Review: 76052 Batcave, part 2
Posted by LostInTranslation,
bHello again Bat-fanatics! So far, we have seen:
- an elegant study, where a desperate call for help is received;
- a rapid slide down the rocky shaft housing the Bat-poles;
- a subterranean hideout featuring the latest standard of high-tech gadgetry;
- an enormous atomic reactor; and
- two cat-astrophic trespassers in the grounds of Wayne Manor.
But, unbelievably, the worst/best is yet to come!
We left our heroes dashing to the Batmobile, that iconic open-top car so often seen zooming around Gotham in hot pursuit of the city’s many masked mischief-makers. The classy red and black colour scheme may not be subtle but seeing this vehicle, emblazoned with the Bat logo on the side panels and even on the hub caps, patrolling the streets puts citizens’ minds at rest and strikes fear into the heart of would-be miscreants.
"Atomic batteries to power... Turbines to speed!"
The Batmobile is practical too, with a Batphone connection to Commissioner Gordon, a handy Emergency Bat-Turn Lever and plenty of trunk space for spare Batarangs, Bat-ropes and possibly even a Batzooka? At the moment, it does seem to be lacking a licence plate though.
The Batmobile emerges from the Batcave via a secret exit in the rocky terrain at a safe distance from Wayne Manor itself. Usually, this exit is cleverly concealed with a covering of branches and brush but Bruce must have had the tree surgeon round when this picture was taken, as there is no actual door or camouflage evident, let alone the retractable section of safety fence or the customary sign indicating that Gotham City is 14 miles away.
This exit area also forms the landing pad for the Bat-copter, decorated with a giant bat symbol formed of two stickers. The bright-red helicopter is very basic but again is strongly bat-themed with a printed canopy and bat wings.
So whilst the Dynamic Duo rush to see Commissioner Gordon for an update on the four escaped criminals, those very same villains have managed to sneak their way into Wayne Manor and are holding poor Alfred hostage in the Batcave!
In case you’re not familiar with these dastardly delinquents, here are some mugshots and case file notes. First up is The Penguin, aka Burgess Meredith. He’s a very dapper gent, especially when wearing his new lilac top hat as seen here, but do not be deceived – this bird-brained individual is armed with an umbrella and extremely dangerous.
Next up is Catwoman, who has almost as many identities as she does lives! In this case, she seems to be in her Julie Newmar persona. She is never seen without her whip, cat ears and slinky black catsuit.
The Riddler (Frank Gorshin) is a criminal mastermind with a tortuous turn of phrase who is fond of leaving cryptic clues behind at crime scenes.
Last but not least, the Clown Prince of Crime: The Joker (aka Cesar Romero)! Flamboyant and always game for a laugh, this colourful character may look like a figure of fun with his pink suit and lime green hair but he can be deadly serious too!
Luckily, Alfred has managed to surreptitiously activate his emergency panic button and alert Batman and Robin to his predicament, so in burst the caped crusaders to set about despatching the kidnappers and rescuing their faithful retainer.
So Batman and Robin have saved the day again. The criminals’ evil plot has been foiled, they will be heading back up the river, and Alfred is safe and sound. I think Aunt Harriet must be somewhere else in the sprawl of stately Wayne Manor whipping up a delicious well-earned snack for Dick and Bruce…
--
Well, that’s the end of my little story, but not of my overall review. I’m sure you can tell I had a lot of fun assembling this set and writing this article whilst watching a DVD boxset of the Batman series that this set is inspired by (full disclosure: so far I’ve only managed as far as the end of season 1, but I’m loving it). But what are my more serious thoughts on the set?
Firstly, I don’t think anyone can deny the outstanding quality of the minifigures. All bar The Penguin have double-sided heads, and the designs of the outfits are extremely accurate to those from the show, as is to be expected really when the source material is so abundant and readily available for the graphic designers to refer to.
The faces of Bruce and Dick are perhaps not immediately identifiable but I think it is always a very tricky task to represent an ordinary non-costumed real-life person in minifigure form. Possibly the most disappointing aspect regarding the minifigures is those not included.
