This compact asteroid prospecting ship, made of LEGO by Jan Woźnica, would fit in very well in the universe of The Expanse, with structural supports and a engine-as-down design common among the working class “belters” spacecrafts. The overall shape even reminds me a bit of an asteroid, with an almost ovoid shape. The small maneuvering thrusters at the back and sides are a nice detail, and that airlock is perfectly placed for any needed spacewalks.
The moment I first saw this amazing transforming LEGO Soundwave by Student Scissors I had flashbacks to my childhood, playing with my own version of the action figure and the cassette tapes that transformed into a hawk and a panther. The builder has captured the dark blue and white Decepticon in perfect detail, with his shoulder-mounted cannon, cassette-playing chest, and even the aforementioned entourage of mini-bots. I particularly like the tilework used to replicate the play and stop buttons on the torso.
And to prove that the Transformer is worthy of that moniker, here’s Soundwave in his microcassette deck mode. Looks like he’s ready to play the song of the Autobots’ destruction.
The end of SHIPtember (September’s month-long space ship building contest) doesn’t mean the end of massive spaceships built from LEGO bricks. Any time of year is a great time to build a spaceship, as proven by this slim stellar marvel by Oscar Cederwall. Featuring a minimal color scheme of light gray and dark red, ans sporting what may very well be the single longest greebly section I have ever seen (the thin strip of random gray bits and bobs along the front).
Seen from the back, several subtly angled sections blend together very well, and a few textured parts along the top provide a nice bit of visual interest. Here and there, an alternate colored piece gives the ship a naturally weathered look.
The simplicity of LEGO Ideas 21340: Tales of the Space Age has inspired many LEGO fans to build their own versions, but this Star Wars tribute by Joel Short is my favorite. Tatooine, Bespin, and Endor are instantly recognizable, and the inclusion of the microscale Star Destroyer, Jawa Sandcrawler, twin-pod cloud car, and scout walker is perfect… not to mention that wonderful Millenium Falcon swooshing away using a transparent blue claw for the engine flair. If you want to see more Star Wars sets, check out our recent coverage of the new sets announced as part of the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars.
Building the gentle curve of a boat hull in LEGO bricks can be a challenge. That is, unless you find an old Fabuland boat part in your collection like Norton74. He promptly put it to good use as the start of a fishing boat full of the kind of details we have come to expect from Andrea. The simple dock gives a good setting without taking attention away from the vessel. It includes a small cargo hold and a rig for hauling in the day’s catch. Round, white studs give the boat a proper wake in a bed of transparent blue as it approaches the dock at the end of a long day.
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the 2nd week of January, 2024.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS We are wrapping up our end-of-year features this week, including our Builder of the year and our Creation of the year. We also took another look back, on our most popular reviews, and we saw one more Creator 3in1 set review, of flowers in a watering can.
With 2023 behind us, we’ve been looking back on LEGO moments, and crowning our LEGO Builder of the Year and LEGO Creation of the Year, congratulations to both. But one of the things that our readers enjoy about our content is our in-depth set reviews. Many of our readers (myself included) count on our reviews to help them decide whether or not to buy that new modular, or that Star Wars set packed with unique minifigures. So, lets take a look back over our most popular reviews of 2023 based on total views.
Find out which of our LEGO reviews was the most popular in 2023
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the 4th week of December, 2023.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS As we reach the end of another great year in LEGO news and reviews, we covered new sets from the Creator theme, LEGO Icons, Sonic the Hedgehog, Collectible Minifigures, and Jurassic Park. We also shared the first in our end of the year articles for your favorite LEGO moments of 2023. Fortnite and LEGO collaborated to launch a new game mode perfect for squading up with your friends for a LEGO-building survival mode. If you want even more news and reviews, be sure to check out our last Brick Report.
The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 theme has been expanding its line-up to include display models like the Retro Roller Skate and smaller plant-based sets from last year. If you’ve been dreaming of a tropical vacation during these darker winter months (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, that is) then maybe this tropical ukulele or the alternate surfboard model is the perfect display set for you. LEGO Creator 31156: Tropical Ukulele includes 387 pieces and will be available on January 1st for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99
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.
The new LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog theme (launched earlier this year) has the potential to give Mario a run for his money when it comes to video game-inspired LEGO sets. With lots of unique molded minifigures and brightly-colored scenes and vehicles, fans of the franchise have a lot to get excited about. Knuckles’ Guardian Mech joins the line-up in January. The set features a mech for Knuckles, including his iconic pointed boxing gloves, as well as another character: Rouge. The latter is a bat-girl with a fancy flier intent on stealing the giant green gem that Knuckles is defending. LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog 76996: Knuckles’ Guardian Mech comes with 276 pieces, and will be available on January 1st from the LEGO website for US $34.99 | CAN $44.99 | UK £29.99
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.
The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 theme has expanded their focus from play sets to include a variety of display sets in recent years. And it looks like 2024 is going to continue this trend with a recently announced wave of Creator sets. Joining the Adidas shoe in the footwear department is the retro roller skate. Riding the recent wave of nostalgia, generation X’ers get ready to jump in to the disco roller-rink with this latest entry. LEGO Creator 11348: Retro Roller Skate includes 342 pieces and will be available starting January 1st for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99
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.
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the 2nd week of December 2023.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS As we approach the end of another great year in LEGO news and reviews we saw announcements from the Botanical and LEGO Ideas themes. We also reviewed the first Creator set from 2024’s revised Space theme. As we prepare our usual batch of end-of-the-year features, we also posted a form for you to tell us your favorite LEGO moments of 2023.
OTHER NEWS In case you missed our daily breakdown of LEGO Advent calendars, here’s what TBB contributors had to say about them. Potential SPOILERS ahead!!