The Brick Show | Page 58 of 489 | LEGO News & Happenings

LEGO Starts Listing Advent Calendars for 2022: Friends, City, Harry Potter, Star Wars

August is as good a month as any to start hyping Holiday seasonal products. LEGO certainly thinks so, with the first previews of their seasonal sets starting this week. The holiday sets for 2022 are rather adorable, especially the polar bears. But they’re just the tip of the iceberg, and there’s a particular LEGO product line in the spotlight. Advent calendars? Longtime LEGO collectors will always look forward to new minifigures and trinkets to have with these sets. This year’s editions are shaping up to expectations, if The Brick Fan’s reports on each are any indication. LEGO’s already got them listed on their online Shop, so let’s check them out.

LEGO Friends Advent Calendar (41706)

Age 6+ |312 pieces | 4 minidolls | $34.99 |Coming September 1

Construct and play Advent Calendar – Build the excitement to Christmas with the LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar (41706), containing buildable characters, activities and accessories

Packed with play for kids – Comes with 3 LEGO® Friends characters, Santa and a reindeer, a sleigh piled with Christmas presents, plus fun Christmas activities

Kids join Olivia’s fun family Christmas – Kids tour the fun stalls of the market with Olivia, enjoying all the fun Christmas activities before visiting Santa and his reindeer

LEGO City Advent Calendar (60352)

Age 5+ | 287 pieces | 6 minifigures | $34.99 | Coming September 1

Packed with festive fun – Kids aged 5 and up can enjoy imaginative play as they count down to the big day with the 2022 LEGO® City Advent Calendar (60352)

Featuring 5 LEGO® City Adventures TV series characters – Minifigures include LEGO City TV characters Billy, Maddy, Mr. Produce, Tippy and Raze, plus a Santa minifigure

Fun playmat – Kids can fold down the back of the calendar to set the scene for imaginative adventures in a winter wonderland

Star Wars Advent Calendar (75340)

Age 6+ | 329 pieces | 6 minifigures | $44.99 | Coming September 1

2022 LEGO® Star Wars™ Advent Calendar (75340) – Build festive spirit during the Christmas holidays with this Advent calendar, featuring Star Wars characters, mini build toy vehicles and accessories

8 LEGO® Star Wars™ characters – C-3PO and R2-D2 in festive outfits, Darth Vader in a summer outfit, plus Luke Skywalker, a Clone Trooper Commander, Snowtrooper, Battle Droid and a Gonk Droid

10 mini build vehicles – Republic Gunship, Droid Trifighter, ARC-170 Starfighter, Bad Batch Shuttle, Luke’s Landspeeder, T-16 Skyhopper, V-35 Landspeeder, B-wing, TIE Interceptor and Hoth AT-ST

6 other mini builds – Moisture vaporator, a beach scene, ammo rack, Hoth defense turret, Hoth laser cannon and a Wampa cave

Harry Potter Advent Calendar (76404)

Age 7+ | 334 pieces | 7 minifigures | $44.99 | Coming September 1

A magical buildup to Christmas – Behind every door of the LEGO® Harry Potter™ Advent Calendar (76404) is a surprise toy from the Harry Potter movies

Includes 7 minifigures – Harry Potter™, Sirius Black™, Moaning Myrtle™, Lord Voldemort™, Horace Slughorn, Nymphadora Tonks™ and Neville Longbottom™, plus iconic items from the Harry Potter movies

Movie scenes to build – Toys from the first 3 days make a scene from the first movie, the next 3 days make a scene from the second movie, etc. Kids can also conjure up endless adventures of their own

LEGO VIP Offers Pirates and Treasures (40515) Polybag as GWP

It’s been years since the last prominent instance of pirate-themed AV media, in film, TV series or videogames. The same goes perhaps for LEGO, with the Pirates of Barracuda Bay (21322) Ideas set launching last 2020. But does this mean that pirates have lost its luster in popular imagination, much less LEGO building? Probably not if this new gift with purchase from LEGO is any indication. True, it’s only a polybag and also a VIP member exclusive. But its contents could enhance a LEGO collector’s pirate-themed building time. As Stone Wars has it, here’s LEGO VIP’s latest GWP giveaway promo.

