move. But I guess if you’re the leader of something as grim sounding as “The Black Spire” it’s just another Tuesday. On the LEGO front, this build is very far from “stupid”, as it incorporates some really skillful tricks like a stone arch made with a ball-jointed infrastructure. I also love the construction on the cross at the top of that span. The water has some excellent white-top crests made from transparent cheese slopes, and there’s plenty of shades of transparent green elements to bring the goopy nature of the island to life.

If you’re looking for more immersive scenery, check out our dioramas tag!

A Technic(al) advancement in speeder bikes

Speeder bikes are a futuristic concept, but David Doci has tapped into the past to build this one. Classic Technic elements combine to show that retro-cool is still very much a thing. The use of a Technic minifigure allows for a larger bike with more human-esque proportions compared to a “standard” LEGO minifigure. And that means elements from the long-lost Throwbot theme can return in new ways, along with some rare teal-hued Bionicle elements from 8549 Tarakava. Throw in a dash of Hero-factory flame elements for the exhaust and some transparent light blue ribbed hose and you can rocket back into more modern times. Or should that be into the future? Either way, it’s a sweet ride.

If you’re a fan of speeder bikes, check out some other creations from our archives!