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.

LEGO Marvel Superheroes 76262 Captain America’s Shield now available for pre-order [News]

LEGO has just launched the product page for a new lifesize version of the iconic shield carried by Captain America. 76262 Captain America’s Shield will go on sale August 1st for US $199.99 | CAN $259.99 | UK £179.99, although it’s available for pre-order starting today.

The set includes 3128 pieces and a Captain America minifig. The shield’s face appears to be made mostly from plates and wedges (Sadly, LEGO has not yet begun producing vibranium bricks). The video provided features a 360-degree spin and thus reveals that the backside of the model is a complex network of plates and Technic beams but alas the shield cannot be held or worn as part of a costume without some custom rigging.

LEGO 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure – Magnifying an icon [Review]

More than the 2×4 brick, since their introduction, LEGO minifigures have always been the embodiment of the company. And in recent history, LEGO has realized there is a major fascination with, and demand for, giant replicas of the little characters that have made them famous. Come along as we meet the latest of these maxi-figs, the 654-piece LEGO Iconic 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure. This set is available starting today, June 1st, and retails for US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £44.99.

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.

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LEGO Batman 76252 Batcave Shadowbox – more than a big black box of bricks? [Review]

Fans of the DC franchise have been waiting years for a Batcave worthy to sit alongside Marvel’s 76178 Daily Bugle and Sanctum Sanctorum. With the announcement of the Batcave Shadowbox, some fans may finally get their wish. Although the nature of this display set may turn out to be as divisive as the 1992 sequel to Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film, there is no denying that this Batcave is the largest Batcave set so far. LEGO DC 76252 Batcave Shadowbox includes a whopping 3,981 pieces and it goes on sale with VIP early access on June 5th and broad availability on June 8th for US $399.99 | CAN $519.99 | UK £344.99

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.

Dive into our full review

We abhor the abysmal Abyssal Abhorrence

Once again Fedde Barendrecht presents a LEGO creation so upsetting we don’t know whether to throw up or run. Maybe a little of both. Live a little, right? This time we have the Abyssal Abhorrence; a creature so vile that living a little would likely be all we’d have time for if we ever encountered this beast for real. Actually, it closely resembles a real-life jellyfish or a giant squid; two reasons why I generally avoid any body of water deeper than a bathtub. For not the first time Fedde’s creations evoke an imagination worthy of H.P. Lovecraft. At least he’s interesting, right? If he was boring he’d instead likely evoke the spirit of writer Walter Scott.

The Abyssal Abhorrence

A pottery studio in the sky

This LEGO creation by Abe Fortier has it all; great textures, excellent parts usage, and a fantastic color scheme. Lately, I’ve been interested in creative spaces that are separate from the home such as a detached art or music studio or even a LEGO building space. So this scored points for being a pottery studio and even more awesome points for being a floating pottery studio. I totally want a pottery studio now, which is interesting considering the only thing I know about pottery is the vase you are spinning can sometimes be ruined by an overly handsy and shirtless Patrick Swayze if that movie Ghost is to be believed. But still, who wouldn’t want that? In a floating studio, no less!

Floating Pottery Studio

Abe says he pushed himself with the rockwork, tree, different angles, and the use of unusual colors. I just hope he didn’t push himself over the edge of that floating studio because that would be a mess to clean up. Or would it? I suppose he’d just float off until he arrived at Patrick Swayze’s floating bungalow or something.

Look, up in the sky, it’s a LEGO hero!

What I love about this LEGO build is its toy look and feel! The alien invader Circuitron and the hero Brickman, by Nikita Nikolsky, feel like they’re stepping out of Pixar’s Toy Story. Part of this is the color choices and the other part is the shaping of the alien invader, both of which are exquisite. I really like the use of the Trolls hair piece for the plasma weapon. The superhero is pretty cool too, with a LEGO brick for a head, but the alien invader is the star of the scene. The parts usage and shaping of Circuitron are fantastic, and there’s a cool play feature in there too. If you turn the bit on Circuitron’s left-side Brickman will deliver the final blow in their epic duel! You can check out the feature in action here.

