bluephotographs800, Author at The Brick Show

First 2022 LEGO Marvel Sets Revealed

Not all LEGO rumors turn out exactly as they’re first leaked out. Either the speculation gives some vague description in lieu of names, or the given names turn out wrong. The latter happened with the Creator Expert Pickup Truck (10290), earlier rumored as the “Back to the Future” DeLorean. The former scenario just played out with certain LEGO Marvel rumors we first covered back in September. As you can check back in our article, they were just “Marvel Classic” sets. Well, LEGO officially listed these products online. It turns out three of these items are new Marvel Mech Armor sets.

Check out these new LEGO Marvel Mech Armors coming our way on January 1, 2022:

Wolverine Mech Armor (76202) – 141 pieces | $9.99

Big fun for Marvel fans

When kids put the Wolverine minifigure into the cockpit of the giant Wolverine mech, they take their creative play to new heights. The Super-Hero mech has movable arms and legs and giant, elongated claws attached to its powerful hands. Marvel movie fans can recreate favorite movie scenes, have epic battles with other mechs in their collection and play out endless imaginative adventures of their own. And, when the action’s over for the day, the awesome Wolverine mech looks great on display in kids’ rooms.

Scale-up the action! – With a Wolverine mech and minifigure, LEGO® Marvel Wolverine Mech Armor (76202) is a big treat for young Super Heroes

Iconic Marvel character – Includes a Wolverine minifigure and a buildable Wolverine mech with large movable claws attached to its hands

Open-ended play – Kids put the Wolverine minifigure into the mech’s opening cockpit, then use the movable mech and its extra-long claws to battle bad guys and role-play endless Super-Hero adventures

Iron Man Mech Armor (76203) – 130 pieces | $9.99

Super-fun adventures for young Super Heroes

All kids love Iron Man, right? Well, this mighty mech makes the Iron Man play experience bigger and better. Kids place the Iron Man minifigure into the opening cockpit of the giant Iron Man mech. With the mech’s loaded stud shooter, large energy shield and fully jointed arms and legs, kids can recreate favorite movie scenes, take on other mechs in epic battles and play out endless Super-Hero adventures of their own. And, when the action stops, kids will love to display the Iron Man mech in their room – until the next adventure!

Supersized and super fun – LEGO® Marvel Iron Man Mech Armor (76203) is an extra-large treat for young Super Heroes

Popular Marvel character – Includes an Iron Man minifigure and a buildable Iron Man mech with loaded stud shooter, large energy shield and fully jointed arms and legs

Imaginative play and display – Kids put the Iron Man minifigure into the mech’s opening cockpit, then use the movable mech to role-play endless battles and Super-Hero adventures

Black Panther Mech Armor (76204) – 124 pieces | $9.99

Marvel action with a mighty mech

Put mega Marvel adventures into kids’ hands. When they place the Black Panther minifigure into the cockpit of the Black Panther mech, its huge, movable arms, legs and crushing claws guarantee endless Super-Hero action as they battle bad guys, take on other mechs and recreate favorite Marvel movie scenes. And, when the day’s action is over, the Black Panther mech looks awesome on display in any kid’s room.

Mechanical warrior – The LEGO® Marvel Black Panther Mech Armor (76204) is a fun treat for any young Super Hero

Iconic Super Hero – Includes a Black Panther minifigure and a buildable Black Panther mech with fully jointed arms, legs and protruding claws

Endless imaginative play – Kids put the Black Panther minifigure into the mech’s opening cockpit, then use the movable mech to battle bad guys and play out Super-Hero adventures of their own

But wait! There’s more! We have a new buildable Iron Man figure set for LEGO Marvel’s Infinity Saga line:

Iron Man Figure (76206) – 381 pieces | $39.99

Just like the real thing

Based on Iron Man from Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, this realistic recreation is fully jointed, so kids can move and position the LEGO Marvel figure as they battle their way through exciting missions. A button-operated Light Brick adds extra realism as it illuminates the arc reactor in Iron Man’s chest. When not saving the universe, the Iron Man model looks great on display and includes a removable information plate with details about the iconic armored Avenger. The free LEGO Building Instructions app contains an additional digital guide that kids can use to zoom, rotate and visualize their model. There’s also a guided, real-life, building process that allows young builders to construct with confidence.

