We continue to tour the helmets / heads marketed by LEGO this year with the reference DC Comics 76182 Batman Cowl, a box of 450 pieces which allows, in principle, to assemble a reproduction of the mask of the vigilante of Gotham.

I add the mention "in principle" because I still wonder what were really the intentions of the designer of this product. Is it a mask placed on a transparent display or a mask with the head that goes with it and which would therefore be represented here by the transparent pieces? According to the official product description, it is a priori a complete head: "... With transparent bricks to represent the face ...", and this is not an approximation of the French version of the description judging by the English version:"... With transparent bricks to represent the face ...".

Once again, the product frankly relies on shadow play and angles to try and be believable. Its appearance is based a little too much for my taste on these lighting effects, the official visuals on the product packaging being cleverly reworked to try to get the best out of this model. In bright light, from the front or in profile, it is immediately much less flattering and one will perhaps feel a little cheated by the very artificial "enhancement" of the product.

The imposed scale of this range of helmets / heads does not help the designers in charge of the different products and depending on the subject dealt with the challenge is undoubtedly very high. Here, we recognize Batman because the construction displays some of the usual features of the mask like the ears, the pointed nose or the white gaze which brings a little contrast but it is better not to get too close to the model.

The sides and the back of the mask are very correct, the shapes and textures are there with an alternation of smooth surfaces and tenons, that's already it. On the other hand, the ears are a little strange and ma seem a little too long, something in their shape is wrong and they look like the ears of a dog or a rabbit especially when the mask is presented from the front. All the aggressiveness conveyed by the front of the mask is slightly reduced by these cartoon-style ears.

At the front, it is even more complicated with very prominent eyebrows and the lower face covered with a transparent piece that does not embody much. If it's the lower part of Batman's face, it's missed. If it is the bottom of a transparent display on which the mask is stored, it is a little less missed. I prefer to imagine the second option, the transparent part being connected with the uprights of the foot inserted in the support. This element moreover protrudes from the mask and partially covers the foot of the presentation base. The chin bar does not add anything special to the model, it is in my opinion too bulky, badly positioned and it could have been absent without unduly affecting the general appearance of the product.

The build experience barely catches up with the slightly sloppy side of the product. We are a bit in the BrickHeadz universe with the added bonus of a few window frames to give volume without leaving too many rooms and Batman's skull remains almost empty. We also build some subsets whose relief is created via a stack of plates, there are several slightly more complex steps for the nose and chin and voila.

Everything is assembled in half an hour, put on gloves if you want to avoid fingerprints. No stickers in this box. As often, many smooth parts are a little scratched and the black color does not forgive these defects, do not hesitate to contact customer service if you feel that the condition of these elements is not acceptable on a product from exhibition like this. Same advice for the few smoked parts that come with this model.

The foot is not weighted and it will be difficult to use this product as a bookend on a shelf, for example, filled with comics. Over the helmets / heads that pass through my hands, I doubt more and more the interest of the small presentation plate which is satisfied with a large logo and a white inscription. The universe or license logo would have been more than enough for each model, there is no need to tell us who it is and even the less successful products are immediately recognizable.

During the tests of the first models of this new range, I mentioned my fear of seeing LEGO locked in a format that would have a little trouble allowing the adaptation of certain masks or helmets, this one confirms to me that the limits of this format are achieved. Fortunately, the public prices of these boxes are relatively contained and there is always a sign to sell them at a significant reduction which makes it easier to pass the pill.

After thinking about it, I tell myself that the transparent foot is not such a bad idea, it brings a little lightness to the construction and highlights the mask. Having now been able to observe this variant of the foot from every angle, I would have preferred that the other products in the same range use the same process. We can see the Technic beams through the transparent parts, which may annoy some fans, but I find that ultimately rather original.

For those who are wondering about the rendering of this model without the large transparent piece placed at the front, I have put a photo without this element (see above). The product is doing pretty well, it's up to you to see if you prefer to display this mask with or without this piece. You can also remove the two transparent side elements to refine the impression that the mask is empty and simply placed on its support.

In short, this product will undoubtedly find its audience among the most indulgent Batman and LEGO fans or among collectors who absolutely want to align all the masks / helmets marketed by LEGO on their shelves. This Batman mask isn't a complete failure, there are some great ideas, but the finish is far from convincing to me.

Reproducing objects or characters with LEGO bricks usually involves making concessions, we all have a habit of more or less accepting them if we feel the designer had no choice. Here, the result does not seem to me worthy of a collection of high-end products for adults.
This set will be available from April 26th on the official online store at the public price of 59.99 €. It's up to you.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 30th next at 23pm. 

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Today we quickly tour the LEGO DC Comics set 76188 Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile, a small box of 345 pieces that pays tribute to the cult series Batman aired in the 60s with Adam West in the title role and Cesar Romero in the role of Joker.

