Before Doomsday arrives, the next trip to the MCU takes us to New York, and its own friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man’s fourth solo Marvel Studios film. Brand New Day takes place four years after No Way Home. Doctor Strange’s spell means no one knows who Spider-Man is, and Peter Parker is alone. But he must still protect New York against those who threaten it. The trailer gives away very little, but it does show Dr Bruce Banner will appear along with several classic Spider-Man foes, including Boomerang and the return of Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion. Here’s a look at one of the upcoming LEGO Marvel sets inspired by Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Product Details
Set Name: Spider-Man vs. Hulk Epic Clash | Set Number: 76350 | Pieces: 534 | Theme: Marvel
Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Sticker: sheet x 1 | Minifigures: Spider-Man, Tarantula, Scorpion, Boomerang & Hotdog Vendor plus Hulk
RRP: £79.99/89.99€/$89.99/129.99AUD/129.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO retailers from June 1st
It’s always difficult to judge sets inspired by MCU films that are not out yet. Who can remember the Mandarin’s Boat or Hulk’s Helicopter Rescue? So exactly how this set relates to events in Brand New Day is unclear. But the building appears to belong to the Department of Damage Control. But apart from a sign in the door and a few splashes of graffiti on the side walls, it’s quite a plain building. It’s a similar situation with the interior. Apart from a reception area on the ground floor and some tools on the second floor, the rest of the building has been designed to accommodate the set’s main play feature.
The front of the building is built with three stacked panels with a thinner panel sitting in front of them. There’s a lever on the rear of the building; pushing this causes the front of the building to collapse. It’s a great feature, and the way it’s been designed to crumble is in a realistic manner.
Next to the building is a small piece of parkland. This includes a bench and a small tree, plus two of the newish pigeon elements. This is another of the small Marvel building sets which can be linked together. So you can connect this set to the Spider-Verse bodega, Peter Parker’s apartment, and the recent Daily Bugle. I like that this has become a series of sets and hope we get more. The set also includes a small hot dog cart. There have been a few LEGO Hot Dog carts, and this is one of the better examples of one you’d find on a New York street corner.
The set includes six minifigure along with a Hulk big fig. Three of those minifigures are what are being dubbed ‘low-level’ villains. There seems to be a suggestion that they won’t play a major role in the film. But they do offer three cool Marvel characters. They include the return of Mac Gargan, who has fully embraced the role of the Scorpion. Along with Tarantula and Boomerang. Without seeing them in the film, it’s difficult to say how the minifigures compare to the on-screen versions. But they include elements of their comic versions, but in more muted outfits. That’s certainly the case with the Scorpion, with only the robotic tail alluding to the character’s scorpion affiliation. Boomerang has the most comic book look, with his MCU debut style after his dark blue and white outfit. With the addition of the spike elements in both his hands and feet, the Tarantula looks like another henchman.
Thanks to the film’s trailer, we know Dr Banner plays a role, but it would seem his peaceful coexistence with the Hulk may have changed. This new version of the Hulk has the same olive green skin as the most recent versions, but is wearing brown trousers. I definitely prefer the new style, separate head and hair.
In the closing moment of the third MCU Spider-Man film, Peter continues his crime-fighting in a simpler Spidey suit. The minifigure isn’t the best medium to deliver subtle differences in the Spider-Man suits, but the torso does include some lighter blue detailing on the front and back. The final character is listed as a Hot Dog Vendor on the box, but she bears a striking resemblance to an original character created by Insomniac Games for their PlayStation Spider-Man series. Haley Cooper is an artist introduced in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The minifigure is dressed in a similar style outfit, wears a hearing aid and even has the same hairstyle. So it may not be the same character, but it’s definitely inspired by the game character. Which is quite cool.
These smaller Marvel buildings may not be as impressive as the larger-scale modulars, but they are still quite fun to build. I certainly like the fact that it can be linked to similar Marvel sets. Although the building is quite plain, its crumbling destruction feature is really fun. For some, the main appeal of the set will be the minifigures, and they are pretty interesting, especially the new MCU villains. But I’m most impressed by the Hot Dog vendor being inspired by the Insomniac PlayStation games. The Spider-Man vs. Hulk Epic Clash set will be available from June 1st and can be pre-ordered now.
The LEGO Group provided this set to BricksFanz.com for review purposes. The thoughts in this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group, Marvel or Sony Pictures. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of it
