Posts by Kyle Keller

LEGO Bricklink Designer Program Series 5 – Mushroom Village: Make some ‘shroom on the shelf! [Review]

Jonas Kramm is a LEGO builder that comes up frequently in the archives of the Brothers Brick. His revered style covers the gamut of subject matter, but has been focused on a series of creations featuring the Lilliputian denizens of a mushroom kingdom. One of our first forays into this theme (called “Tiny World of Wonders” by its creator) came in Series 2 of the Bricklink Designer Program with the Mushroom House. And this month, we return once again with LEGO Bricklink Designer Program Series 5 – Mushroom Village. Complete with 2,436 parts and 7 minifigures, TBB was able to review a copy of the set before it becomes available for pre-order on June 10th at 08:00 PT. BDP Series 5 – Mushroom Village will retail for $209.99 USD. Read on for our thoughts on this second dance with the mycelium.

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

Read on for our full review of this new BDP Series 5 set!

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.

LEGO Marvel 76327 Iron Man MK4 Bust: Head and shoulders above a reasonable price [Review & Exclusive Designer Insights]

In their quest to satisfy the huge demand right now for adult-targeted sets, LEGO recently announced a series of Marvel superhero busts, kicking off with fan-favorites Iron Man and Spider-Man this summer. We got our hands on an early copy of the former, LEGO Marvel 76327 Iron Man MK4 Bust, and are about to send it through the rigors of a TBB review. Let’s see how this 436 piece set, now available for purchase, fares when it carries a price tag of US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99.

Last year, our editor-in-chief Andrew Becraft got some first-hand information from LEGO designers Petra Persson and Mark Stafford on this new superhero set. This was Petra’s first LEGO set as a designer. There will be plenty of tidbits from that interview throughout the review below. And a special thank you to Jeansversion for tag-teaming the interview with TBB, and recording it for us.

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

How to squirrel away LEGO beard hair [Building Technique]

Maybe with the exception of minifigure hair, there are few LEGO parts that create shapes as interesting as those of the single-molded animal pieces. Case-in-point, Dominique Boeynaems puts a trio of gray squirrels to work creating the beard of this wizard aspiring to be a warrior. With their printed faces shielded from view, there’s little to take away from the furry tails of that scurry hidden on Merlin’s face.

May the 4th be with you and the newly-revealed LEGO Star Wars 75428 Battle Droid with STAP [News]

Just in time for Star Wars Day tomorrow, LEGO has announced one more new set coming out this summer. LEGO Star Wars 75428 Battle Droid with STAP will consist of 1,088 pieces and offers the first brick-built Battle Droid since LEGO Technic 8001 Battle Droid back in 2000. But this version is riding the Single Trooper Aerial Platform (or STAP), as seen in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. If you’re looking to get your hands on this new display set, LEGO Star Wars 75428 Battle Droid with STAP will hit store shelves on July 1, and will retail for US $139.99 | CAN $TBD | UK £119.99

Roger, roger! Read on for more images of this new set

New LEGO sets announced for Disney, Harry Potter, and more arriving in June [News]

As we begin the month of May, the minds of many a LEGO fan turn to the upcoming wave of summer sets from our favorite toy brand. This week, many of those sets are popping up on LEGO.com. We’ve compiled a list of our favorites below, be it Disney sets paying tribute to 101 Dalmatians with LEGO Disney 43269 Disney 101 Dalmatians Puppy, a glorious new LEGO train of an arctic persuasion called LEGO City 60470 Explorers’ Arctic Polar Express Train, or the next in the new LEGO Book Nooks: LEGO Harry Potter 76450 Harry Potter Book Nook: Hogwarts Express. Read on for all these sets and more, with plenty of pictures, prices, and release dates included!

There’s plenty from Disney, Minecraft, Harry Potter, and more below!

BrickCon 2025 is picking up STEAM! Attendee registration opens today! [News]

After 24 years, we in the Seattle area still look forward to BrickCon each fall, the longest-running fan-run LEGO convention and the local con for the Brothers Brick. This year, the theme is all about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, fully embracing the roots of this wonderful hobby with their theme Full STEAM Ahead. On September 4th through the 7th, BrickCon will return to the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA, with the public display happening on the last two days of the event. As in years past, attending fans (in-person and virtual) can count on plenty of presentations, games, and roundtables that happen alongside the massive showcase of builders from all over the world. Registration is now open, so be sure to visit brickcon.org to get signed up ASAP.

More details on BrickCon 2025 below, including hotel information

The new LEGO Icons 10351 Sherlock Holmes: Book Nook promises set assembly between reads [News]

As LEGO continues to direct the sets in its Icons line toward adults, there’s a definite effort to craft the models to the places that we older LEGO fans like to display them. And with LEGO Icons 10351 Sherlock Holmes: Book Nook, we see a set custom-made to occupy bookshelf real estate. Consisting of 1,359 pieces and boasting five minifigures, this new ode to everyone’s favorite detective folds in on itself to roughly a book size, capable of squeezing in-between volumes while offering a set with more depth than width. The two halves can also be opened up, showing the façade of 221B Baker Street along with a bookshop and a second, unnamed residence. Those looking to get their hands on Sherlock & Co. will find it on LEGO store shelves beginning on June 1st, where it will retail for US $129.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £109.99.

Read our review here!

Follow the clues to more set pictures below!

How to train your micro dragon [Building Technique]

With LEGO clips for back spines, a tail of mismatched 1x2x2/3 slopes, and a video game controller for a head, Ian Summers shows us an awesome Toothless creation from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. How long until we have the parts in white to make a Light Fury version of this microscale marvel?

