Huw Millington from brick set was present at the London Toy Fair and due to the lack of photos of the latest novelties exhibited at the show, he delivers some important information:

The ring is in Chromium Gold with a hole large enough for Frodo to carry it in his hand. The 7 sets of the range were on display and we will be entitled to a new version of the LEGO horse whose rear legs will be articulated.

Concerning the sets, some changes in the minifigs since the estimations according to the preliminary visuals:

 9469 Gandalf Arrives - 2 minifigs: Gandalf & Frodo, a cart, a horse, in short nothing more than what we saw in the preliminary visuals.

9470 Shelob Attacks - 3 minifigs: Frodo, Samwise & Gollum. Gollum is hunched over articulated arms that resemble those of LEGO skeletons. The spider is apparently successful.

9471 Uruk-Hai Army - 6 minifigs: Eomer, Rohan Soldier & 4 Uruk-Hai. A small piece of wall that can be connected to that of set 9474.

 9472 Attack on Weathertop - 5 minifigs: Frodo, Merry, Aragorn & 2 Nazgulhs (or Ringwaiths) on horseback.

9473 The Mines of Moria - 7 minifigs: Pippin, Gimli, Legolas, Boromir, 2 x Orcs & Cave Troll

9474 The Battle Of Helm's Deep - 8 minifigs: Aragon, Gimli, Haldir, King Theoden, 5 x Uruk-hai 

 9476 The Orc Forge - 5 minifigs: 5 x Orcs

This is the Australian merchant site Hobbyco which offers for pre-order all the new LEGO products to be released including the entire supposed 2012 range .... We can discover the entire Superheroes range which we already know the part dedicated to DC Universe and here are the sets Marvel which are advertised on this site (Prices are indicated in Australian $ and 1 EUR = 1.36 $ AUD):

LEG6865 Super Heroes - Cpm America Avenging Cyc. - $ 24.95 
LEG6866 Super Heroes - Wolverine Chopper S / down - $ 49.95 
LEG6867 Super Heroes - Loki's Cosmic Cube Escape - $ 49.95 
LEG6868 Super Heroes - Hulk's Helicarrier B / out - $ 99.95 
LEG6869 Super Heroes - Quinjet Aerial Battle - $ 129.95 

For information, the list of sets DC Universe : 

LEG6858 Super Heroes - Catwoman Catcycle City - $ 24.95
LEG6860 Super Heroes -The Batcave - $ 129.95
LEG6862 Super Heroes - Superman Vs Pow.Armor Lex - $ 39.95 
LEG6863 Super Heroes - Batwing Batt / Gotham City - $ 59.95
LEG6864 Super Heroes - Batwing & Two Face Chase - $ 99.95

We also find the series of Ultrabuild in preorder, so far everything is fine:

LEG4526 Ultrabuild - Batman - $ 22.95
LEG4527 Ultrabuild - The Joker - $ 22.95
LEG4528 Ultrabuild - Green Lantern - $ 22.95 
LEG4529 Ultrabuild - Iron Man - $ 22.95
LEG4530 Ultrabuild - Hulk - $ 22.95
LEG4597 Ultrabuild - Captain America - $ 22.95

The only clue that makes me doubt this list, however credible at first glance, is that this site also announces the minifigs series 6 & 7 in preorder ..... I would gladly understand that the series 6 is about to be released, but about the series 7 I am more than doubtful, unless it turns out that the two series are planned at one or even two months apart:

LEG8827 Minifigures Series 6 - $ 3.95 
LEG8831 Minifigures Series 7 - $ 3.95

In short, we can calmly stay calm and drink cool, while waiting to learn more about these sets. Marvel whose cryptic names filled with abbreviations give us little indication of their content .....

It is BARNES & NOBLE which creates the buzz today by listing the sets of the Superheroes range from January 2012 and allowing us to have a first idea of ​​the price range that will be applied by LEGO on these sets.

However, it is better to weight these prices keeping in mind that LEGO generally applies the formula $ = € and ignores the real exchange rate .....

DC Universe
LEGO 6858 Batman vs. Catwoman $ 11.99
LEGO 6862 Superman vs. Lex Luthor $ 19.99
LEGO 6863 Batman vs. the Joker $ 29.99
LEGO 6864 Batman vs. Two Face $ 49.99
LEGO 6860 The Batcave $ 69.99

DC Universe ULTRABUILD
LEGO 4526 Batman $ 14.99
LEGO 4527 Joker $ 14.99
LEGO 4528 Green Lantern $ 14.99 

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Architecture set 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris, a box of 4383 pieces currently for pre-order on the official online store at the public price of €229,99 and which will be available from June 1, 2024.

