Something’s not right in this LEGO scene by Jonah Schultz. Maybe it’s the fact that these zoo animals should be in their enclosures. Maybe it’s that evil look we’re getting from the giraffe. But most likely, it’s the baseball bats that have been fashioned into a wonderful turnstile. Jonah pushed the limits of that part thanks to the ongoing Iron Builder competition between himself and Maxx Davidson.
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 fourth week of July 2024.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS Did you catch last week’s Brick Report? This week we’re back with FOUR new set reviews and news about upcoming LEGO releases!
The first one may have been made in a cave from a pile of scraps, but Tony Stark now assembles his LEGO Ironman suits in the most technologically advanced garage in the entire Marvel universe. We get a peek into this workshop of wonder all thanks to br.ickelangelo. Featuring six Iron Man minifigure suits in total, there’s plenty of detail packed into this vignette, whether it’s the old Stark Expo plans in a crate in the corner or the battery charging a suit on a stand in the background. I particularly like the robotic arms in the front-and-center apparatus, ready to peel our favorite superhero out of his souped-up tin can.
LEGO Botanical Collection sets have featured iconic flowers from around the world, and the vases included have also reflected some of their real-world counterparts’ popular styles using various unique building techniques. Paired with 10368 Chrysanthemum, the second set in the summer 2024 wave is the iconic plum blossom, which has a very similar Chinese-inspired vase and wooden base. These two flowers are part of four Asian flowers known in Chinese culture as the four gentlemen, one representing each season. The plum blossom represents winter. LEGO Botanical Collection 10369 Plum Blossom contains 327 pieces and will be available on August 1st for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99
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 our full review of LEGO Icons Botanical Collection 10369 Plum Blossom
Since first launching in 2021 as part of the LEGO Icons theme, the LEGO Botanical Collection has consistently produced high-quality, realistic models of popular plants like 10311 Orchid and 10289 Bird of Paradise. While the plants themselves are the stars, the vases and pots have been pretty great too. This summer’s wave of sets is no exception, with the first two sets being the chrysanthemum and the plum blossom. These two flowers are part of four iconic Chinese flowers known as the four gentlemen, one representing each season. We’ll be taking a look at the spring flower first, represented by the chrysanthemum. LEGO Botanical Collection 10368 Chrysanthemum comprises 278 pieces and will be available on August 1st for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99
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 our full review of LEGO Icons Botanical Collection 10368 Chrysanthemum
Despite having no prior mining experience nor the know-how to drive anything larger than a regular car, I am fascinated by Beat Felber’s new LEGO creations. Maybe the size and power of these giant earthmoving machines tickle my fancy. Whatever the reason, here’s the 400-ton Terex Unit Rig MT 6300AC dump truck. The real deal has tires that are four meters or well over 13 feet in diameter. The-um-LEGO deal has custom tires that are not official LEGO parts but suits this beast quite well.
LEGO builder Philippe Moisan demonstrates some serious mosaic chops with the Canadian Bluenose postage stamp. If you see one of these affixed to your post, you can consider yourself lucky. The stamp was first issued in 1929 and depicts a fishing schooner called Bluenose. It has been called “Canada’s Finest Stamp” and is a favorite among collectors. One individual stamp can garner quite a bit of money but a complete sheet of 100 had auctioned for for US $52,580 in 2017! Even barring its history and value, this LEGO mosaic is chock full of exquisite detail and textures evoking the hand-painted blue tiles popular in many Mediterranean countries. It was built for a contest going on over at QuéLUG, making it a lovely Canadian creation indeed.
LEGO builder Beat Felber sure loves construction equipment! Whether Liebherr, Komatsu, or in this case Orenstein & Koppel, Beat gives them their due in brick form. This particular model in the O&K livery of red and white is a 1/28.5 recreation of the RH 120 C excavator, fully motorized for the toughest jobs. And despite this functionality, there’s no skimping on the details either! Check out all the intricacies around the treads and where the boom meets the front of the cab.
Prepare to be unsettled as one of cinema’s greatest villains gazes up at you in LEGO form. In “Why So Serious,” Gino Lohse uses an assortment of plates and tiles to convey the cold insanity of the Joker’s visage. One of the MVPs of the portrait is the humble 1×1 curved brick, a few of which stand in for his smudged makeup. A few more contribute to the messy red of his iconic smile. Beyond that, a snarl of foilage elements brings just the right amount of chaos to his green hair, while vent elements make a suggestion of scars. You wanna know how he got those scars? Best if you don’t ask.
San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) has become a favourite place of LEGO’s to reveal new sets, and we’ve been treated to five all-new reveals over the first day of the convention (as well as a first look at the previously-announced 41838 Travel Moments). The pool of characters for your Dungeons & Dragons adventures is increased from September 1st thanks to a Collectible Minifigure Series, 71047 LEGO Minifigures – Dungeons & Dragons. No doubt these will pair nicely with 21348 Red Dragon’s Tale, and you can pre-order them now for US $4.99 | CAN $5.99 | UK £3.49. Another noteworthy minifigure makes a comeback in a Star Wars set, too: 75388 Jedi Bob’s Starfighter turns LEGO folklore into a tie-in with the upcoming Rebuild the Galaxy mini-series. That one releases in just a few days on August 1st, retailing for US $39.99 | CAN $49.99 | UK £34.99.
Sets from Super Mario, Minecraft and Sonic the Hedgehog themes have also been unveiled for release in October this year. Pictures of those – and more of the above – after the jump!
This LEGO creation by nu_montag is a gentle reminder that all things must come to an end. Made for this year’s Bio-Cup under the theme Feeding Challenge – Herbivore, we see the remains of an animal amid dry grasses and other ornamental vegetation. There’s some expert techniques at play here, including the graceful curve of the skeletal spine, the shaping of an exquisite skull from Technic bits, and the use of yellow Znap wheels for some brilliant flowers.
In the dark of night a fancy assassin finds its target in this LEGO build by Seth Peacock (Obsessionist)! This Bio-Cup bird brings together a wide array of unique parts, so let’s take a closer look. Right under the roofline, that decorative brickwork is made of Rhotuka Spinner launchers above a couple of pieces from Bionicle’s Rahkshi. The arch of the window is made from two different types of rubber band holders, while the windowsill is made from projectile launchers. Finally, Seth got a lovely feathery texture from using the Visorak foot to make up the bird’s tail. It’s a good thing that bird isn’t a crow, otherwise there might be a murder!
