With San Diego Comic-Con just around the corner, various companies are unveiling their con exclusives. LEGO, my particular poison, has just revealed their own. And there are some good ones. 

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

All New Captain American Minifigure (Sam Wilson)

Marvel’s Falcon as Captain America is transformed into a LEGO minifigure that will be given away to select Comic-Con attendees. 

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

Throne of Ultron

This ultimate collectors set for fans of the blockbuster hit “Avengers: Age of Ultron” will only be available for sale at San Diego Comic-Con next month; features the Ultron character in LEGO minifigure form. 203 pieces, $39.99

LEGO Star Wars

Dagobah Mini-build

An iconic planet from the Star Wars films “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” in one of the most pivotal scenes is recreated in LEGO bricks; available for sale only at San Diego Comic-Con. 177 pieces, $29.99

75114 LEGO Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper

Buildable Figure

The new version of the Storm Trooper from the much-anticipated Episode VII will be represented as a LEGO Star Wars Buildable Figure available for sale in January 2016. 81 pieces, $19.99, January 2016.

None of these is as outrageous as some other exclusives, like making Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, or Hal Jordan exclusives only that now go for hundreds of dollars on the after-market. But for fans of the Sam Wilson Captain America (currently in the comics, and probably coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe someday), it sucks to have it only available to select attendees. The other sets would be buildable for most LEGO fans using online instructions, and with other Ultron sets on store shelves now, you’re not missing much in the way of a true exclusive. Still. They look nice–the Dagobah set is especially well-designed. That microscale look has been big (okay, small) in the fan community for a while, and seeing LEGO use that in official sets is exciting. Hopefully we’ll see more of that in the future. 

We’ve known this was coming for a few months now, and here we have our first look at the LEGO Ideas “Big Bang Theory” playset. 

The official product description:

Indulge your inner genius and build this LEGO® version of Leonard and Sheldon’s living room as seen in the hit American sitcom The Big Bang Theory! This set was created by two LEGO fan designers-Alatariel from Sweden and Glen Bricker from the USA-and selected by LEGO Ideas members. Featuring loads of authentic details to satisfy all The Big Bang Theory devotees and including minifigures of all seven main characters from the show, it’s ideal for display or role-play fun. Includes 7 minifigures with assorted accessory elements: Leonard, Sheldon, Penny, Howard, Raj, Amy and Bernadette. 

The set will be available August 1st, at a $59.99 price point.  Which is a better price than I expected–I may be moving from the “I can pass this one up” camp into the “I’ll probably get this, but I won’t be proud of it.” camp. More pics of the minifigures and packaging:  

Whew. Made it through that whole thing without saying “Bazinga.”

Frick.

“LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom!” will be a new direct to video movie released on August 25th. The last several direct to video movies have built up the Justice League, now Lex Luthor is gathering villains to form the Legion of Doom. From the press release:

Crime is on the run as the newly formed Justice League keeps Metropolis safe and this makes evil genius Lex Luthor very unhappy. Together with Black Manta, Sinestro and a gang of ruthless recruits, Lex builds his own league and declares them the Legion of Doom. With this super powered team of terror and a plan to attack the top-secret government site, Area 52, can Lex finally be on the verge of victory? Sound the alarm and get ready for the bricks to fly when Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League face off against the world’s greatest Super-Villains! It’s the next all-new original movie from LEGO® and DC Comics!

…now that I look at it, it looks more like the Justice League is attacking the Legion of Doom. Poor Lex Luthor. Poor Gorilla Grodd. 

Like most of the LEGO direct to video releases, the DVD/blu-ray versions will include an exclusive minifigure; this time the Trickster, a member of the Flash’s rogues gallery. He’s the character played by Mark Hamill on both the 1990 “The Flash” and the current series, and he’s voicing the Trickster in this feature as well. This makes him one of only a few actors to have been immortalized as three different characters as a LEGO minifigure — Luke Skywalker, the Joker, and Trickster. Other members include Chris Pratt and Alfred Molina. But I digress. 