The reactions were generally rather positive when the manufacturer announced the product, it therefore remained to be verified whether the assembly experience is commensurate with the final result knowing that the LEGO Architecture range must be up to the mark. lives up to the expectations of the most demanding fans on this specific point.

It was my sidekick Chloé who carried out the exercise with a progression spread over several days so as not to saturate and make the most of what the product has to offer. Slightly repetitive sequences are obviously on the program, it is the subject covered which imposes them, and weariness can quickly set in and degrade the promised experience.

The single instruction booklet which distills the 393 assembly steps, however, remains readable even when it comes to sequences requiring the installation of elements at the heart of a well-advanced construction, it is tone on tone ( or Tan on Tan) and the risk was to get a little visually lost during certain stages.

The systematic use of the red border to demarcate the parts or sub-assemblies concerned by the step in question is of great help, we never find ourselves lost in this pile of parts of the same color with the added bonus of an effect of perspective which can quickly become problematic on certain pages, even for the most seasoned fans.

My usual advice: if you intend to purchase this product, do not spoil too much the construction process as well as the techniques used and keep the pleasure of discovery intact. Your decision to buy or not this box from the LEGO Architecture range is not based simply on these arguments and knowing too much before opening the box will only spoil the promised experience.

The instruction booklet is put into context by the addition of a few pages of information on the process of building the real cathedral through four major eras, this information is in English on the document provided in the box but the booklet will be available in French in digital format as soon as the product becomes available.

Some facts come to enhance the assembly process throughout the pages, it is always a very appreciated attention which allows to put the product in its context and to explain certain aesthetic choices. The set is not, however, a history lesson; read up on the subject if you feel like it.

At the chosen scale, certain details are simply suggested or necessarily overlooked, this is inevitable and we cannot blame the designer who here did his best to preserve the main attributes of the building. We recognize Notre-Dame de Paris at first glance and anyone who still has any doubts will in any case have before their eyes the Tile pad printing usually used in sets from the LEGO Architecture range to specify what it is.

We could debate for a long time concerning the proportions of certain parts of the building, quibble over the inevitable aesthetic shortcuts, regret the absence of stained glass windows which are simply symbolized by transparent pieces or even discuss the choice of color Tan (beige) for the walls of the cathedral, the proposal is there with its scale and its constraints and we must accept it as it is or ignore it.

The beige used here corresponds to the "idealized" and sun-saturated visuals that we find almost everywhere, it is more or less in line with the image we generally have of places. For the rest, don't expect to come across a few gargoyles or install the fittings on the doors, this model gets to the point and it makes rather intelligent use of what the current inventory at LEGO has to offer.

Enjoy the internal spaces of the cathedral as construction progresses, they will then only become visible by removing the portion of roof which will allow a quick look at the cluttered interior of the model. The floor is partially covered with paving alternating black and white pieces, with a pattern which is obviously not on the scale of the rest of the construction but it works visually and the reference at least has the merit of existing.

We spend a lot of time adjusting certain sub-assemblies that only fit on a single stud so that the result conforms to the wishes of the product designer, with for example droid arms at the back or magic wands that you must orient at 45° at the level of the two towers on the facade.

We will also endeavor to straighten the flexible foils planted at the top of the two facade towers and the spire so that the construction does not lose its splendor. It is sometimes a little tedious, but by spreading the assembly of the product over several days we will enjoy coming back to it occasionally.

For those who are wondering, the three dish pad printed used on the model are identical, it is the same piece with the same pattern. No stickers in this box, they weren't necessary at this scale anyway. The twelve statues which surround the spire of the place are there, they are embodied by nanofigs which seem to me judiciously used and that of Viollet-le-Duc is turned towards the spire of the building. No particular religious symbols on this construction, if we obviously forget that the roof of this Gothic cathedral is itself a cross.

LEGO asks 230 € for this product, one could imagine that it is a lot to pay for a construction which ultimately only occupies 41 cm long by 22 cm wide but the invoice includes the many hours spent building the thing and the contract seems to me here to be filled with a global experience which features more than 4000 pieces, which can really be spread over time and which will not leave purchasers of the product unsatisfied as is sometimes the case with other boxes shipped too quickly.

Meticulousness is necessarily required here, coupled with a few steps of careful deciphering of the instructions and the challenge seems sufficiently high to satisfy even the most demanding fans of the LEGO Architecture range.

This product from the LEGO Architecture range therefore, in my opinion, largely lives up to what we can expect in this range with the qualities we know about it but also the usual limitations linked to the reduced scale of the products concerned. This model of Notre-Dame de Paris seems to me to be a good compromise with a pretty, sufficiently detailed model with a small footprint, a relatively reasonable price and obvious exhibition potential.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 18th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.