Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

Does this LEGO mosaic commemorate the Red Dawn, or portent a new one?

Our favorite annual LEGO castle contest, Summer Joust, is in full swing for 2023. And builder T-86(swe) has made a glorious submission to the silhouette category: the Dandelumian Crest. In an age when LEGO sets are also starting to stretch the 2-D boundaries of the standard mosaic, T-86 provides depth to their creation with a lattice of dark gray plates and tiles fit in-between the background studs. While it may not be a “legal” connection in all cases (legal with a tile and not with a plate, but that’s a discussion for another post), the maze-like grid provides an outstanding backdrop for the sword and twisting plant laid over top. The whole thing definitely gives off some heavy “Gordian Knot” vibes, and I love it!

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LEGO Dreamzzz 71459 Stable of Dream Creatures [Review]

We started our look at the new LEGO Dreamzzz theme on the dark side with 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship. Today let’s skip nightmares entirely and explore a relaxing place of peace, beauty, and wonder: 71459 Stable of Dream Creatures. There are no Grimspawn, Night Terrors, or other bad dreams here – just giant flowered dream deer, a windmill, and a… a cat cactus? Yeah, a cat cactus. If you’ve watched the first 10 episodes of the TV show… either you spotted something we didn’t, or you’ll recognize the deer, and that’s it. In any case, here’s our review of the set, which contains 681 pieces, 4 minifigures + 2 dreamlings + cat cactus + z-blob, and can be pre-ordered now and will ship August 1st for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £74.99.

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.

Read the full review

Just an old car – no retro-futurism here, no sirree...

It’s been a while since we featured a proper old-fashioned LEGO car from Isaac Wilder. He’s been on a bit of a retro-futurism kick lately – which, don’t get us wrong, we’re all here for. That’s fine if you like that sort of thing. But nothing beats the simplicity of a good ol’ 50s sedan. This one would not look out of place in a film noir movie, or a British 60s police flick.

It’s always nice to see a builder play their hits, instead of messing around with this new-old-fangled retro-futurism nonsense. No crazy engines, no flyi- er… Oh. I guess old habits die hard.

Who are we kidding – we love Isaac’s work, retro-futurist or otherwise! See for yourself why he’s a regular feature in our archives.

Honey, I supersized the minifigs

I really like the “maxi-fig” concept that has been doing the rounds lately. It can be as simple as LEGO’s own 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure set, or you can use it as a template to let your creativity run wild. Kristel Whitaker has done just that with this dandy pair of Day-of-the-Dead themed figs. They’re named Catrina and Skellie, and don’t they just look brilliant! I love the repeated use of yellow flowers and dark pink leaves on Catrina’s dress especially. It looks just like the intricate embroidery typical of this style of outfit. Skellie’s, er, skeleton is also nicely done with a mixture of SNOT (studs not on top) and tiled building.

Hopefully this format will blow up in a big way! Speaking of big – why not see what else the talented LEGO community has up-scaled?

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 1, 2023 [News]

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 last week of June, 2023.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS We’ve got lots of news to recap from this last week, including reviews of the first set from the new Dreamzzz theme, and announcements from Architecture, Marvel, and Icons… but if you’re craving even more LEGO news, be sure to read last week’s Brick Report.

[NEWS] LEGO revs up an American classic with the Icons 10321 Corvette — This classic car joins the star-studded line-up of iconic vehicles.
[FEATURE] Ace Parts Usage: TBB’s favorite LEGO build techniques of 2023 so far — Here at TBB we are constantly surprised by the creativity of LEGO fans around the world. Check out some of the most impressive part usage from 2023 so far.
[NEWS] LEGO gives your favorite web-slinger the mosaic treatment in 31209 The Amazing Spider-Man — Superhero fans have another amazing art set to hang on their walls.
[REVIEW] LEGO Dreamzzz 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship: Can we save Mr. Sharkyjaw? — We review the first set from the latest LEGO theme Dreamzzz
[NEWS] LEGO unveils the all new 21060 Himeji Castle, the next set in their Architecture line — LEGO announced the latest microscale architecture model, the stunning Himeji castle
[REVIEW] LEGO Disney 43215 The Enchanted Treehouse — We checked out the Disney set with the most minidolls this year.
[REVIEW] LEGO Star Wars 75365: Yavin 4 Rebel Base — The rebel base on Yavin 4 finally gets a playset and we bring you all the details.