The Pirates and Treasure VIP Add-On Pack (40515) is exactly what it says on the polybag. It’s a massive pile of pirate accessories and accouterments. Add these to any brick-built project to give it an undeniable pirate-y flair. From Jolly Rogers to tricorne hats, treasure chests to minifig skeletons, cannons to sharks, this pack’s got it all. And it can be had by VIP members for LEGO purchases of at least $50. The promo runs until September 30 or supplies of VIP Add-On Pack 40515 last. So Arrrrrh, what’re ye VIP Cap’ns still waitin’ for?

JB Spielwaren Reveals Upcoming LEGO Marvel Buildable Figures of Spider-Man and More

In late 2021, when LEGO was beginning to tease its upcoming 2022 sets, their Marvel line had a surprise entry. The Infinity Saga Iron Man figure (76206) stood out quite nicely. After all, it contrasted the cartoony Mech Armor sets that were simultaneously revealed with it. The brick construction made LEGO Iron Man fully poseable. Not to mention being battery-powered so his Arc Reactor can light up. As the year passed it felt like 76206 might be the only release of its sort for 2022. Then Brickset caught wind of new similar sets being listed on a German online retailer.

We’ve encountered JB Spielwaren before on The Brick Show. When they showcase upcoming LEGO sets before LEGO does, they really grab attention. There are more LEGO Marvel buildable figures on the way, and this time they’re of a Spidey variety. That’s right; Spider-Man and Friends (well, a friend and frenemy) are getting the Iron Man (76206) treatment. Check out these dynamic figures. They’re perfect for rendering in LEGO’s buildable-figure system.

Miles Morales (76225)

Spider-Man (76226)

Venom (76230)

These LEGO Marvel Spider-Man figures look to be releasing in time to celebrate Spider-Man’s 60^th Anniversary. Yep, our Friendly Neighborhood wall-crawler’s been protecting Marvel Comics New York for six decades. Marvel itself is hyping that milestone with the theme “Beyond Amazing”. And it shows in these LEGO tie-ins; they’re amazing like the comic-book legend they’re based on. Anyway, JB Spielwaren pegs these sets to release September. Now we wait for LEGO to confirm and show their product listings.

LEGO Galaxy Explorer 10497 – Free Alternate Building Instructions at LEGO.com

The 90^th anniversary of LEGO brought with it a series of brick-sets evoking popular themes from its decades-spanning past. The medieval aesthetics of Lion Knights Castle (10305) throws back to LEGO Castles. The blocky contours of Galaxy Explorer (10497) hearken back to the simple builds of old-school LEGO Space. Even the iconic LEGO spaceman minifigs are at the controls. By now Galaxy Explorer is fully available following its August 1 launch. Longtime LEGO builders or more recent fans by way of the “LEGO Movies” would certainly snap this up. And would you believe it; LEGO can make the experience better.

Brick Fanatics shares with us this neat extra treat or two, courtesy of LEGO, for the Galaxy Explorer set (10497). The Building Instructions portal at LEGO.com features two official alternative builds for the already cool-retro brick-built space vehicle. The alternates turn Galaxy Explorer into close approximations of two oldie LEGO Space sets. With the instructions you can turn the Explorer into a Space Cruiser (924) or Spaceship (918). These alternates slim down the Explorer and also swaps the cockpit between two-seater or solo. Only the pieces from Galaxy Explorer (10497) are needed to recreate 918 or 924, which is brilliant.

Both alternate building instructions for the Galaxy Explorer can be downloaded at LEGO.com free. We’ve already linked them to the names above. Of course, you need to have purchased the actual set 10497 to make use of these PDFs. That’s pretty much the point.

