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.   

Brickmania Flak 36 8.8 CM Anti-Aircraft Gun - REVIEW!

The Flak 36 8.8 CM Anti-Aircraft Gun is a custom LEGO WW2 Brickmania set. As most of Brickmania builds, the gun is designed by Daniel Siskind, owner and main designer.

This set is about $50/£34.29 for a 137 LEGO pieces, is good value for a Brickmania set. With this set you don't get any minifigs. However, if you purchase the Flakkorps upgrade you get three custom German Soldier minifigs, five BrickArms artillery shells and two LEGO shovels. However, this is $45 on-top of the original price, making it $95/£65.15. Buying the items separately wouldn't make much difference to the price. 

Building this set is a bit fiddly at times but it is moderately easy to put together. The instruction manual is made up of high quality paper and ink. The instructions themselves are simple to follow stages of the build.

The gun itself is full with great little details. The gun is able yo be adjusted up, down and side to side just like the real thing, allowing you to shoot down enemy planes. The only problem I have with this set is it is very fragile and parts down fall off regularly when used. Also the light blue axis for the seat of the gun. 

Great Lego Sets - A Visual History book REVIEW!

Great LEGO Sets by DK

With this large book, the Great Lego Sets by DK, you receive a exclusive micro-scale space cruiser. This small spaceship is inspired by the 1979 LEGOLAND Space Cruiser and Moonbase set, #928. Which you can find documented within, and displayed on the cover the book.

Like most of the Lego history books by DK, they take you through year by year. Far as I know this book doesn't look at all of the Lego sets which have been produced but a selection of over 300 of the best sets.

For each set you get a detailed 'Guided Tour' which takes you through the sets and the 'Brick By Brick' that takes a look in more detail on the elements which are used in the sets.

Exclusive Micro-Scale
Space Cruiser

However, what makes this book so different from the Lego books produced in the past is you learn about some of the designers themselves. These small profiles on the designers are only depicted with ground breaking sets, such as one of the largest Lego set, the Taj Mahal #10189, 2008.  

Brickmania U.S. WWII Jeep REVIEW

The WWII General Purpose Utility Car (or Jeep) is a great little set by Brickmania. Designed by Daniel Siskind, owner and main designer at Brickmania. The jeep is 1:35 minifig scale, like most of Brickmania's set. However, there are no minifigs included in this set.  

This set cost $50/£34.71, this might be a lot for 124 bricks but as this isn't a Lego set and can't be found anywhere else. Also what you get out of this kit is historic accuracy, great play-ability and custom printed parts. 

The instructions are high quality paper and ink. The instructions themselves are very easy to follow. 

What I think is very cleaver about this build is they used two minifigure hands to make the window wipers of the windscreen of the jeep. A interesting use of unusual Lego part.

The windscreen is adjustable to move up and down. Just like the real thing. 

You have some custom parts which connect the windscreen to the rest of the jeep.  

Also you have this custom printed US army star tile on the bonnet of the jeep.

This is a great set. So I'm giving it 9 out of 10. 

My Build: Evolution of Man

My Lego build:
Evolution of Man

Okay a lot of you are probably going to say this is the most simplest build ever to be made ever and I should have made something with a bit more of a challenge. I totally agree with you. However, I was looking around and there hasn't been a proper build in Lego for the iconic picture 'Evolution of Man' and I thought there should be one.

There have been many which are similar like xstc's 'Lego Evolution', which is very similar to the common prints that you can find on t-shirts and other products. Now there is one by a unknown artist, which depicts the very comical version of the 'Evolution of Man'. However I wanted mine to be serious and as accurate as possible.

The Lego and BrickForge parts.

There was one which was very similar to the original image. This is was by Stephen O' Mahony on one of his blog post called 'Time'. This had to be the best one I found so far but it could be more accurate. 

So I made my own with a black 4x10 plate, three 4x3 minifig base plate, one 1x2 handle plate, three minifigs and one monkey. The minifigs were from the Lego's minifig series; the Gorilla is from series 3, the Caveman from series 1 and the Computer Programmer from series 7. However, the spear of the Caveman is not Lego but BrickForge's flint tribal spear.