These little LEGO movies are consistently funny, with enough adventure for true superheroics, but safer for kids than DC’s standard direct to video fare. With no version of the Justice League on tv in animation, or in the theaters, this is the way to get your fix. And a keen Trickster minifigure. 

That’s the trailer — see you on August 25th! 

Brickslopes: LEGO Fan Event

Friday, May 15 3:00 – 8:00 PM (last entry tickets sold 7:00 PM)

Saturday, May 16 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (last entry tickets sold 7:00 PM)

Adult (ages 8 and up) $7.00

Child (ages 3 – 7) $1.00

2 and under free

South Towne Expo Center

9575 South State Street

Sandy, UT 84070

Tickets available online: www.brickslopes.com 

This weekend is the second year for Utah’s own LEGO convention, Brickslopes. The “LEGO Fan Event” is one that I’ve been a part of both years as an exhibitor, and while last year I was a little nervous, a little skeptical, this year I’m all in. I hadn’t ever been to a LEGO “con” in other states, so going to Utah’s first one was an experiment. I’ve exhibited with the Utah LEGO Users Group for a few years now, at local train shows, at movie openings and smaller events, but also at Salt Lake Comic Con, Fan-X, and Salt Lake’s New Year’s Eve celebration. I had seen what the combined efforts of a group of nerds could do…but how would Brickslopes be different?

There are three big draws for adults or families to attend Brickslopes. For me (and for most, probably) the most impressive part is the LEGO builds on display. Not just assembled kits, but creative, often massive builds that are labors of love (and obsession) for the people who build them. You’ve seen The LEGO Movie? Will Ferrell’s basement? You’ve got a lot of guys like that who are bringing their best work. So last year there were things like a seven foot tall Orthanc Tower from “Lord of the Rings,” and an enormous SHIELD Helicarrier from “The Avengers.” There are also smaller, but beautifully detailed projects. There are sculptures and mosaics and jewelry and custom-made minifigures and castles and real-world architecture and spaceship and…well, pretty much everything you can imagine. I’ve been to LEGOLAND (twice), and this has a lot of that vibe going on.  

Last year’s group project was an attempt to bring every Star Wars LEGO set ever created to one place. I think they got everything but about five sets. It was incredible. This year there are two community builds that I know of — one a “moonbase” that has dozens of people each bringing several modules that then connect to form an enormous continuous space station; the other is a “Micropolis,” with builders bringing modules on a smaller-than-minifigure scale to create a sprawling (but tiny) city. It’s pretty frigging cute. I mean, awesome. The modules each have certain standard ports and streets, so they can be interconnected in any configuration, so you end up with different builders and styles spread out across the entire project…it’s something I’ve seen, but this is the first year I’ve participated in it. 

Aside from the LEGO projects on display, which will be impressive enough, there’s also a large play yard (bigger than last year) filled with hundreds of thousands of LEGO bricks and plates and wings and wheels and pieces, so that kids (and adults)(but don’t steal pieces from kids)(unless it’s that piece you really really need)(yeah, I’ve done it) can build whatever they want, as big as they want. Parents might want to pull up a chair, because your kid will want to stay in there for hours. 

The other fun thing is the vendors that are there. Last year I wasn’t adequately prepared for all of the things I wanted to buy. Purveyors of custom minifigure pieces, including military and historic pieces, custom designed decals, weapons, military vehicles, new and retired LEGO kits, t-shirts…it’s a whole lot of LEGO, and it looks like they’ve got twice the number of vendors this year. I’m going to be broke. Broke-er. If you, or your kid, is a LEGO fan, you’ll want to bring some extra money for the vendors. You really will. And I’m sorry. 

Aside from all of the public events, there are also events for AFOLs — “Adult Fans Of LEGO.” People like me. The people with the LEGO basements and garages and secret Batcaves behind a hidden passage bookshelf and oh my gosh I don’t have that but that would be sweet. Uh, AFOLs who pay to register their models and modules and their stuff get to participate in special games and contests, there are speakers and a keynote address and a dinner and–it’s an actual convention. For AFOLs. It’s kinda late to register at this point, but it was a lot of fun last year. And this year will be even bigger. 

