Review: LEGO Marvel Spider-Man 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush

Today we are quickly talking about the LEGO Marvel Spider-Man set 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush, a box of 640 pieces inspired by comics Old Man Logan et Old man hawkeye in the pages of which we find the "venomized" T-Rex in pursuit of a large 4x4. The reference stops there, this product does not feature Wolverine and Hawkeye.

This new set which completes the already very long list of boxes which put Spider-Man in control of various and varied machines is sold at the public price of 79.99 € on the official online store. The box is not currently listed elsewhere, it is undoubtedly a temporary exclusivity that LEGO reserves, at least for a few weeks, before possibly providing it to one or more specialized brands.

With a price of 79.99 €, we are logically entitled to expect a little more content than in the usual sets which often serve as a pretext to sell us some more or less exclusive minifigs. And the objective here seems to be achieved with on one side a Spider Buggy which takes the air of Monster Truck and on the other a rather imposing "venomized" T-Rex.

Spider-Man's vehicle is designed to stand up to the creature he faces in this set, so we assemble a much more elaborate machine than the usual spider-things. It is well executed and there is even a suspension that allows the cab to be lowered onto the chassis by simply pressing on the buggy. The two blue elastic bands provided do the rest.

The missile launcher placed on the rear turret is a 2020 novelty also delivered in the Marvel sets  76153 Helicarrier and Ninjago 71703 Storm Fighter Battle, just like the arrow with its rubber tip which is a variant of the usual version. The possibilities of integrating this new element will be better than those of the canon Technic Classic (ref. 6064131) often used so far and that's good news for anyone who doesn't like to sacrifice a model's looks for a bit of playability.

We stick a large handful of stickers on the vehicle to give it its final appearance, we install the driver in the space provided which even has a backrest and a steering wheel and off we go. A second character can take place on the cannon.

The other big construction of the set is the "venomized" T-rex that you have to try to knock out with the only projectile provided. I am quite impressed by the finish of the creature which combines pad-printed pieces with others on which you have to stick the essential stickers.

The joints are numerous and it is not only a question of Ball Seals at rough settings even if the T-rex's arms and head are so equipped. The legs of the T-rex are adjustable with great precision thanks to the assemblies Technic that allow a notch adjustment. It will be necessary to find the point of balance of the creature to stage it in certain positions but the possibilities are really increased tenfold by the use of these notched pieces. Beware of the three claws simply clipped on the end of the legs of the T-rex, they tend to come off very easily during handling.

The creature has a "chest" in the abdomen, you can store Venom himself, the skeleton provided or one of his other victims that he would have devoured. This space is well integrated, it does not disfigure the model and adds a bit of playability. Venom can also take place on the back of the T-rex, two studs are provided to seat the minifig.

Too bad the eyes of the T-rex are simply symbolized by two neutral pieces, maybe it lacks something to read to provide a real look. The mouth of the creature is on the other hand very successful with a substantial dentition which circulates over the entire length of the jaw and an orientable tongue.

The T-rex protects an egg that is also "venomous" next to which the skeleton is located. Nothing crazy, but this mini-assembly adds a little stake in the confrontation. It's up to you to invent the story that goes around it.

As for the four minifigs delivered in this box, the assortment alternates between new versions and figurines already delivered in other sets:

The Spider-Man minifigure is the variant with legs in two colors already seen in more than half a dozen boxes released in 2019 (76113 Spider-Man Bike Rescue, 76114 Spider-Man's Spider Crawler et 76115 Spider Mech vs. Venom) and in 2020 (76148 Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock, 76150 Spiderjet vs. Venom Mech et 76163 Venom Crawler).

Nothing new on the side of Venom either, the torso and the head of the figurine are the elements present in the sets 76115 Spider Mech vs. Venom (2019) et 76150 Spiderjet vs. Venom Mech (2020)

Iron Spider is delivered here in a new version which fixes the major flaw of the 2015 figure seen in the set  76037 Rhino & Sandman Supervillain Team-up : The patterns of the torso and the head, which were not really highlighted at the time, are here underlined by a very appropriate black border. By quibbling a bit, LEGO could have contented itself with a slightly finer line not to unnecessarily drown the design of the torso. LEGO doesn't overdo it with the mechanical legs attached to the character's back and that's a good thing. Too bad the accessory on which we clip the four claws is black.

Finally, the Spider-Ham (Peter Porker) minifigure is 100% brand new with a nice torso matching that of Spider-Man and a molded ABS plastic head that should delight the most complete of collectors. The pad printing of the face is impeccable, the homage to the character is in my opinion successful without going too far from the LEGO concept.

In short, we could have been worried by noting that this umpteenth box which features Spider-Man is sold for 80 €. LEGO has accustomed us to much cheaper sets in this universe, but also less opulent. Here, I think the product gives value for money to anyone looking for both construction fun, playability, some references to more or less cult comics and an assortment of minifigures that offers a minimum of novelty.

The contract is in my opinion fulfilled, although it may be wise to wait to possibly have a chance to find this box a little cheaper elsewhere than LEGO.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at July 4, 2020 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.