Review: 76178 Daily Bugle (Part #1)
Posted by CapnRex101,Spider-Man has become inextricably associated with the Daily Bugle, although Peter Parker was introduced after the newspaper. This renowned tabloid expresses an aggressive stance towards Spider-Man, which is typically demanded by the bad-tempered J. Jonah Jameson.
76178 Daily Bugle encapsulates this association between the newspaper and various Marvel characters, containing an outstanding collection of heroes, villains and journalists. These encompass numerous unique minifigures, including Daredevil, Blade, Black Cat and the Punisher, alongside several ubiquitous Marvel characters.
The first part of our review discusses the 25 minifigures. Part two is available here.
Box and Contents
76178 Daily Bugle belongs to the 18+ range and features accordant branding, with the usual dark background and colourful stripe. I think this model would potentially benefit from brighter packaging, given the comic environment, although the building appears impressive. Moreover, the all-important minifigures are displayed across the top of the box.
Opening this box reveals 36 bags, numbered between one and sixteen, beside another which contains larger elements. The single instruction manual comprises 376 pages, including some dedicated to information about the Daily Bugle newspaper and development of this substantial model. These are printed on black pages but the instructions feature a lighter background.
Character profiles for the 25 minifigures are included, providing information about the diverse heroes, villains and civilians which populate the Daily Bugle. These are welcome because the minifigures are important here, although scant details are provided about Bernie, Amber Grant and Ron Barney. Nevertheless, I like these abbreviated character profiles.
Designer interviews have become infrequent throughout recent instruction manuals. This short interview with the set designer, Mark Stafford, offers some excellent insight though, particularly concerning the removable windows and Daredevil's inclusion. Additionally, the formatting as an interview with the Daily Bugle's leading investigate journalist, Ben Urich, is enjoyable.
Two separate sticker sheets are provided, featuring 38 stickers between them. Their quantity seems relatively modest given the enormous size of this model, although several stickers are large and can prove accordingly challenging to apply. Nevertheless, I think these stickers look appealing, especially because numerous references are secreted among them!
Minifigures
An updated Spider-Man minifigure has been introduced this year, featuring intricate webbed decoration and printed arms. These definitely enhance the minifigure, in combination with the dual-moulded legs which return from 76198 Spider-Man & Doctor Octopus Mech Battle where the same minifigure is available. This is probably my favourite comic version of Spider-Man so far!
Peter Parker famously supplies photographs of Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle, hence the web-slinger's alter ego is included. Of course, Peter's civilian clothing displays Spider-Man's distinct colours which is splendid. This red jacket previously appeared on Jack Davids minifigures from Hidden Side but seems equally suitable here, while the double-sided head displays both happy and concerned expressions.
Three additional 'Spider Family' members accompany Peter, the most renowned of whom is probably Miles Morales. This great minifigure has already appeared in 76171 Miles Morales Mech Armour and wears a dark red jacket over his black Spider-Man suit, loosely resembling the Bodega Cat costume from the Spider-Man: Miles Morales video game.
Ghost Spider and Miles Morales include the same hood component, albeit in varied colours which complement their garb. Pink highlights inside the hood would definitely have enhanced this minifigure, although I love the purple decoration on the torso. These accents demonstrate impressive accuracy and the black and white colours look fantastic too. Even so, printed arms would benefit the design.
Despite his remarkably strange appearance, Spider-Ham possesses similar abilities to other web-slingers and sports familiar attire. However, this fun minifigure, which returns from 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush, does include an exclusive head and subtler distinctions. For instance, the spider symbol on his back displays a porcine head! Multiple web accessories are provided with these characters.
Peter has expressed romantic interest in many characters throughout his comic appearances and Gwen Stacy is among the most memorable such people. Her blonde hair piece is perfect for the character and the freckled head looks superb too, despite its relative ubiquity. Moreover, Gwen's teal jacket is interesting because the element was designed for Hidden Side, much like Peter Parker's clothing.
Aunt May has also appeared prominently throughout Spider-Man's publication history, even accompanying the hero upon his introduction during Amazing Fantasy #15! This minifigure is immediately recognisable as Peter's beloved aunt, featuring an ideal hair element and striped jumper, shared with Hermione Granger from 75967 Forbidden Forest: Umbridge's Encounter.
