Category Archives: Feature

The Brothers Brick is not just about showcasing the best fan builds and bringing you the latest LEGO News, we also love to investigate, interview and discuss! These featured articles are all interesting articles that you can look back and enjoy reading.

These LEGO test bricks are fantastically photogenic [Feature]

When it comes to LEGO, Beryll Roehl is both a collector and artist. LEGO test bricks are the focal point of her collection, and she takes this hobby to the next level by beautifully photographing pieces alongside objects with similar colors. LEGO’s test bricks were produced in a multitude of materials and colors for the purpose of research and development, and they have an exciting history. To learn more about these unique relics of LEGO’s past, be sure to read our informative interview with Beryll. Since then, Beryll has photographed even more bricks like these black BASF bricks with a little bumblebee. How cute!

See more of Beryll’s beautifully photographed test bricks

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LEGO Star Wars 75254 AT-ST Raider from The Mandalorian [No-Spoiler Review]

The Disney+ exclusive TV show The Mandalorian just debuted, so we’re taking a look at the single LEGO Star Wars set released to support the show so far. Although the TV show didn’t debut until November 12th, 75254 AT-ST Raider was released alongside the first wave of LEGO Star Wars sets from The Rise of Skywalker at the beginning of October. The set includes 540 pieces with four minifigures and retails for $49.99 US | $69.99 CAN | £49.99 UK (it’s also available at 20% off from Amazon.com right now as well).

This latest AT-ST is one in a long line of “chicken walkers” that LEGO has released, following up on the 75153 AT-ST Walker from Rogue One released in 2016. Of course, that doesn’t count the utterly awful half-walker pawned off on LEGO Star Wars fans in the form of 75201 First Order AT-ST (arguably the worst LEGO Star Wars set ever).

Note about spoilers: Unlike the abominable First Order AT-ST released well in advance of The Last Jedi, this LEGO Star Wars AT-ST does not reveal any spoilers about the TV show. Out of respect for readers who have not yet seen the show (or can’t due to regional release differences), this review of the set will also avoid spoilers. We ask that commenters respect each other and do the same.

Read our full review of LEGO Star Wars 75254 AT-ST Raider from The Mandalorian

The beginner’s guide to collecting LEGO wooden toys, the original LEGO Originals [Feature]

LEGO hasn’t always been a manufacturer of plastic building blocks. From 1932 until 1960, LEGO manufactured wooden toys and, this year, they are celebrating this heritage with the release of LEGO Originals Wooden Minifigure 853967. As a casual collector of wooden LEGO toys, I find the LEGO Originals line intriguing because LEGO is embracing its roots in such a way that allows the public to participate. As excited as I am for the future of LEGO Originals, I thought it might fun to take a look at what I like to call the original “LEGO Originals.”

1940s Quacking duck and circa late-1930s orange duck – image courtesy of Matthew Hocker
Continue reading to learn more about collecting vintage wooden LEGO toys

LEGO Star Wars 75257 Millennium Falcon from The Rise of Skywalker [Review]

The ninth and final film in the Skywalker Saga is due in movie theaters in about a month and a half, and we continue to look at the first wave of LEGO Star Wars sets released in advance of the film. So far, we’ve looked at 75248 Resistance A-wing Starfighter, and today we’re reviewing the largest set in the first wave, 75257 Millennium Falcon. The set includes 1,353 pieces with five minifigs and two droids, and is available now (US $159.99 | CA $179.99 | UK £149.99).

Not counting the monumental UCS Falcon released in 2017, this is the third Millennium Falcon released since Han & Chewie’s Falcon The Force Awakens (2015) and Lando’s Kessel Run Falcon for Solo (2018). Other than minifigs, let’s find out what’s new about this latest iteration.

Read our hands-on review of LEGO Star Wars 75257 Millennium Falcon from The Rise of Skywalker

LEGO Ideas 21320 Dinosaur Fossils – assembling T. rex & Triceratops & Pteranodon, oh my! [Review]

Even though my primary fascination with the past has always been through archaeology, the science of paleontology has also provided a wonderful source of inspiration about the amazing world we live in. Officially unveiled today, the latest LEGO Ideas set is 21320 Dinosaur Fossils, so I was especially excited to get building with an early copy of the set that LEGO sent The Brothers Brick. The new set includes 910 pieces with two minifigures and will go on sale November 1st (US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99).

Editor’s note: This LEGO Ideas set identifies and labels the individual species of each extinct creature included in the set, so you’ll find that we refer to them using binomial nomenclature, with scientific names in italics and abbreviations like T. rex for Tyrannosaurus rex rather than “T-Rex”. If you think Andrew gets pedantic about Star Wars lore, just wait until he digs into a scientifically inspired LEGO set like this!