Star Wars, but make it Blacktron

A spacecraft with black wings and a bubble cockpit? Easy – that can only be a TIE fighter. But hang on, these were also defining features of LEGO’s Blacktron II theme… So what is it? Well, it’s both! Gerard Joosten AKA Elephant-Knight has a bit of a knack for builds within the Blacktron II aesthetic, and he’s turned to the Star Wars universe for his latest creation. The TIE Defender is one of the more outlandish TIE variants, and as a result it fits very nicely into the design language of my personal favourite LEGO space villains. Does this mean Darth Vader gets a neon-green lightsaber…?

LEGO revs up an American classic with the Icons 10321 Corvette [News]

Hot on the trail of the Land Rover Defender comes the LEGO Icons 10321 Corvette. With 1,210 pieces, this set is sure to make any gearhead’s heart go pitter-patter. They’ve replicated the classic styling of the 1961 Corvette nicely in red with a black interior and white highlights. According to details on the back of the box, the model has opening doors, trunk, and hood. Also, either the hardtop can be removed or an alternate convertible version can be built to show off the detailed interior. The LEGO Icons 31321 Corvette will be available from LEGO stores and their website starting on August 1st, and will retail for a price of US $149.99 | CAN $199.99 | UK £129.99.

Click to check under the hood

Ace Parts Usage: TBB’s favorite LEGO build techniques of 2023 so far [Feature]

Over the course of the last six months, we’ve featured literally hundreds of excellent LEGO creations. While all of them are already the best we’ve found, there are a handful that stand out above the rest. Usually these creations feature the coolest techniques and exceptional NPU (Nice Parts Usage), and have us talking about them more than the average build behind the scenes. We’ve seen everything, but occasionally we’re extra impressed by something new and unique. Although we do feature our overall favorite builds (using several criteria) in the running for the TBB Creation of the Year in December, we’ve decided it would be fun to honor some ace parts usage right here, right now. Join us as we count down the best of the first half of 2023!

Click to see the full lineup!

Some buzz-worthy air travel

I’ve got to say, the latest LEGO build by Mr Youm is pretty fly…or rather, is a pretty fly. All the little black bits are sculpted so precisely to create that insectoid face. Zamor spheres wrapped in red rubber bands, an air tank holding a pair of fangs, and lever handles stuck inside a 1×2 grill plate are just a few of the many excellent examples of novel part usage in this bug. But my favorite touch is the use of gray technic pins to create the texture of its wings. The stacking of those pieces, framed in black tubing and bars, is an off-the-wall solution to a problem normally solved by builders with a specific piece of plastic.

Visions of a dystopian flat-pack future

If the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking of dystopian futures is flat-pack furniture, well, you must be Cecilie Fritzvold. She decided to bring a touch of Scandinavian flair to the colossal cyberpunk city of New Hashima. You’d be forgiven for thinkin that Swedish minimalism and might not mesh that well with the often gritty cyberpunk aesthetic, but the concept works remarkably well. Little touches like the Japanese signage and neon decor make it look right at home.

A congregation of croakers

Forget the headlight brick or jumper plate; I can’t think of a LEGO part more beloved by builders than the common frog! And builder/amphibian wrangler Roanoke Handybuck has done a great job providing the infamous hoppers with a spot all their own for a festival of frogs. All the subtle details paying homage to frog-kind in this scene are excellent, from the statues to the door handles. The color choices are clean, with the light blue water, golden leaves, and lavender pennants contrasting nicely with the gray rock surrounding the scene. I love the intricate use of slopes and plates forming the arch above the podium. And overall, this watering hole feels private, as if this is a secret meeting only a few are lucky enough to enjoy.

All the best LEGO themes are found underground

What’s better than a LEGO build that evokes nostalgia for a past theme? A LEGO build that evokes nostalgia for two past themes! Flickr user Student Scissors submitted this creation in the Bio-Cup competition. As the name suggests, this competition uses parts from the Bionicle theme. That box is ticked here: there are plenty of ball joints, and what looks like a Kanohi mask on the figure on the right. But the minecart full of power crystals, the teal-yellow-brown-dark-grey colour combo, and that massive chrome drill… That sounds like Rock Raiders to me! Although come to think of it, the colour scheme of the bat (lime green with blue and orange highlights) is reminiscent of the Power Miners theme from 2009. So that’s actually three awesome themes from yesteryear in one!