I think the choice of villains is excellent, all the most iconic ones are present and Mr Freeze will soon be available in polybag form, which I can totally understand as a marketing tool, but no Batgirl? (I suppose she was only in season 3.) No Aunt Harriet? No Commissioner Gordon or Chief O’Hara? The latter two I think are probably the biggest omission, and a small vignette featuring the Commissioner’s office would have been a nice extra mini build, though arguably this is easy to MOC yourself.
On to the Batmobile then, another key aspect of the set both for nostalgic collectors and as a play feature. I think overall the Batmobile is a fair approximation of the classic car portrayed on screen. It comfortably seats Batman and Robin, has the right general shape and includes several nice details, such as the opening trunk (though this is not the same shape), Batphone, bat logo on hubcaps. But there are some missing features too: I’ve already mentioned the lack of licence plate.
There are no actual opening doors, merely 1x4 panel elements. Yes, Batman and Robin mostly do leap out of the car without opening the doors, but I would prefer to have the option. The 2x2 trans clear slopes used as the individual windshields are probably the best solution possible to achieve the bubble shape at this scale so I will put up with them.
There are only two exhausts on the rear of the car too, rather than the three seen in the show. Lastly, the red accents are well integrated into the model in general but it is clear that these are lacking when the car is viewed front-on.
As to the rest of the model, the substance of the set, I found it a really interesting and unusual build. Rather than the linear process of starting with a plate and building up (which is however the case for the study vignette), the exit area and the Bat -poles shaft are constructed around a SNOT-based frame that is then greebled with a variety of slopes and plates.
I really like the organic rocky shapes created in this way. When moccing I find it hard to achieve this kind of look and I will definitely be trying to copy this method in future projects. The walls around the reactor are also very well done in my opinion, as the much-hated BURPs are blended with smaller bricks to create a solid and seamless finish. The rocky beam across the back is again a nice example of SNOT techniques, though you do have to be careful when moving this section around as it is a bit fragile.
The reactor itself is a great representation with some interesting parts (the printed tiles may not be anything new but they are spot-on here). The four round pillars I found a bit wobbly but I think that’s my fault for not pushing the Technic rod far enough inside the column. The various bits of equipment and furniture in the Batcave are for me excellent touches that add to the atmosphere of the cave area, though I was sad not to see the giant map of Gotham.
The helipad/exit area could definitely have benefitted from more greebling and foliage as I mentioned, as it is quite bare. I was super-chuffed with myself for applying the stickers on top in a good alignment – it did take a couple of goes but they could be repositioned fairly easily. I know that the sheer number of stickers is a big turn-off for many of you, but I do believe they add vital detail to all the bits and pieces.
The study is undoubtedly the highlight of the set. The details are excellent. The printed “wallpaper” is completely accurate to the TV show and I can see these parts being very sought-after for MOC details. The sliding bookcase function works well, the desk has the essential Batphone and Shakespeare bust though to me, based on what I have seen on the show, I feel like it should be reddish brown rather than tan, and I am not sure what the rationale was for this colour choice.
The biggest problem area for me is the Bat-pole shaft section. The dark-orange and tan exterior is a fitting colour scheme and design and it’s a novel building experience to basically just cover two 16x16 plates with small tiles and plates. But the fact that the long threaded Batpoles don’t connect to the ones behind the bookcase bothers me.
There are a couple of ledges included in this shaft so I presume you can position Batman and Robin there so they can slide down when Bruce and Dick disappear into the secret cavity but this is not a fluid play feature and I don’t think its properly conveyed in the instructions how this works. With this feature not really working well in my opinion, the large height of this section then becomes a bit redundant. I’d prefer a shorter pole and costume change feature (they managed it in 6860 didn’t they?), which would then mean less façade but more bricks that could be dedicated to other areas of the set.
