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Captain Marvel Has Arrived!

MCU’s post-Infinity War phase is now slowly unfolding, and what best way to do so with the introduction of the film franchise’s first solo, cosmic powered heroine. Avengers: Infinity War gave us our first official teaser of her eventual involvement in the events following the infamous Thanos Snap, and this time, Entertainment Weekly has now shared exclusive images of Captain Marvel in all her galactic glory.

EW also revealed some key plots of the film without being too spoilery. According to their report, Captain Marvel will not begin with the usual origin-story, but will show her already powered and suited up for her mission together with the Kree elite military group, Starforce. Think of them like a high-powered, intergalactic Special Forces. I can’t help but think and be amused on how they stand in contrast with the rowdy bunch of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

opw 16473 r — Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL
L to R: Leader of Starforce (Jude Law), Ronan (Lee Pace), Korath (Djimon Hounsou), Att-Lass (Algenis Perez Soto), Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Bron-Char (Rune Temte) and Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan)

Several characters were also revealed such as the megalomaniac, Ronan the Accuser, who was once a highly respected ranking officer of the Kree society during the events of Captain Marvel. We also see Korath once more, and a new enigmatic character played by Jude Law. He is introduced as Starforce’s commander and will serve as a sort of mentor to Captain Marvel as she comes to terms with her newly acquired super powers. We also get to glimpse the film’s antagonists which are the highly dangerous and skilled shape-shifting Skrulls.

opw 16329 r 2 — Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL
L to R: Leader of Starforce (Jude Law), Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), and director Anna Boden.

opw 04698 r — Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL
L to R: Leader of Starforce (Jude Law) and Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson)

opw 06977 r — Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL
Left: Talos (Ben Mendelsohn)

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the reveal is the digitized younger version of Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), with the missing eye patch during his younger years in S.H.I.E.L.D. Perhaps the events in Captain Marvel will reveal how he eventually earned his famous battle scar to become one of the agency’s most revered operative.

dbr1520 cmp v710 1032 — Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)

I’m quite positive that LEGO has already something in the works in line with Captain Marvel, and like any other LEGO Marvel Superhero sets, we will surely be getting one or two tie-in sets to celebrate the release of the film. Captain Marvel’s minifigure version will surely be a hit, especially if the designers manage to capture her blue and red costume pretty well. It is also fair to assume that we will be having the Ronan the Accuser back with a new minifigure iteration, together with a patch-less and younger version of Nick Fury. It’s also interesting to see how the Skrull will look like since this may require a new minifigure head mould. Though we don’t have our first official teaser trailer yet, we can be assured that before the year ends and before Captain Marvel debuts on the big screen on March 8, 2019 we will have a better look on how MCU’s most powerful superhero will play her role culminating in the events of Infinity War’s End Game. And of course, the LEGO sets that will go along with it.

For now, be sure to check out the rest of the LEGO Marvel Superheroes Infinity War sets, together with our heroes’ chibby counterparts in LEGO BrickHeadz form over at shop.LEGO.com. Thanks once again to EW for sharing these images.

LEGO Bricktober 2018 Minifigures Rumored To Be Released in US LEGO Stores

After confirming that the LEGO Harry Potter Bricktober 2018 minifigures will be made available in the US via Barnes & Noble, it seems that LEGO is now teasing on where we can expect the rest of this highly collectible minifigures. We know that these annual releases are usually available in Toys R Us before the toy retail giant closed all its stores in the US, UK, and Australia last June. Many LEGO fans were anxious then on whether the LEGO Bricktober minifigure promotions will still run in spite of TRU’s demise. But thankfully, LEGO still has something in store and the release of the official LEGO Bricktober 2018 images a few weeks ago has confirmed that we will still have our usual LEGO Bricktober minifigs soon.

