Looking for inspiration for what to do with your pick-a-brick stash of curved window frames? Look no further than this beautiful airship by Kai/Geneva featuring several of these window frames as the perfect curved fuselage. I’m also a big fan of the crisscrossed LEGO strings wrapped around the fabric envelope. The majestic airship also features some Bionicle blades to deter any passing pirate who thinks this ship is easy prey.
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 3rd week of November 2022.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS The big news (literally) was all about the newest set from the LEGO Icons theme, a towering model of the famous French monument made from a monumental 10,001 elements, the Eiffel Tower, and a gift with purchase model of Gustave Eifel’s apartment to go along with it. We also covered a new book by a master model builder. Looking for more LEGO news? Check out our last Brick Report.
In other news…
November is here again, and you know what that means—besides my favorite Starbucks holiday drink and turkey hangovers of all kinds. November is also a long-celebrated LEGO building challenge known as NoVVember, where builders pay homage to the Vic Viper, an iconic spaceship from the video game Gradius, by building a starship with all the signature details… two forward-facing prongs, two wings, and a fin. This entry by WyndGekko checks all the boxes and more, with a perfect mashup of viper and Star Wars, interpreting the viper as what could easily be an early prototype for the TIE interceptor. My only issue with this great build is that I didn’t think of it first.
I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the new adhesive 8×8 plate available in some LEGO Dots sets. And while I haven’t been able to work it into one of my own builds yet, Eero Okkonen puts the new part to work in this swinging character suspended from the underside of a bookshelf. The sturdy swing design is impressive, not once relying on an unstable stud/antistud connection for the attached chains. And the character’s winged boots are dynamite, taking full advantage of a build without a bottom. But my favorite bit of the design has got to be her flowered sleeves. Each dark pink bloom pops against the jacket’s black background.
When you think of the Victorian era, you might think of the glamour of steam trains, big mustaches, and even bigger tophats. What you might not think of is something we take for granted nowadays – the humble bathroom, still something of a luxury back then. Even the most well-to-do might only bathe once a month. And what better place to do so than in Marcin Otreba‘s stylish LEGO bathroom? The goldwork makes it look fit for royalty! Just make sure they don’t spot that two of their crowns have been used for a vase and light fitting base. The tiling could perhaps use a touch-up as well. Despite its opulent glamour, it feels lived-in, as if many a minifigure has washed here. In a way, that makes the build all the more impressive!
If you’ve ever wondered what starfighters looked like in the days before “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” Alex Simion imagines one possibility with the non-canonical X1 Freedom Rebel Fighter. I love the rugged texture of this ship, trading in the typical sleekness of Star Wars fighters for something a bit more utilitarian. All the sharp corners and exposed mechanical panels definitely add to the implied age of the craft, and it feels reminiscent of the Millennium Falcon as a result. And check out those massive blasters on the front! I’d hate to be in front of this thing while over Alderaan.
And here’s a view of the back. I love all the mechanical texturing around the six engines. I can only imagine how fast this fella could go! This angle also highlights one of my favorite bits in the build: the pair of red friction cylinders on top of the craft. I love the pop of color amid so much gray and black, drawing the eye in to all the details surrounding them. And the technical connection to the two pairs of wings feels appropriate given all the other mechanisms on display. But where does the astromech droid go?
John Kupitz is on a LEGO speed run. We just covered his recent build based on The Legend of Zelda, and now he’s shocking us with this greebly mosaic of Pikachu, the default Pokémon mascot. Using a technique similar to his past Mario mosaic, John has taken a “gotta catch ‘em all” approach to the pieces used to create this pocket monster portrait – minifigures, tubing, flags, crabs, steering wheels, clips, bars, tiles, and hearts. It’s all here.
Some LEGO fan creations we feature over at TBB, consist of hundreds of different little parts. Some creations are a bit less part intensive, but that doesn’t mean they are less clever. This creation by Isaac Wilder. is a great example. Isaac is known for his brick-built vehicles but sometimes draws inspiration from different sources. This time the inspiration might have come from the egg part or it might have come from a very nice charcuterie board enjoyed with friends over the weekend. I think we can all agree that the use of green eggs for grapes is absolutely perfect. Pairing it with a great flavoursome cheese is no more than logical.
The massive Icons 10307 Eiffel Tower will be arriving on November 25th – and LEGO has a gift with purchase promotion that is tied about as tightly to the French landmark as you can get. Gustave Eiffel’s private apartment, hidden on the third level of the tower, has been re-created in minifigure scale for Icons 40579 Eiffel’s Apartment. We’re still waiting on the official word, but our guess is it is linked to the purchase of the 10307 Eiffel Tower so getting this “booster box” of 228 pieces carries an indirect price of US $629.99 | CAN $799.99 | UK £554.99. Does this set make the overall tower more appealing? Come along as we take an early look!
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.
Click to read the full hands-on review
LEGO recently revealed their latest entry into their Icons theme – the LEGO Icons 10307 Eiffel Tower. This massive set has 10,001 pieces (making it the second highest part count behind the 31203 World Map mosaic), and at 149 cm / 58″, stands as the tallest LEGO set ever. It will be available from the LEGO Shop Online starting November 25th for US $629.99 | CAN $799.99 | UK £554.99. We’ve been fortunate enough to get to look at an early copy, so come along as we build this key piece of the Paris skyline!
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.
Click to read the full hands-on review
Jake Hansen drew inspiration from the fall colours for his latest LEGO creation and we need to say that it paid off. The little scene looks so peaceful. LEGO has been creating more and more bricks in new colours and at times I am struggling to identify which colours are used in fan creations. It appears this little house is created with three shades of nougat which are greatly accented by the dark orange base and the white and bright light orange leaves. The use of horns attached to the leaves of the tree instead of the base of the tree makes the tree itself look marvellous!
LEGO spaceships come in a shapes and sizes, and yes, colors too. Red and white and lime green may be an unorthodox choice, but in this little bomber by Jonas Jensen looks mighty spiffy in the tri-tone scheme. There’s oodles of fantastic parts usages to ogle here, too, but the best might be the white 2×2 foam holder behind the lower wings.
