A number of LEGO Star Wars books have been published over the years, notably including the often-updated Visual Dictionaries, developed by DK. These are sometimes interesting, but none examine the popular theme in the depth many fans, myself included, would like.
5008878 LEGO Star Wars: The Force of Creativity is therefore an intriguing prospect. Created for the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, this book encompasses all aspects of the range, from its inception in the late 1990s to the design of modern sets and minifigures, as well as video games, animated series and fan creations.
However, this is an expensive book, costing £129.99, $149.99 or €149.99. While not unusual for coffee table books of its kind, no previous LEGO book has cost so much, so The Force of Creativity will need to impress!
Today's random minifigure is sh070The Mandarin (Trevor Slattery) - Dark Green Cape, a Super Heroes figure that came in one set, 76007 Iron Man: Malibu Mansion Attack, released during 2013.
Our members collectively own a total of 9,762 of them. If you'd like to buy one you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $10.90.
LEGO has produced a short animation to mark the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, which features several new minifigures, likely teasing their appearance in sets later this year!
Covering multiple eras of Star Wars, the video includes plenty of existing minifigures, beside some as-yet-unreleased characters, such as Cal Kestis, Nien Nunb, Ezra Bridger from Ahsoka and a young version of Leia Organa, inspired by the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
It is possible these characters have been created as minifigures purely for the animation, but I highly doubt that, as the video also focuses on minifigures already released to celebrate the anniversary.
Watch the three-minute video and view screenshots below...
The smallest set in the Friends first half this year is 42608 Tiny Accessories Store. Typically these smaller Friends sets have shown to be quite a good value with plenty of play opportunities, so I'm expecting the same in this case.
Wicked Brick has produced some impressive display stands and cases since 2017, including one for 75192 Millennium Falcon, which I have used since the stand was introduced.
The smaller 75375 Millennium Falcon arrived in March and the company has developed various display cases and wall-mounted stands for this model too. Unfortunately, this particular design actually sold out before we received the display case, but it is still worth examining.
Here's the press release for the latest issue of Blocks magazine:
Blocks magazine Issue 115 celebrates 25 years of LEGO Star Wars
The Force has been with LEGO Star Wars for 25 years and Blocks magazine has a packed edition to celebrate the occasion. In Issue 115, Design Master Henrik Andersen discusses designing the UCS Tie Interceptor, Matt Denton reveals how he upscaled the Stormtrooper mech and the story of LEGO Star Wars is told through 25 sets.
Issue 115 is available worldwide as part of a subscription or a single issue at blocksmag.com now and will be in UK stores from May 2.
Today's random set is 1251 Go-Cart, released during 1999. It's one of 63 Town sets produced that year. It contains 26 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$1.7.
It's owned by 902 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $15.10, or eBay.
LEGO has today announced two new Space sets, 10341 Artemis Space Launch System and 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy! The press release follows:
The art of engineering: Lift off into space and explore the Milky Way with two new LEGO sets
Today the LEGO Group unveils two new sets that allow space enthusiasts to go out of this world, by exploring the art of engineering excellence behind human space missions to get a glimpse of what’s out there.
Minions are renowned for their love of bananas and unusual technology, so 75580 Minions and Banana Car should be an effective combination. The titular car definitely looks fun and four new Minions are included, with plenty of accessories for them all.
The price of £19.99, $24.99 or €24.99 accordingly seems enticing, so I am hoping this serves as an enjoyable introductory set for the broader Despicable Me 4 range.
The new DREAMZzz sets have now been added to LEGO.com, revealing prices for the range and two previously unseen sets, of which 71486 Castle Nocturnia is a definite standout!
These sets will be released on the 1st of August and there are now eight expected in total.
According to JB Spielwaren, the sets will be released on the 1st of August, but I wonder whether they will be available earlier in some regions, given their early announcement.
Befitting his ostentatious villainy, Gru resides in a spectacular mansion, inexplicably constructed among normal suburban homes. 75583 Minions and Gru's Family Mansion conveys the towering architecture of this location, albeit with dubious external detail.
On the other hand, the interior features various memorable details from throughout the Despicable Me series, while the minifigure selection is outstanding. Nearly the entire family is included, plus three exclusive Minions, so this is an extremely appealing prospect for fans of Despicable Me.
