A few weeks ago, LEGO Batman fans were awe-struck with what could be the largest LEGO vehicle offered thus far. In their LEGO 1989 Batmobile (76139) designer video, self-confessed Tim Burton fans, and LEGO Designers Chris Perron and Adam Grabowski share their excitement on the creative process that they went through in coming up with this iconic version of the Batmobile.
The LEGO 1989 Batmobile (76139) is both impressive in its scale and the play features that go with it. Designers Chris and Adam also made sure that they stay faithful to the original 1989 depiction of the Dark Knight’s vehicle. The set features machine guns that pop up at the turn of the knob, and a slide-open cockpit that the designers managed to pull off even at a tilted angle. Speaking about the cockpit, the interior is simply loaded with fantastic details. LEGO Graphic Designer Ioana Popescu made sure that every detail counts in this legendary vehicle. I love how the steering wheel turned out in this set. The wheels in front are new wheel elements, while those at the back are taken from 2014’s LEGO DC Comics The Tumbler (76023). The set also comes with a rotating display stand that makes it an even more awesome display piece.
Since almost the entirety of the LEGO 1989 Batmobile (76139) is black, the designers were considerate to ensure that the inner workings of this set come in myriads of colors. This is extremely helpful in building such a large monochromatic set.
The choice of design for the set’s exclusive minifigures also takes their cue from Tim Burton’s vision of the Dark Knight. The LEGO 1989 Batmobile comes with three minifigures: a new version of Batman donned in a new soft plastic cowl as seen in the film; Vicki Vale with a mini brick-built camera, and of course Jack Nicholson’s rendition of The Joker. I guess for most LEGO Batman fans, the highlight of these exclusive minifigs will Batman himself, especially considering that classic cowl and cape that comes as a single piece. Having it as such and doing away with the usual swatch of cloth for Batman’s cape is clearly intentional on the part of the designers, to make it as close as to how Tim Burton’s idea of Batman is during this time. Though I’m still racking my brain on how battle-efficient Batman is in this costume when he is unable to turn his head when fighting the bad guys. Well, that’s just my opinion.
The LEGO 1989 Batmobile (76139) comes in at 3,306 pieces and is now currently available at LEGO Shop@Home retailing for $249.99 USD.
