Review: DC Super Heroes Build Your Own Adventure
Posted by CapnRex101,
Dorling Kindersley has been publishing books containing at least one minifigure alongside a small vehicle since 2010 and DC Super Heroes Build Your Own Adventure is the most recent addition to the range. It costs £17.99 or $24.99 but has already been discounted in certain locations just a couple of weeks after release.
I have been looking forward to purchasing the book based purely on the inclusion of an exclusive John Stewart Green Lantern minifigure and I imagine most LEGO Super Heroes collectors will be drawn to it for the same reason.
Minifigure
John Stewart is one of several human characters to carry the mantle of Green Lantern throughout the history of the hero and this is his first appearance as a minifigure. Every incarnation of the suit features green and black panels with the Green Lantern Corps symbol on the chest but John Stewart's attire features less green than most. This design is therefore a little simpler than that seen in 76025 Green Lantern vs. Sinestro where Hal Jordan occupied the role, although both minifigures look great and I appreciate the faithfulness of this figure to its comic book source material.
The torso is decorated with some muscle definition visible through the suit and John's green boots are represented by black printing which covers the upper area of the legs. This looks alright from the front but the lack of dual-moulding is disappointing and the printing on my figure is slightly askew. However, the new head is excellent and features glowing eyes as well as two expressions. No accessories are included which is a shame as I would have loved to see the 1x1 round plate with handle cast in green or trans-green to represent a power ring.
The Completed Model
The book also includes a spaceship for Green Lantern. One might reasonably wonder why a character who can fly in Earth's atmosphere or in space would need a separate vehicle but the model offers some play value and could be reconfigured to represent something else if you wish. It consists almost entirely of green elements in a variety of different shades so has clearly been created by Green Lantern and it looks pretty reasonable, with a streamlined shape and a cockpit for the minifigure to sit inside.
Two stud shooters are fitted to the front of the model and the cockpit is hinged so can be opened with ease. Unfortunately, there are gaps on either side which look rather awkward but I appreciate the attempt to close these spaces through the use of green wheel arches. I was not expecting to like the combination of different green colours but it looks pretty good in person. The only colour which should have been changed is that of the canopy as trans-green would certainly have been more fitting than trans-clear in my opinion.
The wing configuration can be altered very easily. The instructions suggest splaying the panels on either side and leaving the central fin flat but I prefer to spread them out evenly, presenting a profile similar to that of 76019 Starblaster Showdown. This opportunity for customisation is very welcome and I like to imagine that John Stewart might adjust the design of his spaceship during flight.
The articulation of the wings also allows the craft to transform into a submarine for underwater missions. Its shape reminds me of Thunderbird 4 and the vessel certainly looks as though it could cut through the water with ease. This is a simple function but it works well and is very satisfying given the limited piece count and size of the model.
Book
The book follows the adventures of Green Lantern as he gathers some of the best known Justice League members to defeat a mysterious villain. He therefore assembles a jet and travels across the globe, visiting Themyscira, Central City, Atlantis, Smallville and Metropolis along the way. This allows the book to document an eclectic range of different builds as some focus upon the natural world while others are based on urban environments.
The models included, which were designed by Rod Gillies, exhibit a variety of different building styles and techniques. They are intended to inspire rather than simply instructing, although some of the models are broken down to provide a better look at the techniques used. Many will be familiar to experienced builders but it is ideally suited to younger fans, as of course is the intention of the book.
Not only does the book include plenty of useful information but it looks brilliant. The photography is excellent, as one would expect, while the pages are cleverly designed to resemble a traditional comic format which I like very much. A simple story ties the models together and I think it covers just about everything you might encounter on a typical super hero adventure. I am particularly impressed the book avoids repetition despite visiting a couple of cities, although Gotham is notable by its absence.
Page spreads from Amazon.
Overall
The exclusive John Stewart minifigure is undoubtedly the highlight of this set from my point of view but I am quite impressed with Green Lantern's spacecraft and the book has proven to be a very pleasant surprise. It should offer plenty of inspiration for children and an excellent range of different subject matters are covered over the 80 pages.
The retail price of £17.99 or $24.99 seems reasonable when the combined content of the book and the set is taken into consideration but if you are only interested in the Green Lantern minifigure then a discount would be preferable of course. Thankfully, the book has already been reduced as I was able to purchase my copy for just £8.00 from ASDA and the book is available for $15.47 on Amazon in the US. At those prices it is certainly a worthy purchase.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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11 comments on this article
I wonder why they didn't use a green colored bubble canopy, they already cast it in that color for the other set Green Lantern was in.
How long is it going to take for Lego to make a green lantern ring? I mean, really, the pieces are there. Why not use them?
Quite disappointing to see the poor quality of printing on the legs.
The build looks kind of like a Green Lantern Nova Core Ship. Not a fan of the build but I LOVE the minifigure and it has so many ultra rare pieces I'll probably buy it just to use the parts for other builds.
Great review, Capn! I soooo want this book and the craft, I think, is brilliant. Dying to have this Green Lantern, too!
Dual molded legs on Bricks and Pieces are $2.00 - $2.50 (USD) while plant legs are like .35 and front printed is .68. That's why.
Also LEGO might not have the green trans cockpit piece in stock and won't make more for a book.
The fact that this is the John Stewart Green Lantern which is really worth it IMO, especially if you are collecting the figures. The legs are not perfect.. Ok, so go buy a pair of black hips and legs for .60 cents?
Heck I'm just glad he is not a 300 USD ComicCon figure
Also the price discount from Amazon now was worth it to me to grab one of these now as 15 bucks for a figure and parts to make a spaceship? Good enough for me
On sale at £8 (GBP 8) at ASDA in the UK (and I've just seen that's mentioned in the article too!)
I love the whole thing, a john Stewart minifig is long over due, his little space pod ship is cool but so was hal Jordans ship,
Bring on Guy Gardener, kilowog, Kyle rainier and Alan Scott now lego, if you don't mind?
Oh and the corps guardians.
Us humans can walk, but we still drive cars anyway. Same goes for GL and his spaceship.
This is a much welcomed figure for me, especially since John Stewart is my favorite Green Lantern. Hal Jorden only had single molded leg printing, so I don't mind so much that his legs aren't dual molded & printed and are just printed.