An Iron Man of their own – LEGO® Marvel Iron Man Figure (76206) is the ultimate gift for fans of the armored Avenger

Iconic Marvel hero – Kids assemble the 381 pieces into a realistic recreation of the metal-clad star of the Marvel movies

Fully jointed – All parts of the buildable Iron Man are articulated, so kids can move, position and pose the armor just like the real thing

January 1 next year’s shaping up to be a great start for LEGO Marvel collectors.

LEGO “Back to the Future” DeLorean Rumor Returns; April/July 2022 Release?

LEGO is an old hand in making everything old new again, sort of. Many of their set releases and GWPs turn out to be revamps of ones they rolled out years or decades ago. You know the LEGO Harry Potter Gryffindor Dorms (40452) GWP? It’s a slightly more detailed reissue of the “very old” Gryffindor House (4722) set from the theme’s early years. Now German LEGO news source Promobricks tells us of an upcoming set based on an early LEGO Ideas set. How early? The original set, DeLorean (21103), was the fourth release back when LEGO Ideas was LEGO Cuusoo.

Now, this isn’t exactly an original rumor. Earlier this year, social media would speculate that set 10290 was the DeLorean from “Back to the Future.” Of course, we know for very long now that it was the Creator Expert Pickup Truck instead. But Promobricks has it that the LEGO DeLorean rumor still lives. New details allege that the set, number 10300, will release early next year. It will first become available in April 2022 for VIPs, then generally by July. The retail price for this rumored DeLorean (10300) will be €169.99, or $194.70 (direct conversion).

Now, as exciting as that might sound, heed the usual disclaimer. The above is a rumor, and must be treated as such until LEGO gives official word. Still, a new brick-build “Back to the Future” DeLorean sounds cool. Let’s hope this new allegation pans out.

New LEGO Ideas 10-K Passer: Bonefoot’s Moominhouse

The newest LEGO Ideas product idea with 10,000 supporters and join the Third 2021 Review Stage has quite the story. Flash back to 1945. As World War II was coming to an end, Finnish author Tove Jansson published a book. It and the next eight novels (plus five picture books) starred an unusual family. They trolls, called Moomins, all lived in a tall, round and blue house with a red cone roof.

Their adventures became popular in Europe and, quite singularly, in Japan. Why else with Japanese anime studios make multiple series about them? This product idea’s creator even has an alternative Japanese-language set description.

Ideas member Bonefoot loves the Moomins. One can tell from his Moomin page avatar. And as can be implied from above, this contribution is a LEGO Moominhouse. The modular three-story round blue-red structure can be separated by floors. That gives access to the meticulously detailed interior.

Fans who have read the Moomin books (or Japanese anime viewers) will find the inside somewhat nostalgic. The Ideas Moominhouse comes across as a formidable set candidate, perhaps lacking only figures of the adorable-looking Moomin family. This is the 16^th entry to the LEGO Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage.

Other 10-K sets in the Third 2021 Review Stage (of similar structure build) includes:

LEGO Black Friday Deals Revealed for VIP Weekend

We all know this is coming. With us now in the middle of November, Black Friday draws ever nearer. With that highly-anticipated event come the expected special deals and new releases courtesy of LEGO. In fact, some of those surprises are already known. LEGO’s got big sets like the Star Wars UCS AT-AT (75313) accompanied by multiple GWPs. But the rest remain unknown; or at least they were. LEGO.com Australia revealed even more deals for Black Friday this past weekend according to Brickset. We make note of them even as the other LEGO.com portals officially list the same by now.

Officially, the Black Friday/Cyber Monday period runs November 26-29. But if you’re a LEGO VIP member then the fun starts earlier for you; one weekend earlier in fact. VIPs can get these special deals from November 20 to 21. They will rerun for everybody on the weekend after that. Here’s what LEGO’s got lined up:

Doubled VIP Points (naturally)

VIP GWP: Retro Tin Sign (evoking old LEGO box covers) – collectible with LEGO purchases over $309

GWP Early Access: Santa’s Front Yard (40484) – collectible with LEGO purchases over $229
VIP Reward Center Sale (discount VIP points on rewards)

Vintage Camera set – 2,000 VIP point redemption, while stocks last

See how advantageous LEGO VIP membership can be? You get a shot at these deals early before everyone else storms in on Black Friday. If you miss it then, there’s always November 26-29. That’s when the LEGO Star Wars UCS AT-AT (75313) launches.

