REVIEW: 6862 Superman vs. Power Armor Lex

[Hinckley]

Number – 6862

Name – Superman^TM vs. Power Armor Lex

Theme – DC Universe Super Heroes

Year – 2012 (Released December 2011)

Minifigs – 3

Pieces – 207

Price $19.99 USD,

Links...

Box art:

Here we have the front of the box. The packaging is very well themed. We have a nice perspective of the power armor in action and a cartoon Superman in the upper right hand corner. The Superman logo is in the lower right hand corner. It looks to me like a comic book cover. This is a very effective way to market the set, especially with this size box. It is shaped just like a comic book. I am not a huge fan of the yellow text for the set information over the grey background. That's a little difficult to read. Or at least I just don't like the colors together.

Here's the back of the box. I will forever be annoyed that alternate models are no longer displayed here but there are some great action shots of the set. Again, it has a great comic book feel to it. The colors, action shots, close-ups and even the "CLICK!" are all very reminiscent of comic books.

And look! A little ad for LEGO Batman 2 the video game...

The side of the box has some great Greg Hyland-style character shots of DC character: Batman, Superman, Joker.

The top of the box shows us a shot of Superman to indicate actual size of the product inside.

The opposite side of the box has a repeat of the box front image and an add for a free membership in the LEGO Club.

New pieces:

Here we have the exciting free comic that comes with the set. It appears to come with the Catwoman set as well as the first little story is about Catwoman and Batman. The comic itself is the same size as the instruction manual, again being reminiscent of a comic book itself. The design and theming of the sets and packaging is very consistent and fun.

The coolest thing about the comic is that it has a breakout of all the characters and what sets they're available in. Just like Ninjago with the weapons you can look forward to completing your character collection from this page. 6857 is listed but not pictured...

Whee, fun, comic... It's more of just product propaganda. It's all pictures of this particular set in action with no words. Easy enough to mass produce without having to translate for every region. There is some great artwork and great cartoon representation of the main characters.

"Superman, you always stand a little too close when we're in the Bat Cave alone..."

The parts do not come in numbered bags. Here we see a shot of the parts bags and the instruction manual. Again, nothing too new with the instructions, but they do look great and very reminiscent of a comic book is style and color.

New pieces or pieces in new colors:

All four of these pieces are packaged separately making me believe they are molded and produced elsewhere like the Collectible Minifig line.

Golden lasso.

Some of these pieces may not actually be new, but they're new to me.

Lots of new purple pieces...

New trans-green color.

The figures:

With all of the complaints about new minifigs in the Collectible line, I'm always weary of minifigs in new sets. I'm happy to report that these minifigs appear to be of higher quality. The finish is glossy, the printing is clear, the weight feels right and most importantly the joints are nice and tight. The printing of the torsos is beautiful and fun & playful like comic book characters should be. Wonderwoman's gold stripes actually shine.

Back of Wonderwoman: bikini bottoms in front, red pants in back... The hair mold is very well sculpted.

The back of her torso and her best angry face. Grr, Wonderwoman! Get 'em!!

Lex Luthor. Nothing too special about him. I'm not even sure that torso is entirely new.

They go as far as to print a crease on his back. He does have lats after all. He only gets one expression. All bald people do...

Superman!! A figure we've been waiting for, for years! Excellent design, killer six pack, cool hair mold, true to Superman's character.

That fabric just hugs those muscles, like he was poured in to that suit!

You wouldn't want to see Superman angry... or even a bit snarly.

Here's the merry trio hanging out together. Things seem kind of tense there...

Instructions are typical. You are encouraged to build on a flat surface and not in tall grass or a shag rug. Once properly placed on a flat surface, all pieces should be sorted by color for ease of building. I only did this when building the Winter Village Bakery with my parents last Christmas. I just didn't want it to take forever while they tried to identify parts...

The first step of the build is to build the right leg. It shows you a picture of the whole leg but then warns that you'll be starting just on the foot. It's nice to be cautioned about what's on the road ahead. The treacherous road of LEGO-building.

Each step is accompanied by an inset box that lets you know what pieces are used in the step. It's a good idea to follow this so you don't miss any pieces and throw yourself off for future steps.

The colors used look really great together. Again, this is very reminiscent of a comic book: bright bold colors that evoke a sense of fun.

Every other page has a neat ghost image of some DC Universe characters. I appreciate little graphic touches like that.

I also appreciate steps that simply have you turn the creation.

Once you are done with the foot, you can move on to the leg. It's snot-tastic!

Look! The leg of a Power Armor, just like in the picture! And I did it all by myself with no help!

Power armor crotch.

Now you shall build the left leg. For some reason, it only shows the foot this time and not the whole leg like the first step. That makes me sad. Sad Hinckley is sad. If you read this before building the set, you should challenge yourself to build the left leg along with the right, making the necessary changes on your own without needing the second set of instructions.

It's snot-errific...

Once that's all finished your Power Armor is half-way there. Disembodied legs can still kick megablocks!

Here's a more bad-megablocks pose for our disembodied legs...or a more 70's disco pose...

