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 Ideas 21327 Typewriter – Writing an old-school love letter [Review]

There’s just something extra classy about an old manual typewriter. Maybe it’s the retro styling, or the mechanical aspects, or maybe it’s just pure nostalgia. Whatever the case, the latest LEGO Ideas set (#35 in the series) offers fans a way to add a swanky 1:1 replica to their collection. The 2079 piece 21327 Typewriter will be available June 16th for VIP members, with general availability starting July 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £179.99. But can a LEGO version be as cool as an actual vintage collectible? And what if you don’t care about typewriters at all? Is there anything here to tempt you? Well, don’t write it off just yet. Come along as we take a close look at this upcoming 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.

This set is just our type. Read more.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

We got your wagon covered.

We like supercars as much as anyone else, but there’s something equally cool about vintage rides like this Volvo 240 estate by Jonathan Elliott (JE Brickworks). I mean, you’re in for a world of hurt if you try and move a couch on the roof of your Lamborghini. A model that deserves a closer look, this blue beauty has a tilted minifigure ice skate for the Volvo logo and particularly clever use of steering wheels for wheel rims.

If you prefer your Volvos to be a bit more “heavy duty”, then check out our review of the LEGO Technic 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler or this amazing fan-built, radio-controlled 1/20-scale Volvo FH.

LEGO Ninjago Legacy 40490: Ninjago 10 BrickHeadz [Review]: A purchase with purchase to purchase, but only in person

Ninjago fans have been celebrating the ten year anniversary of the theme, and LEGO is helping out with a new three-pack of BrickHeadz. Golden Lloyd, Nya Samurai X, and the Firstbourne Dragon all get the cubist treatment in Ninjago Legacy 40490: Ninjago 10 BrickHeadz . This 406 part set will be available from June 1 – June 30th, 2021 (or while supplies last) at LEGO stores only for US $10 | CAN $15 | UK £10 with qualifying US $85 | CAN $110 | UK £85 Ninjago purchases. Yes, this isn’t a “gift with purchase,” but rather a “purchase with purchase” offer. Come along as we take an early look at these three Ninjago icons!

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

Hold up! We want to talk to you about your wagon’s extended warranty!

It wasn’t always dysentery that did you in on the Oregon trail. Dmitry has created a microscale wonder in “The Road To The West”, a build full of great details and part usage. A few that caught my eye right away were the use of hubcaps for the spoked wagon wheels and the really clever combination of small parts in the horses. I also adore the slight gaps between the sections of the coach’s cover. Those allow for a wind-swept look that enhances the scene’s already great sense of motion.

This scene feels like a small part of a larger story. What happens next? Maybe Dmitry will share another build in the future that fills us in. Otherwise we’ll just have to look at some other great Western-inspired creations and make up our own legends.

This ship is barrels of fun!

While classic greys have their place, I’m a sucker for a vibrant color scheme on my spaceships. The Blue Barrel by David Roberts certainly doesn’t disappoint in that arena, with a checkerboard pattern of red and orange that really offsets the blue bodywork to make this vessel stand out. I love the smooth lines and the Technic gears in the nose.

The real treat, though, is when this baby comes in for a landing. Dave’s focus on this build was the development of hinged hatches and extendable landing gear. Fingertip pressure is all it takes to pop open the landing struts, but apparently, you’ll “need some fingernails to get at the legs and pull them out!” Truly, one of more obvious-but-still-clever uses of Technic rods I’ve seen in a while. Also be sure to spend a moment or two examining that innovative ladder. It doesn’t use standard stud attachments to hook onto the ship but rather uses 1×1 Tooth plate to hang on the cockpit rim.

Did this whet your appetite for more space-y goodness? Take a stroll through our archives for even more great featured builds!

LEGO Art 31203: World Map – The biggest LEGO set ever [Review]

There are large LEGO sets, and there are really large LEGO sets. And then there are the ones that take things to an entirely different level. Say hello to the biggest LEGO set ever — LEGO Art 31203 World Map. At 11,695 pieces, this new LEGO Art mosaic is the largest set ever released, beating out the 10276 Colosseum by 2659 elements and the Star Wars 75192 UCS Millennium Falcon by more than 4000. But quantity doesn’t always match up with quality. Come along as we explore the highs and lows of this new set, which will be available June 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $249.99 | CAN $349.99 | UK £229.99 and will become available from other retailers globally from August 1st.

