BeKindRewind

I haven't bought any of the other levels because I only liked one or two kits and didn't want to spend the money, but level 3 is totally different. I love all three kits. And when you look at how many pieces come total, the price per piece is actually only 9.5 cents per piece (US). That's a bargain considering some of the other sets out there. And with these kits there are no way-out-there colors meaning I can reuse pretty much every piece that comes with this. This is a definite buy for me.

Thanks everyone! Mr Benn I actually have another idea for the contest that I'm working on, though I do think it's funny that I posted my MOC mere hours before the contest was announced (is that irony or just bad timing?). Legocrazy81, I tried tan and it just didn't feel right but I know it's just personal preference.

I know I'm not the first to post their Statue of Liberty MOC here. Ever since Series 6 minifigs came out I pretty sure most of us at least thought of how to do this MOC and quite a few probably have something similar sitting on their desk somewhere. But, I was kinda proud of my little MOC and thought I'd post it here for you all to see. I tried to make it in the style of the Architecture series, particularly the Landmark style as I like their small scale (plus the minifig herself kinda required it). Feel free to leave comments or critiques.

I always preferred the Forestmen over Dark Forest-probably because the Dark Forest was during my dark ages-but one thing that was a great improvement was the use of brown for the trees. It's a color that I'm shocked took them so long to include. Black never did it for me for tree trucks and limbs. Great overviews, SirSven7! I love reading them and really look forward to your take on the Jellybean Knights. I'm one of the few people apparently that really like the look of those ones. Yeah I'm crazy.

I'm late to the party with any comments here, but I had to just say that I LOVE the castle. It is so different than any castle in the traditional "historic" theme. Other sets have trap doors and other dangerous pitfalls, but this one seems so much more cruel. I love that! Dark and little edgy for Lego, in my opinion, and I'm glad that they have branched out a little here. The rest of the sets are so-so, but I'll be picking up a few of them here and there. As for the Haunted House, I would love to see what they do with it (ie an interior filled with evilness) given the direction they went with the castle, but I'm not sure it's been officially announced that it's part of THIS theme at this point vs Modular or Creator.

Thanks Ceroknight for answering Neville Longbottem. Yes, it is from Rock Raiders. Masked Builder, there is an interior to Arkham, but I realized only after I started posting that I didn't take pictures of it. It is the exact same as the original interior, however. I will try to snap some quick pics later today when I get a chance.

Thanks again, everyone! Lance, I don't typically like to alter official Lego pieces or use non-Lego stickers, but there are a small number of exceptions in my set-up, the worst offense being Riddler's staff. Lego has yet to give us any good substitute so I cut the ball off the end of the 30395 "Hook with Towball", glued it to the technic flick-fire pin and painted the whole thing yellow. Superficial Username, I don't mind if you copy my Firefly. Unless someone is somehow making money off my MOCs, I don't care who takes an idea or two from them.

Welcome back everyone! This the end of the road for my Gotham City...quite literally as you will see later. This is the fourth part in my series detailing my Gotham City layout as I have it displayed. I feel that I must first give an apology. If you were expecting some massive Arkham Asylum with lots of intricate details and cells - this is not it. I mentioned in my first post that parts of my Gotham are more MOD than MOC, and nothing is more MOD than my Arkham Asylum. I actually happen to love the original Arkham with it's brown and black color scheme. I pretty much just plopped it down into my Gotham City and built everything up around it. Yes, I added some connectors between the different buildings as well as some landscaping, but the buildings themselves are pretty much the same as the original set. I hope you will forgive me. There is still some surprise MOCing at the end of the post, however, so stay tuned! For the most part, I'm going to let the pictures of Arkham speak for themselves: And now Batman's Rogues Gallery. Here is a picture of nearly all of them in my collection: Killer Croc and Poison Ivy in their natural habitat: Some of my custom villains: Riddler (obviously only the cane is custom), Victor Zsasz, Firefly, and Black Mask. Not shown is Clayface, but he's in the other pics. I've also made Talia Al Ghul and her son Damian Wayne from the League of Assassins: For those who don't know Damian, here is a reference pic: [ Why do I put Damian in with the villains? Isn't he Bruce Wayne's son, the new Robin, and even destined to take Bruce's place as Batman in Morrison's future? Partly because I don't care for Morrison's work but mostly because he fits in with his mother and the ninjas so well. There is one more villain possibly hated by Batman more than any other. A villain that set little Bruce on a path towards vigilantism. Nestled between the police station and Arkham Asylum (obviously not the real location in the comics) is Crime Alley, where Bruce's parents were gunned down by one JOE CHILL!!! And a future Bruce Wayne remembers . . . I wanted to give a sense of claustrophobia so I really tried to cram the alley in there. Unfortunately, this also makes picture-taking much more difficult. And one last picture of Crime Alley and Arkham without the inmates: And that is the end of my Gotham City!!! I hope you all enjoyed my display. Check out a few more pics and angles in my Brickshelf folder: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=494150 A number of people (1 is a number, right?) have asked if I will be including any of the new Batman design elements into my MOCs. Truth be told, while I will be getting all the new sets (and multiples of a few) I don't see a lot of room to add too much. I will change Poison Ivy's hair to the new one (love the new hair but prefer the old body), add in Riddler's hat, put the Kryptonite on display in the Batcave, and maybe, just maybe, I'll tinker with the Batmobile. But that's about it, I think. But we shall see with future waves, however. Have a nice day!

Thanks again everyone! I really do appreciate the positive responses I've been getting. The_Box: The Bane wanted poster is actually from set 7787 The Bat-Tank. I actually have three Selina Kyle heads scattered throughout my MOC: one on Renee Montoya, a second on Catwoman (oops, did I give it away?) and a third on a mystery character in the next segment. And as far as Gordon's head is concerned I would LOVE a better representation of him, but with fleshie heads there are only three options: glasses no mustache, mustache no glasses, or glasses with mustache but also beard (Henry Jones Sr), so it's kinda like picking the smallest beetle (the lesser of two weevils ).

Welcome back! Part 3 of my 4 part series on Gotham City is a tribute to the unsung heroes of Gotham. Batman may make all the headlines, but the hard working boys (and girls) in blue are out there as well, busting their butts to bring in the criminals ... well ... except for all the crooked ones, of course. I hope I'm not coming across as conceited here, but this may be my favorite of my series. It's not particularly Batman-esque and could pretty much be plopped into any town setup, but I just like the way it all turned out. Here it is in its place on the street: And here it is opened wide, as it unhinges in the middle: Here is Commissioner Jim Gordon as well as his Police force including Renee Montoya. The rest are nameless police. I haven't made a Bullock, due to the lack of believable "large" minifigs. This is the entire interior of the building. As I mentioned in my last post, I like my MOCs to be playable. First up is the entrance with the front desk as well as a command center: Next on the bottom floor is the interrogation room: ... as well as the crime lab. You can see a microscope, ballistics where various guns are tested against dummies, finger printing, reports from autopsy and even some money they are currently examining. Up one flight is the break room filled with a cop's best friend...the donut! Next is the mugshot and the prison cell: By removing the camera, you can easily swing open the prison for easier access than through the single door. Finally, we come to the roof, with the Bat-signal in its rightful place (instead of in the batcave, shining a beacon for only the bats to see). Batman has come up to meet with Gordon, but that cop in the background doesn't look too friendly! The water tower I pulled pretty much directly from the Fire Brigade. And one last image from Police Headquarters. I wonder what he's so happy about? If you've stuck with me since the beginning, then I hope you've enjoyed this segment of my Gotham City MOC. Check out a few extra shots and angles in my Brickshelf folder: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=493836 We are only one segment away from completion. So join me next week (or maybe just in a few days) for part 4 of my Gotham City: Arkham Asylum!!! Same bat-time, same bat-website!