The instructions move on to Lex's cockpit or control pod. The cockpit is right above the crotch.

Again, we see the great combination of bright, bold, comic-book-type coloring.

Moving right along...

These must be the power source for the Power Armor. Effective use of pieces here. The power sources look very cool.

The completed cockpit, from whence Lex Luthor will be kicking some super-megablocks!

Nearing completion...

Next we will focus on the hands.

I really like the effect of Exo-Force robot arms as fingers. The tips or fingernails are the bright trans-green bulbs. The hand looks like a fun comic book creation.

An additional joint for more articulation.

Staying Alive! Staying Alive!

The left arm is similar to the right with the exception of a thicker hand in order to hold the Kryptonite gun.

Now, the Power Armor is complete! We're almost ready to start kicking that super-megablocks. All we need is a killer weapon! Or perhaps the weapon came first and we needed to build the suit to be able to handle it. I don't know for sure. Best not to over-think it...

The instructions have foretold that you will build a Kryptonite gun and it has come to pass.

"Yeeeargh!! My one weakness!... besides peanut butter brownies... Yum!! So good... "

"Oh phew, it's encased. The only way it can get me is if someone builds a gun around that and picks it up with a massive Power Armor Suit. Pfft. What are the chances of that? "

The gun fits right into the hand with a 2 stud technic axle.

Check that out! It's definitely a way to kill that pesky Superman. What could go wrong??

Lex Luthor in his Power Armor, ready for action!

Overall build shots:

Rear view.

Right view.

Left view.

The extra parts.

The instructions end with a breakout parts list with mold numbers which is the new norm.

LEGO even throws in a couple ads for the kiddies because they love ads!

Overall action shots:

"Mwahahahahahahaha! It is I, LEX LUTHOR piloting this Power Armor! Possibly you've heard the name? the Greatest Criminal Mind on Earth!!"

"Aw geez, did I step in something??"

"Oh God, I've got one of those itches that's like... up in there, you know?"

"Gotta make sure I don't cramp up..."

"I'm making Superman kiss Wonderwoman's butt! Mwahahahahahaha! This is the best day of my life!"

And finally, the family portrait.

Conclusion:

Design 8/10 The build is a very simple and effective use of parts. For the piece count and price point, this is an excellent set. It's reminiscent of the Exo-Force mech suits, but with effective articulation. You can achieve a lot of different poses without knocking the thing over. It is a nice model to stand along with the more recognizable vehicles and fits in with it's coloring and overall theming. It looks like it came right out of a fun and colorful comic book.

Parts 9/10 Purple parts lovers will really like this set and it comes with several parts in the new transparent-green. There are lots of curved slopes, slotted slopes, domes and robot arms, etc. for parts monkeys who build Space sets. Green and purple aren't common colors so it's good to see a good selection of those colors here.

Figs 10/10 It comes with Superman and Wonderwoman and they're very well designed! Who can really ask for anything more? Lex Luthor is adequate, there's not much to expect there. But, who can complain or even notice him much with two of the most iconic DC Superheroes in one reasonably priced set! Collectors and re-sellers will be happy to get theses figures at this price when they will each be worth much more than the price of the set a decade from now.

Build 9/10 The build is easy yet effective and the instructions are more than thorough in making sure the design is communicated well to the builder.

Playability 10/10 I could play with this thing for hours. Big posable figures are hilarious.

Overall Score: %92

Maybe that seems a tad bit generous, but it is a set you can enjoy for parts, figures and design. I think LEGO got this one right. It's not a vehicle anyone would put on their list of vehicles they would want to see when they first heard of the line, but it fits in well with the rest of the line. It's a fun play set and a good addition to the shelf collector and comes with two of the DC Universe's most iconic characters.

[K-Nut]

Supah Man!!!! This is probably my 3rd favorite set in the new wave, after the new funhouse and batcave. The figs are too good to refuse! Thanks for this stunning review! ;classic:

[sok117]

Awesome review Hink! Gotta love this set for deviating from the bat-sentric "DC" theme. Kinda wish we had more sets like these that keep the license new and fresh, theres always wave 2 though. Can't wait to pick this one up.

[WhiteFang]

Hinck, thank you for this early review! It's great to see this review from your perspective. I got to agree that the minifigures are gonna be the big attraction plus the fact that the big robot is so much fun to play with its different poses. Well done! This is definitely in my shopping list and I only hope this is not going to be too costly at our end. Because at the price that you are getting, it is definitely worthwhile to buy it for sure!

Thank you for sharing! Now, go and get some well-deserved rest.

Oh, and I gave this a solid "5".

[Masked Builder]

Wow, now I really want a Super Heroes set! Great review, though I think I'll be sticking to Batman for now.

[Nightshroud99]

Great Review Hinckley!

I will be ecstatic when mine comes from Toysrus. The price for the pieces is top-notch, the MECH is super cool and the figures are amazing.

[vexorian]

Hey, 19.99 for this is the fairest LEGO price I met in ages. I was really afraid about the price. As long as my retailers don't inflate it, I should be able to get this set!

