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.

Today we quickly go around the set LEGO Marvel 76199 Rampage (546), a new head to assemble and display on a shelf that will be available from May 1st at the public price of € 59.99.

The LEGO collection of helmets / heads launched in 2020 is regularly expanding with new creations and after the two new Star Wars references announced this year, it is therefore the turn of this set that allows you to assemble the head of Carnage and the set 76187 Venom (565 - 59.99 €) to join the ranks of the Marvel branch which until now consisted of only one reference, the set 76165 Iron Man Helmet (480 - € 59.99).

The heads of Carnage and Venom in the LEGO version are logically similar in many ways and it cannot be said that the building experience varies significantly between the two products. If we forget the language of Venom and the smooth finish of the temples, the major difference between the two construction lies mainly in the presence of a large handful of stickers used to texture the face of Carnage.

The assembly of this head is quickly shipped with a hollow skull on which we just apply finishing elements that give the final volume of the construction. Once again, the model's appearance is really based on an optical effect that only works from certain angles: the lower jaw is frankly forward and in profile, Carnage looks a bit silly. The set also looks a bit like a motorcycle helmet with its mention on which we would have painted a pattern. From the front and three-quarters, it's a little better with a mouth that seems better proportioned.

The designer has chosen to integrate here a black toothing which is a little difficult to exist without adequate lighting. The pink background of the mouth does what it can to make the teeth stand out but I am convinced that white or beige teeth would have been more suitable. The contrast between the red skull and the black mouth is interesting but Venom is doing much better on this point with its beige teeth which really stand out.

The character's eyebrows are also too prominent to convince me, with a relief which obviously reinforces the aggressive side of the gaze but which seems too coarse to me. The scale used and the desire to maintain a certain aesthetic consistency between the different products in the range is once again responsible for this finish which can appear very coarse in some places, it will be necessary to live with it.

Finally, the eyes of Carnage are here far from occupying a sufficient surface on the skull to be really faithful to the reference character. Depending on the comic book, the era and the artist, all these details vary, but there is still a general aesthetic that the LEGO version struggles to reproduce.

The stickers bring their share of details, it would have been difficult to do without these characteristic patterns. The background of the stickers is more or less in line with the color of the parts to which they must be glued, it was the union minimum for a pure exhibition product, due to the lack of pad printing.

Overall, I think the style exercise is not totally missed, although there are a few details that I think are a bit rough or too rough. The same product with white or beige teeth could have really convinced me and as it is I find that the mouth is visually too "drowned" in the rest of the construction. If we add the look a little too "slick", I think we miss out on what makes Carnage such a threatening creature.

LEGO will sooner or later offer us the Spider-Man mask by taking the top of the face of Venom and Carnage and possibly associating it with an assembly similar to the one seen on Iron Man's helmet for the bottom, the effect of collection between the three models will be there and fans should be happy with it. The visual consistency between these different models will save the furniture and make you forget the faults of each of these products.

With the arrival of each new reference in this range of exhibition products, the limitations of the format defined by LEGO become more present and the solutions used to respect the imposed scale and general aesthetics are not always at the service of the subject treated. It is up to everyone to see if this "collection" deserves to invest in it without restraint or if it is rather necessary to make choices and be satisfied only with the models which seem the most convincing.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 23th 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 are quickly interested in the LEGO Marvel set 40454 Spider-Man vs Venom & Iron Venom, a small blister pack of 64 pieces sold at the retail price of € 14.99 with four minifigs and a buildable mini-vehicle.

The packaging confirms that one of these four minifigs is exclusive to this product, it is Pork Grind, a member of Swinester Six from theAniverse (Earth-8311), a parallel universe where everyone is an animal in which we also find Spider-Ham (Peter Porker), a character whose minifigure is delivered in the set 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush. The Pork Grind figurine reuses the torso of Venom, which is therefore delivered here in two copies, and the mold of the head of Spider-Ham.

The minifig of Iron Venom takes on its side the torso of the figurine seen in the set 76163 Venom Crawler (2020) but here it inherits a helmet with a superb original pad printing which this time is in direct continuity with the patterns of the torso. The head used here is the seen and revised version with the HUD on one side. The minifig is not presented as exclusive to this blister pack, so it is very likely that it will one day be available in this form in another set in the LEGO Marvel range.

 Venom and Spider-Man are delivered here in rather common versions: The Venom figurine is the one seen in the sets 76115 Spider Mech vs. Venom (2019) 76150 Spiderjet vs. Venom Mech (2020) et 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush (2020), that of Spider-Man with his pad-printed arms is already delivered in the sets 76172 Spider-Man and Sandman Showdown (2021), 76173 Spider-Man and Ghost Rider vs. Carnage (2021) et 76174 Spider-Man's Monster Truck vs. Mysterio (2021)

All four minifigs are equipped with neutral legs, which is a bit of a shame. LEGO had to compensate for the exclusivity with a little technical laziness, we will do with it. The vehicle that accompanies the minifig is assembled in one minute flat, it is only used here as a pretext for the name "construction toy" of the product. For those who love LEGO hot dogs, know that this blister pack allows you to get two copies.

I collect Marvel minifigs and the arrival of every new character, no matter how obscure, is always good news to me. Pork Grind remains an anecdotal villain but the minifigure is successful and we will probably never see it again in this form in another box. The argument is therefore sufficient for me to add this product to my collection.

Note: The set presented here, purchased by me, is as usual put into play. Deadline fixed at April 21th 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.

Another novelty in the LEGO Marvel Spider-Man range referenced on the Shop: The set 76198 Spider-Man & Doctor Octopus Mech Battle with its 305 pieces, Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus minifigs, all sold at the retail price of € 19.99 from April 26th.

Nothing very exciting, the mechs are at the level of those sold individually since the start of the year in sets 76168 Captain America Mech Armor (€ 9.99), 76169 Thor Mech Armor (9.99 €) and 76171 Miles Morales Mech Armor (9.99 €) and we therefore get a 2in1 pack here.