Unfortunately, her alternative expression is partially exposed beneath this hair piece, although these kindly and frightened faces otherwise look perfect. May carries a tray of medium nougat cookies, presumably baked for her nephew and accordingly being delivered to the Daily Bugle.
Several additional characters accompany Spider-Man's traditional allies, appearing exclusively here. Daredevil has been hotly-anticipated by Marvel fans and this minifigure looks impressive, making brilliant use of an element created for Black Panther to depict his distinctive horns. This head appears excellent too, especially since the flesh printing is unusually vibrant and matches other minifigures.
Punisher looks outstanding as well. This ruthless vigilante is perhaps a surprising addition to 76178 Daily Bugle, although his presence is definitely welcome and the minifigure looks good, displaying the character's classic skull motif on his torso. The matching belt and dual-moulded legs also appear accurate, closely resembling the Punisher's common comic depictions.
Frank Castle's murderous methods routinely result in injuries, hence this minifigure includes a plaster on one side of the head. The other features a smile which seems decidedly unsuitable for the Punisher, whose personality is famously grim. Various weapons accompany this figure, as one would anticipate, while Daredevil wields twin batons which correspond with the comics.
Blade shares the Punisher's penchant for violence and the minifigure is instantly recognisable, wearing dark sunglasses with a black jacket. His confident grin captures perfect personality for Blade and I love the metallic decoration on his chest. However, this minifigure should definitely have integrated Zane's hair component from NINJAGO, which would have looked brilliant here in black.
Contrasting with Blade's dark clothing, Firestar features flame yellowish orange attire beside bright red hair! This textured piece looks excellent and I like the decoration on Firestar's torso, which is more elaborate than her normal comic depictions. The head includes satisfying detail too, displaying cheerful and determined expressions with a stylised domino mask.
Trans-orange energy blast accessories accompany this minifigure, representing her ability to manipulate microwave radiation. While some parts remain available for Firestar to hold, most appear on the Daily Bugle and their integration is almost seamless which improves upon their use in several Super Heroes sets.
Black Cat occupies an intriguing position within Spider-Man's extensive character roster. The thief variously opposes Spider-Man or becomes his ally, depending on the situation. Whatever her role, Black Cat's appearance here is welcome and the minifigure looks tremendous. Felicia Hardy's characteristic white hair is present and the double-sided head suits Black Cat.
Once again, the minifigure features dual-moulded legs which is appealing, complementing the white fur adorning her torso. The silver necklace also looks good and Black Cat includes some fitting accessories, wielding a black whip to denote her grappling cables. A diamond is supplied as well, reflecting Felicia's unavoidable tendency towards thievery!
While certain characters seem morally questionable, others are absolutely evil. Green Goblin definitely occupies the latter category and this design returns from 76175 Attack on the Spider Lair, featuring ragged purple fabric that corresponds with the Goblin's manic psyche. The dark bluish grey padding on his torso and knees also seems effective, contrasting with the principal purple colour.
Green Goblin's gruesome visage seems appropriately threatening and two expressions adorn the head, conveying deranged cheer and anger. The character's distinctive ears and headgear appear accurate too. Unfortunately, no requisite pumpkin bombs are included but Green Goblin can ride his Goblin Glider, which is connected to the Daily Bugle building.
LEGO has produced various Doctor Octopus minifigures since 2004, when the first example became available. This minifigure features comparatively dark clothing, somewhat resembling the character from the recent Spider-Man video game. His reddish brown hair component also appears reminiscent of Otto Octavius' video game incarnation.
While the torso design looks reasonably simple from the front, the reverse simulates complex mountings for Octavius' mechanical arms. Moreover, the double-sided head conveys fantastic personality, featuring a grimace, a wicked smile and detailed goggles. Printed legs would have improved the minifigure, although I think Doctor Octopus looks appealing without them.
Doctor Octopus' mechanical arms have changed as regularly as their owner, employing many construction techniques and elements. These spectacular appendages are definitely the most impressive though, comprising angled minifigure stands and 1x1 round plates with holes! This design provides extraordinary articulation and features incredible detail, without compromising their strength.
Venom minifigures have remained more consistent than Doctor Octopus, although his black tendrils have been updated here. They are individually articulated and seem suitably organic, surpassing previous designs in this regard. The head and torso also feature adequate details, although some decoration across the legs would have been welcome.