Perhaps making the three main sections more connected to one another? As it is, there are pins for seemingly connecting them together but again, unless I am missing something, these don’t actually work properly as they are of the round/cross variety and the cross head doesn’t fit securely into the holes of the Technic bricks. Holy perplexing connection issues!
This is a really tricky set to sum up. I love it, despite its faults. The minifigures I believe to be perfect, one and all. The study is wonderful, and there are lots of nods to the details of the show. The atomic reactor is a great centrepiece and is beautifully framed by the tan walls.
The Batmobile is close enough to the real one that I’m happy with it. I’m sure I will be re-enacting scenes from the show and adding extra little builds to the set. All in all though, is this worth its steep asking price? That’s for each individual to decide based on their own circumstances and purchasing power.
As I’ve mentioned, there are some things that I think could be included to really boost the perceived value – Lego have definitely missed a trick by not making some fight scene captions (I know my own attempts are very amateurish!). I think I would find it difficult to justify paying full price for this – I probably would save up some VIPs and buy it (I may end up getting a second to bulk it out!) – but there is no doubt that this set is a must-buy for me, by hook or by crook, as it is just so much fun. Bat-tastic!
The set is available to VIPs now from shop.LEGO.com:
USA | UK | Canada | Germany | France.
Thanks to LEGO for sending the set for review. I know it's obvious but I'm obliged to tell you that this review is an expression of my views and opinions.
JANGBRiCKS' Video Review
51 likes
69 comments on this article
So what happened to Catwoman and the Penguin?
I have been (im)patiently waiting all morning for this review and it was well worth the wait. Thanks Lucy... Will I be getting the set... Yes but not until Mr Freeze is available in his polybag.
This was a great review! Very enjoyable. Still not completely sold on the set, but it's not as bad as I first thought...
Lack of foliage is kind of annoying, but there is nothing here that has made me not want to buy it.
To little content for way to much money. And it seems unfinished with all the technic pieces visible.
You're clearly a fan of the show, and it shines through the review. Great job.
I've got a hoard of VIP points, and was saving them for Ghostbusters HQ... but that plan may be right out the window for this set.
Great work! I wish this set was a must-buy but there are too many niggling things about it for me to pay the asking price.
Thanks for the review. I actually thought Alfred was Commissioner Gordon.
not buying it. i wouldn't know what to make of the display actually. a room that hangs up in the air. lol. lots of dark tanned bits hanging here and there. i like the vehicles and the minifigs though. wish they are sold separately.
Thanks for the review Lucy.
Great storytelling, thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Set is ordered and hope to be building by next weekend!
As cool as that Catwoman minifig is, I really wish they had gone with Eartha Kitt.
No set for me. If it was ONE set, not a collection of locations much like the Hoth disaster, I might have bought it. Such as it is, only the bat mobile and the helicopter appeal to me.
Get review! Loving that alt face on the Joker - absolutely perfect. And TeaWeevil.... Julie Newmar is by FAR the hottest Catwoman ever so I for one am glad we get her.
Great review. Great set. Great minifigs. But not a great price :-( It's up there on my Want list but there are a number of other sets I "need" first.
I want to get it, but I think at the end of the day without ever seeing it in a store, I'll never be motivated enough at the price point to click the buy it button.
Fun and entertaining review!...both part I & II
Eh, a pass for me. Not worth the price.
Great review of a meh set. It's very similar to Assault on Hoth, but with the virtue of not being a remake/super pack and having all unique and fantastic minifigures. I can't justify $270 on this set.
Nice review. So many missed opportunities in this set, especially the lack of a suitably detailed exit for the car to go through and the poorly implemented pole function. The part I would have liked most would have been the lazy susan for the batmobile to rotate on. Love your own captions. If Lego did think of it but rejected the idea it might of been because it places too much emphasis on violence (even if it is camp OTT comic book pantomime violence).
P.S.
