LEGO will be launching the The Insect Collection soon and, as a result, some of our favorite builders are a little buggier than usual. Take, for example, this lovely Orchid Mantis built by LEGO 7 that is adorned, like its namesake, in pink and white. The flowers come from 10311 Orchid set from last year.
While we’re all itching to get our hands on the LEGO Ideas Insect Collection set, builder James Zhan created his own take on some of the other critters from the phylum Arthropoda. First up, a pair of comically-adorned beetles slug it out in the forest floor’s ring for the title of bug boxing world champion. While the stag beetle (in blue) certainly has that look of determination, the Japanese horned beetle (in red) is certainly no slouch. And judging by the belt it’s rocking, this is far from its first time in the ring. Don’t let the beetles distract you entirely, though. Those adorable pink flowers growing out of a corner of the ring are quite the detail!
In a more true-to-life depiction of insectoids, this quintet of fireflies know how to light up a scene. While still featuring cartoonish “bug” eyes, these insect of the family Lampyridae put transparent neon LEGO elements to good use on their posteriors to signify their glowing potential. And once again, the background is a fantastic bit of flora, featuring three types of fungi growing out of the log that’s the base of this build (one is on the other side of the creation). But then again, we know James can certainly turn out a fantastic plant when he has to.
LEGO Star Wars sets have come a long way from the blocky X-wing and Tie Advance set that may or may not have brought a swift end to my dim age (I never had a true dark age, where adult LEGO builders stop buying or building LEGO sets). The new parts and the building techniques they unlocked, along with a wide variety of new set types which met with varying levels of success, like “buildable” planets, constraction figures, and the new helmet series have been excellent offerings from the theme. But LEGO continues to push the envelope to draw more and more Star Wars fans to LEGO, and LEGO Star Wars 75371: Chewbacca is another such set. Coming in at about 18 inches, it just might be one of the tallest Star Wars sets yet… And it is definitely one of the most unusual. LEGO Star Wars 75371: Chewbacca includes 2,319 pieces and will be available for sale starting on Sept. 1st for US $199.99 | CAN $259.99 | UK £179.99
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.
Every week readers of the The Brothers Brick Telegram channel choose the Creation of the Week: one project that impressed all of us the most. You may remember alex_bricks for his awesome Formula-1 Monaco scene, which got the Creation of the Week award back in February. Guess what? Alex does it again with the next part of the iconic racing track! Now it’s the chicane by the water, yet still amazing detailed and exciting!
Meanwhile, the new vote is already on! Join our Telegram channel to follow all the best LEGO creations, latest news, and, of course, vote for your favorites. See you there!
The LEGO Group is right in the thick of pounding out Ideas sets. At this point, the completionists are probably having a hard time keeping up with collecting the entire line. But there are definitely some you don’t want to miss. Under the microscope next is LEGO Ideas 21342 The Insect Collection. While it looks a fair bit more detailed than the original fan submission by José María Pérez Suero, it holds onto the spirit of that design. Join us as we get out our magnifying glasses and take a closer look at this seemingly beautiful build. The set, which contains 1111 pieces, will be available Sept. 7th and retail for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99.
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 August 2023.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS We may not have had much news coverage from big themes recently, but we still had some juicy news, including the announcement about the new LEGO loyalty program which will make it much easier for customers to access their rewards from a single log-in. We also covered the latest LEGO Ideas set: Insects, which looks like an awesome set. More Marvel collectible minifigures were announced, and braille bricks, to bring LEGO fun to visually impaired fans. We also took off for an amazing feature about the LEGO airplane sets based on real aircraft. While you’re catching up on LEGO news and reviews, be sure to check out our last Brick Report for more.
With fall quickly approaching for the northern hemisphere, it’s time to start thinking about those holiday LEGO sets. One of the first coming out in the wave for 2023 is 40642 Gingerbread Ornaments, featuring a wealth of customizable looks on the basic anthropomorphic cookie pattern. But will these constructible confections lead to some delicious creations, or are they only half-baked? Composed of 190 pieces, 40642 Gingerbread Ornaments will be available in the UK starting on September 1, with the US and Canada having to wait until October 1. The set will retail for US $12.99 | CAN $16.99 | UK £10.99.
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.
Introducing the DSV Hardshell, the latest in undersea exploration by Slick_Brick. This amazing submersible glides silently through the ocean with flipper-style propulsion and steering, allowing you to roam the reefs without frightening away its aquatic inhabitants. The extra wide windscreen allows for unobstructed views in nearly all directions while keeping you safe from electric jellyfish and any sharks who might be lurking nearby.
Before we get going with the article, please know that this isn’t going to be your typical review. In large part, that’s because 40656 Braille Bricks isn’t your typical set. There’s no model to build here, and the parts aren’t intended for imaginative exploration like Classic sets. Instead, this is an educational item, designed for targeted learning rather than invention. Let’s discover together what we can learn from LEGO’s latest offering, hitting store shelves on September 1, 2023. 40656 Braille Bricks will retail for US $89.99 | CAN $119.99 | UK £79.99.
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.
A couple of weeks ago, LEGO unveiled 10318 Concorde as the next Icons set. I’ve always admired Concorde, so I’m really excited about this one. In part because it looks gorgeous, but also because it falls into a nice small category of LEGO sets: those based on real planes! Aircraft have of course featured hundreds of times in LEGO sets of varying sizes. But the number based on actual, real-world aircraft is much smaller, which makes it more manageable for things like feature articles on LEGO fan blogs. So, with the help of TBB’s resident expert plane modeller Ralph Savelsberg, let’s take a look at LEGO’s affiliation with planes!
The article really takes off below!
LEGO builder Hannes Tscharner (aka Marshal Banana) has reminded me of one of the hottest debates in sci-fi fandom, that being; what the heck is up with E.T.’s finger? I mean, seriously is it a Slim Jim with a lightbulb on the end or what? Also, having nothing to do with nerdy fanboys debating online is this awesome Star Wars replica of Han Solo’s blaster. The handsome DL-44 borrows design DNA from the Mauser C96 but added a scope and a bunch of other greebly bits including the “mystery disk”. What does the mystery disk do? It shoots mouthy Rodian bounty hunters right in the aedeagus, that’s what! This movie-accurate replica is 1:1 so you can hold it and practice your lovable scoundrel smile in the mirror. Isn’t that what we all do when not debating E.T.’s dubious finger?
The rage I feel for LEGO bricks from the brittle brown era is something I’ve felt time and time again. But thanks to Nikita Filatov and their depiction of Anger of Inside Out-fame, I’ve got a much better idea of what’s going on inside my head. I can almost hear the voice of Lewis Black ranting about ABS integrity and how he should’ve used dark tan instead! Probably not the best time to tell him that LEGO discontinued trans-neon orange….
