Review: 76056 Batman: Rescue from Ra's al Ghul
Posted by CapnRex101,
76056 Batman: Rescue from Ra's al Ghul was only revealed a couple of weeks ago and is the smallest of the three DC Super Heroes sets being released this summer, containing 257 pieces. I have been waiting for a Ra's al Ghul minifigure since 2012 and finally the Demon's Head has joined Batman's rogues gallery in this set.
Ra's al Ghul alone was sufficient to justify the purchase for me, such is my love for the character, but the rest of the set looks rather plain on the packaging and the price point of £34.99 in the UK seems high in relation to some of the other Super Heroes sets. Read on and find out whether my concerns are correct.
Minifigures
Batman appears in an exclusive desert suit here so makes a nice addition to the range of different Batman minifigures. This one wears the older cowl piece with a chin strap and longer ears while his head is the more recent version wearing a black body glove. Bizarrely the same grim expression is printed on both sides of the head in my set but this detailing lines up nicely with the holes in the cowl, as does the white headband which forms Batman's eyes. I suspect this is simply a misprint and would be interested to hear from others who own the set in the comments, in case the issue is widespread.
The cape is made from the standard soft fabric and contrasts with the dark tan of his torso and legs. I am not particularly keen on this colour scheme but it certainly fits with the desert environment and the intricacy of the torso printing is impressive on both the front and back of the figure. Batman is equipped with a Batarang as well as a pearl silver sword for duelling against Ra's.
Even Batman might struggle alone against the threat of the League of Assassins so it is lucky that Robin accompanies him in this set. He wears a brand new cape which is shorter than Batman's but features a similar cutout pattern along the edge. The cape and the printing on his torso suggest that this is Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin and the son of Bruce Wayne with Talia al Ghul, making the set something of a family affair!
Moreover, Robin wears a hood just as Damian often does in the comics and his torso is highly detailed on both sides to match the source material. The same piece appeared in 76013 Batman: The Joker Steam Roller in 2014 but the crenelated cape makes this a more accurate version of Damian Wayne's Robin than we have seen before. He is armed with a Bo staff and has short legs.
Ra's al Ghul himself is the highlight of the set for me and this minifigure does not disappoint. His hair is black with white highlights on either side and his head is printed with two faces, one featuring liver spots and wrinkles to convey his old age and another representing his younger face which is complete with an angry expression and maddened green eyes following a visit to the Lazarus Pit.
The dark green cape looks splendid and I like the torso printing too. The intricate design on his chest is especially impressive and this continues onto the back despite being obscured by the cape. His legs are plain which is fine in my opinion and he is equipped with a pearl gold sword.
Talia al Ghul is also included and looks as dangerous as her father, wielding a golden scythe blade. Her black hair is a good likeness for the comics while the head is printed with dark red lipstick and two different expressions.
Talia's appearance changes very frequently in the comics but her attire is typically skin tight and this dark red uniform is therefore appropriate. The printed design is simple on the front and back but suits the character. I am actually quite surprised that Talia has been made at all so applaud LEGO for including her in a set where Ra's al Ghul alone would probably have satisfied many potential buyers.
The Completed Model
I like the minifigures very much but the set itself is disappointing. Ra's' lair is not very substantial, consisting of a small prison cell, a curved staircase and a wooden gate which can be hinged open or knocked down completely. The right hand pillar in the image below is only attached to the base by two studs and can therefore be toppled very easily as Batman crashes through it.
This function works well but it is easy to knock the column down when simply opening and closing the gate so can be slightly frustrating. Each pillar is topped with a flaming torch and there are clips for the storage of weapons on the front.
Beside the gate is a wall panel with a sticker on it. This sticker shows some worn brickwork and a plaque describing how an elderly person can be rejuvenated and strengthened by the chemical liquid found in a Lazarus Pit. An animal can also be seen peeking from a hole and the letters 'B + T' appear in a heart, making reference to the romantic relationship between Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. I am pleased to see such details appearing in an increasing number of sets and hope to encounter many more in future.
