Ever since I went to Gamescom in Germany in August, I’ve had Lego on the brain a lot.
At the world’s biggest gaming event, Warner Bros. had a massive booth for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, a new title it had just unveiled there. As a major Batman fan, it was legitimately one of the coolest booths I’ve ever seen, featuring a recreation of the Monarch Theatre where the Waynes were killed, replicas of Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson’s respective suits and, naturally, a giant Lego Batman statue and Batmobile.
Unfortunately, my brief appointment-filled time in Germany meant that I didn’t have a chance to go hands-on with the game. That bummed me out since the game looks legitimately fantastic, a love letter to decades of Batman history with Arkham-style gameplay mechanics. Since it seems like I’m never getting that hypothetical Batman Beyond game I’ve been dying for, Legacy of the Dark Knight is the next best thing. Problem is, we have to wait until sometime in 2026.
But then, coincidentally, I got the opportunity to review a Lego Batman set, and I jumped at the chance. I figured it would be a fun way to scratch an itch as we pass the time until Legacy of the Dark Knight. And sure enough, I’ve loved getting to do so. The set in question that I received was the Classic TV Series Batmobile based on the ABC’s Adam West-led Batman show from the 60s. While I don’t have much of an affinity towards this particular iteration of the Caped Crusader, I 100 per cent dig the retro novelty of it.
And, of course, it’s just a great set. At 1,822 pieces, it’s the biggest set I’ve built since I was a kid, which made it a fun side project. Both for my job and as a hobby, I love to play games, but admittedly, I can feel burnt out with that, especially as the games get increasingly long and complicated. What I love about such a big Lego set, then, is that I can chip away at it in between things. If I want a break from gaming, I can go build. If I have an hour or so before dinner or going out, I can make progress on the Batmobile. And so on and so forth.
It also helps that it’s so remarkably well-conceived. I absolutely loved how intricate it ended up being and all of the little nods to the wonderfully goofy themed contraptions Adam West’s Batman always used, like the “Bat Chute” or “Bat Ray.” The dozens of alternating and differently shaped black and red bricks I lined up to create the spiffy and adjustable “wings” on the vehicle. The unique interlocking brick pattern that can fold into seats for the Batmobile. There are just so many details here that you can appreciate, even if this likely isn’t the Batman you grew up with. (Mine, naturally, is Batman: The Animated Series with the late, great Kevin Conroy.)
Admittedly, I sometimes find the paper manual doesn’t clearly distinguish between small bricks of different shades of black and grey. Of course, that can be a problem if you’ve accidentally used the wrong piece but discover it later on. Thankfully, that’s where the other tech angle of this comes into play: the Lego Builder app. With it, you can fully rotate 3D models of each individual brick and buildable component of the set, and it’s very handy when it comes to “checking your work” as you go.
In the end, the set comes together into an awesome package that will look great on any collectible shelf. (I just have to find room for it!) You can buy the Classic TV Series Batmobile for $199.99 from Lego’s website. The company also has a bunch of other Lego Batman sets, including those based on The Dark Knight, The Batman, Batman v. Superman and, what’s most appealing to me, Batman: The Animated Series.
Of course, there’s no limit to just Batman, either. While the Batmobile satisfied my craving for anything related to The Dark Knight, I’ve also really enjoyed diving into other sets. In particular, Lego just dropped the wonderful Game Boy set, which I’ve picked up and I’m eager to build next. Given that we’re basically in the busy holiday/end-of-year period now, I’m going to be playing a lot of games, and so it’ll be great to have the odd Lego set to toil away on in between. Now if I can just decide which one…
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