Great review, though and I very much like the handmade sound bubbles. :)
These haven't been 'reviews'...simply a kid telling a story completely in the style of the tv series? I take it she watched a few bits of the original show and asked her Father to tell her all the actors names and literally regurgitated them onto a laptop...? Gimmie a break...no offence Huw, but just because shes your Daughter she doesn't deserve to be lauded with praise for some photos and copying the narration of the original tv series...I'd be amazed IF she's even seen Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar, Burgess Meredith or Casare Romero in ANY other film or tv show prior to your getting the set and telling her all about it....or, *coughs* did Google / Wikipedia play a big part in it all??? I'd rather speak my mind than be a sycophantic pedant kissing posterior for posteriors sake...and the same goes for the WHOLE so - called 'review here, parts 1 AND 2...
Excellent review, Lucy! (Wonderful incuding your sound bubbles!) I love the Joker's expressions--excellent minifigs! The Manor's study is so detailed, and the Batmobile is awesome. I have set 6860, and the best feature is the transformation of Bruce to Bats. Surely LEGO could've adapted this function to this Batcave set? The two big problems I have with this set is the lack of cohesiveness between all the builds and the very high price. Too expensive for a lot of fans. That's an undeniable shame.
A thoroughly enjoyable review Lucy. Like most I'd like to buy it, but the financial side of it is a real off putter. Great stuff all the same.
What's happening with LEGO? First Hoth, now this! Two Frankenstein monsters! They need to bring back the baseplates immediately!!!
(I don't think this set is as bad as Hoth is, but I really wish to see new sets that are actually cohesive).
@sf1378 - Though Huw does have a couple of daughters, LostInTranslation isn't one of them.
Probably best to get one's facts right before speaking one's mind...
Thanks to all who enjoyed my review. I appreciate it's a different style and not necessarily to everyone's taste but I felt this set really lent itself to a fun treatment.
@sf1378 you're of course completely entitled to dislike my style but there are just a couple of your points I'd like to address if I may :-)
First off, Huw's not my dad. Not related in any way. I think you're getting confused with his daughter becoming the social media manager.
And I don't think I can be classified as a kid, having already passed into my thirties!
You're right, I haven't ever seen those actors in anything else. Is that relevant to my ability to review this set though?
As I said, I consciously chose to echo the show's narration style, so the initial sections were less detailed but I hope I made up for that with the conclusion. I researched the show by watching the boxset, I don't think Google or Wikipedia ever came in to my writing process.
The photography aspect is one area I know I can improve on. Words come easily to me; pictures not so much. I am still working on getting the lighting right in particular and I appreciate that my quality is not yet at the standard of other reviewers, especially when trying to photograph large sections rather than close-ups. But I am making every effort and hope that I can continue to make progress in this area.
Anyway, thanks for your opinion. Both positive and negative feedback is useful to me and I certainly don't expect to please everyone all the time, especially when I choose a less linear review style!
@sf1378, your comment is totally out of order. Please apologise to Lucy now you are in full possession of the facts.
For the record, I've not seen the show since the '70s and my daughter, Alice, hasn't even heard of it.
Whilst I still think it's a poor set, I found Lucy's review excellent in almost every way.
@sf1378 your attitude is typical of the negative and snobbish pomposity which is thankfully rare, but still present in this wonderful hobby.
No you're not a sycophant you're something far worse...
I chose this over Assault on Hoth - mainly because of the minifigs.
@LostInTranslation - Great to read such an entertaining review, and even better to read your excellent response to SF1378. Given this review (and any review on this site) is the opinion of the reviewer, I'm really not sure why people feel the need to criticise. Perhaps turning comments off on reviews is not a silly idea given they are opinion pieces?
Speaking of style over substance - I wonder if SF1378 rides a motorbike to match that jacket he's photographed himself in on his Flickr site? I mean, surely HE wouldn't dare to wear such a thing without owning/riding a Ducati, BSA, Triumph or Norton would he.....
Oh, and LostInTranslation - your photos are fine. SF1378 is one of five people to have Flickr faved the Alfred hostage one, so can't be all that bad.
