Review: LEGO Marvel 76114 Spider-Man's Spider Crawler

Before returning to the DC Comics universe or talking about the unique set based on the movie Captain Marvel, we quickly end the test cycle of the new LEGO Spider-Man with the set 76114 Spider-Man's Spider Crawler (418 pieces - 39.99 €) which allows to obtain a nice range of characters in addition to offering a rather successful machine.

We cannot repeat it enough, Spider-Man is not Batman and therefore does not really need all the gear that LEGO invents him to bring order to the streets. But since you have to build things in each box to maintain the concept of the "construction toy", LEGO always goes with a more or less successful vehicle or machine.

Here, it's a mechanical spider that is being assembled and I must say that the end result is really convincing. This Spider-Crawler only looks like a spider, it is indeed a robot piloted by Peter Parker, which can throw things and in principle move on any terrain, even the most rugged . Well, Spider-Man could do without such a device, but it's successful so I take.

Some Technic parts, a very simple mechanism that allows the legs of this robot to be raised and lowered when moving the thing, it is simple but effective. Be careful to use the machine only on flat surfaces so that the thin wheel located under the spider is permanently in contact with the ground. After a few hours, you will also find the dog's hair wrapped around the axis of the central wheel and it will be necessary to ensure that the whole is cleaned regularly.

On the aesthetic level, LEGO is not really in the finesse and is content to use the two colors of the Spider-Man costume with a few touches of gray to accentuate the robotic aspect of the machine. Simple and efficient. Of them Stud Shooters in the front, a bomb launcher or canvas placed at the top of the abdomen, there is something to do.

But, you can imagine, even if the machine is very successful, the set has much more to offer than this red and blue Spider Crawler with a very interesting character endowment.

Sandman and Vulture are no strangers to the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes lineup, and they have both already undergone varying degrees of success. The versions offered here are very convincing with modern and detailed pad prints and accessories that showcase the abilities of each character well. These are my "favorite new releases", no doubt about it.

Sandman is actually only a half minifig with a torso that sits on a plinth already seen in other colors within the Nexo Knights range. By adding the base to build and the bulky hammer provided, the set works quite well. Good luck to all those who want to fit all this into a Ribba setting ...

I regret, however, that LEGO did not see fit to provide us with an extra pair of legs to give us the choice of how to present the character. Ideally, I would have wanted a base in which to plug the complete minifigure, but we cannot have everything. We can always use the version of the calamitous set 76037 Rhino and Sandman Supervillain Team-up (2015) for a "before and after".

Vulture is here equipped with a well-designed jetpack with truly swiveling wings, whose feathers are dressed in stickers, and large enough to pay homage to the character. The central part of the jetpack, on the other hand, is a little too coarse for my taste, but once again we'll do with it.

I already really liked the wings delivered in the set 76083 Beware The Vulture (2017) but I ultimately prefer the version delivered here and it's always better than the minifig of the set 76059 Spider-Man: Doc Ock's Tentacle Trap (2016) which used the Falcon wings in green.

These two characters are here accompanied by the usual Spider-Man with legs injected in two colors also delivered in the sets 76113 Spider-Man Bike Rescue et 76115 Spider Mech vs. Venom and an unpublished minifigure: Miguel O'Hara aka Spider-Man 2099 who arrives from his alternate future to help Peter Parker.

The minifigure is generally successful, even if the regulars of the comics which feature this character will perhaps judge that it lacks some patterns on the legs and on the arms. A red stripe on the arms would have been welcome and the legs could have benefited from a few touches of the mesh light blue which helps to give relief to the face and torso.

Even though you don't see much of Vulture's back when equipped with his mechanical wings, it's always good to know that LEGO has made the effort to offer us such a detailed pad printing on this side of the minifigure. Spider-Man 2099's back is more basic but the dot-based patterns perfectly emphasize the character's musculature.

Sandman has an alternate facial expression which in my opinion is just the one to use when he is placed on his pedestal and the other side could have been used for the “100% minifig” version of the character.

In short, for once, I really have the impression that LEGO has made an effort on the few pieces that accompany the characters by offering us a construction with questionable usefulness but with interesting features.

It's playable, the machine moves like a real spider with its movable legs raised and lowered by a simple but effective mechanism, the balance of power between the good guys and the bad guys is balanced: objective achieved in my case for this set sold € 39.99.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before February 15, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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.