A black scorpion is included just in front of the prison cell, which is very small and will only hold one minifigure. The barred door can be opened on a hinge or destroyed completely by pushing on a pin at the back to free the captive inside. Functions like this one are always enjoyable and are easily incorporated into even small models.
However, escaping the cell does not guarantee a successful escape as a deadly swinging axe can be launched to slice through the air just in front of the prison. It is unfortunate that the axe is not hidden away for a surprise attack but the feature works well and is activated by pushing a lever on top. I am not sure what the purpose of the red crystal fiited to this mechanism is but it offers some more potential play value.
Ra's' lair is a mess when viewed from behind. Wall panels reduce the number of pieces required and this usually allows for a bigger model, this set notwithstanding, but often at the cost of detail. Nowhere is that more evident than here as the back is almost completely plain, with the only detail being a tiny window which lets some light into the prison cell.
The Lazarus Pit is the smallest of the three models included but is actually my favourite. The trans-bright green liquid looks splendid and matches the colour of the sticker beside it quite well. This sticker is placed on a 2x4 tile which can be used to launch the bather out of the pool and into action. It is a bit difficult to squeeze a minifigure into the pit but the launching mechanism works well and looks alright too thanks to the sticker.
Batman's vehicle in this set is a rather small dune buggy. It is unlike any of Batman's previous vehicles so appeals in that respect but the design is rather basic and lacks detail. There is room for a minifigure to sit in the cockpit and this is accessed by lifting the two halves of the roll cage canopy, each of which also has a light attached to it on a clip.
I like the large tyres but the angled armour plating looks rather chaotic to me and does not flow very nicely at all. The stud shooters attached to the front spoil its appearance to some extent and the light bluish grey handle beneath these looks totally out of place. On the other hand, the air intakes behind the cockpit look great and the golden colour of the stickers matches that of the wheel hubs.
The buggy looks even worse from the rear where four trans-orange 1x1 round plates attempt to represent the exhausts. They are hardly recognisable as such and the almost total flatness of the surface at the back detracts from the model in my opinion. I am glad of the clips which are found here though as they provide a suitable place to store Batman's equipment while he is driving.
The design and construction of this vehicle is sufficiently rudimentary that I think it would make an appropriate next step after the Juniors sets and is therefore ideal for a certain age group. The model is sturdy as well so could be used to simulate driving over rough terrain. However, this results in a mediocre model for older children and adults which does not match the aesthetic standard of Batman's other vehicles in recent waves.
Overall
It is no secret that Super Heroes sets traditionally rely on minifigures as a selling point but that has rarely been more true than in this set. The individual models are not bad but none of the three are particularly impressive and the building experience is accordingly dull. Much of the detail relies on stickers which is disappointing in relation to the Marvel Super Heroes sets in this wave where the designers have been able to offer brilliant minifigures alongside an excellent model in each case.
The play features are equally drab in my opinion as they are all recycled from other models. My recommendation depends on whether or not you are very keen on Ra's al Ghul as a character. He is one of my favourite Batman villains so this was a necessary purchase for me but objectively this set is disappointing. Furthermore, the size of the set does not justify its price point of £34.99 or $29.99 so I find it difficult to recommend this set to anyone but the most fervent of DC Super Heroes fans.
We have more DC and Marvel Super Heroes reviews on the way.
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32 comments on this article
The lair is definitely a mess. Giant door that leads to nothing. Stairs that go nowhere.
Here's an example of lair done right, and the piece count is the same!
http://brickset.com/sets/6075-1/Wolfpack-Tower
Wolfpack Tower was actually a cohesive structure as are the two alt builds. It saddens me so many sets seem incomplete now. Like they're meant to be part of something bigger but left unfinished.
I am disappointed and glad at the same time
Nice to see Damien at a cheaper price and finally a rá figure
But would of preferred no buggy and like everyone else bigger lair and maybe arkham style rá
Red robin instead of batman, so we can finally have the bat family!