@sf1378 I agree with others that your comment is totally out of order. What entitles you to be so rude? You could have voiced your opinion without being so insulting! I'm absolutely disgusted. This is a 'free' website and the creators are entitled to review how they like. I love how Lucy has broken away from the traditional review template. You will certainly be able to find plenty of other reviews that you can read that follow the 'normal' format.
Also, I think it's pretty upsetting that you would chose to speak to someone in this way when you thought Lucy was Huws daughter.
I don't think that you need to know the intimate details of the show to be able to review this set.
Keep up the good work Lucy and Brickset!
Seeing this review has made me really consider buying this set but it's not an immediate purchase for me I'm afraid! I may never get it, it just depends what else attracts my money.
@sf1378: So, because she is a woman who you presume to be young, then she cannot have any knowledge whatsoever of classic TV shows or actors... Right... Anyway, if you didn't like this review (for the record, I did like it), there are other reviews out there for this set, so there's no need to get upset.
Great review but no one seems to want to address the fact that lego just made that helipad up!
Great review, Lucy. Really enjoyable read. Both parts. Please don't let the occasional bone-headed comment dishearten you.
For me this price is severely over inflated - 50 pound more gets you the ghostbusters fire house with considerably more pieces. Thankfully the wife got me that. If this was more like 150 I might consider.... and as I'm only 44 I can barely remember all the characters anyway :O)
@(almost)everyone
Thanks to those who stood up and expressed a negative response to sf1378 ... this kind of useless trolling has been starting to erode my interest in both the community and the hobby itself. It's nice to see a few people put similar sentiments to "voice".
@LostInTranslation
Please don't take the negativity too much to heart. Your review was well put-together, creative, and you clearly pointed out issues as well as the "good" found throughout the set. Keep up the great work, and I thought your photos were really helpful for showing me more details. I might not end up buying the set (I'm honestly torn right now), but at least your review has given me more details to work with.
I must applaud this review style, Lucy. I rarely stay interested in reviews of sets I don't plan to buy for more than a few paragraphs- this one kept me reading most of the way through (only losing me at the large block of text). I particularly loved the accurate actions shots!
Good, fun review. Thank you very much for all your efforts. I won't be buying this set because of cost to value ratio IMO. However I now feel the urge to get my hands on the DVD box set since its been years since I've watched the Batman TV series.
Terrible crap from sf1378.
Great review. Really enjoyable and in the spirit of the set. Really - a person needn't know ANYTHING about the show to review this set. Nor does it matter if an individual is intimately familiar with the source or has only recently discovered it on the amazing (and long-awaited) DVD release. I myself watched it as a kid in the 80s on repeats, long past its original airing. And who cares? Is the LEGO set good or not?
Importantly @LostInTranslation, your review has probably swayed me to not buying it. I adore the minifigures, particularly Batman and Catwoman. Lots of great little details. The study is nice. But it doesn't seem to be a good display piece, and in that respect, if I have to choose, Ghostbusters HQ is more appealing on that level.
That Batmobile though. =)
Thanks all for the supportive comments. I can take my share of criticism but it's nice to hear the positive remarks too, even if some of you don't plan on buying the set.
As someone who has reviewed hundreds of sets in the past, and who has slowly begun to formulate a better strategy in his review writing I can empathize with having a desire to change up the constant droning on of the exact same dry facts and figures when discussing sets over and over again. Having fun with your reviewing style is just as important as delivering a good, detailed review.
I feel of late I'm not nearly critical enough in some of my reviews, and I haven't posted many in a while, but the fact that it can get difficult to do this for a 'living' can definitely be appreciated. Kudos LoT for your bold decision in this review, it was fun and quite frankly just as informative as it needed to be.
Considering the price of this horribly received set I would be a fool to say that I'm going out immediately to buy it, for one thing I can only afford so much in a year and the Canadian buying power right now is terrible, the price is also a huge deterrent for something that takes up a lot of needless space and lack a decent cohesive build in my opinion. Fortunately the space is nowhere near as bad as Assault on Hoth looks, so it is on my wants list still, just not sure when I'll ever be able to afford it. Especially since Firehouse Headquarters has much more draw for me at this time.