A LEGO customer service email shared via social media seems to suggest that we will not need to look far and wide to find our share of these minifigs. According to an Instagram post that is now making its rounds across the LEGO community, LEGO’s costumer service has confirmed that the LEGO Bricktober 2018 minifigures will available in US LEGO stores this November and December. To quote,

“The Bricktober promotions will be available through the LEGO stores throughout November and December. This is the only information we have to share at this time. Please keep an eye out for more information.”

Well, I guess we should better start calling this Brickvember and Brickcember for that matter.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnU3m21gAAu/

We should bear in mind that even if LEGO’s customer service email seems to have confirmed the availability of the LEGO Bricktober 2018 minifigures in local LEGO stores, it will still be wise to consider this as a rumor. In the past, LEGO’s customer service and their social media managers were a bit off the mark when it comes to accurately telling when and how new LEGO sets will be released.

We’re also not sure as of the moment if this will be a future store promotional of some kind. And since the LEGO Store October Calendar has already been released, and there was no mention of any Bricktober promos, then we have to probably wait for the November Store Calendar to be released next month. The LEGO Shop@Home portal is also mum about these LEGO Bricktober 2018 minifigs as of this writing. My best guess is that it may be a part of a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal in November. Whatever the case, we will soon find out.

LEGO US Reps Spent a Day with Preschool Children at Nearby School

Things must be rather busy at the global organization of The LEGO Group, particularly in the wake of their recently released revenue report for the first half of 2018. That however, doesn’t mean they won’t have time for goodwill activities, be they a large public event or something much quieter. Much like the main LEGO HQ is located in the Danish town of Billund, so too is their main US HQ, located in the town of Enfield, Connecticut. Not long ago, 30 LEGO US reps spent a day with preschool children students at nearby Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center, a preschool under the Square One umbrella.

A fun time was had by all as the LEGO team engaged around 150 Square One preschoolers in various building activities. One example has each child being given six 2×4 Duplo bricks having them copy, one by one, a design created by a chosen student.

That and other LEGO building games serve to help these preschoolers improve skills in memory, movement and creativity. As Square One development and communications head Kristine Allard says, “Playtime is a critical component of every child’s intellectual and social development. Who better to demonstrate that than the experts from LEGO?”

This is the start of a newly-minted partnership between LEGO US and Square One Preschools. Following the outreach activity by the company’s US staff with the kids at the Family Center in Enfield, LEGO will also design a new playroom facility for them. They’ll have LEGO sets aplenty, for sure.

Big LEGO Brick Hospital Charity Event Launched with £2,000 Raised on First Day

It would seem that in the UK, charity events wherein units of donations are translated into LEGO bricks to be put together to make a scale model have become a trend. We reported on one of this fun, charitable activity last month, with Suffolk’s St. Edmundsbury Cathedral hosting a particular brick-building event to make a scale replica of its own historical cathedral. Now the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity (CCC) is making its own splash during the Great Brick Adventure event in Liverpool. This week they have launched a new £-a-brick charity drive in the Big LEGO Brick Hospital, building a scale model of what would be a real thing.

CCC is looking for more funding towards building a new cancer research and treatment hospital for the UK, and they mean to get it from this Big LEGO Brick Hospital event. It begins with a LEGO-built construction site, where interested donors pay £1 a LEGO brick that will be assembled to make the planned cancer hospital, rendered in LEGO.

Building instructions for the model were made for CCC courtesy of Bright Bricks, the same brilliant minds behind the St. Edmundsbury Cathedral £-a-brick model design. When finished, the whole model will measure 1.6 meters by 2.8 meters in floor area, and 1.6 meters in height.

On the day the Big LEGO Brick Hospital opened for donations, two thousand bricks equal to £2,000 of charity was raised by well-meaning donors patronizing the event. CCC boss Katrina Bury approves of the successful launch. “We were thrilled to be part of The Great Brick Adventure and show LEGO brick enthusiasts to see the model so far,” she said.

The real cancer hospital this event is helping to build is estimated to be completed by 2020. Surely its LEGO version won’t take that long. For more information visit the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity official website.

