Review: 76334 Epic Battle: Spider-Man vs. Sandman
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO sets were produced for Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 in the early-2000s, although the licence had moved on by the time Spider-Man 3 was released in 2007. However, the third film in Raimi's trilogy finally debuts in LEGO form with 76334 Epic Battle: Spider-Man vs. Sandman.
Though small, the set includes three appealing minifigures and Venom is particularly welcome, as fresh iterations of Spider-Man's symbiote nemesis are surprisingly scarce. Also, the vignette format offers definite potential and this is one of the first sets in a new series, titled the Epic Moment Collection.
Summary
76334 Epic Battle: Spider-Man vs. Sandman, 201 pieces.
£19.99 / $24.99 / €24.99 | 9.9p / 12.4c / 12.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
I think Sandman could be improved, but this is an excellent and affordable set
- Spider-Man 3 finally acknowledged in LEGO form!
- Scenery provides a dynamic display
- Appealing minifigures
- Sandman could be better, perhaps fully brick-built
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
This version of Spider-Man, based on Tobey Maguire's portrayal of the character, returns from 76261 Spider-Man Final Battle. It is nice to have this memorable design available in a cheaper set and with its dual-moulded legs intact, as well as the accurate metallic silver patterns on the torso and head. The reflective lenses are striking too.
Spider-Man arrives to the climax with his suit already damaged and perhaps that should have been reflected here. However, a clean suit is more versatile, so I think avoiding battle damage was the right decision in a smaller set. I wish Peter's head and hair element had been supplied though, given he spends much of the battle without his mask on.
Alternatively, a torn mask would have been great, but the minifigure only comes with a rubber web strand. While there are advantages to the string piece in some scenarios, the rubber web has a more sculptural quality, which I think works better for display-oriented sets.
The set may be named 'Epic Battle: Spider-Man vs. Sandman', but the true highlight is Venom! Although comic book Venom minifigures have appeared many times before, the character from Spider-Man 3 never has, so I am delighted to see him at last. The huge grin and distorted spider emblem look fantastic and the web patterns are accurate: a distinctive feature of Venom in the movie.
Metallic silver is arguably a strange colour choice here, unlike on Spider-Man. The webbing is subtler onscreen, although I expect a darker shade would probably have been lost against the black plastic on this minifigure, which is a potential issue silver avoids.
The minifigure comes with a selection of symbiote tendrils, including four you can attach to the bracket piece on the back. Venom's tendrils hardly appear in Spider-Man 3, so the accessories are not entirely necessary, but I suppose they do no harm. Still, I would rather Peter's unmasked head was included.
Sandman tends to be an awkward character to translate to LEGO figures and I am not sure a minifigure was the best choice to mirror his appearance in Spider-Man 3. The monstrous brick-built design from 76280 Spider-Man vs. Sandman: Final Battle is more accurate to the film and could be further improved by sacrificing some articulation.
Even so, this is not a bad minifigure. The sandy texture looks great and makes a change from earlier Sandman figures, which have normally seemed more human. Printed arms would have been helpful though, as the arms are noticeably plain beside the texture on the head, torso and legs.
The Completed Model
Fortunately, the Sandman minifigure stands on an impressive base, which makes him look far more imposing. The structure is quite similar to Sandman's base in 76178 Daily Bugle, though slightly simpler. There is still plenty of texture and the large hands are a nice addition, provided so the villain can grab Spider-Man. While the proportions are strange, Sandman can take any shape, including one with giant hands!
I think Sandman looks better still once placed on the vignette, as the dynamic scenery gives a sense of motion. Nevertheless, this is not how I would have approached the character as he is portrayed in Spider-Man 3. I think a statue, ideally with some degree of articulation, would have been most successful, although that may not be realistic in a set of this size.
Predictably, this model is substantially smaller than past vignettes, such as 76261 Spider-Man Final Battle. I like the sets' consistent style, however, with curved slopes forming the bases, so the vignettes would look reasonable if displayed together.
The model looks rather lacklustre without Sandman, unsurprisingly. After all, Sandman's brick-built base and hands make up one third of the total piece count and the scene is not complete without him. This gives a better view of the other details though, based on the construction site that collapses around the characters during their climactic battle.
A printed nameplate is clipped to the base and promises to be a feature found across the Epic Moment Collection, as 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. The Hulk includes a matching printed 1x6 tile. Otherwise, I like how the items around the base are angled, presumably being dragged in as Sandman emerges from the ground.
Three support elements form the bulk of the backdrop, with a couple of black webs and other elements added for detail. The location in the film is relatively nondescript and Venom's black webs are an important feature, keeping Mary Jane in harm's way, so I am glad they and a few more tendrils are included.
