[REVIEW] 76009 Superman: Black Zero Escape

[Csacsa234]

Thanks for the review!

I don't know where to put this set. The base is, as you said, very unexciting , but I really like the escape pod thingy, the gaps on the front can use a little MOCing, but then it's a really cool looking little vehicle. No doubt the highlights of the set are the minifigs, I really like how Zod's armor looks like, but that's a shame he can't wear it without the helmet

[Plissken]

Thank you.

Over the last days I got used to the look of the escape pod. It is a cool design but has a few flaws in Lego form. But overall not so bad as first thought.

After a few requests I did a some additional pictures of Zods armour. I hope they show the coolness a little bit better (and also the big flaw!)

Zod with his torso armour. The back covers a lot of the face and could be used as some kind of faceplate. Reminds me a bit of the Darth Malgus armour.

Here is a sideview which shows the big flaw of the design. It isn't possible to use a hairpiece on the fig as long as the armour is on. A letdown

Last picture shows the fig only with the helmet. Also a cool design which reminds me a lot of the Space Jockey helmets seen in Alien and Prometheus. A more techno-version of it.

The back look isn't very "doublesided-face" friendly.

I hope these pictures clarify some questions.

[Zzz]

Great review - thanks a lot!

I think this set is difficult to sell to kids who haven't seen the movie. It is just really strange and who could say what to do / how to play with it. In comparison with the Avengers' SHIELD truck, same price, movie-related - the truck offers a lot more playability and you don't necessarily need to know what's going on to play with it. Or perhaps it's just me and my lack of knowledge of the DC universe..

[deskp]

Holy moly, the hair not fitting with the armor is a HUGE flaw in my opinion. Armor on helmet off seems to be the thing with Zod in most promo material.

Also, Lois' eyelashes looks WAY too slanted making her look abit angry or masculine.

Amy Adams is perhaps one of the sweetests looking actresses around, her minifigure does not reflect that. Pepper Pots minifigure looks more like Amy that what they gave her.....

[larsyuipo]

love it i think im going to get the battle of smallville and not this one.... its to expensive

[Faefrost]

Great review - thanks a lot!

I think this set is difficult to sell to kids who haven't seen the movie. It is just really strange and who could say what to do / how to play with it. In comparison with the Avengers' SHIELD truck, same price, movie-related - the truck offers a lot more playability and you don't necessarily need to know what's going on to play with it. Or perhaps it's just me and my lack of knowledge of the DC universe..

It's not just you. I'm fairly knowledgable in the DC universe, and I honestly have no idea of what is supposed to going on in this scene. I mean what's the deal with the two ladders laying flat? Some weird consoles and a door? Even the "escape pod" seems strange. As you noted the Avengers Shield truck had a coherent story to it, even if you had never seen the movie. A kid could easily insert his own. Loki escaping with the cube in the truck, Iron Man chasing. Or some variant therein. The Superman Smallville set has a good story to it. The bad guys arrive in a spaceship, the Army and Supes fight them. But this one sorta lacks that. It doesn't sing its own story without knowing the movie. All it is is here's the good guy, here's the bad guy, and here's some stuff.

[TheLegoDr]

I have no idea what this should represent, but most Super Heroes sets I don't build anyway. They are primarily figures only for me.

As far as this set goes, it is probably the best bang for your buck as far as figures go, since it is cheaper with 3 main characters (with that armor and gun). I am definitely debating if I get this or the larger one, but I won't be getting both. Last year I was a completist, this year I am buying a lot less in terms of complete series.

The Superman looks decent, but i don't love the printing as much. Zod is decent, but I agree the brown beard with black hair is interesting. I guess they are going for the look of most people having a redder-brown beard than their hair. Odd how facial hair does that. Lois is not very appealing, but I may consider picking it up anyway. If I end up getting the larger set, I doubt I will bricklink Lois later.

Thanks for the review. It is informative. It will lead me to choosing the right set from the theme.

[Bricknblue]

The set is horrible, but the gun piece is really nice. haha

[BrickG]

Yeah Superman is hard to "build" for. But they seem to be missing some obvious things...

Daily Planet set? Seems obvious.

Military Jets, Helicopters, not just a car? (they seem to be in the movie) with Military minifigures?

(okay so Lego doesn't seem to like doing traditional militarys)

They don't ever seem to TRY on the Licensed builds much. I wish the builds were more often like cool city builds.

[Faefrost]

I actually like the car set better than this. It's a car that is meant to be picked up by Supes or Zod in order to hit the other. It's a very iconic comic superhero cliche and a good play element. While simple it has a coherent story. It invokes this movie, it invokes the classic Christopher Reeve Superman 2 and it invokes classic Golden and Silver Age comics. Simple, easy and effective.