Lothos, No Man's Land = best ... storyline ... EVER! Every single villain and hero seamlessly integrated into one awesome roller coaster ride from start to finish? Yes, please! And Helena (whether as Batgirl or Huntress) really proved herself in that story: a very strong character. As for part 3, I just need to finish up with the pictures so just a few days.

Thanks everyone! I'm glad you all like the elevator in particular. I noticed after taking pictures that the bookcase secret entrance wasn't closed quite all the way, but I swear it is normally completely concealed. As far as Barbara being the "original" Batgirl, it is true that Betty Kane was the first Batgirl, but I figure by now the 1960s are far enough past us that most would consider Babs to be the "original". To Lothos, I assume you are a Babs-as-Batgirl fan. I can respect that. While I prefer Cass, Babs does have some admirable Batgirl qualities. Now, if you prefer Stephanie Brown...well...that's a whole other story Nightwing is actually my all-time favorite DC character and I own every issue. His car was a bit too short lived to make it into my MOC and never made it to ICON status. In one issue he even took a taxi!!! (A particular low point for the writers in my opinion )

In the second part of my Gotham City MOC, we head down the road from the Batcave into Gotham City proper. Our first stop along the way is Oracle's Clock Tower, where we will meet up with Batman's closest allies in his fight against crime. (A quick word about how I MOC. I like my MOCs to be playable which usually means accessible interiors and various play features. This can sometimes limit the aesthetics of the exteriors, but being Lego I like knowing they can be played with.) Who is Oracle and why does she live in a clock tower? For the non-avid Batman readers out there here is a quick synopsis. Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl. She was shot in the spine and paralyzed from the waist down by the Joker. Unable to give up hero-ing she uses her superior computer skills and photographic memory as the Oracle, the ultimate go-to for any super hero in trouble. Yes, her clock tower was destroyed in the disastrously ill-conceived War Games story line and yes, more recently DC has opted to give Gordon the use of her legs again thereby destroying the character known as the Oracle. However, I think she is one of the strongest characters in the DC Universe and will always consider her and her clock tower as part of the Batman legacy. Shall we move on? Here is the Clock Tower from behind showing viy clinging to the walls. You can also see levers near the bottom and a wench at the top which come into play later. And a look at the clock face itself. Normally, I'm a Lego purist, but I did need to add a few custom stickers here. Enter into the main entrance and you come to the home of Barbara Gordon as her father thinks of it. (I apologize for the photography but the tight space makes picture-taking a bit difficult.) And another view. Here you see her impressive book collection, but it is so much more than that. THe bookshelf slides apart (using the levers from behind) to reveal a working elevator! The elevator leads to the second floor, where Barbara Gordon becomes the Oracle! In this corner you can see her mainframe computer which rivals the bat-computer (she's even looking at the same screen he is in the Batcave . In this corner is her personalized gym. And finally her computer itself, situated directly behind the clock face. Up to the roof you can see a secret entrance for various heroes to enter directly into Oracle's base. Batman visits for advise, Batgirl visits for a little training, and Nightwing...well...why does he come around so much ? BTW, for those who don't know Batgirl is Cassandra Cain, the BEST Batgirl ever envisioned, also tossed aside by the heartless and unfeeling DC oligarchy. You may have noticed the small black button on the roof as well, which, when pushed, lights up the interior and is most impressive as night (but not in this picture as it wasn't dark when I took it). Back out to the front we see Oracle and Nightwing with his motorcycle straight from Lego's Arkham Asylum. Nightwing doesn't have an iconic vehicle, so I just left him with what he's been given. Next is Robin and his Redbird. This I got to have fun designing as there are multiple iterations of it. Here you see it in street-mode. And here it is in flight-mode!!! And last but not least, Batman and all of his allies in his fight against crime in Gotham City! Check out more angles and pics in my Brickshelf folder: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=493526 So that's it for Part 2. Stay tuned for Part 3 coming soon: Gotham City's Police Department!!! Same bat-time, same bat-website!

