If it was tricky enough to put together a shortlist of the best LEGO creations of 2020, but narrowing it down to a single “best model” proved even harder. Every model on the shortlist was excellent, and there was much debate amongst the team. However, after a great deal of discussion, The Brothers Brick is delighted to announce Koen Zwanenburg‘s Tutankhamun Mask as our LEGO Creation of the Year 2020.
Click to see more photos of the LEGO Creation of the Year 2020
The second season of The Mandalorian just wrapped up a couple weeks ago on Disney+, and LEGO continues to drip-feed LEGO Star Wars sets based on scenes from the show. Hitting stores on January 1st, 2021, 75299 Trouble on Tatooine provides a fairly low-cost (US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £27.99), spoiler-free way to pick up Mando and the Child in minifig form, with a few key pieces of equipment and scenery from season 2.
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.
Read our hands-on review of LEGO Star Wars 75299 Trouble on Tatooine from Disney’s The Mandalorian
In LEGO’s pursuit of older fans, the toy manufacturer has overhauled their adult product strategy, resulting in an immediate expansion of adult-focused sets. One of the ways this has manifested is an attempt to bring in new adult buyers with sets focusing on non-traditional subjects that might fit better into a grown-up decor. Enter the LEGO Botanical Collection, first announced last month, which includes two sets designed to seamlessly blend into a modern aesthetic with models that will look equally at home on your desk or in your den. Earlier today we looked at the beautiful 10281 Bonsai Tree, and now we’re turning our eye on 10280 Flower Bouquet, which as the name implies, constructs a variety of life-size flowers meant for display rather than for play (vase not included). The set contains 756 pieces and will retail for US $49.99 | CAN $TBD | UK £44.99 and is available starting Jan. 1.
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 our full, hands-on review
LEGO has a bit of an unwarranted reputation among the general public as a medium that doesn’t lend itself easily to organic shapes. Hobbyist LEGO builders have been disabusing others of this misperception for many years by sharing LEGO builds inspired by the natural world. LEGO’s in-house designers are certainly capable of creating official LEGO sets full of flora and fauna, as LEGO designer Nicolas Vás proves with the new 10281 Bonsai Tree from the new Botanical Collection. The set includes 878 pieces and will be available on January 1st, 2021 (US $49.99 | CAN $TBD | UK £44.99).
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 hands-on review of LEGO 10281 Bonsai Tree
Can you believe that Ninjago has been around for ten years? That’s a lot of Spinjitzu under the bridge. It’s enough to make one feel just a bit nostalgic. Happily, the Ninjago Legacy theme lets fans revisit sets and events from previous seasons. LEGO Ninjago Legacy 71735 Tournament of Elements returns to season four with seven minifigures and an updated combat arena. This 283 piece set will be available starting January 1st for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £27.99. Is there enough here to be of interest the wider LEGO audience? Read on and judge for yourself!
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
McLaren Senna is one of the most advanced track vehicles designed and manufactured by McLaren so far. They say, only 75 copies of the car will be built, so if you missed a chance to get one, LEGO has something for you. The new LEGO Technic 42123 McLaren Senna GTR is yet another licensed LEGO Technic set, joining the winter wave of sets along with 42122 Jeep Wrangler and 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE. The 830-piece building set offers a 1:15 replica of the world-famous supercar. It will be available from January 1, 2021, for US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99.
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of December 2020.
We review the Transfiguration class from the upcoming Hogwarts Moments sets. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.
TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: This week we returned to Hogwarts for a Transfiguration lesson from Professor McGonagall and we have our shortlist together for our annual Brothers Brick Creation of the Year!
TBB ADVENT CALENDAR REVIEWS: Happy holidays to all of our fellow LEGO builders! As is tradition, we at The Brothers Brick will be opening our advent calendars as we count down to Christmas. We’ll also be sharing commentary on each one, which will be both insightful and hilarious!
OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:
In Chinese mythology, the Nian is a monster who emerges at the end of the year to terrorize villages. Luckily, it’s a cowardly beast. Red lanterns and robes, combined with a healthy dose of explosive fireworks, are enough to drive it away for another year. LEGO brings this myth to life in LEGO 80106 Story of Nian, part of their Chinese Spring Festival theme. This set was announced back in November at the 3rd China International Import Exhibition, and will be available to buy on January 10th, 2021. Containing 1067 pieces and retailing for US $79.99 | CAN $109.99 | UK £59.99, this set has six minifigures, a village playset, and the Nian itself. That sounds pretty cool, but can it appeal to a wide audience? Let’s take close look and see just what all the fuss is about!
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
I think we can all agree that 2020 was a rough year. Here at the tail end of things, it feels like I’m constantly on the lookout for cheerful things. Luckily, there are few distractions sweeter to me than looking over a brand new LEGO set. And when that set ties into a fresh and hopeful outlook for 2021? So much the better! LEGO 80107 Spring Lantern Festival was announced at the 3rd China International Import Exhibition, and will be available to buy on January 10th, 2021. It’s not technically a New Years themed set, as the Spring Lantern Festival occurs, oddly enough, in the spring. (But just work with me, here.) This set set is part of the Chinese Festival theme, includes 1793 pieces, and will retail for US $119.99 | CAN $159.99 | UK £89.99. It has eight minifigures, two modular Festival areas, and even a light up Ox Lantern statue. Sound fun? Read on and see for yourself!
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
For fifteen years The Brothers Brick has been highlighting the finest LEGO creations, and while 2020 hasn’t been the year any of us might have expected, it has still seen the global community of builders put together some amazing models. To celebrate ongoing creativity during a challenging period, The Brothers Brick team has taken a look back over the last 12 months and pulled together our selection of the best LEGO creations of 2020 for our fifth annual LEGO Creation of the Year award.
Take a look at the fantastic models we’ve shortlisted, and stay tuned for the announcement of our LEGO Creation of the Year 2020 on New Year’s Eve!
Be sure to check out the LEGO Creation of the Year 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 to see what honourable company this year’s nominations are keeping.
Click to see all of 2020’s nominees
Very often, when we say Harry Potter, we mean books about magic and wizardry, and when we mention books about magic and wizards, of course, we talk about Harry Potter. In today’s popular culture, those two have become synonymous in many contexts. LEGO doesn’t miss the opportunity to turn the phenomena into something both LEGO and Harry Potter fans will love and adore; this way comes the new lineup of Hogwarts Moments — midsized sets designed as buildable books that can be unfolded into Hogwarts classrooms. The first in the series is 76382 Transfiguration Class capturing one of Professor McGonagall’s lectures. The set consists of just 241 pieces and comes with three minifigures. The set will be available in January 2021 for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £27.99.
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.
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of December 2020.
We get behind the wheel of the Technic Ferrari 488 GTE. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.
TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: This week we reviewed multiple sets including the next Collectable Minifigure Series, new LEGO road plates and quite a few Marvel sets. PLUS, LEGO reveals even more sets becoming available in 2021!
TBB ADVENT CALENDAR REVIEWS: Happy holidays to all of our fellow LEGO builders! As is tradition, we at The Brothers Brick will be opening our advent calendars as we count down to Christmas. We’ll also be sharing commentary on each one, which will be both insightful and hilarious!
OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest: