LEGO finally unveils the Modular 2023 which bears the reference LEGO ICONS Modular Buildings Collection 10312 Jazz Club and it is, as you have probably already discovered via the usual channels, a Jazz club next to which is installed a pizzeria.

The construction will probably not revolutionize the genre but it is in my opinion a good "elephants" filler that will complete the colorful street of those who line up these sets somewhere at home. For those who arrive late on the hobby, know that this type of set generally offers some original construction techniques, a more or less detailed interior but always cluttered and the possibility of then having a little fun with it (which no one does) by removing the different floors and the roof.

The piece of street of 2899 pieces which will be available at the public price of 229.99 € from January 4, 2023 measures 30 cm high by 26 cm wide and it allows to obtain 8 minifigs.

10312 JAZZ CLUB ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

(The link to the shop redirects to the version of the official shop for your country of connection)

As a bonus, LEGO provides some explanations concerning the extreme simplification of the cover of the instruction booklets of its products. This change is directly related to the switch to paper bags for parts: less ink on the booklet, less potential transfer of ink to the bags. There were probably other more pressing issues to deal with, notably concerning the finish of certain parts or the protection of other elements against scratches, but LEGO seems decidedly more concerned with form than substance:

The December 2022 issue of the Official LEGO Star Wars Magazine is now available on newsstands for €6.99 and it gets us a 39-piece Imperial Light Cruiser as planned. The next issue of this magazine will be available from January 11, 2023 and it will be accompanied by a minifig of Luke Skywalker in Hoth outfit already seen in 2021 in the LEGO Star Wars set 75298 AT-AT vs. Tauntaun Microfighters (205 pieces - 19.99 €).

Note that this edition of the magazine is finally moving to paper bags, a few months after the one dedicated to the Marvel universe.

For those who are interested, I remind you that the instructions of the different mini-models delivered with this magazine are available in PDF format on the publisher's website. Just fill in the code on the back of the bag to get the file, 912290 for the Imperial Light Cruiser supplied this month.

Finally, be aware that it is always possible to subscribe for a period of six months or a year to the official LEGO Star Wars magazine via the abo-online.fr platform. The 12-month subscription (13 issues) costs € 76.50.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10307 Eiffel Tower, a large box of 10.001 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €629.99 from November 25th. Everyone will have an opinion on this voluminous interpretation of the Parisian monument, and as usual I want above all to emphasize here a few points which seem important to me in order to help those who hesitate to make an informed decision.

Like many of you, I was first frankly impressed by the first visuals of this imposing model which we cannot a priori blame for much. At first sight, the object seems very faithful to the reference monument and the announced measurements have something to impress, this last point eclipsing almost all the rest of the marketing arguments in favor of the product. With a footprint of 57 x 57 cm and a height of 1 m, this Eiffel Tower is indeed an exceptional object which therefore promises to guarantee long hours of assembly and an attractive exhibition potential.

I was lucky enough to be able to assemble this big model and I had promised myself, as often, to take my time to discover and savor all the subtleties of the set. However, it seemed obvious to me from the start that the assembly was going to reserve some somewhat boring and repetitive sequences and I therefore took the precaution of dividing the "experience" into many sessions that were too short to begin to feel tired.

The product inventory may seem substantial with the presence announced on the packaging of 10.001 elements including the essential brick separator, but it is in fact made up of only 277 different parts including more than 400 flowers, 666 plates 1x6, 324 bars (1x3 / 1x4) or even 660 Bar 1L with Handle. Those who love road plates will be served with twenty copies which are installed under the tower.

The inventory is also inflated by the presence of many small items whose presence may at first glance seem superfluous. But the rigidity of the tower is ensured by the use of many short elements which could easily have been replaced by longer versions, but at the cost of a visible deflection of certain substructures. It's not me who says it, it's the designer of the set. No new parts in this box, just new colors for elements already present in the manufacturer's catalog.

A logistical detail: The sachets are all unique, there are no two sachets bearing the same number in this box and this is good news for those who are not used to the presence of several sachets bearing the same number in open for a single assembly phase. There are 74 plastic bags distributed in the three cardboard sub-packages, not counting those that remain neutral and contain additional elements such as carousel rails, flexible rods or various and varied plates. The assembly process is therefore simplified by this more rational numbering, that's always taken.

On closer inspection, we quickly realize that this plastic Eiffel Tower is in fact an "idealized" version of the monument which would draw from different eras depending on the area concerned, eliminating certain details, adding others and forcing on arrival on the idea that the tower flanked by a large French flag at the top is in fact installed in the middle of an orchard filled with benches and Parisian lampposts.

We could conclude that we are therefore moving away from the pure exhibition model to get a little closer to the product for the distracted tourist who would like to bring back a nice souvenir of his Parisian holidays, forgetting in passing the current configuration of the place with its esplanade sadly tarred, its endless queues, its slightly anxiety-inducing security system and its very insistent street vendors. Why not, the LEGO version is after all only a free interpretation of reality.

You will also have noticed that the Eiffel Tower is simply not the right color here. It has never been gray over the years, it has only come in different shades of brown. The designer admits that there have been many discussions about this internally and justifies the colorway Dark Bluish Gray used by invoking in bulk the chromatic relationship between this box and the one marketed in 2007 (10181 Eiffel Tower), the impossibility of producing the entire inventory in a new, more suitable color without penalizing other sets due to internal limitations at LEGO on this specific point, or even some vague aesthetic considerations which, in my opinion, are more like a posteriori justification than anything else.

Many will try to convince themselves and you by the way that the chosen color was the most suitable, but that does not change the fact that it is simply not the right color. The dark gray used here nevertheless allows, according to the designer, to take advantage of a welcome contrast between the object and its possible exhibition context, but I am still unsatisfied on this point. The big French flag planted at the top of the tower has as usual nothing to do there, we are no longer in 1944 when French firefighters bravely hoisted a flag at the top under German fire, but it can be removed s it bothers you.

The set also explores the limits of readability when it comes to the assembly instructions divided into three booklets, certain angles are difficult to decipher and it will be necessary to remain vigilant despite the inevitable many frankly repetitive sequences imposed by the subject treated. Those who have taken the time to zoom in on the official visuals will have understood that some sections are a little fragile with braces that only hold on a single fixing point and which tend to move easily during handling. Some will therefore undoubtedly have the impression that the sub-assemblies connected on one side of the structure and which end in the void on the other spoil the overall rendering a little, especially when this tower is observed closely.

The set actually gives the illusion of a certain distance and it will be necessary to take the time to position all these braces very precisely correctly so that the effect persists closer. The regular dusting of the model with a brush must also be carried out without insisting too much, at the risk of moving some of these many crosses. You know this if you have watched the product presentation on Youtube, the four arches based on carousel rails are purely decorative, they do not support the upper structure of the tower, as on the real one.

I can't give a damn about the use of 32 sausages which are therefore now available in a previously unseen color, their presence does not seem to me to be likely to visually disturb the final result and it is always less serious than barrels that would be used to symbolize something other than their primary function. The argument of "it's too big but there are gray sausages" will allow you to create a diversion during your evenings with friends when they are looking for a place to sit in your cluttered living room.

More seriously, I still salute the work of the team in charge of designing this Eiffel Tower at LEGO, we are a long way from the basic stacking set 10181 marketed in 2007 and this new product involves many elements and techniques that make it a beautiful showcase of the manufacturer's current know-how.

I leave to all those who will make the effort to invest 630 € in this product the pleasure of discovering the different techniques used to preserve the essential mobility of the feet which allows them to be adjusted, the design of the different intermediate platforms and the connection points between the different sections, there is in my opinion enough to conclude that the designer has tried to do his best so that the fans find their account in spite of the few questionable choices of which I speak above and the lack of homogeneity of the curvature of the monument beyond the second floor. As luxurious as it is, this product remains a modest plastic model that cannot overcome certain constraints. On arrival, the model is stable, it does not wobble and the weight of the entire structure is well distributed over the four legs, as on the real one.

As for the assembly experience, it can't be called frankly entertaining, unless you like (very) repetitive sequences. There remains the pleasure of connecting the four legs together by orienting them so that they meet above the center of the base, of discovering from a certain distance the visual effect produced by the dozens of braces installed or the satisfaction to stack the four sections to obtain the final product but it will be difficult to escape a certain weariness which will precede the other problem posed by this product: where to put it once completely assembled? Let us be clear, there is no question of complaining about having the possibility of affording a large model which provides long hours of assembly, but it will then be necessary to find the ideal location to exhibit this enormous model which don't do it discreetly.

Those who have a room dedicated to their favorite hobby will quickly find a corner to display this Eiffel Tower, the others will have to learn to live with this luxury coat rack stuck somewhere in their living room. The good news is that the assembly can be moved or stored quite easily thanks to the cutting of the model into four independent sections which are simply fitted together. The base plate is also provided with four side notches which allow it to be grasped without breaking everything, it is well seen.

I won't be one of those who will buy this box, because I don't need a 1m50 high Eiffel Tower in my house, just as I can easily do without a wallpaper with the Empire State Building or large letters format the word kitchen on the wall of my kitchen, and that I wouldn't find a place for it that could really show it off anyway. On the other hand, I would have settled for a less ambitious but more compact model to obtain a more acceptable compromise between finish and size. To be totally honest, however, I do not regret having been able to have this imposing construction in my hands, the assembly of which, lasting around twenty hours, deserves to be shared with several people so that everyone can taste the different techniques offered.