Welcome to EB, JaHawk2009! Thanks for the compliments everyone. And, yes, lightningtiger, it does get played with now and then

For the past few years I've been working on a display for all the great Batman characters that emerged during the initial Batman line. As I am a very slow MOCer, I've managed to finish just in time for a brand new wave of Batman sets to come out. My Gotham City is a little too big for just one topic, so I've broken it up into four distinct scenes, taking you from the good all the way to the evil with part one being the BATCAVE!!! Parts of this are more MOD than MOC (particularly this first part), but it gets much more MOCy in the next few parts, I promise. I hope you enjoy my version of Gotham City! A view of the entire Batcave: You will, no doubt, see the original Batcave in this design. I discarded some useless areas (*cough* Batsignal *cough*) and added some needed areas then tried to make the whole thing seem as if it was in a cave. This is the entrance to the Batcave: I had bat-poles initially, but thought this simple staircase seemed a bit more refined. You will also see the original Batman getting ready for a night on the town. To Batman's right is the medical area where Alfred mends his many wounds: Under the medical area is his trophy room. The only thing missing is the giant joker card, which I couldn't get in Lego form convincingly enough to include. Under the entrance to the Batcave is Batman's vault: In the original version, this was a prison with what appeared to be a giant hole in the back of it. I always figured it was some kind of sewer entrance, but why he left the back of his prison open is beyond me. That whole area seemed poorly designed. To Batman's left is the Bat-computer, nearly unchanged from the original version: I did add the memorial to Jason Todd's Robin: And here is Alfred and Ace, the Bathound: Under the Bat-computer, the spiral staircase leads to the Batmobile. This is the unchanged original version. I love it! I never actually changed it at all. I haven't gotten the new version yet, so maybe in the future I'll switch things up a bit, but for now this is what I've got: Behind the staircase is Batman's exercise area and hidden way in the back is a much more formidable prison than the original had: Going outside, what would the point of having a Batcave be if it wasn't hidden? Here is an unassuming little creek with a road leading to a dead end: Or is it? And that's my Batcave and part one of my Gotham City. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned next week for part two of my Gotham City: Oracle's Clock Tower!!!! Same bat-time, same bat-website!

Very clever, Schfio factory! I am quite envious of all your green bricks. Happy New Year to all!

10) Gotham City Sirens (by El H) - 2 points for the sexiest home of the lot (3 villainesses under one roof? Yes please!) 11) Croc's Sewer (by skrytsson) - 1 point for making me fear my bathroom

4) Joker Makes a Withdrawal (by toomuchcaffeine) - 1 point for making me smile 6) Batman Returns (by lego-maniac) - 1 point for really capturing the movie 11) The Dark Knight! (by skrytsson) - 1 point for blowing my mind with a great layout allowing a fantastic perspective shot

Thanks for the positive responses everyone! I had some other ideas for the main villains (and I may still post my Bane in the raffle contest) but I thought that the henchmen never get enough attention, even though they do most of the work and take most of the beatings.

All the big name villains have impressive and distinctive dwellings. But what about the humble henchman? The man who, day in and day out, endures bat-fists and batarangs just to give his boss the opportunity to escape? What type of home does he live in? And deeper than that, what type of man becomes a henchman in the first place? We will explore all of that in my entry into this wonderful contest sponsored here on Eurobricks. Say "hello" to Frank Miller, or "Frankie" to his fellow henchman. He used to work construction, but when LexCorp took over most of the construction jobs after the Great Cataclysm, he was pennyless and quite depressed. On top of everything, he had a wife and five kids to feed, clothe and care for. Here you see his poor wife, trying to corral the kids while simultaneously trying to make dinner. Oh, dear, it doesn't look like it's going too well for her. Looks like Frankie's dinner might be a little burnt. Desperate for a paycheck, Frankie turned to the one place he knew would pay...if he could just stay alive long enough to collect. Frankie went to work for Two-Face initially, but over the years he's contracted himself out to all the big names (Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Mr. Freeze) as can be seen by his collection of garments. He's seen many of his closest friends killed...some by the police, some by rival gangs, but more than he wishes to dwell on by the very bosses they serve. It's a fifty-fifty chance that you'll survive a stent with Two-Face, for instance. And on top of it all, here comes an unexpected, and most unwelcome, intruder...The Batman!!! But before you start getting soft on ol' Frankie, I draw your attention to two things which you might have over-looked. First, I mentioned his "five" kids, and yet you will see only four in the kitchen with his wife. Second, take a closer look into the attic in the first picture. It seems that Frankie's eldest son had quite the little attitude and was starting to challenge Frankie's role as man of the house. It seems that Frankie has picked up more than a paycheck from his psychopathic bosses...a complete disregard for human life as well! Batman's going to have his hands full with this interrogation!