Overall, Brickslopes 2015 looks like it will be bigger, and better, and more fun, than last year’s event. Which was a bigger success than the show organizers expected. Utah’s got a lot of geeks, a lot of LEGO fans, and a lot of kids, and those things are combining to create a great fan experience. Come on down and see what fans of the brick have done. 

It looks like everything will continue to be awesome, with this new “brickumentary” look at the LEGO phenomenon. Directed by Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge, and written by Davis Coombe, it will be premiering July 31, 2015.  

Or, you know, come by my house. It’s pretty much the same thing. 

If you have a LEGO addiction like I do, you’re probably knee-deep in the Avengers: Age of Ultron sets right now. That Hulkbuster? The many Ultron drones? Maybe even Avengers Tower? They’re all beautiful and you should get them. That said, there’s more LEGOey goodness just around the corner. May 1st has “The Simpsons” Kwik-E Mart and Series 2 Minifigures, and later in the summer we’ll be seeing these superhero and Star Wars sets hitting the shelves:

LEGO DC Super Heroes The Batboat Harbor Pursuit 

There’s another Batman sea vehicle still on store shelves, but it’s a submarine that comes with Aquaman and Black Manta. I like the twin-hulled design of this one, and it comes with the first Deathstroke/Slade Wilson minifigure LEGO has made. If you don’t already have a Batboat, this is a good buy, coming with both Batman and Robin, along with a pretty sweet villain. 

LEGO DC Super Heroes Jokerland

This is the kind of thing that would have been the centerpiece of my Christmas when I was a pup. I don’t know how many abandoned amusement parks there are in Gotham City, but it seems like they’re always around. This one has been rebranded as Jokerland, and has a Joker’s funhouse (with a slide into a vat of acid), Penguin’s Rubber Duck Ferris Wheel, Harley Quinn riding a motorcycle on a tightrope, Poison Ivy with a Venus Flytrap, and a big circus cannon. Oh yeah, and a pretty sweet Batmobile. Along with the villains, it comes with Batman, Robin, and the Teen Titans’ Beast Boy and Starfire. It’s kind of like the big Batcave sets that LEGO puts out every two years or so, but you know. Evil. Considering Cyborg is currently available in a Justice League set, the only one of the “big five” Teen Titans that hasn’t been made yet is Raven. I’d like to see her at some point. They’ll have to package her in with Batman like they do everyone else, but I’d still like her. Freaky little goth girl. 

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Carnage’s SHIELD Sky Attack

Most of the current Marvel LEGO sets are dedicated to the Avengers, although there are still some Guardians of the Galaxy sets out there. This is a token Spider-Man set, but it’s a pretty good one. We get our first Carnage minifigure, and another SHIELD agent (can never have too many) and an Ultimate Spider-Man variant. Considering this will be a pretty cheap set, not too shabby. 

LEGO Star Wars Flash Speeder

Fresh from “The Phantom Menace,” we’ve got a Naboo Flash Speeder, with Captains Panaka and Tarpals, a few battle droids and a Naboo Security Force dude. The speeder itself is a sleek design, and looks “swooshable” enough for kids or adults. 

LEGO Star Wars Naboo Starfighter

This is an “evergreen” vehicle that’s been available several times since 1999, and this isn’t one of the stronger models. But it’s been a while since it’s been available, so if you’re into the yellow and/or shiny, this is good. Comes with lil’ Anakin, a Naboo Pilot, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2 and three battle droids. 

LEGO Star Wars Death Star Final Duel

This one Daddy like. An iconic setting for the final confrontation between Emperor Palpatine, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, this also throws in two of the Emperor’s Royal Guards. I love the stairs, the round windows, the beautifully shaped throne, and a “bottomless pit” to throw Emperor Palpatine down into. Ghostly scream and energy vortex not included. Seriously, this thing is beautiful, and I’ll be buying it. 