LEGO x Target Collection, Coming December 4

We all know that LEGO is an old hand at cross-promotional partnerships. Their team-ups with brands like Adidas give their partner some neat LEGO-themed merchandise. In return, they get to develop some sweet tie-ins. Aside from clothing labels The LEGO Group also collaborates with retail brands. Usually that nets some exclusive deals on LEGO products, if the retailer is something like Target. But this latest partnership between the two promises to be one of the biggest yet. After several teasers last month, the LEGO x Target Collection looks ready to go with a launch date.

Brick Fanatics tells us that the limited-time is due to release on December 4. It consists of a wide variety of LEGO-themed merchandise, from clothes to accessories to plastic house-ware. Signature brick aesthetics can make future owners believe they’re using 1:1 scale LEGO pieces. The entire collection boasts no less than 300 individual items with an average price of $30. Is that too steep or too cheap? There are LEGO x Target Collection items going as low as $1.50 and up to $120. You’re sure to find something for every member of the family, even pets.

Sip your drinks from minifigure mugs sized just right for your hands. Go to the beach or playground sandbox with a sand-building kit including sand-brick molds and shovels. LEGO collectors probably could never have enough minifigure-head storage containers. And of course, the bright and cheery LEGO x Target clothes are all snazzy, if you like that fashion. You can get them all exclusively from Target stores and online starting December 4. They’ve even kept the promo open-ended, so save up and get ready for them.

Recycled LEGO Brick Part of TIME’s “100 Best Inventions of 2021”

LEGO’s been on the material sustainability kick for well on several years now. One can safely say that the toy megabrand’s efforts go well beyond mere lip service. When their products are made of lots of plastic, LEGO owes it to the environment. Thus the company has been studying various alternative raw materials for their bricks and pieces. One example would be using plant-based materials for LEGO plant elements. Then in the middle of this year, LEGO produced a prototype brick from recycled PET plastic. It’s a start and there’s still a long way to go, but their breakthrough just got some major media recognition.

According to The Brick Fan, LEGO got a mention in the 100 Best Inventions of 2021 by TIME magazine. The citation mentioned LEGO’s long-term pledge to make their bricks out of sustainable materials by 2030. And their triumphant prototype brick introduced back in June was the result of three years of research. The aforementioned piece is touted as being identical to the feel of a regularly-molded LEGO brick. With the process now proven possible, the company could begin increasing use of sustainable pieces in their sets. This immediate goal has been given a timetable of about 18 to 24 months.

To give a perspective, TIME notes that LEGO’s annual manufacture of plastic resin for their products is 100,000 metric tons. Why make lots of new plastic that could go to waste when waste plastic could be recycled? We wish LEGO luck in implementing their breakthrough, and congratulate their inclusion in TIME’s 100 Best Inventions 2021.

LEGO.com Now Lists January 2022 Lunar New Year, Super Mario Sets

Earlier this week we had our first peek at some upcoming LEGO sets for the start of 2022. Said items showed up in the 4^th China International Import Expo over the previous weekend. The venue was rather appropriate considering that two Chinese New Year sets number among the reveals. A few days later, LEGO.com put their listings up, according to Brickset. Now let’s enjoy closer looks at what collectors can expect this coming New Year.

Traditional Chinese Festival Sets

Lunar New Year Traditions (80108)

1,066 pieces | $79.99

Capture the excitement of Lunar New Year family traditions with this colorful LEGO® toy building set (80108) for ages 8 and up. It features 6 brick-built scenes that are packed with authentic details, and each portrays different festive activities, including food shopping, making good-luck decorations, visiting family and exchanging ‘Hongbao’ red envelopes. There are separate building instructions for each of the detailed scenes so the whole family can build together, and the modules can be arranged in multiple ways to create a unique display.

Role-play fun
The set features 12 LEGO minifigures, including the God of Wealth and a family of 6 people, to bring the scenes to life and let kids role-play their own stories.