How to summon a LEGO genie [Building Technique]

Each year, we get to see some amazing LEGO building techniques on display during the part count-restricted Rogue Olympics. Mark van der Maarel keeps it well under 100 with this great magic lamp. And if you’re like me, your first wish will be figuring out how those white disks fit together to make such a great puff of smoke!

LEGO announces new Marvel Mini Bust line with Iron Man and Iron Spider sets [News]

In the wake of clearance-priced LEGO Marvel 76215 Black Panther appearing on the LEGO website for over a year, it appeared that interest in a large bust of a superhero didn’t exist for LEGO shoppers. But, beginning in June, LEGO will be returning to the milieu in a smaller scale with LEGO Marvel 76327 Iron Man MK4 Bust and LEGO Marvel 76326 Iron Spider-Man Bust. Consisting of 436 and 379 pieces, respectively, these portrait statuettes clock in at a height of only 6.5 inches (17 cm). Each is adorned with an appropriate minifigure, with the Iron Man bust coming out June 1st and Iron Spider hitting shelves later on August 1st. Both Marvel sets are available for pre-order now, and retail for US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99.

Check out the two new Marvel Mini Busts below!

New LEGO sets for April 2025 coming soon! [News]

No fooling, April is set to bring us some huge new LEGO sets on store shelves. Disney fans have their eyes on LEGO Disney 43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle, which has Insiders access beginning today. Tolkien lovers will certainly be excited for LEGO Icons 10354 Lord of the Rings: The Shire, with access as early as April 2nd. And for those who are looking to take a trip down the mighty Mississippi, LEGO Ideas 21356 River Steamboat hits store shelves on April 7th, again for Insiders only. Check out all the new sets, and some of the other releases from this year, by heading over to the LEGO website: LEGO US | LEGO CAN | LEGO UK.

Check out the images and details for all these new sets below!

LEGO takes us back to the start of Frodo’s journey with LEGO Icons 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire [News]

With LEGO going back to the world of Lord of the Rings in 2023 with LEGO Icons 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, we all knew it was a matter of time until we returned to the home of hobbit-kind. And next month, we’ll do just that with the 2,017-piece LEGO Icons 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire. Including everything from the first few chapters/minutes of Fellowship of the Ring, we see minifigures of Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Merry, Pippin, Samwise, Rosie Cotton, and the Proudfoots… err, Proudfeet… set against Bilbo’s home and the trappings of his 111th birthday party. Set to release on April 2nd for LEGO Insiders (April 5th for everyone else), LEGO Icons 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire will come with a special gift-with-purchase when bought between release and the 8th: LEGO Icons 40761 Lord of the Rings: Sméagol & Déagol. Once available in stores, expect the new set to retail for US $269.99 | CAN $349.99 | UK £229.99.

LEGO Icons 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire | 2,017 Pieces | Available April 2 for Insiders (April 5 for all) | US $269.99 | CAN $349.99 | UK £229.99

LEGO Icons 40761 The Lord of the Rings: Sméagol & Déagol | 181 Pieces | Available as GWP with 10354 until April 8 | US | CAN | UK

Here’s the press release on this new LotR set from LEGO:

Sean Astin Celebrates Middle-earth™ with LEGO Bricks!
New LEGO Icons Set Launches Alongside Exclusive Mini-Film
LONDON, UK (25th March, 2025) – Sean Astin, who portrayed Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, celebrates Middle-earth™ in a new collaboration with the LEGO Group. Astin stars in an exclusive mini-film celebrating the launch of the LEGO® Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire™ set, a stunning 2,017-piece diorama that captures the heart of Hobbiton™.
The mini-film, is more than just a recreation of The Lord of the Rings in LEGO bricks; it’s a tribute to the cinematic artistry of the trilogy. Echoing the iconic Osgiliath monologue and cross-cutting sequences that define the films, the mini-film features Sean Astin taking viewers on a personal tour through the set.
Created in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, the breathtakingly detailed Shire set recreates the festive atmosphere of Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday celebration. From Bilbo’s hobbit-hole, complete with its iconic round green door and richly appointed interior, to the nine included minifigures—Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey—the set brings this iconic scene to life.
Interactive elements include being able to transform a burning letter into The One Ring and make Bilbo vanish with a turn of a dial or recreating the dragon firework scene with interchangeable heads for Merry and Pippin. The set also includes Gandalf’s horse and cart, fireworks, a firework dragon figure, the Party Tree, a party pavilion, and Bilbo’s book, which can be displayed open or closed.
Sean Astin comments: “Not all those who wander are lost… especially when travelling through the astonishing detail of the Shire made out of LEGO bricks! From the smallest hobbit-hole to the grandest fireworks, building this set brought back so many fond memories of Middle-earth™. Now fans can journey there themselves and build their own adventures.”
A true collector’s item that completes the trilogy of sets, following previous Barad-dûr™ and Rivendell™ launches, the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire set is a testament to the enduring power of friendship, adventure, and the magic of Middle-earth™.
The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire set is available for LEGO Insiders from 2nd April 2025, and for all from 5th April via LEGO.com/TheShire and LEGO Stores, priced at €269.99/ £229.99/ $269.99 In addition, between 2nd – 8th April, shoppers that purchase the new set (10354) via LEGO Stores and LEGO.com will receive a LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Sméagol™ & Déagol™ (18+) minibuild as a Gift with Purchase, while stocks last, T&C applies.

Age: 18+

Price: 269.99 EUR, 229.99 GBP, 269.00 USD

Pieces: 2,017 pieces

Product No.: 10354

Dimensions: W: 45cm, L: 27cm, H: 20cm

Available: LEGO Insiders 02.04.25 and 05.04.25 for All

Link: www.LEGO.com/TheShire