Tag Archives: 1989 Batmobile

LEGO DC 76224 Batmobile: Batman vs. The Joker Chase [REVIEW]

Believe it or not, there was a time when movies about superheroes were few and far between. Comics were seen by the general audience as cheap and disposable children’s entertainment. But all that changed in 1989, when Tim Burton’s Batman conquered the world. From clothing to video games to breakfast cereal, it seemed like there was nowhere you could go without getting a bat-logo shoved in your face. And we loved it. Batman would continue to dominate the cultural landscape well into the 1990s, but Michael Keaton would only reprise the character for the follow-up Batman Returns and then never play the character again ever in any movie at all. (No need to fact-check that statement, I’ve done the research.) And, while LEGO recently celebrated Batman Returns with the impressive 76252 Batcave Shadowbox set, the original 1989 film that started it all is getting some more affordable love with two smaller sets featuring Batman’s iconic vehicles. The first of these is 76224 Batmobile: Batman vs. The Joker Chase. This 438-piece set will be available August 1st for US $47.99 | CAN $59.99 | UK £42.99. But is it a set worthy of the cultural juggernaut that spawned it? Let’s get nuts and find out.


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 on for our full review

A LEGO Batmobile scaled down for minifig Michael Keaton

For me and my generation, the iconic Batmobile will always be the 1989 version from the Tim Burton movie. And this minifig-scale LEGO version by Jerry Builds Bricks is a beautiful recreation of Bruce’s vehicle of choice. I’m most impressed by the parts the builder chose not to include. There’s neither a bat wing nor printed piece in sight. Instead, setting this build apart from the numerous Batmobiles of this scale churned out by LEGO since 2006, the vehicle relies entirely on sculpting from curved slopes and angled tiles to achieve all the sleek curves seen in the movies. I especially like the brick-built batwings on the rear of the car, as well as the clever use of the black rubber tubing for the cockpit’s windscreen.

1989_batmobile_front

Dangit, Alfred!

I’ve always imagined Alfred to be a very capable butler for Batman. But surely, at some point, he must have had a laundry mishap and shrunk the Bat-Tights. Maybe Batman is remembering that day as he glares down at the suddenly microscale car in front of him. But it wasn’t Alfred’s desire to wash and dry things on “hot” that caused the problem this time. No, we can lay the blame at the feet of builder alego alego for this gloriously tiny version of the UCS Batmobile.

Micro UCS Batmobile

The Batmobile is made up from some interesting parts – I’ve spotted Batarangs, robot arms, and even Star Wars blasters. To recreate the distinct shapes of the larger vehicle, the display stand is an integral part of the build. For example, the air scoops are made from inset taps with a hollow-stud 1×1 rounds attached to them. Likewise, the Batarang that makes up the front fender is supported by a 1×1 clip plate that’s attached to the base. These connections wouldn’t be possible in a free-standing model, but the smooth tiling on the base hides these tricks. To the eye, this version is just as solid as its much larger brother.

Maybe Batman can rent it out to the Atom. He’s tiny, too.

Not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need.

Every now and again, the LEGO community will be overtaken with a slew of builds in a common theme. The Baby Yoda builds are slowing down a little, but you can usually count on a new take on a Batmobile to surface every week or two. That’s understandable, what with the hype around LEGO’s UCS version of the 1989 Tim Burton design. I’m no different; I love the Batmobile in all its myriad designs. I didn’t think I could bring anything particularly new or interesting to the already amazing fan-builds that we’ve seen, though. So I took things a different (some may say “wacky”) direction. It’s probably safe to say you haven’t seen a Batmobile like this one before…

Unikittybat and the Unikittymobile

Yeah, I mashed the Burton Batmobile with the Unikitty! theme. It just seemed like the right thing to do. My first intention wasn’t to build this scale. In fact I had somewhat bigger plans. But, for now, I have both a minifigure and microscale version to share.
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How good is the LEGO Batman 40433 1989 Batmobile set that comes free with the giant Batmobile? [Review]

A few weeks ago, LEGO revealed the latest Ultimate Collector Series-style Batmobile, 76139 1989 Batmobile, which will be available for the first time on Nov. 29, Black Friday (US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £219.99). Shoppers who brave the crowds between Nov. 29 and Dec. 5 to purchase the giant 3,306-piece version of Tim Burton’s Batmobile will also get a free Gift With Purchase (GWP) set in the form of a smaller, minifigure-scale model of the same iconic car. 40433 1989 Batmobile has 366 pieces and features a similar rotating stand and info placard.