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 Spider-Man 76178 Daily Bugle (Part 2: The minifigures) [Review]

The newest set in the LEGO Spider-Man lineup is also the largest. Revealed just today, Marvel 76178 Daily Bugle includes 3,772 pieces and will be available for US $299.99 | CAN $399.99 | UK £274.99 from LEGO Stores and LEGO.com from May 26 for LEGO VIP members and June 1, 2021 for all. We’ve already taken a look at the rest of the set’s contents in Part 1 of our review, and now it’s time to explore the full cast of twenty-five minifigures. Come along as we find out the who’s who of new and returning characters!

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 Spider-Man 76178 Daily Bugle (Part 1: The build) [Review]

LEGO has spent a lot of time exploring the Spider-Verse. From Monster Trucks to the Spider-Cave(!?), we’ve seen a lot of key characters and locations. One, though, was notable for its absence — the Daily Bugle. Now that lack has been addressed, and in a big, big way, as today we’re able to reveal that the newest set in the LEGO Spider-Man lineup is also the largest. Marvel 76178 Daily Bugle includes 3,772 pieces and will be available for US $299.99 | CAN $399.99 | UK £274.99 from LEGO Stores and LEGO.com from May 26 for LEGO VIP members and June 1, 2021 for all. This huge set includes a whopping twenty-five minifigures, two vehicles, and the eponymous skyscraper.

There’s a ton of details to explore—in fact, so much that we’ve split this review in two. In this first part we’ll focus on the build, while in the second part we’ll go through the whole cast of minifigures in detail. So come along as we take an early, in-depth look at building this huge range-topping 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

This frog is a (paper) cut above the rest

When it comes to mixed-media LEGO creations, we can all take a page from takamichi irie.
The papercraft body of this amphibian draws the eye, while the friendly smile and cherry-based toes showcase just what plastic can do. Inspired by a calendar page, this model brings joy to even the most dreary day.

The underside shows off more of the traditional “LEGO construction” in play. Clever use of minifigure posing stands attach the rear legs at an unusual angle, and rounded 1×2 modified plate gives the front legs articulation, too.

If you find this frog as adorable as I do, you’ll want to check out some of Takamichi’s other paper-LEGO hybrids, a crab and a bull. Or maybe explore the full range of his creations we’ve featured previously.

If you care to step outside, there’s work to do

Life in space sounds fun, but there’s still work to be done. Tino Poutiainen shows us a slice of orbital life in Starboard drydock, complete with a complex clump of technology and a cleverly constructed astronaut. Standout details include the layered helmets, flex tube arms, and astromech head incorporated into the backpack. The satellite is super swanky, too, with an interesting hinged cover for the electronics. The organic curves from the string elements add just a touch of weightlessness to the scene as well.

Tino is no stranger to sharing cool space-themed builds, but my favorite creation of theirs is the more fantastic Glass Cerebus. What’s your pick?

You wanted a CD player for your speeder bike, right?

There’s creative part usage, then there’s what Mitch Phillips has accomplished with Frequency Clipper. You might recognize that old-school Insectoids wing at the rear, or the Hero Factory shoulder armor on the sides. But the key feature has to be that Bionicle Borahk CD-ROM at the front. Talk about taking your tunes wherever you go…

In the mood for more great Speeder Bikes? Cruise our archives for more creative builds!

This is the way you build a bigger cradle

What do you do when you really want a plush LEGO Baby Yoda but can’t seem to justify it? Do what Simon Liu did – buy it anyway and build a to-scale cradle to go with it. Of course, you might need some other hard-to-find LEGO elements like sails from Jabba’s barge, but it’s a small price to pay for an upscale ride for your snuggly little pal.

This isn’t the first Baby Yoda build we’ve featured, and I’d be shocked if it was the last. And hopefully, we’ll see more that make use of the plush version of the character. Surely someone is working on a Razor Crest that’s to scale, right? (Well, we can dream.)