There’s plenty of other new LEGO coming this summer, including Ninjago, Friends, City, Technic, Elves, Creator, and Ultra Agents themes. I figure the Star Wars and superhero themes are of most interest to the Big Shiny Robot readers. 

Last year, LEGO received a scathing letter from Charlotte, a seven year-old girl. The gist was “Hey LEGO, why aren’t there more girls in LEGO sets?” The letter went viral, and something that parents may have been noticing for years became a public issue. I’m a defender of LEGO, but the critics have a point. Up until about four years, ago, the ratio of female to male minifigures was 1:14. That has improved somewhat, but there’s still an obvious discrepancy.

Well before LEGO received Charlotte’s letter, LEGO was making products in an effort to “reach girls.” The most noticeable one, and the one that some see as offensive, is the LEGO Friends line of building sets. Instead of traditional LEGO minifigures, the Friends are “minidolls,” more slender than minifigures, with more expressive faces, more detailed hairpieces, more accessories. The color scheme is different, with more purples and pinks, more azure and gold instead of blue and yellow. Critics don’t like that the minidolls are a different shape, they don’t like that they Friends sets include things like hair salons and bakeries. They overlook the complexity of the building sets (some brilliantly designed ones), the number of new pieces and new colors involved, and the sets that aren’t “girly” at all, like the Jungle Adventure theme from 2014. And the LEGO Friends line, introduced a few years ago, has catapulted to LEGO’s number three best-seller. 

LEGO Friends has been so successful, it’s spun off its own product lines–the Disney Princesses and LEGO Elves. The Princesses have included Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, Rapunzel and Merida. This last Christmas, they added Elsa and Anna, in an impressive ice castle. Some of these sets have been targeted towards younger children than the main LEGO Friends line, but there are still some great sets. Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage is an icon in itself, and Rapunzel’s Tower has more detail than most “regular” LEGO castles. 

The LEGO Elves are new in 2015, and have rich color schemes and a touch of “magic” that open up fantasy play possibilities. Where LEGO Friends focus on city life, the Elves line would fit into Middle Earth or Narnia. They’ve also got incredible new pieces, like scrolling lattices, plant pieces, and transparent bricks that we haven’t seen before. Essentially, LEGO isn’t skimping on the lines that have the minidolls, and it shows. Even though I’m a guy, and I’ve got two sons, we’ve bought several of these sets because they’re good. They’re some of the best product LEGO is making right now.

Of course, these “specialty” sets aren’t necessarily what Charlotte was writing about. There’s still that discrepancy in the traditional LEGO sets. Well, LEGO’s made progress on that front too. The popular and compulsively collectable Minifigures line (now in Series 13) has a ration of 5 female characters to 11 male, and have included female robots, monsters, and in the most recent set, a hunter and a paleontologist. Not all hairdressers, not all nurses. Breaking the mold to include women in non-traditional female roles. 

Even better, the 2015 Construction, Fire, and Police sets have female minifigures in nearly every set. This includes the smallest sets (and the ones most purchased for birthdays, holidays, impulse buys), and includes women as construction workers (with sledgehammers), firefighters, and police officers. Even more remarkable to me is that they’ve also started including them as criminals; a true sign of gender equity to me is that you can have female villains alongside male, not always putting them on a pedestal. Maybe that’s just me. 

One of the hottest products of 2014 was the “Research Institute,” a fan-pitched set of three female scientists: a chemist, an astronomer, and a paleontologist. They come with lab equipment, and the price point and the incredible design of the set made it a huge bestseller for LEGO. It’s not the “Lady Research Institute,” it’s just the Research Institute. Everyone is buying it. And it’s probably reaching the end of its run, so you should buy it too. I’m hoping there’s a followup set with three more scientists, because this has been one of my favorite sets in recent years.