This was a great review, thanks a lot for your insightful input into the set. And I certainly do not approve of certain sentiments expressed by individuals in this comment thread. You definitely do not deserve that type of negativity. It is interesting to note that all of these Minifigures appear to capture the general appearance of their LEGO Batman 3 digital counterparts quite nicely. However, in a set this large, I am deeply disappointed that we have not yet gotten a good closed umbrella accessory piece for the Penguin. It is something sorely lacking at this point in the DC Career and would have many uses outside of just giving Pengy his umbrella for when he wants to use it as a cane/gun/whacking stick.
@LostInTranslation
I've been around the site a little while, but rarely have I been an active poster. Just wanted to say this was a great review, as I posted yesterday. It's really made me reconsider getting this set and excited about it. I really liked the style in which you presented your review! It gave me a much better look at the set, while being an entertaining read. Keep up the good work and I look forward to more reviews from you in the future! Constructive criticism is fine but don't listen to the haters!
Great review--I enjoyed the storytelling element as much as the analysis of the build and minifigs, although I also was disappointed to learn that the visual "sound effects" were not part of the set. For a moment there it really added to my evaluation of the set's value for money!
Like several other commentators I'm hesitating between the GBHQ and this set for one slot on my "must buy" list, and although this review certainly makes the Batcave look more desireable it still seems overpriced--which the GBHQ, despite its higher pricetag--does not.
LIT, I certainly hope you won't let one gratuitously unpleasant comment destroy your pleasure in having written this delightfully amusing as well as informative review.
I love an original review and enjoyed reading this greatly! Like @odeinochus said, nice to see a different take.
Shocked at the comment of sf1873 - even if you don't like a writing style or a set, there is no need to be rude!
I'm still in the fence about the set, it does look unfinished, but I did really enjoy the write-up and pictures.
I have to say this review does (through tone and actually a taking a closer look) make the set seem more appealing than it did from initial pictures on the Lego site. Unfortunately though it's still unjustifiable for me to buy the set at its RRP, maybe for the content but if for no other reason than the fact that Batman for me means the hard edged character of the Tim Burton or Chris Nolan films. I'm not the target audience for this set, but having a very loose knowledge of 70s Batman it definitely represents well! Shame it doesn't come with the rollover comic onomatopoeia as used in the review.
@SF1378
That was not a criticism of the review, that was a personal attack against Lucy. Such trollish behavior against reviewers or posters is totally unwarranted and unwelcome.
@Huw
I'd suggest a ban is in order if SF1378 can't muster an apology.
@LostInTranslation
I liked the review style! Fitting for the subject matter. It's also appreciated that you researched which actors the characters are based and passed that information on to your readers - indicative of a pro reviewer. The only criticism I have for this review is that you neglected to discuss the bat-cycle build and excluded close-up pics of it.
This review was perfect. I was similarly bummed out about the lack of labelled batcave equipment like the lucite map
I wasn't a huge fan of the review, as it was a lot of text and not quite as substantive, especially in terms of photography, as some of the other Brickset reviews. That being said, I understand the difficulty of Lego photography and the photos are more than adequate. Not to mention JangBrick's more visual review is directly linked.
sf1378's comment is some of the most spiteful vitriol I've seen on a Lego fansite and it's absolutely deplorable. Of course it's incredibly unfair to Lucy . . . But I also find his comments about Huw and Huw's daughter to be entirely unacceptable.
Besides: The show ended almost 50 years ago . . . How many people are there out there that know the show well, can write so excellently, and are big enough Lego fans to lay down $250 USD on a set?