Printed legs are available for Carnage, following the introduction of an updated minifigure with 76173 Spider-Man and Ghost Rider vs Carnage. The black and red colour scheme looks great and I appreciate the continuation of these designs between different components, although the original minifigure from 76036 Carnage's SHIELD Sky Attack also integrated printed arms.
Even without arm printing, I think the murderous Symbiote appears menacing and his tendrils are constructed using the same method as those on Venom. Additionally, both characters are equipped with tendrils to connect to their hands, as demonstrated below. This black handgrip component remains relatively uncommon.
Marvel Super Heroes was launched during 2012 and Mysterio was excluded from the theme before 2019, when Spider-Man: Far From Home was released. Comic versions of this enigmatic villain have appeared in several subsequent sets, wearing an ornate magenta cape. The cape now folds twice around the neck, varying from 76174 Spider-Man's Monster Truck vs. Mysterio where the 4+ cape was used instead.
Mysterio's spherical helmet remains unaltered though, employing trans-opalescent blue plastic which creates an impression of swirling smoke. The light bluish grey head underneath is nearly invisible and the resulting effect is appealing. However, the dual-moulded base which appeared with Mysterio in 76174 Spider-Man's Monster Truck vs. Mysterio is missing here.
Sandman does incorporate an elaborate base, representing his emergence from the ground. This component features excellent texture and appears ideal here, although the element was originally developed for NEXO Knights. Another brick-built base is also provided and attaches outside the Daily Bugle building, further enhancing Sandman's intimidating appearance.
Unfortunately, the character's torso displays weak colour matching between the printed sand and neighbouring tan parts. I appreciate the green shirt though and Sandman's asymmetrical design works nicely. This minifigure includes the distinctive head designed for Clone Troopers, presumably prolonging its production after this piece has been replaced within Star Wars sets.
J. Jonah Jameson was introduced during 1963 and his irascible personality has become an irrepressible factor within the Marvel universe! This minifigure resembles the design available with 76005 Spider-Man: Daily Bugle Showdown, featuring the same hairstyle with an updated colour. Jameson's waistcoat is also unique, although the decoration on my minifigure is offset somewhat, unfortunately.
The most important aspect of J. Jonah Jameson minifigures is certainly capturing the editor's personality and 76005 Spider-Man: Daily Bugle Showdown satisfied that necessity. The head looks superb here as well, especially on the reverse where Spider-Man has evidently become impatient with Jameson's interminable criticism! The newspaper editor carries a pen.
Jameson's steadfast secretary, Betty Brant, accompanies the Daily Bugle editor here. Despite comprising elements created for other characters, including Ginny Weasley's torso from 75978 Diagon Alley, the minifigure is quickly recognisable based upon her distinguishing hair element which matches Betty's customary appearance throughout comics and movies.
Another component returns from 75978 Diagon Alley for Ben Urich, whose head was initially created for Florean Fortescue. This prominent journalist is certainly an appropriate addition to the set and his bespectacled head corresponds with the comics. The chequered jacket seems reasonable too, although Urich's clothing is traditionally portrayed as unkempt.
Robbie Robertson advises J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle, showing obvious sympathy towards Spider-Man that contrasts with Jameson's antipathy. This minifigure features Lando Calrissian's moustachioed head with a medium nougat jumper, exhibiting diamond patterns. Unusually, this element lacks decoration on the reverse, despite being introduced relatively recently.
Another new head has been developed for Ron Barney, whose appearance in the comics is undefined. An expanding collection of different reddish brown heads is appreciated and I love the grey flecks in Ron's beard. Furthermore, this colourful jumper includes splendid detail and was created for Dudley Dursley from Harry Potter, originally appearing in 75968 4 Privet Drive last year.
Amber Grant supplies photographs to the Daily Bugle and makes good use of existing parts. This head returns from 76129 Hydro-Man Attack but looks wonderful, displaying a delightfully sceptical expression as an alternative to her standard smile. The red cap and hair component looks lovely and I like Amber's torso, shared with Jessica Sharpe in 60264 Ocean Exploration Submarine. The satchel seems perfect for a journalist.
