Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Marvel set 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda, a box of 385 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €49.99 from January 1, 2023. Even if the two products have a different approach to the subject matter and definitely do not play in the same league, it is impossible not to make a comparison direct between the proposal of this box and that of the LEGO Marvel set 76210 Hulkbuster (4049 pieces - 549.99 €).

In both cases, it is indeed a question of assembling a reproduction of the armor with on one side a high-end model for adult fans and on the other a simple toy for children. Those who had a little trouble with the aesthetic choices of the big model will perhaps find in this new less ambitious model something more faithful to the reference armor, even if the format imposes some limitations with a construction that does not measures on arrival only about fifteen centimeters high.

I think for my part that this interpretation of the Hulkbuster does not demerit, far from it. The armor looks great with a globally coherent "anatomy" despite the presence of gray joints that many will find too inconspicuous and it is far more convincing than that of the set 76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-up (375 pieces - €34.99) marketed in 2018 or that of the set 76031 The HulkBuster Smash (248 pieces - 34.99 €) dating from 2015. The four limbs here are thick enough to embody the volume expected of armor and the various joints whose finesse could have ruined the impression of corpulence are generally well integrated.

The assembly is done very quickly but it offers some sufficiently complex and satisfying sequences for the youngest to have the impression of taking up a construction challenge that goes beyond the simple stacking of parts. The fastening of the helmet with the new pad printing remains a little fragile with its two droid arms simply clipped on, but this is the only notable point of weakness of the product.

The object is easily taken in hand, nothing comes off inadvertently during the manipulations which allow this armor to strike a pose. As you can imagine, the knees are fixed because it is not a "Action Figure" and the manufacturer invokes in the product description the need to guarantee this toy a certain stability.

This rigidity of the lower limbs of the Hulkbuster is however not too penalizing, it remains enough to make him take a dynamic pose by combining the rotation of the hips with that of the arms. The size is also fixed, impossible to orient the trunk of the armor a few degrees to the left or the right to refine the pose.

The cockpit is only accessible by moving the helmet of the armor, there is no mobile element on the chest as is sometimes the case on certain mechs which offer the possibility of installing a minifigure in control but Bruce Banner slips easily into his slot.

Note that the transparent pieces in "Blue Opal" used for the ARC Reactor, the repulsors or the inside of the knees of the armor are not phosphorescent. These are the elements usually available in the DOTS and Friends ranges. The armor does not escape a large handful stickers that allow to slightly raise the overall level of finish, I would have liked to be able to do without them but they seem essential to me to obtain a visually convincing product.

As for the four minifigs provided, there is enough to please collectors who like the variants of existing characters with a somewhat generic Bruce Banner but which at least has the merit of being equipped with a new head with two faces and two Outriders whose facial expression is from 2019 but both come equipped with the same never-before-seen torso. The latter is only a slightly refined graphical variation of the 2018 version, but it is well presented as a new reference within the product inventory.

The Okoye figurine is not new, however, it reuses the elements already seen in the LEGO Marvel set 76214 Black Panther: War on the Water, whose torso has a slightly pale black area that has trouble fitting perfectly with the character's legs.

To sum up, at 50 € the armor and probably a little less as soon as the resellers seize the product, there are not many questions to ask. The finish/size ratio of this Hulkbuster is excellent and if you only have to display one version of the armor on your shelves while staying within a reasonable budget, in my opinion, it is this one. You will easily find the best possible angle to erase the few aesthetic shortcuts used and you can even have a little fun with this little model if you feel like it. My conclusion is therefore obvious: the Hulkbuster is finally entitled to the accessible and sufficiently successful derivative product that it deserves.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 26th December 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

The December 2022 issue of the official LEGO Marvel Avengers magazine is now available and it allows us as announced to obtain a Rescue minifig (Rescousse) already seen in 2020 in the set 76164 Iron Man Hulkbuster Versus AIM Agent (456 pieces - €39.99). The figurine is for the occasion accompanied by a small drone equipped with a Stud Shooter and a vintage remote control. It comes in a paper bag.

The next issue of this magazine will be available on newsstands from March 6, 2023 and it will be accompanied by a Black Panther figurine installed on its "Super Jet" of about fifteen pieces.

This minifig is obviously not new, it is the one already seen in the LEGO Marvel set 76204 Black Panther Mech Armor (9.99 €) marketed this year. At €6.50 per magazine, it's up to you to see if this issue of the magazine will be a good deal or if it's better to spend a few euros more to take advantage of the inventory offered by the 124-piece set.

In the pages of this issue, we also discover the minifigure that will be delivered with the next issue of the official LEGO Spider-Man magazine which will be available on newsstands from January 23, 2023, it is Miles Morales, a minifigure already seen in sets 76171 Miles Morales Mech et 76178 Daily Bugle :