@LostInTranslation: Lucy, very profuse apologies for my earlier comments. I'm sorry if I upset you in any way, shape or form. Thank you for your gracious response too :)
@Huw, apologies also for my comments. I suggest my incendiary comment from earlier be deleted by the Moderators to prevent any further chagrin and displeasure to the further enjoyment of Brickset. I made an extremely ill-judged response that has ruined things for other members of the site and accept my behaviour was wrong. :)
I certainly do NOT want any form of (negative) attention given to me in the light of my earlier comments as I don't crave (negative) attention as that would be both perverse and ill conceived. It would further reflect badly on me if I did. I've been a long standing member of Brickset and up until now never been a 'trouble maker' and I certainly don't intend to be seen as one so I hope both Lucy and Huw accept my apologies.
I also wanted to apologise to the other Brickset users who have read this review and felt I had ruined their enjoyment of both the review, the review system and their user experience of the site in general. I fall on the proverbial sword of Damocles for that and accept full responsibility for that instance.
I hope everyone reads this profuse, heartfelt and sincere apology to both Lucy, Huw and the users in general. I hope that a line is drawn over this terrible incident rather than keep commenting negatively further on the matter; I am extremely saddened that I have been responsible for this mess and once again I can only offer my apologies to one and all.
In closing, and in response to any anger I feel its best if I simply thank you for your comments one and all and like Lucy, I shall accept it all as a form of constructive criticism, after all, if one can dish it out, one should most certainly, and graciously accept it without hesitation.
I hope this has drawn a close to the matter and that other members will now simply focus on the set and the review Lucy kindly took the time, trouble and effort to make rather than the ill-conceived gripes of one lone individual. Afterall, its Lego and we ALL love Lego! :)
Yours sincerely, SF1378 :)
@LostInTranslation
Would you recommend this set for someone who wants it for play features and not display??? I'm having a hard time deciding between this or Assualt on Hoth UCS(for my Hoth MOC).
Great review by the way!! I loved the way you styled this review. It makes me want to watch the classic Batman TV Series all over again! :D This is the best review I've seen for any set!!
I definitely enjoyed the review as well.
But I'm sorry to say, there's nothing here that makes me actually want the set. The figures are gorgeous (I love how they've even kept Cesar Romero's painted-over moustache on the minifig. That's very clever), and I do love the Batmobile, but the wider set just looks horrible. It doesn't shout, "set" to me, it shouts "a whole bunch of random things just thrown together". And I'm really not keen on that dark tan. I'm sure it'll sell like hotcakes, but, pass from me.
Figures and batmobile look great. But do they justify that price?
It does seem pricy, but hopefully it won't feel too remorseful after I get it. If only lego would allow discounted exclusives...
Where did you get the colored letters? Those were great!
I did love the review. There's plenty of other sources to get different details, but I really liked what was experimented with here. People shouldn't complain just because it doesn't fall exactly within their pattern of what's expected! Embrace a bit of creativity, just like one should with building LEGO :)
Thanks LostInTranslation!
Nice review.
I am not a bat-fan-atic or anything alike but I can certainly appreciate the mental effort that went in this set. I understand that some people are not satisfied because the pieces do not stick together but I think that kids would digress. In my childhood I have ALWAYS been integrating LEGO into environment, be it a blanket, wardrobe or anything else. I can easily see how I would set the Hoth-not-an-UCS-thing on my parents bed (white linen make for excellent snow after all) and I am quite sure I would find fine ways to play with this set, too. Luce has obviously picked the substantial errors, like the pole being not connected.
Now a 40 year old AFOL, I was a huge fan of the tv series as a kid, and used to watch the movie over and over. I thought Lucy got this review absolutely spot on for the likes of myself - a big fan of the original show, and a big fan of Lego. It was a fun and entertaining read that captured the spirit of the original show and got me excited about the set. When I saw the finished model in the window of my local Lego store, my mind was made up, and I'm now looking forward to getting stuck into the build. Thanks again Lucy.
Thanks for the apology sf1378. I too hope we can now draw a line under this and move on :-)
I'm sorry to those of you who thought the fight captions were part of the set! I really do think it would have been cool of LEGO to include some. I used the coloured letter tiles that came with a LEGO notebook but annoyingly you don't get a full alphabet in each colour, only certain letters in each of red, yellow and green, hence my multicolour design!