LEGO has evidently scoured Marvel Comics for obscure characters to include and Bernie the Cab Driver satisfies that requirement, appearing only once during 1978! The minifigure seems generic though, combining a head and torso from different Jurassic World characters. However, this design works nicely and Bernie's flat cap certainly conforms to taxi driving stereotypes.
Overall
Marvel Super Heroes sometimes receives criticism focused upon Spider-Man's overwhelming prevalence among comic-based sets. 76178 Daily Bugle includes the popular web-slinger and myriad additional characters, expanding this selection beyond the most prominent heroes. The exclusive Daredevil, Punisher, Blade and Black Cat minifigures seem particularly tempting and their execution is appealing.
Furthermore, the supplementary characters amply populate the enormous Daily Bugle building, creating the appearance of fitting chaos on display! Of course, further unique minifigures would have been fantastic and Mark Stafford has confirmed that as many as seventy were considered during development. Nevertheless, this selection is undoubtedly impressive.
The second part of our review, discussing the Daily Bugle building, is available here.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
163 likes
43 comments on this article
wow...
thats a lot of minifigs...
I like the Doc Ock tentacles, are those 1x1 plates with bars in them?
Honestly one of the best and most exciting sets I've bought for a while, especially as a Marvel fan. Maybe that biases me a little, but I still think this set is a lot of fun and I'm glad I picked it up.
Man this is so great.
I love all the minifigs but the building itself not so much. Its size is impressive but because of the colorscheme it's a bit of a boring design.
I know other sets have included two versions of a character before, but have any others done this for two characters like this set?
The minifigure selection is very good, but as a child of the 80s I can't help but wish there was an Iceman to go with Firestar.
One small error I caught, Cap: Mysterio first appeared in Spider-Man: Far From Home sets, which released in 2019, not Homecoming (which was 2017, not 18).
Looking forward to part 2 of this review!
This is a fantastic collection, but I do have a couple of issues...
Mary Jane Watson hasn't been seen in some time, and would have been a great addition to this set.
Robbie Robertson doesn't resemble the character's comic appearance at all - Robbie lacks facial hair and has greying hair, not black. The Ben Urich I know also lacks facial hair.
Venom and Carnage have been terribly overused in recent years. Granted, some adult collectors will be picking them up for the first time here, but I'd have rather seen new or rare characters like Chameleon, Hobgoblin, Scorpion, or even Hydro-Man.
I love the street level heroes that have been included here, though I wish there had been a place for Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones.
Overall, this is definitely a set that I'll want one day soon, it's just a little pricey for me right now. Birthdays and Christmas are coming!
@Tyrell_Archer said:
"This is a fantastic collection, but I do have a couple of issues...
Mary Jane Watson hasn't been seen in some time, and would have been a great addition to this set.
Robbie Robertson doesn't resemble the character's comic appearance at all - Robbie lacks facial hair and has greying hair, not black. The Ben Urich I know also lacks facial hair.
Venom and Carnage have been terribly overused in recent years. Granted, some adult collectors will be picking them up for the first time here, but I'd have rather seen new or rare characters like Chameleon, Hobgoblin, Scorpion, or even Hydro-Man.
I love the street level heroes that have been included here, though I wish there had been a place for Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones.
Overall, this is definitely a set that I'll want one day soon, it's just a little pricey for me right now. Birthdays and Christmas are coming!"
If you have read the interviews with the designer, he goes into detail about why not every character you might like isn't included.
In short, he had a budget and did all he could to get as many characters in as he could manage.
This is why the civilians are made from existing parts, there wasnt budget left for new prints (and if there were, it would have been used on a new super hero)
Even though I've been an AFOL for like 21 years, after the 1966 Batcave and Bespin (both of which were underwhelming, but with great minifigures and vehicles) this is only the third D2C set I've bought. And the first I have absolutely no criticisms of.
I absolutely love this thing, and parcelled out the build to last as long as possible (managed a whole week...yay for self-control). I've seen people mostly knocking the figure selection and the homogeneity of the build (a whole lotta windows and grey bricks).