This isn’t apologizing for LEGO’s past policies, and it’s not saying there isn’t progress to be made. But over the last five years, there has been extraordinary movement toward equity. And LEGO’s selling better than ever before. They’re currently the number one toy company in the world, and with these kind of changes and this kind of progress, hopefully they’ll continue. 

A little piece of LEGOLAND is making its way across the United States this year, and it’s currently in Utah. Murray’s Fashion Place is hosting the LEGO Americana Roadshow 2015. It’s a display of LEGO-built United States landmarks, including the United States Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, White House, Supreme Court, and about a dozen others. There are also about ten displays in glass cases that aren’t necessarily patriotic, but are a lot of fun. Cityscapes, ski slopes, moonbases — there’s enough going on to satisfy any kid, and most adults. 

The scale of the monuments is truly impressive. I’ve been to LEGOLAND California several times, and while the theme park certainly has more on display, this is worth the drive. Plus it’s free. The Washington Monument stands 15 feet tall, the White House more than twenty feet long (including the East and West Wings), and each structure has a placard explaining what the building is, some of its architectural history, and how long it took LEGO Master Builders to build the model. The intricate detail is also amazing, with building techniques that would put even Adult Fans Of LEGO to shame. Things like the pediment of the Supreme Court, the American flags circling the base of the Washington Monument, the flames on Liberty’s torch–it’s all amazing, and actually inspiring. My sons haven’t been to Washington DC yet, but they’ve tasted the grandeur of the nation’s capital here.

The LEGO Americana Roadshow is at Fashion Place in Murray, Utah through March 22, when it’s packing up its bricks (very carefully) and heading to the next stop.  Here’s the rest of the itinerary. If it’s coming to your town, make sure you check it out. 

April 11-26 Park Meadows (Lone Tree, CO)
May 23-June 7 Stonebriar Centre (Frisco, TX)
June 13-28 Mayfair Mall (Wauwatosa, WI)
July 4-19 Kenwood Towne Centre (Cincinnati, OH)
Aug 22-Sept 7 Riverchase Galleria (Birmingham, AL)
Sept 19-Oct 4 North Point Mall (Alpharetta, GA)
Oct 17-Nov 1 Christiana Mall (Newark, DE)

LEGO’s Springfield is expanding this May with another iconic location and another sixteen residents from “The Simpsons.” While rumored for about a year, and confirmed last fall, this is the first we’ve seen of the Kwik-E-Mart and the minifigures. 

The Kwik-E-Mart retails for $199.99, and while be available alongside the Simpsons House, also $199.99. While the convenience store looks great, with incredible detail inside, I’d rather have them reduce some of the size and detail and give us a smaller one at around a $100 price point. I don’t know if that’s because I’m cheap or broke, but either way, I don’t think I’ll be picking it up. And yet, look at the details! Comic books, newspapers, food, that one dude in the freezer — wow. 

The second series of The Simpsons Minfigures though — I’ll be buying every one. 

• Maggie with Santa’s Little Helper
• Bartman
• Sunday Best Marge
• Sunday Best Homer
• Sunday Best Lisa with Snowball
• Radioactive Boy
• Smithers
• Hans Moleman
• Comic Book Guy
• Edna Krabappel
• Groundskeeper Willie
• Martin Prince
• Professor Frink
• Dr. Hibbert
• Patty
• Selma

I love the character selection, but still wonder if we’ll ever see a Moe or Barney — I know, they’re all alcoholey, but if you looked at the violence and bad habits of the other characters in this series…come on. We can handle a drunk. I also prefer Jasper to Hans Moleman when it comes down to it, but I do like the series here. If there’s a Series 3, I already have a wishlist going. And if they worked in a handful of “Futurama” characters somehow, all the better.

The Minifigures will be blind-bagged again, but of all of the lines of characters LEGO has done, the Simpsons characters, with a distinctive mold for each character, are easiest to suss out. So if you want a dozen Groundskeeper Willies for some kind of bizarre diorama, you’ll be able to find them. 

That would be pretty cool, actually. 

These are in stores starting in May — get your fingers ready to fondle some packages! 