LEGO SHOWS in Bahrain Draws Tens of Thousands of Guests

Last month, the little Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain did a great turn for all children and their families in their country and neighbors, by bringing together some of the most powerful child-friendly brands in the world, Cartoon Network and LEGO. From the third week to the end of August, LEGO SHOWS was in town.

LEGO SHOWS was a collaborative effort between The LEGO Group and the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA). This was the first time it was ever held in the country; but in spite, or maybe because, of that reason the event was a massive success.

According to The Daily Tribune – News of Bahrain, visitor counts by the BTEA have recorded more than 26,000 people that came to see LEGO SHOWS during its duration from August 22 to 31. Then again, what children from which country would be able to resist any reason to play with LEGO, from the classics to the specific lines like Duplo, Ninjago, Friends and Star Wars?

“The Lego Shows event received great attendance over a period of 10 days,” noted CEO Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa of BTEA, “Attracting more than 26,000 visitors from the Kingdom and neighbouring GCC countries.”

Bahrain looks to be in the right track with its objective of presenting itself as a place where children of all ages regardless of country of origin can have loads of fun, with the help of a globally trusted name like LEGO. One wonders when the next event will be.

From the Rumor Mill: Possible List of Canceled LEGO Dimensions Year 3 Titles

It has been almost a year since the canceled LEGO Dimensions theme was upon us. This sad end for a beloved theme was officially announced by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Many forces were at play during this time which left the once booming toys-to-life genre eventually helpless against the tide of low consumer demand. The final wave of LEGO Dimensions sets, dubbed as Year 2 or Wave 9 titles, consists mainly of characters coming from Teen Titans GO!, the Powerpuff Girls, and the 80s comedy-horror icon, Beetlejuice. With the unfortunate cancellation and end of development for LEGO Dimensions, it now seems that any future sets that were rumored to be part of a Year 3 series are now eventually canned.

Is the Canceled LEGO Dimensions Theme Bound to Happen?

It was common knowledge among game developers and those who were closely working on developing future LEGO Dimensions packs, that the LEGO Group had already planned things, with projects that were actually in the middle of development before the unpopular decision from the LEGO Group came out.

Without the intention of showing disrespect to game developers or insensitivity towards the LEGO Dimensions community in general, toys-to-life authority, Bricks to Life, came up with a report that summarizes every intel that it gathered on what this canceled LEGO Dimensions Year 3 titles could have been. It is noteworthy to mention that the LEGO Group is not to be entirely blamed for the demise of this beloved theme. In general, it seems that the trend for the toys-to-life genre has now become a fad, suffering from a very steep downward spiral of interest from video gamers and collectors.

Again, we don’t intend to show any disrespect whatsoever, but as Bricks to Life puts it, “…this is now nothing more than preserving history”. This rumor is speculative at its best, but as the report goes, is a result of a thorough collection of lists of franchises and properties coming from a whole assortment of sources: “bits of leftover code, secured LEGO licensing rights, plus bread crumb clues from people who worked on the game.”

True that LEGO is suspiciously quiet on this one, but with a bit of brick detective work, Bricks to Life managed to gather as much info on what could be a highly likely wave of what-could-have-been collection of canceled LEGO Dimensions sets.

016141 — The canceled LEGO Dimension theme has plenty of potential. And it is even more disheartening to consider that we will never get to see a ton of new characters that is suppose to receive the same treatment.

We will roughly categorize this into four types, based on the target audience that these rumored sets could have intended. Remember: please take this list of supposedly canceled LEGO Dimensions Year 3 titles as plainly as it is, a rumor. Unless the LEGO Group confirms this, then please take this with a grain of salt.

Canceled LEGO Dimensions Themes – Modern Cartoons Targeting A Younger Audience

Despicable Me

Captain Underpants

How To Train Your Dragon

Shrek

The Croods

The Smurfs

Canceled LEGO Dimensions Themes – Big Blockbuster Releases

Avatar

Pirates of the Caribbean

King Kong

Godzilla

Canceled LEGO Dimensions Themes – Video Game Mashups

Minecraft

Angry Birds

Megaman

Canceled LEGO Dimensions Themes – Classic Characters Appealing to Adult Fans of LEGO

Universal Monsters (Werewolf, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.)