BRICKMAN vs CIRCUITRON

Even by Ewok standards, this village is really small

This year celebrates a very important Star Wars anniversary. One that brought the Ewoks and their home on the forest moon of Endor to everyone’s living rooms. Huh? Return of the Jedi? What’s that? No, I’m obviously talking about 10236 Ewok Village‘s tenth birthday! LEGO builder ABrickDreamer knows what I’m talking about. To celebrate, he’s recreated this legendary set in a more diminutive form. The original is pretty expensive on the aftermarket, so this is definitely a more wallet-friendly alternative. It’s a faithful recreation, even including the catapult and a very cute little speeder bike alongside the iconic treetop village. Happy birthday, 10236! If you want to keep celebrating Star Wars anniversaries, why not peruse our Return of the Jedi archives?

Microscale LEGO Ewok Village

Familiar ideas on unfamiliar planets

The fun of science fiction is to imagine how things could be, and LEGO is a great medium to realize these ideas. Take for example this bright build from Bart De Dobbelaer and its fantastic mining machines. These devices can mine the ore and resources of delicate planets with minimal destruction to the environment. This is the best hope for extracting resources from other worlds should we travel the stars. LEGO is wonderful for this build, given the fun shapes and colors of the bricks and pieces. The purple and transparent blues give the planet a unique presence, while the machines themselves look almost insect-like with their rounded edges and curved backs holding all the extracted minerals.

Strion 3B geode mining

The Tarakava and its rider

Originally depicted by LEGO as a “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robot”-esque Bionicle creature, the Tarakava gets a serious overhaul here by alex_mocs. Losing the treads and bopping arms, the creature now sports a raptor-like design, while maintaining the startling lizard visage. I love how the builder leaned into some of the printed parts and stickers from the Jungle Dragon Ninjago set, as well as the seamless integration of Technic and System LEGO parts, both in the mount and rider. But the details in the reins and saddle are what really set this build apart.

Oodles and oodles of LEGO doodles

One look at filbrick‘s colourful collection of LEGO critters, and suddenly I’m transported back to my school days. I had a nasty habit back then of not really paying attention to whatever the teacher was saying, and instead doodling in my school diary. Da Vinci it was not – mostly stick figures, actually. (I never did make it as an artist.) But occasionally, in really boring lessons, I’d start drawing characters in much the same way as filbrick has here. Mind you, I think I prefer this version, aptly titled “Doodle Art Burst”. I only had a four-way Biro to hand, but the wide range of colours on display here does make the whole thing pop. And there’s a good variety of pieces too. These guys use everything from coral and beehives to leaves and engine blocks to give them heaps of character!

Doodle art, burst

LEGO Icons 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade – Reinventing a beloved classic [Review]

In 1980, Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. released a little arcade game revolving around a pizza-shaped character eating his way through a maze, being chased by ghosts. They knew they had a good thing going, but they probably didn’t realize it would be one of the most beloved games of all time and a pop-culture icon. Now, over 40 years later, they teamed up with The LEGO Group to bring us an epic tribute to the original game. Join us as we chomp our way through the 2651-piece LEGO Icons 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade, which will be available June 4th and retail for US $269.99 | CAN $349.99 | UK £229.99.

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.

Click to WAKA WAKA WAKA!

LEGO Harry Potter 76414 Expecto Patronum [Review]

LEGO has given us large-format winged creatures from the Harry Potter series, each with an integrated flapping mechanism, and with 76414 Expecto Patronum, the series continues at least somewhat in spirit. There is no movement mechanism, but the “Expecto Patronum” is similar to the name plates on the winged creatures. And in a bit of a surprise, it’s a 2-in-1 set, offering the option of building either Harry’s stag patronus or Remus Lupin’s wolf. Here’s our review of the set, which contains 754 pieces and 2 minifigures, and is available now for US $69.99 | CAN $89.99 | UK £62.99.

This set is based on a license The LEGO Group has with the Warner Brothers films, not J.K. Rowling directly. The transphobic views expressed by Rowling do not reflect the values of The Brothers Brick or, indeed, those of The LEGO Group. The magical world Rowling created, in which many who felt a bit different could see themselves, meant a great deal to so many people, including those that Rowling now demeans. TBB affirms each individual LEGO fan’s choice to claim a piece of the world for themselves, or to reject it entirely.

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