Top gifts
Collectible Traditional Festival LEGO construction toys make splendid educational gifts for creative kids and anyone interested in Asian culture. Great for building and playing with solo or with friends and family, they also make eye-catching centerpieces.

Modular play-and-display set showcasing Lunar New Year family traditions – Kids learn about Chinese New Year customs as they build and have festive fun with this colorful LEGO® set (80108)

12 LEGO® minifigures bring each scene to life – the God of Wealth, a stallholder, a couple, man, girl, and a family of 6: dad, mom, grandpa, grandma, a girl and boy

6 scenes that connect in multiple ways – Each of the 6 modules portrays a festive activity, including spring-cleaning, food shopping, making good-luck decorations and exchanging gifts with family

Lunar New Year Ice Festival (80109)

1,519 pieces | $119.99

Get in the mood for celebration with this LEGO® Lunar New Year Ice Festival building set (80109) for ages 8 and up. It features a highly detailed winter scene with a brick-built frozen lake, equipment rental shop, sweet potato vendor’s cart, photo booth, chun ice sculpture, vending machine, penguin-shaped sled, ski slope, snow-capped tree and more.

Build, play and display
The joyful scene is brought to life by 13 LEGO minifigures, including a person in a tiger outfit to mark the Year of theTiger, plus a penguin figure and lots of fun accessory elements such as ice skates, a hockey puck, smartphone, translucent-blue penguin ice sculpture and ice-sculpting tools. The set is fun to build solo or as a family activity and makes a wonderfully playful festive centerpiece.

Lunar New Year play-and-display set – Kids can recreate the traditional family fun of a Chinese New Year Ice Festival with this LEGO® set (80109), featuring a-detailed, buildable winter scene

13 LEGO® minifigures with lots of accessories – Includes a person in a tiger outfit to mark the Year of the Tiger, sweet-potato vendor, ice sculptor, mom, dad and children, plus a penguin figure

Buildable winter wonderland – A frozen lake, penguin-shaped sled, ski slope, chun ice sculpture, equipment rental shop, photo booth, vending machine, sweet potato vendor’s cart and more

Role-play Chinese New Year activities – Rent equipment from the shop, skate, play hockey and ride the penguin sled on the lake, carve ice sculptures, go ice fishing and take photos with penguins

LEGO Super Mario

Bowser Jr.’s Clown Car (71396)

84 pieces | $9.99

Lift off for extra LEGO® Super Mario™ action with Bowser Jr.’s Clown Car Expansion Set (71396) for ages 6 and up. It features a brick-built version of the Junior Clown Car, plus a LEGO toy figure of a Bob-omb for children to add to their Starter Course. Place LEGO® Mario™ and/or LEGO® Luigi™ (figures not included) in the Junior Clown Car and fly it around to collect digital coins. (Note: the 71360 or 71387 Starter Course is required for interactive play.)

Digitally enhanced building and play
Find building instructions for this set on the companion LEGO Super Mario app. The app also offers inspiration for different ways to build and play, and it offers a safe forum for children to share their creations.

Aerial action with Bowser Jr.’s Clown Car – Kids can add an aerial, coin-collecting challenge to their LEGO® Super Mario™ universe with the 71396 Bowser Jr.’s Clown Car Expansion Set

An enemy Bob-omb – The set includes a LEGO® toy figure of a Bob-omb to add to the brick-built levels that kids create

Fly to collect digital coins – Place a LEGO® Mario™ or LEGO® Luigi™ (figures not included) in the brick-built Junior Clown Car and fly it around to earn coins

Dorrie’s Beachfront (71398)

229 pieces | $29.99

Add a colorful beach level to the LEGO® Super Mario™ universe with the Dorrie’s Beachfront Expansion Set (71398) for ages 6 and up. It features a Dorrie LEGO figure, which LEGO® Mario™ or LEGO® Luigi™ (figures not included) can ride on. There is a launcher to flick a green shell at the Huckit Crab figure, plus a buildable sandcastle, water fountain and tree, each with cool functions that the player must activate to access the 1, 2, 3 Blocks. (Note: the 71360 or 71387 Starter Course is required for interactive play.)