LEGO Marvel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Sets Now Listed Online

Marvel Studios had a heck of a challenge producing a sequel to “Black Panther” following lead star Chadwick Boseman’s death. Judging from the first trailer to “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” shown in SDCC 2022, they show great promise. And just as promising are the merchandise tying into this upcoming MCU blockbuster. LEGO as expected is not slouching on their tie-in sets. We got a glimpse of them from the LEGO.com Building Instructions page. Now, the LEGO.com Shop has got the official product listings up according to The Brick Fan, so let’s have a look now.

Shuri’s Sunbird (76211)

Age 8+ | 355 pieces | 4 minifigures | $49.99 | Coming October 1

Wakanda forever! – Put the LEGO® Marvel Shuri’s Sunbird (76211) into the hands of a Black Panther fan and take their imagination to Wakanda and far beyond

4 characters – Includes Shuri, Ironheart MK1, Nakia and Attuma minifigures, plus a spear, fighting rings and jetpack. The buildable Sunbird includes 2 stud shooters, rotatable engines and foldable wings

Shuri’s Lab (76212)

Age 4+ | 58 pieces | 2 minifigures | $9.99 | Coming October 1

Made for kids aged 4+ – LEGO® Marvel Shuri’s Lab (76212) features fun activities and imaginative play possibilities with Black Panther and Shuri

Super-Hero characters – Includes Shuri and Black Panther minifigures, a disc shooter, accessories and a Starter Brick to make the building quicker so there’s more time to play

King Namor’s Throne Room (76213)

Age 7+ | 355 pieces | 3 minifigures | $34.99 | Coming October 1

Black Panther submarine – LEGO® Marvel King Namor’s Throne Room (76213) takes Black Panther fans’ imaginations on an underwater adventure

Marvel characters – Includes Shuri, Attuma and King Namor minifigures. The buildable submarine and throne room also includes seaweed and fish accessories

And yes, we pegged the launch period down pat for October. Wakanda Forever!

PeterKeith’s Medieval Watchtower Gets 10K Support for LEGO Ideas Review

While no longer a headlining theme for LEGO, medieval knights and castles remain a definitive look for the brand. No surprise then that a castle numbers among the 90^th Anniversary sets coming out this year. The Icons Lion Knights Castle (10305) certainly looks impressive since its official reveal at LEGO Con 2022. Nostalgic LEGO builders must be waiting for its official launch next week, August 8. While not deliberate, LEGO Ideas Review stages also abound with castles and medieval buildings. Any lucky submission could one day join Lion Knights Castle to make a medieval LEGO setting. Just like this one.

Ideas member PeterKeith presents us a product idea that would look good next to Lion Knights Castle (10305). Of course, it still needs to pass review. But at least it already accumulated the needed 10-K supporters to join the Second 2022 Review Stage.

Medieval Watchtower looks like a LEGO-building study on space conservation. How compact can you make the building and still provide enough room for minifigures? A knight (and his horse) plus three tower guardsmen can certainly make themselves at home here.

The watchtower boasts a stable, armory, living quarters and a ladder to the ramparts. There’s even a storage shelf under the sloping roof. Now that’s some detail.

Given the number of thematically-similar castle/medieval submissions on LEGO Ideas, maybe LEGO could try to review the Castle theme. A limited run to test the waters might not hurt. The Ideas Lion Knights Castle (10305) could make a good start. In the meantime, we wish PeterKeith luck with his submission on LEGO Ideas Second 2022 Review. He’ll need it too with the massive playing field already in place right here.

LEGO Seasonal Sets of 2022 Now Listed

We’re now on the second month of the second half of year 2022. From a normal point of view there’s still quite a lot of the year left. But for LEGO, the Holiday season is more like a stone’s throw away. So, there’s no better time than now to begin hyping up what they’ve got in store for 2022’s seasonal sets. Besides, these seasonal sets are launching before December anyway. Promobricks gives us the lowdown on these LEGO holiday offerings. Interestingly, their European release is right next month, while the US will have to wait until October. Anyway, let’s look at their official product listings:

Wintertime Polar Bears (40571)

Age 9+ | 312 pieces | $12.99 | Coming September 1 (Europe) and October 1 (US)

Celebrate the holiday season with this adorable LEGO® Wintertime Polar Bears (40571) model set. The baby polar bear is having fun on a sleigh, while the adult polar bear watches on proudly. See the polar bears turn when you rotate the base of the model. The set also includes a Christmas tree to complete an enchanting display piece.