With the figures...there are 25 of 'em. Every figure is the definitive version, everyone is relevant, and the set has a whole bunch of unique, civilian (Daily Bugle staffers) and non-civilian figures, of which Black Cat, Blade, Daredevil, Firestar and Punisher are (duh!) all majestic and awesome. I'd be the first one to point to Lego's pathetic, dismal and insultingly limited selection of minifigures in mainline Spider-Man and Avengers sets over the past three years: Venom, Carnage, Spider-Man and Doc Ock....and that's pretty much it.
I don't think that will change unless we stop buying them and/or reviewers and YouTubers start seriously addressing how cheap and dismal this is. But for a D2C set, 25 figures is good, isn't it? I mean, how many should there be? And unlike the mainline sets, it's really easy to get caught up in wishlisting: why haven't they reduced the civilians and put in Power Man & Iron Fist in? Why no Silk? Why no Cloak & Dagger? Why no Vermin or Demogoblin? What about SP//dr or Stilt-Man or Rhino or Beetle? Yeah, I'd have loved to have seen ALL of these. Well, maybe Lego will start including some of these in regular sets, or maybe even an Oscorp Lab set. But you can't really knock Lego on what's here: there are 25 figures and the majority are entirely new or revised. You have to decide whether what they are offering is worth your money. I did: pretty much seeing Daredevil, Punisher and Black Cat was enough for me.
As to the build, Lego were (somewhat surprisingly) told what this was going to look like by Marvel/Disney, and were somewhat constrained. But Lego aren't fools and they've made the best of this: putting the bags together in such a way that the build is NOT "Oh, great....42nd bag of grey 1x2 snot bricks and 2x2 clear windows" - far from it. The interior builds are full of varied and eye catching colours, and after removing the facade from each storey you can quickly see how much thought and effort has gone into this.
And what you don't see when you look at this is the absolutely phenomenal minibuilds therein. I hope this won't spoil it for anyone thinking of buying, but I've got to flag up tiny, ingenious and easily missed features like the drink dispenser, cafetiere, the photocopier, Sandman's pavement/sand explosion, the elevator (facade) or the stuff behind the Daily Bugle signage. All of these things are a joy to build, and for me, they were a surprise too.
Basically, after seeing thr deja Vu Infinity War sets (£8 + £20 + £35 + £80 + £140 for the same old, same old), it was a choice between the Bugle or those 5 sets. The Bugle won hands down and I made the right choice. More figures. More unique new figures. 3,772 bricks. And a spectacular showpiece. Not a tough choice for me.
@LegoTiger72376 said:
"wow...
thats a lot of minifigs...
I like the Doc Ock tentacles, are those 1x1 plates with bars in them?"
Doc Ock's mechanical arms comprise alternating angled minifigure stands and 1x1 round plates with holes.
@captainbnj said:
"One small error I caught, Cap: Mysterio first appeared in Spider-Man: Far From Home sets, which released in 2019, not Homecoming (which was 2017, not 18).
Looking forward to part 2 of this review!"
Thank you, that has been corrected.
"Of course, further unique minifigures would have been fantastic and Mark Stafford has confirmed that as many as seventy were considered during development. Nevertheless, this selection is undoubtedly impressive."
Does it say anywhere in that brick of a booklet why these characters were picked? Some are not the choice I'd have expected
@Brickalili said:
""Of course, further unique minifigures would have been fantastic and Mark Stafford has confirmed that as many as seventy were considered during development. Nevertheless, this selection is undoubtedly impressive."
Does it say anywhere in that brick of a booklet why these characters were picked? Some are not the choice I'd have expected"
He said in the interview that it was mostly what Marvel allowed
An absolutely amazing set, and a pleasure to build. The minifigs are superb, and the interior of the DB is just as brilliant as the exterior. Top marks for having the Green Goblin bursting out of the front, while the Sandman erupts from the ground! It now occupies pride of place in my living room, alongside the Web Warriors Bridge Battle!
As a fan of high-rise buildings, but not really of licensed minifigures, thank you for splitting this review into two! Sorry for ignoring this half of it...
Not that into marvel, but bought this day one for the punisher. Im baffled lego included him (the osprey got cancelled due to its army origins, but a vigilante who literally destroys anyone he judges to be bad, complete with machineguns, is ok...Not complaining but i do sense some hypocrisy here).
Set is great allround btw
The figs look great! I really want Blade, Daredevil, and Punisher!
How soon will part 2 arrive and are more What's Missing? articles coming?
