Lego Opens Arkham Asylum and Super Hero High [NYCC 2016]

There are few toys that get the creative juices flowing quite like Lego. Looking at them online gets the blood flowing to the right side of the brain, but seeing them in person is a whole different experience. I can appreciate the sets from publicity stills, but it isn't until I can take in all the nuance of the builds up close that the magic of Lego really hits home. Such was the case at New York Comic Con this past weekend, where the new DC Super Hero Girls and Lego Batman Movie sets were on full display for all the world to see.

Though I'm not a big fan of the Lego Friends brand, that's where the DC Super Hero Girls sets are being built. The only major difference is in the minifigures, so getting to build locations like Super Hero High and vehicles like Batgirl's Batjet will still have the same feel as they would were they under the standard Lego brand. I'll admit that my disappointment waned just a bit upon seeing the sets in person, but I'm not all that wild about all these sets. Batgirl, Wonder Woman and Super Hero High itself all get a nice set, but the rest of the collection isn't all that impressive.

Harley Quinn and Bumblebee get the short end of the creative stick, and the only the exciting element of Lashina's set is that we're actually getting a Lashina set. I suppose a 50% success rate on the first two waves isn't that bad, but it's not as strong a collection as I'd hoped to see from the DC Super Hero Girls' debut.

On the other hand, The Lego Batman Movie series is much more successful across the board. The dramatic redesigns of all the classic vehicles and locales have breathed a bit of life into the Lego Batman world, which has truly explored nearly every avenue possible with the character already. A new Batmobile and Batcave bring a bit more fun and creativity to the sets, and the stylized interpretations of Batman's rogues add another element of freshness that helps this new collection stand out from previous releases.

The Arkham Asylum set is actually fairly subdued given how extravagant the vehicles and settings like the Batcave appear in the upcoming film. That said, it's a big set with some nice new minifigures, and one of the few ways you're likely to ever get inmate versions of your favorite Bat-villains. Truly, we can all appreciate just how special that Batcave is though, with its Batman costume rack, the Batman Returns-inspired Penguin, and that dapper Bruce and Alfred holding things down. Seeing Bruce in a white tuxedo is a nice change of pace for his exclusively black wardrobe choices elsewhere.