This is not the first time that LEGO is lingering on this TV series, the manufacturer had indeed already offered a vintage version of the Batcave accompanied by a Batmobile and a Batcopter in the set. 76052 Batman Classic TV Series - Batcave (2016)

LEGO has chosen to get to the point here by skipping the additional content and focusing its efforts on the Batmobile. This new version of the vehicle takes some of the attributes of the model delivered in set 76052 and adds several welcome finishing details. If you don't have the previous version, there is no regrets, this new interpretation of the Batmobile is in my opinion more successful with less visible studs, the use of a more suitable part for the hood from the trunk (Design Brick 4 x 1 with Bow) and the integration of several Wedges with 45 ° cut-out to round off angles.

The Batmobile, about twenty centimeters long, can be displayed on a rotating support accompanied by a small presentation plate that recalls the configuration of the promotional set 40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition offered by LEGO in 2019. This similarity in the presentation of these two products forces me to imagine that this new box could also have been offered instead of being charged 39.99 €, for example on the occasion of the sale of a large-format reproduction of the vehicle. We can dream.

The sticker to stick on the presentation plate lists the same characteristics as the sticker in the set 40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition, the effect of "range" or "collection" is there. Nine other stickers dress the vehicle and LEGO even pushes the vice to the point of imposing two 1x1 stickers on us. For a moment, it almost feels like you're in the Speed ​​Champions universe. By deduction, you will have understood that the trim ornaments are pad printed.

Ultimate refinement offered here: the possibility of removing both Stud Shooters placed on the front hood and replace them with smooth parts for a less playful finish and above all more faithful to the reference vehicle.

We have to be content with two minifigs in this box and the first reaction of many of us was to regret the absence of Robin, played on the screen by Burt Ward. So the passenger seat of the Batmobile is hopelessly empty and that's a shame. I'm not losing hope, there is still the possibility that LEGO will soon offer us a new set to assemble a Batcopter with Robin at the controls. If this were the case one day, the distribution of the different characters in these boxes would then be consistent.

This small set allows us to obtain Batman and the Joker, two new minifigs. Some will consider that they are only variations of the figures delivered in 2016 in the set. 76052 Batman Classic TV Series - Batcave, but the most assiduous collectors will undoubtedly find it difficult to ignore. Batman still has a slightly pale face and ink is missing at the junction between the thighs and lower legs, LEGO doesn't seem to be making much progress on these technical issues.

In the end, this set is aimed especially at those who have been able to follow the adventures of Adam West and Brut Ward on their TV as well as those who want an exhaustive collection of everything that LEGO offers in terms of vehicles based on the universe of the justice of Gotham. This small model is not the ultimate version of that vintage Batmobile that I have been waiting for a long time, but I will do with it, hoping that one day LEGO decides to offer us something on the scale of the vehicles in the sets. 76023 The Tumbler et 76139 1989 Batmobile...

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 28th next at 23pm. 

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

The LEGO Marvel set 76187 Venom (565) is now online on the official store with availability announced for April 26 at the public price of € 59.99.

The construction of the less evil symbiote of two is here logically very close to that of the set LEGO Marvel 76199 Rampage (546 ) which will be available from May 1st at the public price of € 59.99.

The advantage with Venom is that we will escape the big handful of stickers to stick on Carnage's face. We will talk about these two boxes in more detail very soon.

Note that the film Venom: Let There Be Carnage was announced in theaters for the month of June 2021 but its release has been postponed to September. We will find on the screen Tom Hardy who already played Eddie Brock / Venom in the film released in 2018 and Woody Harrelson will take on the costume of Cletus Kasady / Carnage, a character introduced in the saga via a post-credits scene from the first film.

Note that the LEGO DC Comics sets  76180 Batman vs. The Joker: Batmobile Chase (136 - € 29.99), 76188 Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile (345 - 39.99 €) and 76182 Batman Cowl (410 - 59.99 €) are now also listed on the official online store. These three boxes are announced for April 26th.

Today we discover two of the sets planned this year in the LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes range with the references 76180 Batman vs. The Joker: Batmobile Chase et 76188 Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile uploaded by a Vietnamese brand (76180 here et 76188 there).

On the one hand, a new interpretation of the vehicle seen in the cult TV series broadcast in the 60s with Adam West (Bruce Wayne/Batman) and Burt Ward (Dick GraysonRobin) in the lead roles.

LEGO had indeed already offered a first version of this Batmobile in the set 76052 Batman Classic TV Series - Batcave (2016). In the box, Batman and the Joker, both almost identical to the figures in the 2016 set. The Batmobile will be displayed on a stand with a small presentation plate that recalls the configuration of the promotional set. 40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition offered during the very short operation that took place on the LEGO Shop in 2019.

On the other, a set stamped 4+ with two vehicles with a simplistic but not uninteresting design and three minifigs: Batman, the Joker (seen in the sets 76119 Batmobile: Pursuit of The Joker et 76159 Joker's Trike Chase) and Batgirl (already seen in the set 76160 Batman: Mobile Bat-Base).

(Seen at The Brick Fan)