For no particular reason, this year has become the Year of LEGO® Space. Not a celebration of the much-loved Classic Space sets, but a general admiration for space-based builds. The celebration of space has permeated across several LEGO themes and the latest to join the line-up is LEGO Art. This unique theme began life as a simple piece of wall art created from 1×1 studs or tiles but has evolved to create elaborate images using a variety of LEGO elements. Now LEGO Art recreates the wonder of the universe, in particular, our own Solar System. Here’s a closer look at The Milky Way Galaxy.
Product Details
Set Name: The Milky Way Galaxy | Set Number: 31212 | Pieces: 3091 | Theme: Art
Number of Bags: Bags x 31 + Loose Elements | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Extras: Companion Podcast | Insiders QR: Yes
RRP: £169.99/$199.99/199.99€/299.99AUD/259.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores & LEGO Online from May 15th (Insiders) May 18th (General)
This is another set which multiple people can build at the same time. The set includes six separate instruction booklets, each focused on different parts of the build including the frame and each panel of the image. Like other LEGO Art sets, the build is accompanied by an audio ‘soundtrack’ podcast. The podcast features Jack Gardner Vaa from the LEGO Group, along with Aerospace Engineer, Camille Bergin AKA Galactic Gal, Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Chancellor of the University of Leicester and the set’s designer Adam Vaughan. This offers an interesting companion to the build and expands upon the build experience, especially if you are building the set on your own.
As mentioned, the process of building the set is split into six distinctive sections – the frame and five panels which create the overall image. The frame is crafted exclusively from black elements and is used as a tray to connect each of the panels once they are built.
The recreation of the Milky Way is built upon a series of 16 x 16 board plates. These have been central to many of the LEGO Art sets and offer a much better base to build upon than the thinner baseplates. They also offer more connection points. These include green and red Technic ‘snap pins’, cross axel pins and a series of 2 x 6 plates matching the colour of the ‘snap pins’. These do a good job of keeping the panels of the image together as well as securing it inside the frame. I did find that the 2 x 6 plates had a habit of falling off with the slightest movement. But this is something other Art sets have suffered with.
The Milky Way is a vast collection of stars and planets. Visually it’s a spiral band of over 50 galaxies. It’s been charted by many satellites and the Milky Way’s most famous stars, clusters and other spectacles, including Trappist-1, The Pleiades, The Crab Nebula and The Pillars of Creation which are all found within this LEGO recreation. But how they are recreated is where the set shines. The use of LEGO elements is pretty impressive, with plenty of unusual pieces hidden within the image. Amongst the weird and wonderful pieces used in the set are a crab, hairbrushes, cupcakes, blossom buds, minifigure helmets and cups. Quite a few pieces are appearing in various colours for the first time. The combination of elements crafts a textured blanket colour. When you’re building the panels, it does just seem like a random mass of LEGO bits and technically that’s just what it is but when combined they result in a genuinely impressive LEGO spectacle.
Once complete the entire image is finished off with a printed tile noting the location of our own Solar System. I must also mention my favourite part of the set, hidden within the array of elements is a 1×1 round brick, decorated in the same style as the various green aliens from other LEGO Space sets, truly linking the set to others in the LEGO Space Collection. The Milky Way Galaxy will be available from May 15th for LEGO Insiders and then from May 18th for everyone else.
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These were provided to BricksFanz by the LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