Brick Flicks: 60 Iconic Movie Scenes and Posters to Make from LEGO. (7 out of 10) Warren Elsmore, softcover, 160 pages, $18.99 2014. Barron’s. 

Warren Elsmore is a world-renowned name when it comes to the LEGO community. The UK-based artist was a fan favorite online for more than a decade before beginning a professional career working with the toys in 2012. His fame has grown with the publication of his first two books, “Brick City” and “Brick Wonders,” which both showcase his talent in building cities and structures of his own design, alongside world landmarks both ancient and modern. His third book is this one, “Brick Flicks: 60 Iconic Movie Scenes and Posters to Make from LEGO.” 

The 2014 book is a natural fit; there’s a big geeky crossover between those of us who love LEGO and those of us who are movie buffs. So I picked it up thinking it’d be a home run. I don’t think it was that home run I was looking for, but there were a lot of good plays. 

The movies are organized into four categories: Sci-Fi and Horror, Drama and Classics, Action and Adventure, and Comedy and Musicals. Each movie gets at least a two-page spread, with full-color photos of a scene (except for a few black and white movies, of course) from the movie, sometimes a movie poster. There’s a sidebar that includes the year the movie was made, the director and stars, and a brief synopsis of the plot. Most of them have a little bit of trivia about the movie, and it’s enough to make me want to see the movie again. Looking at the list of movies, there are only two I haven’t ever seen: “Death on the Nile” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” One of those feels I’m a little embarrassed about, the other I’m fine with. 

It’s a great list of movies, some truly classic, some cult classics, and some that are just so big that Elsmore couldn’t have left them out. But for someone so well-versed in LEGO, the builds are surprisingly uneven. The scene from Hitchcock’s “The Birds” is a group of black bird pieces perched on a serviceable but simple jungle gym, which is adequate. The “King Kong” has the ape perched on a great brick-built version of the Empire State Building, with biplanes and the rest of the New York skyline in the background. Love it. But then “Psycho” just has a close-up of a female minifigure, face in mid-scream. Of course, the shower scene is the most famous from that movie, but it doesn’t make a good LEGO illustration. If you’re going with “Psycho,” maybe have Bates Motel at the top of the stairs? Something that makes for a better picture.

There are others where the most famous image is just one person; Ursula Andress in the bikini from “Dr. No,” Audrey Hepburn with her cigarette holder from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”…they’re cute enough images in LEGO form, but they’re not enough to buy a book. My other issue with them is that the book’s subtitle leads you to believe that these are things that you, too could build out of LEGO, but in reality, most of the minifigures aren’t ones you’d just have lying around the house, or even ones you’d be able to purchase at the store — you’d need to go to the UK site Minifigs.me, and purchase them there, to the tune of about $20 each. They’re some great-looking customized minifigures, don’t get me wrong. But about halfway through the book, it just started feeling like a commercial for them. There are some fantastic things on their site, by the way, and it’s worth looking around. Like if I had $150 to drop on this “Firefly” set, I would. In fact, I might. But not today. Marriage. 

The other feature of the book is that there are several inset instructions for building your own versions of props, vehicles, and settings from movies. The fire escape from “West Side Story,” the police car from “Blues Brothers,” the boat from “Life of Pi.” Each is small enough and simple enough that you really could build it from pieces around the house. 

Other than my issue with the customized minifigure commercial, if you’re a movie and LEGO fan, this intersection of the two is enjoyable enough. There are some geeky touchstones like “Blade Runner” and “Tron” that are included, and a few inexplicable exclusions, like “Star Wars.” At first I figured “Star Wars” was off-limits because LEGO actually makes those sets, but “Indiana Jones” and “Jurassic Park” are in the book, and LEGO has made those too. Other favorites are the black and white classic films that Elsmore throws in, including “Citizen Kane,” the Laurel and Hardy short “The Music Box,” and even “A Night at the Opera.” Those are ones that I wouldn’t have thought to include, but Elsmore does, and that’s keen.