LEGO builder Kristel Whitaker is an absolute rebel! She’s not going to let something like a grid of studs keep her from crafting a spot-on remake of the LEGO Scala logo. With so many curved tiles, modified plates, and stud offsets, Kristel is able to trace out S-C-A-L-A in only two layers of red. It certainly pulled its weight for the Scala Murder Mystery Mansion at Brickworld Chicago a few weekends ago.
As loud thuds reverberate through the halls of the Rebel base, with icy LEGO studs raining down on the faction within, it must mean that the Empire has arrived. Hypolite Bricks depicts the scene brick by brick in this excellent Star Wars vignette. Featuring a detailed AT-ST and a cutout of the Rebel base underneath, the armaments are quite detailed. But I absolutely adore the inclusion of some light aqua patches. This additional pop of color may not be able to hold off the Empire, but it might give the transports a little more time to get away while the snowtroopers stare in awe.
And if you’re looking for more The Empire Strikes Back action, Abe’s got a video on his YouTube channel showing the construction process and even more hidden details. Be sure to give it a watch!
While the LEGO release calendar can get a little muddy over the summer months with some sets available in Europe with others waiting until later, there’s a pair of wonderful LEGO Icons sets that just hit store shelves in the US and Canada that are worth taking for a spin. To get immediate early access to LEGO Icons 10337 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole and LEGO Icons 10338 Bumblebee in North America, you’ll need to be a LEGO Insider. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until July 4th. Check out more pictures of these new sets below. And beyond that, you can see the full offerings from LEGO for your appropriate region here: US | CAN | UK.
Check out these new sets and offers below!
Have you ever used LEGO to plumb the depths of “What if?” in the Star Wars universe? Soon, sets exploring exactly that concept from the new Disney+ series Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy will be hitting store shelves. Featuring such kooky concepts as a Darth Jar Jar with a dual-bladed lightsaber, TIE-Wing and X-Fighter mash-ups, and Jedi Vader, 75389 The Dark Falcon and 75393 TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up continue the celebration of LEGO’s 25th anniversary in the world created by George Lucas. Releasing on August 1st, both of these sets are available for pre-order right now on the LEGO website (US | CAN | UK). Check out pictures, prices, and links for these new Star Wars sets below!
They say that evolution has tended to converge upon a common crab-like shape, and it appears this is true in LEGO as well. All over the brick-built internet, LEGO artists are coming up with crustaceans aplenty during this #TimeForCrab, likely spurred by the Cancer season on the astrological calendar. It’s in this vein that TBB regular Maxx Davidson shows us the carcinization of pizza, a work appropriately titled “stuffed crust-acean.” And that pun isn’t the only thing I’m jealous of here: check out the expert use of the minifigure hoodie part as gooey, melty cheese on this supreme slice of the seafloor. The pizza box is brilliant as well, swarming with baby crabs with carapaces of ‘za.
I feel bad for Timmy, and I feel even worse for his LEGO Bionicle collection. Builder Magmafrost13 has taught this Constraction collector a lesson in gravity with this round 1 entry into the Bio-Cup competition. With all the excellent parts usage in this creation, it’s hard to pick a favorite. But the use of a pair of Kanohi masks to form Timmy’s surprised face and hair is truly inspired!
With the celebration of 25 years of LEGO Star Wars continuing into the summer sets, the next wave promises even more classics in brick form, accompanied by exclusive or sought-after figures. And there’s nothing quite as classic as the Imperial Star Destroyer, appearing in the first few frames of A New Hope. It’s a subject that LEGO has returned to over and over again throughout that quarter of a century. But what is the culmination of those 25 years of design and re-design? We find out in LEGO Star Wars 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer, 1,555 pieces strong and retailing for US $159.99 | CAN $209.99 | UK £149.99. This I-class staple of the Imperial Navy hits store shelves on August 1st and is available for pre-order now from the LEGO website.
Bringing a 2-D trading card into the third dimension certainly feels like a job made for LEGO. And Takamichi Irie puts those bricks to work, moving the Pokémon Chikorita into the active position. The ‘Mon is an impressive recreation, extending a mushroom to the “camera” using one of its vines. And the terrain is downright astounding, brimming with vegetation and crags in front of a gradient pixelated background. But the features that take this build from astounding to jaw-droppingly awesome are all the references to items from the game surrounding the card: Master Ball, Rare Candy, Pokédex, Potion, Full Heal, and PlusPower. Even the kanji at the top of the card spells out the Japanese name of this particular pocket monster.
One more thing before attaching a Grass Energy and going in for the attack. As with all trading cards, there’s always a second side to consider. And Takamichi didn’t skimp on the details when flipping the model around. Mimicking the back of the Japanese card to a T with some dynamite lettering and the 7 circles representing the 7 different Pokémon types in the card game, it’s just as impressive as the build’s front.
While I was more a Magic: the Gathering fan growing up, I was certainly aware of the trading card phenomenon known as Yu-Gi-Oh. And to see such an excellent recreation of characters/cards from the TV show in this LEGO build by mc tung takes me back to the early 2000’s, for sure. Featuring (from left to right) Swords of Revealing Light, Dark Magician Girl, Kuriboh, Dark Magician, and Blue Eyes White Dragon, these five iconic cards from the show and game stand before Yugi Mutou, wielder of this special deck of cards. Each of the figures are an outstanding creation on their own, and as a sextet are instantly recognizable. I especially like all the detail put into Yugi’s crazy hair and the billowing cape behind him. He’s even rocking his magical Millenium Puzzle and standard-issue Duel Disk.
LEGO has once again dipped its toe into the world of Transformers action figures. And while Optimus Prime and Megatron are likely the two most well-known of the Hasbro toy line, the Autobot Bumblebee has definitely got the number three slot locked down. First released in Japan in 1983 as Microchange Wagen, this scout-bot wins the hearts and minds of children everywhere with his “never say die” attitude that always looms much larger than his stature. While recent theatrical appearances have popularized a Chevy Camaro-version of this Transformer, LEGO has opted to return to the roots of the robot with the original Volkswagen Beetle design in LEGO Icons 10338 Transformers Bumblebee. The set clocks in at 950 pieces and hits store shelves on July 4th (July 1st for LEGO Insiders), retailing for US $89.99 | CAN $119.99 | UK £79.99. But after the success of LEGO Transformers 10302 Optimus Prime back in 2022, will B-127 measure up to his leader? Read on to find out!
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.
Read more on this transformative building process below!
For years now, one of my favorite historical LEGO builders has been Evan Crouch, known for turning out beautiful buildings and landscapes from medieval and colonial times. This gatehouse, intended for a DENLUG collab at Brickworld Chicago this coming weekend, is yet another stellar entry into his catalog of work. I adore the construction of that pine tree, leveraging the flexible nature of the 6×5 leaf pieces. And the texturing on the tower’s walls is top notch, as always. I hope I get to see some pics of the whole DENLUG layout from the convention in the near future.
Blending a mix of System and Technic LEGO elements, this lizard of the Cretaceous Period by VelociJACKtor makes for a striking silhouette clad all in black. When working in a single color, shaping is everything, and JACK applies their palette of pieces perfectly to recreate the massive frill of this ancient beast. The rest of the dino is fleshed out with a combination of slopes and wedge plates, posed thanks to plenty of hinge parts of all varieties. The only pop of color is a bed of white and pink flowers at its feet, only adding to the visage of this shadowy ‘saur.