Read our hands-on review of LEGO Ideas 21320 Dinosaur Fossils

LEGO Star Wars 75248 Resistance A-wing Starfighter from The Rise of Skywalker [Review]

LEGO has released the first wave of LEGO Star Wars sets from The Rise of Skywalker, and we’ll be reviewing each one between now and the movie’s release on December 20th. First up here on TBB is 75248 Resistance A-wing Starfighter, which includes 269 pieces with minifigs and is available now ($29.99 USD | $39.99 CAD | £24.99 UK).

Read our hands on review of LEGO Star Wars 75248 Resistance A-wing Starfighter

LEGO Star Wars 75252 Ultimate Collector Series Imperial Star Destroyer [Review]

The LEGO Star Wars line’s latest massive set in the Ultimate Collector Series is 75252 Imperial Star Destroyer, clocking in at a whopping 4,784 pieces and two minifigures, with a price to match the part count (US $699.99 | CAN $849.99 | UK £649.99). Depicting Darth Vader’s flagship Devastator seen at the end of Rogue One leading into the first moments of A New Hope, this is the first UCS ISD since 10030 in 2002 and the first UCS set since 75181 Y-wing Starfighter nearly 18 months ago. But is there more to this huge LEGO set than gray wedge plates? Let’s find out…

Read our full review of LEGO Star Wars 75252 Ultimate Collector Series Imperial Star Destroyer

Tom Servo and me – a journey part 4 [Feature]

Previously on Tom Servo and Me: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

When we last left Chris Doyle, he had just finished building his latest replica of Tom Servo from Mystery Science Theater 3000. All that was left was to take photos and write up the summary article. Simple, right? Well, if you’ve read the previous installments, you know things rarely went according to plan throughout this journey. Why should the last few steps be any easier? When things go disastrously wrong during the final photo shoot, Chris will find himself questioning if getting back into LEGO building was the worst idea he ever had.

In the end, it will all work out. We promise.

Tom Servo and me – a journey, part 3 [Feature]

Previously on Tom Servo and Me: Part 1 | Part 2

Chris Doyle has been clawing his way out of a grey age, reconnecting with LEGO building by creating a new replica of Tom Servo from Mystery Science Theater 3000. Tom is looking pretty good – his central body is done and he has working puppetry elements. There’s just his hoverskirt and the display base left to go. Should be a quick win!

Or, rather, it should have been a quick win…. Come along with Chris as he journals the final days of this build. Will the end result be worth the effort?

Which LEGO sets have the most part count of a single element? [Feature]

LEGO enthusiasts love uncovering every tiny detail and bit of trivia that they can get their hands on. One of the questions that resurfaced recently was to identify the set that has had the highest number of the same parts — parts that are repeated not just in element design, but also in color. We found this thread on Facebook (login required) where the question was raised, which led to a Brickset discussion, and thanks to dvdweyer, we have an answer. He’s extracted the Rebrickable database for the most up to date status — at least until the next “biggest LEGO set ever” takes over one of the spots in this list.

We’ve then used the extracted details to form an infographic and added additional statistics to highlight the percentage of elements in comparison to the whole set. Here are the Top 13 sets visualised with the highest part count.

See more LEGO parts trivia after the jump

Announcing the winner of TBB’s Stranger Things “Darker Hawkins” building contest [News]

To celebrate the launch of the third season of Netflix’s sci-fi drama Stranger Things, TBB kicked off a contest on the Fourth of July, challenging our readers to build other locations from Hawkins, Indiana not featured in the LEGO Stranger Things 75810 The Upside Down. The challenge was actually quite simple — the LEGO creation needed to feature both the normal world and its “Upside Down” counterpart location, as we showed in our own free instructions to build a LEGO Castle Byers. It’s been great to see builders interpret this design brief in so many different ways, through the contest entries on Flickr. Today, we’re happy to announce the clear winner of our contest — “Barb’s Disappearing” by talented German builder Jonas Kramm.

See more of Jonas’ winning creation along with honorable mentions

Tom Servo and Me – a journey, part 2 [Feature]

Last time on Tom Servo and Me…. (AKA Part I)

In an effort to claw his way out of a LEGO grey age, builder Chris Doyle has started building a new version of his LEGO Tom Servo. After a month or so he has a revised head and some very basic prototype Technic puppet-gearing.

There’s still a long way to go until Tom’s “perfect,” though. And Chris is still refusing to plan things out or let well enough alone when he has a “pretty good” solution. Will he do better over the next month of infrequent building time?

Spoiler alert: No. No, he will not.
Continue reading →