I got this set for the build and not for the figures—myself not being a Spider-Man fan. I’m trying to decide whether to sell them or keep them...
Thanks for the great review, as always!
In the Mysterio section, I think you meant to write "Spider-Man: Far From Home" instead of "Homecoming." Just letting you know!
@Peter_X said:
"Not that into marvel, but bought this day one for the punisher. Im baffled lego included him (the osprey got cancelled due to its army origins, but a vigilante who literally destroys anyone he judges to be bad, complete with machineguns, is ok...Not complaining but i do sense some hypocrisy here).
Set is great allround btw"
Osprey-real
Punisher-fictional character
It isn't hypocrisy
@Your_Future_President said:
"I got this set for the build and not for the figures—myself not being a Spider-Man fan. I’m trying to decide whether to sell them or keep them..."
You should sell them to me :)
Wow that a ton of figures is a set. I really like the build but again with a limited budget for LEGO don't know if I can justify the price. Not saying its expensive just have other priorities for sets that came out or coming out this year.
Thanks for the review and look forward to the review of the building!
I'm surprised neither Peter Parker nor Amber Grant come with camera accessories.
I don't really know Spider-Ham and every time I see the figure I think of Homer Simpson singing "Spider Pig, Spider Pig"
Other than that, this looks like a great selection of figures.
@Terreneflame said:
" @Tyrell_Archer said:
"This is a fantastic collection, but I do have a couple of issues...
Mary Jane Watson hasn't been seen in some time, and would have been a great addition to this set.
Robbie Robertson doesn't resemble the character's comic appearance at all - Robbie lacks facial hair and has greying hair, not black. The Ben Urich I know also lacks facial hair.
Venom and Carnage have been terribly overused in recent years. Granted, some adult collectors will be picking them up for the first time here, but I'd have rather seen new or rare characters like Chameleon, Hobgoblin, Scorpion, or even Hydro-Man.
I love the street level heroes that have been included here, though I wish there had been a place for Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones.
Overall, this is definitely a set that I'll want one day soon, it's just a little pricey for me right now. Birthdays and Christmas are coming!"
If you have read the interviews with the designer, he goes into detail about why not every character you might like isn't included.
In short, he had a budget and did all he could to get as many characters in as he could manage.
This is why the civilians are made from existing parts, there wasnt budget left for new prints (and if there were, it would have been used on a new super hero)"
Yeah, that's true of every set, isn't it? I was just commenting on the choice of characters, not so much the number. Who could complain about the number of minifigures in this set?!? :)
Love all those minifigures. Surely this means we'll likely get smaller sets with Black Cat, Blade, or Daredevil?
I am surprised they included the Punisher. It's the 18+ range, but still. My favourite Punisher moment was in "JLAvengers" when Batman spent 20 minutes beating the stuffing out of him, off-camera. Good times.
@Terreneflame said:
" @Peter_X said:
"Not that into marvel, but bought this day one for the punisher. Im baffled lego included him (the osprey got cancelled due to its army origins, but a vigilante who literally destroys anyone he judges to be bad, complete with machineguns, is ok...Not complaining but i do sense some hypocrisy here).
Set is great allround btw"
Osprey-real
Punisher-fictional character
It isn't hypocrisy "
Exactly. Under that logic, no set would be allowed to have Captain America as his entire backstory and character development revolves around the army.
Some interesting minifigs, but the building looks very Meh to me.
Perhaps I'll just buy the figs that interest me separately via Bricklink.
I’ve never been a fan of Spider-Man having the stud on his head wish they would change that.
@harveypumpkins said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"I got this set for the build and not for the figures—myself not being a Spider-Man fan. I’m trying to decide whether to sell them or keep them..."
You should sell them to me :)"
Sure!! My price is $300 :)
Marvel Comics has an artist named Ron Garney, so maybe the Minifigure is a homage to him. No idea about Amber Grant.
@DoonsterBuildsLego said:
"I'm surprised neither Peter Parker nor Amber Grant come with camera accessories.
I don't really know Spider-Ham and every time I see the figure I think of Homer Simpson singing "Spider Pig, Spider Pig"
Other than that, this looks like a great selection of figures. "
Lego.com has a picture of the Peter Parker minifig holding a camera. You can clearly see a camera next to the pizza box in one of the rooms.