[Ceroknight]

Thank yo for the review!

Can't wait to get this!

[prateek]

Wow. I can't believe how good this set looks. Just look at that colour combo. And the figs, oh my! And all for $20. I'm definitely gonna go looking for this.

[refriedbeans]

Awesome review and set! I believe you forgot to place the two bright green bulbs in the tanks on the back of the mech!

[Carl S]

Great Review Hinckley!

I will be ecstatic when mine comes from Toysrus. The price for the pieces is top-notch, the MECH is super cool and the figures are amazing.

Agreed! Although I'm not a huge fan of the design, I can't wait for this set for the parts and figs!

[Hinckley]

Awesome review and set! I believe you forgot to place the two bright green bulbs in the tanks on the back of the mech!

Thanks! I thought I had too many spare parts...

[Clone OPatra]

I believe the two green bulbs are not extra pieces. They are extra kryptonite power that go under the glass domes in the back. Somebody already said that. I guess it pays to not just skim the comments!

Anyhow, great review Hinckley! I know all signs point to getting this set, but I'm still unsure. It has a great amount of parts for the price and good figures as you said, but I've never found mechs all that easy to really fool around with, especially the bigger ones. Maybe it's just my own problem. Still, I might end up picking this one up.

[Algernon]

This set is just terrific. Three exclusive figs and one awesome green mech all for a measly $20. I sure hope I can get my hands on this.

Great review! Nice clear pictures and entertaining sense of humor you have there

[sok117]

Thanks! I thought I had too many spare parts...

Hahaha, Looks like someone forgot to build on a flat surface! Or maybe your forgot to sort all your pieces in the beginning. I wonder how you missed those pieces with the over-simplified instructions

Sorry, couldn't resist, but you did have that one coming. Thanks again for the review though!

[lightningtiger]

Thanks for AWESOME review 'Hinckley' and what a review of what a set....a fantastic walker and three SUPER minifigs....pardon the pun.

Interesting to see the minifig page in the manual, first wave collection eh ?

Oh, well I now wait till they come to Oz !

[CorneliusMurdock]

Great review, Hinck! I was beginning to think FBTB was going to outdo us but you showed 'em who's boss! Now if only I had the set index updated enough to add this to it... Knew there was something I forgot.

This is by far my favorite set of the DC wave. Batman's great and all but when I hear the words "super hero" Superman is the image that springs to mind. I love the fact that they put him in a set that I can actually afford. And threw in Wonder Woman as well.

The Battle Suit looks quite formidable and Supes may be in trouble there. Luckily he brought some back up this time, though how she's going to reflect the Kryptonite beam back to the Suit without her power bracelets, I don't know. The suit is also much more posable than I thought it would be. Just a great set over all.

[Rocketbilly]

Thanks for this great review!

The figures are okay, a bit boring perhaps but still nice and simple and a nice contrast to some of the more detailed figures we've been getting of late. I don't like how Wonder Woman looks from behind, though.

It seems that the 1X4 grey SNOT piece has been changed slightly with rounded corners. I always thought that piece seemed a little sharp.

The model itself is very nice looking and contains some great pieces in lovely colours but I find it frustrating that the legs lack mobility and that the arms seem to be somewhat limited too but gladly it doesn't seem to be enough to make it completely un-posable.

Shame, until I read this review I was sure this set contained a light brick. Ah well, it's still quite nice and I'll probably get this if I have some spare money.

[Sandy]

Thanks for reviewing this so early, Hinck!

This is probably the only new Superheroes set that I want (even though I aim to collect all the minifigs separately). Three unique minifigs, lots of new pieces and a relatively low price all makes this a superb set to have.

I'm not much of a mech-person, but this has the same appeal to me than the Agents mech with the scared citizens - I just had to get that set, too.

[Brickmamba]

wow a review already and it's still 2011, great looking set with interesting parts and 3 great figs, most importantly the price is very respectable very much on top of my lego shopping the list for the new year, thx heaps for the fantastic review!

[Niku]

Hey, 19.99 for this is the fairest LEGO price I met in ages. I was really afraid about the price. As long as my retailers don't inflate it, I should be able to get this set!

Totally agree.

Nice review too.

[Evil Stu]

Hilarious review! Thanks so much for your work on this!

[Miss Kyle]

Congratulations on this fantastic review, Hinckley! Now I want this set even more. And all the other ones.

[The Penguin]

Great review of a very good set! Thank you!

Well, I'm not a huge fan of Man of Steel and Wonder Woman, but this set is definitely a very strong one. )

And I guess TLC should've said that it also included her Invisible Jet and doubled the price!

Well, I sure hope to see more Metropolis-superman sets in future, as long as they don't get in the way of Gotham-Batman ones! )

Good day, ladies and gentlemen! )

[MstrOfPppts]

Nice review, I must say this is a deffinite buy for me. I love the minifigures, but probably everyone agrees that Wonderwoman would look better with flesh torso and legs with red printings!

Edited December 13, 2011 by MstrOfPppts