City magazine now in newsagents
Posted by Huw,
The latest LEGO magazine for kids, LEGO City, can now be found in UK newsagents and supermarkets.
It's published by Immediate Media and costs £3.75. The first issue comes complete with two minifigs in its cover-mounted foil pack making it good value, particularly as they are 2017 figures and the policeman is unique to this set. You'll find a photo of them after the break.
The next issue comes with a construction worker and tools.
I thought it would be worthwhile researching and summarising the kids magazines that are currently available and their publishing frequency, for my benefit as much as anything.
As far as I can tell, from News Stand and Unique Magazines:
Monthly:
- Nexo Knights (Immediate Media), pcurrent issue 13.
- Friends (Immediate Media), current issue 34.
- Ninjago (Immediate Media), current issue 22.
- Star Wars (Egmont Publishing), current issue 21.
Less frequently:
- The LEGO Batman Movie (Immediate Media), believed to be a run of just two issues, issue 2 is available in some European countries already but is not due in the UK until the end of April.
- City (Immediate Media), next issue is published 5th July which suggests there'll be 3 issues a year.
Discontinued:
- Elves (Immediate Media), status not known. Last issue, number 4, was published in August 2016.
- Bionicle, discontinued last year after 2 issues
- Legends of Chima, discontinued in 2015 after 23 issues.
The two sites linked to above offer subscriptions and worldwide shipping.
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31 comments on this article
You could mention that 2 issues of Bionicle magazine where also published before it finished last year. I'm not aware of any other similar magazines of this type.
Too bad they don't sell these in the US.
I really wish that we could get this in the USA. A good friend sent me the Batman issue and it was terrific.
^^^ I didn't add the known discontinued ones but I've now done so for completeness.
Those are so cool - I wish they were available in the US too! The websites above will ship to the US, but it ends up being about $100/year for a subscription which is pretty ridiculous. My daughter would love this - Target or TrU or somebody should pick them up!
Thats not a bad starter and price, getting 2 minifigs free with one being unique aswell. I see the crook is from the bulldozer break-in.
Strange theres not a US version for you guys over the pond.
Looks like I'll be heading to Tesco later!
^^ I didn't say it would be cheap :)
The Star Wars one sometimes has some really nice sets, though seems to have just settled down to a run of original but uninteresting minifigures lately. The Friends one is a bit hit-and-miss but occasionally does double-mounts (usually to get rid of old surplus) which can be very good value if you get something like a crab, dolphin or foal with it. The Star Wars one has done double sets before, but they typically raise the price. The Ninjago one has a lot of figures, which kids probably adore, but aren't of much interest for parts.
What I liked most about the recent one-off LEGO Batman one was the talking display stand that the comics were stacked in.
I got the Star Wars one a few months ago for that adorable little acklay they did. Can't say the magazine was of any interest to an adult but the build was fun.
I can't even look at the cover of that magazine.
"Special Edition" "Epic" "Limited Edition" "NEW!" "New Toys" "Amazing Lego" "Awesome Gifts" "Limited Edition" "Limited Edition" "Sick Posters" "Wicked Comic"
It's Lego City, and the figs are a Cop and Robber. Doesn't seem to special to me, more like average...
You'd think Lego would at least sell these at their brand stores and maybe on their Shop @Home site in the US. The subscription price to have shipped here is just crazy, but I'd love to be able to pick these up for 5.00 or less. I really wanted that SW Acklay build!
the minifigure is not unique in Holland. There was another Lego book that had the police minifigure.
Do kids in the City market's age range really use "sick"? Ugh.
@cupishalfempty haha yes they do seem to have gone totally overboard with their buzz-words! :)
How widely are these various lego magazines circulated in Europe? Are they only available in UK or are they available in other European countries as well?
They are also available in Germany and Poland, I don't know where else.
@Huw: I know that at least some of them are available in France and Italy.
@huw in Norway we get Friends, Nexo, Ninjago and Star Wars magazines- mainly bi-monthly, from Egmont. They also did one(+?) issue Batman Movie.
And the police fig is the same as the book mounted one for "LEGO CITY: Freeze! Police!" isn't it? Like piterjee mentioned but UK as well. Really churning out those small books now...
Am I the only one who couldn't find the "epic prizes" mentioned on the front cover?
All of them are also available in Spain, and I think in Portugal and France too.
Can be brought from https://magsdirect.co.uk/magazine/new-lego-special-series-city to
"Captain Ember" is that a policeman with a... name?
Sick! Wicked! Epic! Awesome!
Nice that you get two minifigs, but you're probably better off getting the 60135 ATV Arrest set instead for nearly or just as much (depending on local prices).
As a person who grew up reading many of the DC Thomson and IPC girls comics (Mandy, Tammy, Nikki, Bunty, Girl, Princess, Dreamer etc etc) and on the odd occasion The Beano and The Dandy too I have to say that modern children's comics are... how can I put this politely... PANTS!! They are all about what plastic toy is on the front not about the comic. I have had many an argument with my 8 year old over the over priced nonsense she wants to buy. There is barely anything inside the comics to actually read. I would rather that Lego produced a decent comic /magazine that has a mix of stories, reviews, how to build ideas etc rather than selling a small toy with a barely anything to it comic attached - which is pretty much what all modern comics are. The toys aren't 'free gifts' the price incorporates them which is why these comics cost £4 or £5 or sometimes more! I would rather have a decent comic which could have genuine 'free gifts' say 4 times a year.
Rant over.
PS Bring back Bunty!!! (nothing to do with Lego but I'm on a role!)
And why can't the little sets just be sold on their own instead. I would more likely say 'OK' to the "please mummy can I have one" if they were sold on their own. CMF are huge for impulse keep the kids happy moments - if these little sets were sold for say £2.50 I would probably buy loads!
Blocks Junior?
Then again they are called 'magazines' rather than 'comics' which I suppose is two different things!
Blue Ocean Entertainment, a German website, has details for issue 5 of the Elves magazine. According to that site it's not due out until July.
Who the heck uses the term "wicked" anymore? So cringey.
@Bananas: Actually, on another part of their site (http://www.blue-ocean-ag.de/node/1663), they show that issue 5 is already out as of March 21st and issue 6 is the one coming on July 18th. The British editions may take longer to come out, though.
Here's a link to the page with the cover, model, and preview pages for Issue 5: http://lego-elves.blue-ocean.de/ The model is a juice bar with Mr. Spry the squirrel, matching the style of http://brickset.com/sets/41182-1.