@Tyrell_Archer: Y'know, technically any figure might really be Chameleon...
@DoonsterBuildsLego: Actually, Spider-Ham dates back to 1983, although you're not the first person to think he might be based on The Simpsons Movie.
@Tyrell_Archer said:
" @Terreneflame said:
" @Tyrell_Archer said:
"This is a fantastic collection, but I do have a couple of issues...
Mary Jane Watson hasn't been seen in some time, and would have been a great addition to this set.
Robbie Robertson doesn't resemble the character's comic appearance at all - Robbie lacks facial hair and has greying hair, not black. The Ben Urich I know also lacks facial hair.
Venom and Carnage have been terribly overused in recent years. Granted, some adult collectors will be picking them up for the first time here, but I'd have rather seen new or rare characters like Chameleon, Hobgoblin, Scorpion, or even Hydro-Man.
I love the street level heroes that have been included here, though I wish there had been a place for Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones.
Overall, this is definitely a set that I'll want one day soon, it's just a little pricey for me right now. Birthdays and Christmas are coming!"
If you have read the interviews with the designer, he goes into detail about why not every character you might like isn't included.
In short, he had a budget and did all he could to get as many characters in as he could manage.
This is why the civilians are made from existing parts, there wasnt budget left for new prints (and if there were, it would have been used on a new super hero)"
Yeah, that's true of every set, isn't it? I was just commenting on the choice of characters, not so much the number. Who could complain about the number of minifigures in this set?!? :)"
But you wanted to replace existing characters with new ones.
Putting venom in doesn't require new pieces, so is cheaper than a brand new character
Basically if you wanted a different new character, one of the other new ones would have to be swapped, not an existing character
@IanGoodchild said:
"Even though I've been an AFOL for like 21 years, after the 1966 Batcave and Bespin (both of which were underwhelming, but with great minifigures and vehicles) this is only the third D2C set I've bought. And the first I have absolutely no criticisms of.
...
And what you don't see when you look at this is the absolutely phenomenal minibuilds therein. I hope this won't spoil it for anyone thinking of buying, but I've got to flag up tiny, ingenious and easily missed features like the drink dispenser, cafetiere, the photocopier, Sandman's pavement/sand explosion, the elevator (facade) or the stuff behind the Daily Bugle signage. All of these things are a joy to build, and for me, they were a surprise too.
"
Share the experience with Batcave and Bespin. But happy not to miss GB HQ, which was a giant feature pack like DB.
Initially, I was sceptical about it. A dull gray tower, meh. But then, that's what many skyscrappers look like and not every building in a real city looks spectacular, thus it would add some sense of realism to my modular buildings street.
The other issue I had was its height. It balances out the dull facade but jives with the height of the other modulars. Fortunately I found an acceptable way to integrate it in my T-street setup. I have a row of modulars, in front of them a road, and in front of the road a plaza and park. The Daily Bugle is now overlooking the park and not connected to the regular modulars.
M R M M M M M M M
M R R R R R R R R
M R S S P P P P D
One nod to the comics which I appreciate is how the advertisement for Osborn for Mayor depicts Norman’s hair as a wig piece with tight waves, matching his hair in the comics. It’s a shame they haven’t yet created an actual matching wig piece, because they could’ve used it for Flint Marko (Sandman), and could also use it for Norman Osborn and Captain Marvel/Shazam, all of whom have that type of hair.
How about it, LEGO? Any chance of a correct wig piece being produced?
@DoonsterBuildsLego said:
"I'm surprised neither Peter Parker nor Amber Grant come with camera accessories.
I don't really know Spider-Ham and every time I see the figure I think of Homer Simpson singing "Spider Pig, Spider Pig"
Other than that, this looks like a great selection of figures. "
LMAO, I do as well. Just so everyone can share the joy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BARjPuUN36Y
@Peter_X said:
"Im baffled lego included him (the osprey got cancelled due to its army origins, but a vigilante who literally destroys anyone he judges to be bad, complete with machineguns, is ok...Not complaining but i do sense some hypocrisy here)."