Whereas the larger Marvel vignettes have been fairly detailed on all sides, this model is clearly designed to be displayed from the front. The back lacks any detail by comparison, although the colours do remain consistent, at least. Regardless, I have no problem with focusing attention on one side of the vignette, considering its size and price.
Overall
Spider-Man 3 is generally considered the weakest movie in Sam Raimi's trilogy, but it certainly deserves acknowledgement in LEGO form and 76334 Epic Battle: Spider-Man vs. Sandman is an excellent start. Though the vignette is small, it comes alive with the minifigures attached and there are plenty of options for display, with connection points just about everywhere!
Part of me wishes the set was bigger, so it could include Harry Osborn and Mary Jane, as well as more of the environment. On the other hand, keeping the price low has advantages too and £19.99, $24.99 or €24.99 feels reasonable to me, especially with the desirable minifigures. I am satisfied with the set as a whole, despite the omission of certain details from this scene.
79 likes
24 comments on this article
We need more destruction sets!
This is one of the best $25 Super Heroes sets ever, IMO. I love the minifigures and the build is a great size, big enough to be an impactful display but still reasonably priced for kids. I wish Venom had some leg printing but it's already a win to see dual molded legs AND a new set of printed legs in a Marvel set!
I grew up with the Toby Maguire Spiderman trilogy, so nostalgic really hits with this set. It will go nicely with 76321. Hopefully they continue with sets from those films.
I really like this set. $25 feels like a great value for me with three really cool minifigs and a substantial build. I like this new vignette series, and I look forward to seeing what other scenes they recreate.
Definitely planning on buying this; at the top of my list for 2026 sets.
I think it’s a brilliant return to form for Marvel; a cheap non-Mech set with exclusive characters done well. It reminds me of 76076-1 and 76077 in the best ways (albeit a bit more bland since it’s movie-based with a display stand instead of comic-y)
When I first saw the name of the set, I was hoping it would be black suit Spider-Man vs. Sandman in the sewer. This is pretty cool too, though. Hopefully we will get more, including one with Green Goblin!
This set is probably better than the source material. Also fairly decently priced!
I like that sandman is a mini-figure precisely because we already got 76280, another brick build figure would have been a waste. Printed arms would have been great though.
I am no Superhero fan by any means, but even I really like those figs, especially Spidey.
The problem is - its designed as a display set, not a playset.
I think it's reasonably priced and the figs are top notch. The environment is done well, too. Side note, never seen that large A-frame part before.
Looks pretty decent, and not badly priced.
How straightforward would it be to remove the circular black base and have it displayed with the dark tan and dark bley layer as the base?
>Spider-Man 3 is generally considered the weakest movie in Sam Raimi's trilogy
I'm gonna put some dirt in your eye
I am SO tired of display pieces.
Honestly even a bigfig might have been a better choice to depict Sandman as he is in this scene. The giant form he takes has a similar sort of proportions and posing to bigfigs if I’m remembering rightly
@lordofdragonss said:
"I am SO tired of display pieces."
So buy a play set, there are plenty.
@CCC said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"I am SO tired of display pieces."
So buy a play set, there are plenty. "
Every display-set is a play-set if you're courageous enough. Swoosh that Titanic, son.
@Crux said:
" @CCC said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"I am SO tired of display pieces."
So buy a play set, there are plenty. "
Every display-set is a play-set if you're courageous enough. Swoosh that Titanic, son."
Just like every set is an army-builder if you have the right attitude... and enough money.
@CCC said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"I am SO tired of display pieces."
So buy a play set, there are plenty. "
I dont see any playsets from this scene available...
The comparison should really be just with 76280 rather than when combined with the 900 piece 76261, which are both sadly ending at the end of the month and sold out on Lego.com.
Geez for $25 that’s a steal!
Still should’ve given Cain Marko a proper hairpiece which could also be used for Captain Marvel/Shazam and Norman Osborn. Guess LEGO doesn’t like wavy hair.
@MutoidMan said:
"Geez for $25 that’s a steal!
Still should’ve given Cain Marko a proper hairpiece which could also be used for Captain Marvel/Shazam and Norman Osborn. Guess LEGO doesn’t like wavy hair."
I would pay handsomely for a set featuring Cain Marko.
Unfortunately, it's Flint Marko who keeps popping up. It could be worse - it could've been Man-Mountain Marko.
Quick Lore: amazingly and spectacularly, none of these Markos are related.
Got my Markos mixed-up!
Cain Marko is the Juggernaut (would love to see a Juggernaut bigfig), Flint Marko is the Sandman, and Man Mountain Marko is a deep cut.
LEGO still needs a proper hairpiece for that type of wavy hair, as the characters don’t look correct without it.