Inspired by the new LEGO Batman sets Batsub and the Underwater Clash and Batman Mech vs. Poison Ivy Mech, Elvis Lawrey has added his own spin on cartoon-like super hero vehicles. Embracing the chibi aesthetic, he’s rolled out a clutch of cute, fun, and playable vehicles for the Dark Knight to test-drive.
See more on these quirky Batman vehicles
Mecha models come in all sorts of shapes and colors, but every now and then, a creation comes along that really breaks the mold and demonstrates clear thought and careful design. This mechanical robot/vehicle/gun platform by Chokolat Shadow strikes a stunning balance between color blocking and engineering. I mean, of course, red and gold go well together, but the additional use of sand green looks surprisingly nice. The large wheels under the forearms and the smaller ones on the calves are suggestive of an interesting vehicle configuration, as well.
The creator clearly has a narrative in mind to connect this creation to a larger world, as demonstrated by the collection of support mechs and vehicles that share this unique color scheme.
We recently featured a breakdown of nineteen new LEGO sets released in advance of the upcoming LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. One of these sets is a 2-in-1 build featuring Emmet’s cute little yellow house, which can be transformed into the rocket version he uses in an attempt to rescue Lucy. Maybe if Emmet were a proper master builder, he could have come up with something cooler, like this great mech/hardsuit in matching construction worker colors by Chungpo Cheng. It even features a bunch of stickers from the custom BrickHeadz set 41597 Go Brick Me.
It looks like Chungpo even left some room inside the mech for an overpriced coffee or Emmet’s green friend, plant-y.
The M:Tron range of LEGO Space sets released back in 1990 never made any bones about the utilitarian nature of its magnet-laden fleet. It was all about finding innovative ways of lifting and moving its precious equipment cases around the galaxy. Tim Goddard, whose space work has become a regular feature here on TBB, has really run with this idea of transportation. He asks, how do you deploy your beautifully built M:Tron mech to the planet surface? With the M:Tron Pod of course.
Having had a close-up look at this build at Bricktastic earlier this year, I was mightily impressed by the lengths Tim had gone to, to make his Pod hexagonal. Of course it also has a fully functional hatch mechanism. Like so much of his work, it’s a splendidly detailed homage to one the LEGO Group’s most-loved themes.
It never ceases to amaze me how inventive kids are when it comes to LEGO building; what they lack in technical skill they make up for in unbridled imagination. Builder Mishima has been tapping into his son’s own amazing ideas: a LEGO shark mech is an ingenious concept in anyone’s book! What I love about the upgraded model is how it diligently sticks to the unusual colour blocking and asymmetric features of the original build; the final adaptation revelling in these design choices. Yet, as cool as Mishima’s reimagined version is, the intellectual property rights probably belong to his son.
Bleak laboratories of the Aperture Science facilities (as seen in both parts of Portal) will be forever remembered by the game’s fans thanks to the chilling soulless voices of the turrets. Although LEGO creations are rarely designed to make any sound effects, just pictures of these works by (FLAVIO) is enough to make me feel uneasy in much the same way those turrets did. TORUS is a beautiful example of how irregular Technic parts can be combined with tiles to create a peculiar layer of armour.
Click to check out the other uncanny turrets
I’ve always loved how a single LEGO piece has the power to inspire an entire build, as was the case with this awesome mech by Chris Perron. The building of this marvelous monstrosity was motivated by the yellow Fabuland ladle part, which Chris wanted to incorporate into a sci-fi creation after seeing it used in a someone’s castle-themed creation. Finding a spot for such a strange piece likely proved challenging, but the builder managed to find a perfect spot for them on either side of the mech’s head, to form what looks like a respirator or perhaps like rounded cheeks.
Ladles aside, the build overall looks like a wonderful mashup of Nexo-Knights LEGO universe, Warhammer 40k, and a beefed-up Bionicle Rahkshi. While the builder could have called it a day after the mech was completed, he went the extra mile and made a simple but effective alien environment base, which perfectly completes the final display.
Following on from the Blacktron Ravenwing Fighter that TBB has featured last month, builder CK-MCMLXXXI continues the theme with this ferocious looking LEGO Blacktron mech. This digital creation brings to life a brutal looking machine, armed to the teeth with a rail gun and what looks like a trans-yellow plasma rifle. I particularly like the way the printed Blacktron element is set at an angle so as to suggest a beak like maw. Another clever technique uses clipped tiles attached to Technic flex tube to create a realistic ammo belt. The result is an intimidating monster of a vehicle, worthy of the Blacktron moniker.
There are mechs designed to transport cargo, to build new worlds, to race against each other, to save lives… And then there’s the Thunderbolt — designed, well, to destroy. The builder of this titan, Japanese mecha master Moko, made sure every tiniest piece of the mech’s design forebodes its foe’s fast, yet painful death.
But, of course, it’s not the mech’s color that gave it its name. The real show starts once the yellow bracers come open and everything around is illuminated with stunning lightning effects. This is when you notice old LEGO Technic 9V wired connectors running along the mech’s forearms; what a brilliant example of functional elements doubling as decorations.
Every now and then a LEGO model comes along that instantly captures your attention. This crocodile-inspired heavy mech by Marco Marozzi did that for me. Between the color choices, custom details like the camouflage, and well-placed stickers, its dynamic pose, and some truly inspired part usage, this mech is the real deal. To begin with, I don’t think I have ever seen a more perfect use for the molded chassis from the Legends of Chima Speedorz used here for the mech’s upper leg.
Also, the coiled bullwhip usually featured on pirate ships sets, which is used throughout the model for wiring, and possible hydraulics. This mech does not even need any kind of gun or rocket. It can simply tear its opponents limb from limb.
Why not make a Buddha out of LEGO? Actually, while we’re at it, why not make a posable Buddha mech? That’s what inspired Moko to build this odd-but-beautiful creation, and the posable figure is actually quite intriguing. The body shape is nice, and the face, as well as the hair made with exposed studs on the head, are expertly crafted.
Moko is also quite good at taking photos that really bring his characters to life. If you can read Japanese (or roughly approximate it with an in-browser translator), you can learn more about Moko and his build on his blog. Actually, even if you can’t, his plethora of pictures are quite interesting! Yes, a minifigure can indeed fit in the compartment behind that muscular chest, so we guess that makes this technically a mech.
LEGO just announced the 76115: Spider-Man Mech vs. Venom Mech playset. It is slated to launch later this year on December 1 with a piece count of 604 and priced at $49.99.
The press release is included below:
76115: Spider-Man Mech vs. Venom Mech
Launching: December 1, 2018
Piece Count: 604
Age: 8+
SRP: $49.99
Stage an awesome mech battle between Spider-Man and Venom!
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