This set I still don't know what I am looking at. It may be a great or soon to be iconic scene, but this set isn't selling it as a still life.

[Brickmamba]

Zod looks great, that armour and helmet are to die for, thanks for the review

[The_Creator]

Great review Plissken! The set seems quite lackluster but for $20; getting Zod(In full armor), Supes, and Lois, it's pretty hard not to pass up the other two and get this one. Also, your hair variations looks much betters on Lois, oh, and her face printing is horrible.

[MattZitron]

Just got my Black Zero Escape from Argos.

Zod - great but I wish you could have the hairpiece with the armour.

Superman - great figure but I wish the hair was different

Lois - meh

I do like the escape pod though. It's a great wee vehicle. The sliding door on the base is also cool. I can see people buying a few to make the whole base.

[Plissken]

Thanks for all the comments.

I hope the movie will shed some light on the purpose of the set. The included comic gives some hints but it is questionable if the comic is true to the final film.

[DebkoX]

Cannot wait to get this!

[Maximillian365]

Might get this set for the minifigures - and the pod, as it doesn't look too bad after all. Love Superman and how they included with both his headpiece and helmet.

[305Bats]

So I'm going with one of two scenarios,Lois follows Superman onto the Black Zero,Zod's ship,Superman gets her into the escape pod and kicks Zod's megablocks, or Lois follows Superman onto Zod's ship,which travels to the Black Zero Zone,Superman gets her into the escape pod and kicks Zod's megablocks,either way,I'm only getting this set for Lois' torso to make a comic Lois and Superman's heat vision head to put on my extra comic Superman and giving the rest of the set to my 8 yr old Godson!

[J.V.D.]

Thanks for the review Plissken.

I was thinking to get maybe one MoS set, mainly because of the figs. First I had 76002 Metropolis in mind; it is the cheapest one. But since in this set one can get additionally Lois and Zod's armour it might be an option too.

It will depend on the price they will be available for here,.... and maybe I ll just wait a couple of weeks / months to see for what price the figs go on Bricklink, because as I said it are mainly the figs that interest me. The builds are completely unappealing imo. Seeing it as a figure and parts pack isn't evident neither when you are paying european prices..

Edited May 3, 2013 by J.V.D.

[TonysBrickVault]

This is a great set and a great review! Thanks buddy!

[legoguy264]

Thanks for the review. Whatever you say, I'll be picking this one up.

[Capt. Redblade]

This was the MoS set I was least anticipating, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. The dropship (or escape pod or whatever it is) is very cute and swooshable, the minifigs are excellent (even Lois is good, surprisingly enough), and the base... well, it's not half bad either. Yeah, it's a bit plain, but the sliding door is a nice touch and I like how they've used ladder pieces to make the catwalk.

For me, the biggest draw is perhaps Zod, and seeing as this is the cheapest way to get him in his armour, I say go for it. I'm actually having trouble deciding whether he looks cooler with it or without.

Edited May 5, 2013 by Capt. Redblade

[LibraryBoy]

Managed to find this at a Lego Store in NYC this past weekend. The base section is pretty weak (though I think the sliding door is a simple-but-clever design), but the pod is a cool design and fun little build, and I think the minifigures are great. This look for Superman is starting to grow on me (and it's WAY better than what he's wearing over in the comics these days), Zod looks awesomely evil in his armor & helmet (to the point where I can't imagine displaying this iteration of the figure without it), and Lois... well, the head doesn't make her look particularly like Lois OR Amy Adams, but I can replace that (and maybe her hair) with the Lois I MOCed to go with the Superman/ Wonder Woman / LexMech set from the first wave (an extra Wonder Woman head - because Lois would look angry about be captured, not scared - and the short black bob hairpiece; I was using a Luna Lovegood torso & legs for that Lois's body, but was never satisfied, so this look will be much better).

[Repeter]

I really do not like this set...really, really do not like this set. It's ironic, however, that I need two of them for some purist customs I am doing. In the end, $20 isn't too bad for three minifigs, one of which is female, with capes and armor and a new gun to boot.

[lukelau41]

hi

do you have this problem?

my 2013 superman's printing is worse than the 2012 comic version

http://i.imgur.com/4x7lCZe.jpg

Edited May 12, 2013 by Peppermint_M
Do not quote the whole post please

[Undercover California]

Awesome job Plissken!

Great variety of parts, but your review just saved me some cash. Based on what you think of this set, are you going to buy any of the others?

Thanks!