Thunderbirds

Looney Tunes

Tom and Jerry

Tin Tin

Final Thoughts

So what are your thoughts about this rumored list of cancelled LEGO Dimensions Year 3 titles? Do you think there could be some truth in them? We would like to hear your take on this, especially if you’re a LEGO Dimension fan. Just hit the comment button below and join in the conversation.

Stay Away From These Fake LEGO Shopping Websites

As we count the weeks before the holiday shopping season begins, it’s imperative that we veer away from any fake LEGO shopping websites that have popped up here and there.

Be Wary of Fake LEGO Shopping Websites

Most of us have already begun preparing our Christmas wish list (and bracing our wallets in the process), for that very special LEGO set that we’ve been eyeing for so long. We naturally love LEGO, and because we know that our LEGO collection is varied only as far as our budget will allow us, it is only normal that we take advantage of any promotions or discounts that either LEGO (through Double or Triple LEGO VIP points) or other legitimate online selling platforms such as Amazon are offering.

However, this also means that unscrupulous individuals will also be equally aggressive in trying to scam you for your hard-earned cash, and they will do so by ingenious means. Such as the case of these fake LEGO shopping websites that were brought to our attention by concerned LEGO community member Hoth Bricks.

According to their report, there are now a handful of fake LEGO shopping websites that actively seek to deceive LEGO fans into buying from their site. Their site is even made to look very much the same as that of shop.LEGO.com, with its layout and design closely resembling the real thing. Take a look at this screenshot from legovipclub.com (I will not share its link here, sorry).

It’s quite amazing and blatantly shameless of these websites how they managed to copy the look and feel of the real LEGO.com site. From the layout, down to the choice of fonts, everything about these sites simply reeks of deception.

The tell-tale sign of this deception is not so much on how they cleverly mimicked the real LEGO.com site, but rather on how they entice unsuspecting LEGO fans (especially those who are new to the hobby) to “buy” from their site because of the enticingly low prices.

This site offers outrageously low prices that will make you spill your coffee out of excitement. However, as other LEGO fans will attest, some of their orders (and after paying in the process) never arrived on their doorsteps. Worse, even if a particular set does arrive, what they eventually received was a fake, Lepin set – this is raw, shameless, marketing deception at the highest levels.

Online, they peddle their items as genuine LEGO sets complete with lifted official images and product descriptions, and will even advertise on social media sites like Facebook just to land a sale.

01 fake lego website — Another example of a fake LEGO shopping website. Legoca.com also follows a very similar page design like that of legovipclub.com. Such stark similarities may suggest that there is only one group behind this fraud.

Fake LEGO Shopping Websites Are Just Dime a Dozen

Other than the legovipclub, other fake LEGO shopping websites to watch out for are legoeu.com, legoengland.com, and legoca.com. The general rule of thumb is, if the advert or offer is too good to be true then it is exactly what is: a dubious scam that you better avoid. Remember to shop only at legitimate sites like shop.LEGO.com and Amazon. Yes, authentic LEGO sets may be hard on the wallet, but an excellent and well-made toy that will last for a lifetime is without a doubt, a worthy investment.

Thanks once again to Hoth Bricks for alerting us about these fake LEGO shopping websites. Be safe and stay tuned here on the Brick Show for more LEGO news and updates.

LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Fire Station (10263) Finally Confirmed

Sometimes you can’t help but wonder if LEGO purposely reveals details of a set to one of its national markets alone, leaving other countries to pick up on it themselves before they make an official announcement later. How many times already did we learn about new sets because of a store flyer or product sighting anywhere from Europe to Korea? As August came to an end, we were treated to teaser details for this year’s LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village. The red telephone close-up hints at an emergency response office. Good guess! A LEGO store flyer from Italy now confirms that this year’s winter village D2C set is the LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Fire Station (10263)

According to the flyer, 2018 will see us getting the LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Fire Station (10263). Well, just because a village is covered in snow doesn’t mean fires won’t break out. This upcoming set is a realistic addition for an ever-expanding brick-built village.

Now that we know the set’s name, all that’s left is the eventual reveal scheduled to be on September 9, with its availability slated by October 1. As you can tell from the numbering too, this comes right after the LEGO Creator Expert Aston Martin DB5 (10262). The Winter Village Fire station joins the ranks of previous holiday-themed, advanced models sets such as last year’s Winter Village Station (10259), Winter Village Market (10235), Santa’s Workshop (10245), Winter Toy Shop (10249), and the Winter Holiday Train (10254).

Thanks also to Italian LEGO news site Mattonito for sharing this tidbit to the world.

LEGO’s Profits Recovering in 2018 – Thanks to Technic and Other Best-Selling Themes

To those who have an eye on the business side of LEGO, they would be aware that, in spite the veritable non-stop flood of new sets and whatnot, the company has been a bit worried about their financial standing last year. It didn’t help either that one of the brand’s biggest retail partners, Toys R Us, has since closed its doors. But if we know anything about how LEGO runs as a business, it’s that they’re quick to realize where they have problems. By pegging their enterprise as having “grown complicated”, and taking steps to simplify things again, LEGO’s profits began turning around for the better in 2018.

Notwithstanding the loss of Toys R Us, LEGO has been able to report a rise in consumer sales for the earlier half of this year amidst flat rates in the company’s revenues. In spite of last year’s market uncertainties, LEGO’s profit gained some considerable traction and improvement even if the desired growth targets were still far from the vaunted growth of 25% in 2015.

LEGO prides itself on always bringing something new; the fact that 60% percent of their total product output in a year being new sets and minifigures. At present, sets from their Ninjago, Creator and Technic lines like the recent Bugatti Chiron (42083) are the hottest contributors to the rise in customer sales that the company has reported for 2018.

Western Europe and China have been noted as being the source of the increase in LEGO’s profits. CEO Niels B. Christiansen remarks his satisfaction at the stabilized growth of the old but constantly evolving brand, adding about China, “The Chinese appreciate and emphasize that children learn something when they play … There is a really nice fit between China and Lego.”

Source: Reuters

LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) Official Product Description Released

Just as August was drawing to a close we finally had visual confirmation on one thing: LEGO does have an upcoming brick-built figure set for the newest breakout alien creature from the Star Wars saga, the Porg from The Last Jedi. Ever since LEGO advertised the film by putting LEGO Porg statues in London last year, it was well-known. Leaks about the LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) set have been popping up in Europe since June, but it was only days ago when we saw the box design and learned the October release date. Now we have a full product description.

The official info for the LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) set was spotted by Star Wars news source Rebelscum, from a product listing on Wal-Mart. The blurb goes:

Own an unmistakable character from Star Wars: The Last Jedi with this LEGO Star Wars 75230 Porg! This faithfully detailed Star Wars toy includes intricate feather detailing, authentic colors and an opening mouth and flapping wings when you press the tail. The set also comes with a display stand with decorative fact plaque and extra porg mini build, to form the perfect centerpiece for your LEGO collection.

Features authentic detailing, an opening mouth and flapping wings.

Also includes a display stand with decorative fact plaque and an extra porg mini build.

Porg without stand stands over 7 (19cm) high.

Display stand measures approx. 2 (6cm) high and 1 (3cm) deep, and over 4 (11cm) wide.

Relive fun porg adventures from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

That’s right: the set includes a full-sized Porg, plus a data plaque for the creature on a stand, decorated with a mini-built Porg. Fans of the big-mouthed critter need only wait until October 8 to get their hands on this fountain of memes, at only $69.99 too.