It'd be cool to see what other caption designs Brickset members could come up with. Maybe you guys could have a go at making some and posting them to our social media and Flickr pages?
Thanks Lucy - I really enjoyed the story, very well done. I would have also liked possibly a little more on the set itself, mainly because I am not sure whether to get it or not. So more information with respect to building techniques, display options etc would have been cool. Having said that, after your review, I am more likely to purchase than I was before... not just not quite over the $399 AUD line yet :)
Really enjoyed the review - have always enjoyed this 'feature' type review style for Lego and anything else really as it's a pleasant diversion from the norm.
Lucy - your dedication in watching a whole series of Batman episodes back to back is impressive - I quite enjoy the antics of the Camp Crusader, but one episode at a time is enough! (The movie is immense though, and totally mental. It's a shame to not see a shark in this set along with shark repellent bat-spray. Seriously this is amazing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJlHjf_E--4)
As others have pointed out and your pics show, this set feels a little bit too disparate for my tastes - the only part it really gets right are the Batmobile and the minifigs - everything else just can't really stand alone by itself. I do look forward to seeing how people take this set and MOC around it - up until now I can only recall seeing 'modern' Batcave MOCs - I hope we see something far sillier in the future!
I took a closer look at the Batcopter... geez. It looks horrible. And I don't even know where they got that Batcycle.
The set itself... bit of a disjointed mess. But it should be a lot of fun to play with. Which... is why that price tag is so ridiculous. What's the audience for this?
As we were about to buy the set I was talking to my 4 year old son about the movie, having a laugh about the shark-repellant-bat-spray. Then he asked "But Daddy, where is the bat-boat?" Aargh! I love the set but surely this is another glaring omission! (Or at least it feels that way the minute you're reminded of it...) Hopefully there will be a spin off set or two to accompany this, along with the Penguin's submarine. Yo-ho, my fine-feathered finks.
I was very pleased to read a fresh review on this website. I feel that everything was covered, but it was delivered in an excellent way. I'm still not sure about this set. I absolutely want those minifigures, but the price for value is just not justifiable. I'll try to use VIP points and gift cards to my advantage.
Nice review, rubbish set.
General questions for other fans of Batman & LEGO:
Is there anyone else who thinks it's a bit sad LEGO didn't make this Batman's ears a bit shorter & his eyes normal (not white like in the comics), like in the LEGO Batman 3 videogame?
AS SHOWN HERE:
http://blogs-images.forbes.com/andyrobertson/files/2014/11/b66_batman_0111111.jpg
Joker, Riddler and the Julie Newmar Catwoman might be some of the best likenesses that LEGO have ever done in minifigures. One of those Joker faces is a Cesar Romero classic, and I love that they kept his moustache. That says a lot about their commitment to detail in this set.
The Batcopter also looks great, but the rest of it is just too loose and playset-y. I'm tempted to buy this and MOC it into a nice display background for the minifigures. There's certainly enough parts there for that.
@sf1378 credit due for apologising.
Splendid review, Lucy! Thanks for going the extra mile to give it that Batman '66 flavour. :)
Are there no pictures of the Batcycle? I realize it's the least interesting of the three vehicles in the set, but I've yet to get a good look at it.
Man, I loved that review. It really reminded me that LEGO is supposed to be fun! It can be easy to forget that point when we're busy collecting sets...often simply for the sake of having them.
Its still a way over-priced set for what it actually is...if it were realistically priced I'd probably buy it. I work at Smyths Toys and even with a staff 10% discount its just not something that entices me...The Batmobile is too blocky...
Personally, I love this set and do not regret buying it. Most importantly, my kids love it and haven't stopped playing with it since I put it together. Now we can watch the TV series and play with the set at the same time. That to me is where the true value in a playset lies.
Is there anywhere I can find the instructions online? I don't want to buy the entire set - just want to build the car.....