Penguin & Snowflake (40572)

Age 7+ | 139 pieces | $9.99 | Coming September 1 (Europe) and October 1 (US)

Celebrate the holiday season with these sweet Christmas decorations. The buildable penguin and snowflake come with string so you can easily hang them on your Christmas tree – or anywhere around the home. This set makes a great gift idea for kids aged 7 and up, or a treat for anyone who loves the Christmas season or unusual decorations.

Christmas Tree (40573)

Age 12+ | 784 | $44.99 | Coming September 1 (Europe) and October 1 (US)

Create an eye-catching festive display with this beautiful LEGO® Christmas Tree (40573) building kit. The colorful tree is adorned with ornaments and candles and sits on a decorative mat. Add the yellow star to the top for the perfect finishing touch. With this 2-in-1 model, you can choose to build 1 tree or 2 smaller trees.

And these are just the LEGO-original seasonal sets. As for the licensed IPs? Stay tuned.

Our List: August 1 LEGO Set Launches

The start of a new month usually means one thing on a LEGO news site. It’s LEGO set launch recap time! We’ve covered a wide selection of sets coming out this August 1 and it’s time to take a look back. You surely won’t be lacking in choices with these:

Duplo

Icons

Marvel

Sanctum Sanctorum (76218)

Minecraft

Star Wars

Super Mario

All items above were featured by us here on The Brick Show. And there are still more LEGO sets coming out later this month. We’ll do further mini-recaps of these when the right time comes.

GWP: LEGO DOTS Pencil Holder (40561) Listed

LEGO DOTS isn’t exactly one of the first themes to come up in terms of name power and popularity. It’s still got a good following all the same. Buildable and customizable accessories rock. So, if you fancy LEGO DOTS then this product listing on LEGO Shop might be for you. Even better, you don’t have to pay for it directly since it’s listed as free (price notwithstanding). On LEGO shorthand that means a gift-with-purchase, if Brick Fanatics which found it has it right. We’re not sure what product/s you might need to buy to get it, but here it is.

If you like a LEGO look for your study table, check out this DOTS Pencil Holder (40561). With 476 pieces one can assemble a pencil-shaped bin for your writing tools. The fun part involves designing the holder’s face with DOTS tile-pieces. It’s quite the enjoyable functional LEGO set for just $14.99 if available for conventional purchase. But it’s a GWP, so we’ll just wait until LEGO gives us the promo details, which shouldn’t take long.

Target Offers LEGO VIP Points on Store-Bought Sets

While LEGO products are available in most major toy outlets, there are advantages to buying direct from LEGO. Be it from LEGO.com Shop or LEGO Stores, buyers can get an advantage by joining LEGO’s VIP program. Why pass on a chance for extra freebies and offers, and saving VIP points for future purchases? Of course, that’s the deal only when you purchase your sets from LEGO Stores and LEGO online. But what if your LEGO VIP membership can earn points even when buying somewhere else? Over the weekend a retail brand’s been getting attention after news that they’ve made VIP points available at their stores.

The Brick Fan reports that LEGO VIP points can be earned at Target Stores for an extended yet still-limited time. Those holding VIP membership can earn a point for every dollar spent buying a LEGO set from Target. Well, that’s the simplified version. The updated Target webpage explains the whole deal. To avail of this offer, one need to be a LEGO VIP for starters. They must take a photo of their Target receipt (with a LEGO purchase). Then they can upload it on the LEGO.com VIP members page. Every LEGO bought at Target with receipt can be uploaded at the VIP Page for points.

Now we said the Target VIP points are limited. Short-term, it means LEGO shoppers at Target can only accumulate 1,000 points max in a calendar month. They can still earn more buying from LEGO Stores. Long-term, the Target VIP point period lasts only until January 31 next year. That’s about six months availability. Too bad the arrangement’s not permanent. But for LEGO VIPs any other place to earn points is welcome, however brief it is.