This sentiment, which is common online, seems to be based on a fundamental misconception of what LEGO's internal policy is or is not about and what it does or does not say. There is no policy against violence and in fact many LEGO sets, especially licensed ones, are premised largely on violence (the whole "conflict in a box" idea). Rather, the policy is entirely about avoiding association with real-life conflicts, particularly modern military conflicts. Reading between the lines, this is because LEGO wants to sell its products everywhere in the world with minimal controversy and does not want to be seen as taking sides in military conflicts.
@Tyrell_Archer said:
"This is a fantastic collection, but I do have a couple of issues...
>> This was kind of my point about wishlisting 'Which minifigs shoulda been here' after the set has been released.
>>>
Mary Jane Watson hasn't been seen in some time, and would have been a great addition to this set.
> Yes, she would. I was delighted with civilian Gwen, and did wonder why they couldn't have done the same with Morales (civvies) and MJP. But, Mary-Jane is not a fantastically interesting character, and it's incredibly easy to (a). Get her on the aftermarket or (b). MOC your own version - pretty much any Lego Batman Movie Batgirl (civilian) hairpiece (or the Friends theme hairpiece with ponytail if you want an exact match) and any random face (say, Phoebe from Friends [Ideas set 1]). With Punisher, Daredevil and Firestar, it's not so easy to MOC them, and all are integral to the set.
Robbie Robertson doesn't resemble the character's comic appearance at all - Robbie lacks facial hair and has greying hair, not black. The Ben Urich I know also lacks facial hair.
>>Can't disagree at all here, but Lego can't please everyone, and we all have different preferences. For me, 'Ben Urich' is a thin, white guy with a broken hand (as per Miller & Mazzuchelli's superlative Born Again arc) and for others, he's the black guy from Netflix or one of about 50 different comic iterations.
>>>>
Venom and Carnage have been terribly overused in recent years. Granted, some adult collectors will be picking them up for the first time here, but I'd have rather seen new or rare characters like Chameleon, Hobgoblin, Scorpion, or even Hydro-Man.
>>>>
They absolutely have, but we have seen a decent version of Scorpion before, and an excellent Hobgoblin. And, how would fans who couldn't afford this set feel if Lego included 10 new (or extensively) tweaked villains, say - Morbius, Demogoblin, Lasher, Man-Wolf, Lizard, Typhoid Mary, Boomerang, Phage and Anti-Venom - in addition to the heroes and civilians?
And who would they put in future sets after doing all this lot in one place?
I've got all the 'kids' sets (all but the mechs are abysmal), but even so, the only characters this set triples up on is 2021 Spider-Man and 2020 Spider-Ham, Carnage and Venom. That's pretty good when you look at the £300+ Mos Eisley D2C set, and pick up your 95th ANH Luke, Greedo, Solo, C3P0, R2-D2, Kenobi, Sand Troopers, Bith musicians etc. etc.)
I love the street level heroes that have been included here, though I wish there had been a place for Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones.
Overall, this is definitely a set that I'll want one day soon, it's just a little pricey for me right now. Birthdays and Christmas are coming!"
>>I know what you're saying (I guess it also helps that I already had all of the characters above except Jessica), but I don't think you'll feel let down with this.
My biggest concern is that Lego have set the bar too high: if next year sees another slew of Carnages, Doc Ocks, Venoms and Spider-Men - with cars, buggies, bikes, choppers and space shuttles and the usual nonsensical rubbish in their kids' sets, I don't think too many of us will be pleased with that!
@Your_Future_President said:
" @harveypumpkins said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"I got this set for the build and not for the figures—myself not being a Spider-Man fan. I’m trying to decide whether to sell them or keep them..."
You should sell them to me :)"
Sure!! My price is $300 :)"
On second thought, nevermind
Is Spider-Ham SH638 or is it different? If it has an exclusive head I would think it would be classified as a new minifig...
Love the minifigs in this set, particularly the old school Punisher look with white boots and gloves. Blade is fine, but I don't understand why he was included (versus say another Spider-man villain that gets no love like the classic Shocker, or Tarantula, or Jackal) as he has no strong connection with Spider-man. All the rest of the set are either arch-enemies or frequent supporting players.
The Doc Ock arms I found to be verrrry fragile. Which is unfortunate because I think he has the most potential for cool staging.
More than just about anything else, I want a classic, pointy hatted Electro so I can complete my Original Sinister Six.