While any free LEGO is good LEGO, gift with purchase sets range from uninspired afterthoughts to enticingly fantastic. So how does the mini 1989 Batmobile stack up? Spoiler alert: it’s very, very good. In fact, the most disappointing thing about it is that it is a gift with purchase, which means you can’t easily get multiples without laying out some serious cash to get multiple copies of the big set.

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1989 Batmobiles are so hot right now

Even with the release of the new 1989 Batmobile right around the corner, we continue seeing new models of the caped crusader’s classic ride. We recently featured one such design, and now Lucas has delighted us with his latest version. And I say latest, because he’s made a ton of Batmobiles. While I can’t necessarily corroborate his claim that he’s “the ultimate master at building Batmobiles”, he does make a pretty convincing argument.

Tim Burton 1989 Batmobile Version 3

I’ll let you review the plethora of designs in his photostream yourself, but let’s take a closer look at this one. First of all, I love the size of it. Whether official sets or fan creations, Batmobiles are often oversized for minifigure scale cars. This one looks just right. Second, the use of minifigure accessories is quite skillful; the frying pans for intakes are especially perfect. Third, many of the updates he made in this version were done not just for looks, but also to make it a more stable model. Not only does it look cool, but it stays together too. Taken together, do all these factors make him the master of Batmobile building? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Tim Burton 1989 Batmobile Version 3

You ever driven with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Jerry Builds Bricks Returns with a stunning rendition of the Batmobile from Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). This is Jerry’s 2nd iteration of the Caped Crusader’s ride; we featured his building instructions for the first version last year. While it features some design cues found in the first model, the latest rendition looks sleeker and meaner. This is especially noticeable in the curve of the fins and the front fenders, which consist of curved slopes on hinges instead of angular slopes.

1989_Batmobile_5

Once you’ve finished drooling over Jerry’s bat-tastic Batmobile, be sure to check out our review of LEGO set 76139 1989 Batmobile!

Black is the new black: LEGO 1989 Batmobile 76139 [Review]

This year, the world celebrates the anniversary of the Dark Knight; the story of Batman is 80 years old. For many, many fans of the legend of Gotham it’s time to thumb through the oldest comics issues, while others will enjoy night marathons of movies featuring George Clooney, Christian Bale, and, of course, Michael Keaton. For the LEGO Group, it’s time to refill their supplies of bricks in black as not many things go together better than LEGO and Batman. This Black Friday comes the latest LEGO DC exclusive set, LEGO 76139 1989 Batmobile. A 3,306-piece monstrosity is an ultimate copy of the iconic vehicle from Tim Burton’s Batman movie. The set will be available on November 29 for Black Friday and will sell for US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £219.99. Make sure your Bat-Signal is on as we are about to go on a ride through the gloomy streets of the Gotham City…

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LEGO unveils massive Batmobile set based on Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, available on Black Friday [News]

LEGO has officially unveiled its newest collector’s set, 76139 1989 Batmobile, a massive 3,306-piece model based on the Caped Crusader’s vehicle from Tim Burton’s iconic Batman film. Perhaps one of LEGO’s worst-kept secrets of the past year, this set features a slide-open cockpit with a new windshield, two pop-up machine guns and a rotating display stand. The model also comes with three new minifigures: Batman, The Joker and Vicki Vale.

The 1989 Batmobile will be available from LEGO beginning on November 29 for Black Friday. The set will retail for US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £219.99.

In addition to other LEGO Black Friday deals, those who purchase the 1989 Batmobile between November 29th and December 5th will receive an exclusive mini replica of the original model as a free gift-with-purchase while supplies last. The “not-so-mini” 40433 1989 Batmobile – Limited Edition comes with 366 pieces and a rotating base as well.

Click to see up-close photos and videos of the new 1989 Batmobile model and the upcoming mini gift with purchase version