Understanding that these figs are likely still prelim at various stages, and coming from a DC guy with little love for Marvel, my first thoughts on the figs: Joker: not really better or worse than the original IMO. A nice new costume for him to be wearing. Poison Ivy: preferred the original's torso but the hair is a vast improvement. I'll probably mix the two for my displays. Catwoman: only slightly different than the original, with the same headpiece. Batman: why is it not the same as the teaser pic? Will they release two different Batman outfits? The display looks just like the original, so maybe it's just a place holder. Superman: love it! Wonder Woman: also love it! Cap America: definitely more akin to the movie than the comic as far as color but looks nice. Seems a bit odd to have no headpiece with the stud exposed for some reason though, when the character does wear a helmet. Thor: looks okay, can't comment as not a big Thor fan. Hulk: I agree that the size is appropriate for the character but it still seems un-Lego-ish. Iron Man: can't say more than what has already been said about the helmet ("It's like an orange on a toothpick!") Wolverine: nice that they went with the comic yellow instead of the various movie versions. A very nice rendition of the character. Edit: Correction, the Batman outfit on display isn't the same as the original, so maybe the one on display will be what the sets will have, and the one in the teaser is an exclusive given away just at ComicCon?

I've realized that during my dark ages I missed out on quite a few really nice themes and subthemes. I really regret missing the vikings, western, the initial Harry Potter, and even Knights Kingdom 2 (all except the minifigs that is). But more than anything I regret missing all the adventurers themes. What about you guys? Any particular themes or even just sets that you regret missing out on?

What percentage of us came out of our dark ages due to Star Wars? TLG really struck gold with that license. I myself came out of my dark ages in 1999 because of Slave 1 and stuck exclusively to Star Wars until the wonderful and much-too-short-lived Batman. Since then I dabble in anything even remotely historical (castle, pharaoh's quest, ninjago, POTC). I think there are only a couple themes that you could actually stay exclusive to- castle, city, Star Wars-because all other themes are too short-lived.

Very nice review! I like the shots looking straight into the entrance. I got this set almost the day it came out in my local Lego store and I have to add my two cents. The set itself is great for castle builders as there are a lot of black wall pieces and corner turret pieces (30246) as well as the new prison non-opening doors only seen in the new police line. It's a great parts-pack that I need to buy multiples of. And I'm a huge fan of Nya...that's the best female asian outfit we've seen yet. What I'm NOT a fan of is the giant spider as well as the poorly positioned throne. I quickly mod'd away the spider and the top of the fortress soon after building it. And the pop-up coffin could have been better constructed. It barely even looks like a grave! But overall a great buy, a decent build, and a nice review.

As a child castle was my favorite theme, and while Star Wars brought me out of my dark age, castle is where I've come back to. I missed many of the subthemes that castle has gone through so I have not actually seen, felt, or built many of them. I agree with you on all but one subtheme: Knights Kingdom II. Were the colors garish and seizure-inducing? Yes. But the sets look really fun and diverse on Bricklink. Many subthemes were predictable: good guy castle, bad guy tower, jousting, a warship. But KKII had a little creativity that I think has been missing: "Battle for the Pass", "Dark Fortress Landing", "Citadel of Orlan". And some were like nasty obstacle courses of death! I would have picked up quite a few of these if I wasn't a poor college kid when they came out. Again, I can only base this on pictures I've seen on Bricklink so take that for what it's worth.