Companion app
This collectible toy playset makes a super gift for trendsetting kids and is ideal for solo play or social competitions. Check out the LEGO Super Mario app for building instructions, creative inspiration and more fun stuff.

Colorful, brick-built beach level – Kids can add beach challenges to their LEGO® Super Mario™ Starter Course with the 71398 Dorrie’s Beachfront Expansion Set

2 iconic Super Mario™ characters – A LEGO® figure of Dorrie for LEGO® Mario™ or LEGO® Luigi™ (figures not included) to ride on and explore the level, plus an enemy Huckit Crab to defeat

Shell-launching, 1, 2, 3 Block-hunting fun – A launcher to flick a green shell at the Huckit Crab, plus a buildable sandcastle, water fountain and tree, each with functions to reveal 1, 2, 3 Blocks

Solo or social play – Friends and family members can compete to collect the most digital coins, then rebuild the level to set a new challenge

Big Urchin Beach Ride (71400)

536 pieces | $59.99

Create an action-packed level with the LEGO® Super Mario™ Big Urchin Beach Ride Expansion Set (71400) for ages 7 and up. It features a roller coaster with a Dolphin LEGO figure for LEGO® Mario™ or LEGO® Luigi™ (figures not included) to ride on while trying to shake the Super Star Block out of the palm tree and topple a Big Urchin. Make Cheep Cheeps ‘leap’ by jumping on the bridge and collect more digital coins for spectacular dives off the springboard and fun interactions with the Yellow Yoshi toy figure. (Note: the 71360 or 71387 Starter Course is required for interactive play.)

Action-packed, buildable beach level – Take the LEGO® Super Mario™ action to the beach with the Big Urchin Beach Ride Expansion Set (71400) for solo or social play

5 LEGO® Super Mario™ toy figures – Yellow Yoshi, a Big Urchin, 2 Cheep Cheeps, and a Dolphin for LEGO® Mario™ or LEGO® Luigi™ (figures not included) to ride on

High-diving, dolphin-riding fun – A springboard to perform dives and a roller coaster to shake the Super Star Block out of the palm tree and topple the Big Urchin

Bridge with ‘leaping’ Cheep Cheeps – Jump up and down on the bridge to make the Cheep Cheeps ‘leap’ and stomp on them to collect digital coins

LEGO Super Mario Character Packs – Series 4 (71402)

29 pieces | $4.99

Create even more action-packed levels with collectible toy Character Packs – Series 4 (71402) for ages 6 and up. Each pack contains a mystery, buildable character with an Action Tag, plus a small build to use as a display stand or to enhance play. There are 10 LEGO® Super Mario™ characters to collect: a Mechakoopa, Para-Biddybud, Stingby, Bully, Freezie, Ant Trooper, Goombrat, Coin Coffer, Scaredy Rat and a baby penguin. Each is designed to be used with a Starter Course set (71360 or 71387), which is required for interactive play.

Collectible LEGO® Super Mario™ toy characters – Give kids extra interactive play options with Character Packs – Series 4 (71402). Each pack contains a mystery buildable character with an Action Tag

10 to collect, build and play with – A Mechakoopa, Para-Biddybud, Stingby, Bully, Freezie, Ant Trooper, Goombrat, Coin Coffer, Scaredy Rat and a baby penguin

Starter Course (71360 or 71387) required for interactive play – One of the Starter Course sets, featuring the LEGO® Mario™ (in set 71360) and LEGO® Luigi™ (in set 71387) figures, is needed for play

Small build in each pack – Kids can use the build as a display stand or incorporate it into the levels they create. LEGO® Mario™ or LEGO® Luigi™ react to the characters in various ways

Don’t forget. These LEGO sets arrive on January 1 of 2022.

Gryffindor Dorms (40452) GWP Still On Until November 19

It feels like only yesterday at times, when LEGO Harry Potter collectors thought they missed out on a GWP. That October 2021 LEGO Store calendar offered two LEGO Harry Potter items as GWPs. The key set of the two was Hogwarts – Gryffindor Dorms (40452). It was a modular set that also doubled as a display space for Wizarding World tiles. These were included in all 20^th Anniversary LEGO HP sets. But as it stood, the GWP period for Gryffindor Dorms (40452) ran from October 25 to November 7. That was despite being “removed” from the second October store calendar. At least, that was the GWP period before it came back.