LEGO once again wanted to impress its world with the "highest official product"Never marketed by the brand and the objective has probably been achieved in terms of marketing. It remains to be seen whether this announcement effect is transformed into sales volume thereafter, but even if this Eiffel Tower does not become a commercial success , it will have achieved its primary objective: to get people talking about the brand at a time of year when toy manufacturers are vying for the favors of consumers.

Now it's up to you whether this big adult fan toy that's also a very impressive but also very idealized rendition of the Eiffel Tower is worth moving the living room sofa to make room for it. If you intend to treat yourself to this product, don't spoil yourself too much about what makes it interesting: the different solutions used to arrive at the final result. This will be the only real reward you will get besides being able to display this great Eiffel Tower in your home.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at November 28, 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.

I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of the new issue of the LEGO Marvel Spider-Man magazine which allows you to obtain the Carnage minifigure already delivered identically in 2021 in the set 76173 Spider-Man and Ghost Rider vs. Carnage (19.99 €).

The minifigure that will be delivered with the next issue of the LEGO Marvel Avengers magazine to be published on December 5, 2022 is revealed in the inside pages, it is Rescue (Rescousse), a minifig already seen in 2020 in the set 76164 Iron Man Hulkbuster Versus AIM Agent (456 pieces - €39.99). The figurine will be for the occasion accompanied by a small drone equipped with a Stud Shooter.

Note that Carnage is delivered in a paper bag, as was already the case for Thanos last September. It's less sexy than the usual shiny sachets with bland colors and slightly crumpled paper here, but it seems that it's good for the planet.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Marvel set 76231 Guardians of the Galaxy Advent Calendar 2022, a box of 268 pieces which will be available at the public price of €34.99 from September 1, 2022. As you will have understood, the Marvel Advent calendar this year puts the Guardians of the Galaxy in the spotlight on the occasion of the release at the end of the year of the film Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on the Disney+ platform.

Apologies to anyone who hates getting spoiled the content of these calendars before they're available, LEGO has offered to go around them as early as August so you can have time to forget what you've seen of here in December.

It should be noted that LEGO still does not make much effort on the packaging of these Advent calendars despite the very active communication around the manufacturer's desire to pollute the planet less. This type of product was however the perfect opportunity to provide us with 24 paper bags instead of the usual packaging, knowing that LEGO has since 2017 eliminated the thermoformed black plastic tray to replace it with an equivalent cardboard insert.

These calendars are designed to maximize the promise of daily treats for 24 days: beautiful box with an attractive design with the added bonus of a flap that is sold as a game support, internal packaging that allows you to give volume to the micro-sachets, the recipe is the same here as for other calendars whose content discovery is sometimes a little disappointing, like the Kinder versions with their many daily mini-eggs and their single classic egg at the end of the course. In the end, a lot of cardboard and plastic in the trash and not much in the drawers or the stomach.

I'm not going to detail you by the menu each of the 18 micro-thingies that accompany the 6 minifigs delivered in this box, others will gladly take care of it. I sorted the things by category with the ships which are frankly in the theme, the accessories which are more or less in the theme and finally the things which are supposed to be more or less festive accessories but of which one sometimes wonders what it's about. Some boxes will later allow you to solve the mystery of an earlier stage, you will have to wait 24 hours or more and combine their respective contents to obtain something more or less identifiable.

I always wonder why LEGO does not offer daily content that would allow at the end of the journey to assemble a construction grouping the inventory of the product. I would forgive anything unfinished to get the ability to keep all the contents of this calendar on a shelf as a single construct instead of throwing the gizmos in the bottom of a drawer and forgetting about them ever.

With the mini-stuff aside, we're left with six minifigs: Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula. It's meager for a product that offers us to discover content over a period of 24 days at 1.50 € per box.

The Groot, Rocket Raccoon and Mantis miniatures those already seen in the set 76193 The Guardians' Ship, a box still sold at the public price of 149.99 € which makes these figurines difficult to access for all those who struggle to optimize the management of their pocket money. The Star-Lord minifigure comes from the same set, the character here losing his legs in two colors and changing his hairstyle. So there are only two new figurines left on arrival that will probably forever be exclusive to this box, those of Drax and Nebula who are wearing very successful ugly Christmas sweaters here. Neutral legs for everyone except Groot, there are no small savings.

Should we marvel at this type of product in 2022? I don't think so, even if the youngest may find it useful provided they are familiar with the universe of the Guardians of the Galaxy and show a lot of imagination on days when the content of the box is less inspired. I think it is still possible to do much better with 35 € on hand, most of the boxes in this calendar being of little interest.

To end on a positive note: there will however be the possibility of obtaining a handful of minifigs with their accessories, some of which are difficult to access without spending around 150 €, it's always taken.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at August 26, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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