Still going to get the set !
I didn't think this set looked too bad until I saw the picture from the back. I mean, it's ok, I guess, but even so this is more of a parts set than anything else. Looks decent for desert MOCs. It might be worth picking up at a discount, or if you really want the minifigures, like you said, but other than that it's decent at best. Shame, really, when you compare this with some of the Marvel sets in this wave.
I would have to agree with some of the points re the buggy but I still like it. The mini figures look good but not sure if good enough to be bothered to purchase. The set itself is rather disappointing. Thanks again for the review!
It looks good for parts, but I'm sorry to hear it's not structurally sturdy enough to make the most of the play features, because when we first saw pics I was more intrigued by it than I normally am with Batman sets. Brother Brain makes a good point on how it looks more like a vignette than a complete lair - that comparison with the Wolf Pack set from 1992 is pretty damning...
Nice review. Does anyone know when tanker truck takedown is going to be released? I'm really looking forward to that one!
Well, this thing sucks. Talia looks vaguely B:TAS though, which is a nice touch... the figures are good, but the builds are really crappy and this costs like $40 in the USA! Ridiculous. Marvel is so much better.
I wish the Batman mask had been in dark tan line the suit, makes no sense that he'd wear a desert camo outfit and then wear a pitch black mask (and cape, for that matter).
The set is quite meh on the whole, but I actually quite like the Bat-buggy. It's simple but for whatever reason I find it quite charming.
Had the lair been better detailed it would have been a buy for me, although you could fix the set with pieces from your collection. But this seems like an odd set that would have been better split in two (one with the Bat-buggy and a better entrance with LoS ninjas and the other the stairs and a bigger base ala Nexo Knights rolling fortress).
This will be the only Super Heroes set I don't purchase this summer but that Ra's al Ghul minifigure is tempting. I'll have a look at the eBay and Bricklink prices when the set has been available for a while.
Thanks for another excellent review.
I hate how some sets are clearly a lazily made figure sets.
I'm going to coin this set "rescue from gross al fool". that buggy is awful and the "lair" looks way to juniorized but I'm such a massive Batman nut that I will almost surely buy this at some point. :/
I mean come on Ra's al Ghul is a must have for Me.
I actually like it all it bar the bat buggy.
Looks great if you missed The Hobbit Barrel Escape set.
Reminds me of an episode of Batman the Animated Series. They were in the desert and Batman and Ras fought on a staircase and the base fell apart around them. If I could only remember the name of the episode. Think it might be called Avatar.
Has anyone seen this set in the US? I'm not certain if the release is supposed to be later in the summer.
i own this set and my batman had two different facial expressions.
^^ August in North America.
@gmonkey76, it's in "The Quest of the Demon pt. II".
Still waiting for Ares....
Capn, thanks for the review. The set of the lair is dull and disappointing, but I like the buggy. As a huge DC/Batman fan, this set is a must buy for me. Especially to have Ra's as a minifig, too! Finally!
@TheBrickPal: August? Well at least I'll have made all my money from my summer job :/
The front actually looks ok. The back kills it. Same story for the buggy. The minifigures look pretty baller, though.
Its ok I guess I like the batman
This set should be called "Batman And The Doors Of Perception"... or I don't know wherever are they leading to.
I would buy it for the parts and the figures, the lair I could use its parts to create my own model, the buggy is fine by me.
I want Ra's and Talia but the price is ridiculous!
Good review, but another LEGO set that begs for a sale price
I just saw this listed on Shop @home with a release date of Aug. 1st for the U.S. and a price of $29.99. I think that is a much better price for this set.
Yea, 29.99 is better, still think this set will see prices on sale around 20 USD though.
I was really hoping Desert Batman would resemble Knightmare Batman from BvS. Oh well, at least the parts are decent.
$29.99 is a much better price but I will still wait for a decent sale.