Monday 20 June 2016

Brickmania Panzer III Ausf H set REVIEW!

Now you are probably wondering why am I reviewing a Brickmania set that has been sold-out late last year. Well not all of them have sold-out, you can still buy the Panzer III Ausf H at Brickmizimo

Now lets look at the set itself. Designed by Daniel Siskind, owner and main designer of Brickmania in September 2015. However, a new generation of this model is out now. This new model isn't much different to the original but has small details and improvements. 

At Brickmizimo this kit is 149.50 euros/$168.58/£117.44. I believe this isn't a huge difference to the original price of the model at Brickmania. 

The instructions are printed with high quality paper and ink. With these you also get a history section at the back of the booklet. This shows a very small section of the background behind the tank itself. 

Of course with most of Brickmania's larger models you also get a certificate of authenticity and the box is numbered and signed by Daniel (the designer).


You only get one custom printed minifig, a Panzer officer. I would have liked it if he was given a side-arm but he is great on his own.  


Now the antenna can be adjusted up and down. However, when it is up it gets in the way of the main gun of the tank. Also it is very fragile as it is attached with a minifig studded back piece. 


Now what really annoys me with this kit is the tracks. They are too small for the wheels and ever once in a while they slip off completely. However, I do believe on the new version, the tracks are bigger to remedy this problem.


The 1x2 1 studded tile which attaches the gun to the turret makes the main gun weak to adjust.

The sides of the tank that which protect the tracks we fragile and move a lot as they are only attached with one stud. 

This model is great but it does have some problems with the design but luckily in the new version which is out now most or not all are fixed in the redesign. 

Sunday 12 June 2016

Brick Shakespeare: Tragedies & Comedies book REVIEW

Brick Shakespeare
by McCann, Sweeney & Thomas
The Brick Shakespeare books takes a unique look at Shakespeare's most famous plays. The version I got housed two books one on the tragedy plays and the other comedy. You can buy them separately depending on what plays you wish to read. With the version I got you receive a double sided poster with Lego Romeo and Juliet on one side and The Taming of the Shrew on the other.

Poster of The Taming
of the Shrew
As the all of the plays they decided to recreate in the book are long they haven't created the full versions. So they handpicked the scenes which are the most interesting and significant to the story-line. 

This whole book is illustrated by scene by scene photos. The sets they uses in the images to illustrate the books are very basic. They hardly house imagination or effort put towards the design of them. They could have done better. I have seen many books similar to these with far more interesting sets which background the scenes they recreate. 

I don't normally talk about the covers of book in my reviews but with this one I am going to make a exception. They are unusual. The cover isn't of one picture like most but it is made up of many. Now I don't know about you but I never really seen many books like that. I see what they are trying to do with this; they are trying to showcase all the plays they are depicting in the book but this me think of some Instagram page and not a book cover.   

Poster of Romeo and Juliet
As I said above each play is depicted in Lego images in a scene by scene style which isn't unusual for Lego books like these ones. However, the script which is written below of each frame is placed within a scroll like backdrop and the font made to look like handwriting. This way of displaying the plays seem silly and unnecessary. This trying to create a theatrical feel to the book. I see what they are trying to achieve with this; they are trying to make it seem old to give the reader a sense of place. Although this only makes me see a childish feel for the book.