Brick Fanatics tells us that LEGO’s online store has brought back LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts – Gryffindor Dorms (40452). That’s great news for those who missed it as a GWP. It would be like the promo period never stopped. Collectors now have until November 19 to claim this nice little set featuring Harry and Ron in their rooms. The deal remains the same too. LEGO Harry Potter purchases over $100 (also £ and €) will net you the Gryffindor Dorms (40452). As far as GWP goes, this is one of the best among the recent offerings.

LEGO Lands Multiple Nominations in 2022 Toy of the Year Awards

Every year the Toy Association honors the best products in the industry through its annual Toy of the Year Awards. It doesn’t take a follower of these events to know that LEGO is a regular nominee and awardee here. Being one of the biggest toy brands in modern history is a perk in itself. Furthermore, many of the sets they release year after year deserve nominations and wins. The 2022 Toy of the Year Awards is no exception. Of the 16 possible categories, LEGO has representation in at least eight. Some of these categories even have multiple LEGO nominees.

Here are LEGO’s 2022 nominated products:

It’s amazing that one set from LEGO’s misfiring Vidiiyo theme also made it in. Then again, that would be the Toy Association’s call. Maybe the accolade (and a possible award) may reinvigorate interest in the Vidiyo line. Who can tell? Anyway, we wish LEGO’s 2022 Toy of the Year Award nominees the best of luck.

Steampunk Explorers Achieves 10K Support on LEGO Ideas

The filling out of LEGO Ideas’ Third 2021 Review Stage continues. At last count, the 10-K product ideas in this batch now include four building sets. It would be five if you count the interior set for BenFankhauser’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” 99^th Precinct. These other builds boast nicely-detailed insides with room for the accompanying minifigures to pose in. But a new product idea with 10,000 supporters will soon give the early ones a run for their money. It’s an original theme with an attached storyline too, based on a popular sci-fi sub-genre. Say hello to Steampunk Explorers.

LEGO Ideas 10-K Club Member Castor-Troy, along with Max Brich gives us this impressive building set. It boasts a nice Victorian-era style but with aesthetically-fitting tech advancements. The building is modular and can be divided into three sections as shown:

Left: 1F Workshop/Garage, 2F Greenhouse
Center: 1F Main Entrance, 2F Hot-Air Balloon Hangar
Right: 1F Planetarium, 2F Observatory

As seen, the build includes two vehicles: a 2-in-1 observation vehicle (aircraft/submarine) and the aforementioned hot-air balloon. The creators even made profiles for no less than eight minifigure characters working in this Steampunk facility. From left to right, top-down, they are:

Franck Reade Jr. (pilot/astronaut)
Prof. Hasan Jensendi (astrophysicist and ether particle discoverer)
Kastor Zebulon Troy (oceanographer/diver)
Maximus Brikonov (pilot/mechanic)
Louis D.H. Griffont (philanthropist financier)
Countess Cecilia de Acuña (polyglot and ancient language expert)
Pierre-Jules Pevelverne (engineer/designer)
Dr. Alexa Tarabotti (botanist/herbalist)

One would think Castor-Troy and Max Brich are pitching a new LEGO theme with this product idea. It might be a hit too. But first “Steampunk Explorers” much survive the Third 2021 Review Stage on LEGO Ideas. And it has plenty of serious competition already.

Wolverine Mech Armor (76202) – 141 pieces | $9.99

Big fun for Marvel fans

Iron Man Mech Armor (76203) – 130 pieces | $9.99

Super-fun adventures for young Super Heroes

Black Panther Mech Armor (76204) – 124 pieces | $9.99

Marvel action with a mighty mech

Iron Man Figure (76206) – 381 pieces | $39.99

Just like the real thing

Traditional Chinese Festival Sets

LEGO Super Mario

Collectible of the Year

Construction Toy of the Year

Creative Toy of the Year

Grown-Up Toy of the Year

Playset of the Year

Preschool Toy of the Year

Specialty Toy of the Year

STEAM Toy of the Year

Vehicle of the Year