Lego is slowly taking over all of pop culture. While it’s always been popular, Lego has changed a lot over the years. The company used to just make fairly generic playsets, using the connectable bricks and yellow minifigures to build castles, space ships or pirate fortresses. The appeal of these sets was that they were all about imagination. Kids could create whatever story they wanted to around these sets, since they weren’t tied to any specific brand. Of course, many kids imagined that these sets featured their favorite characters, and Lego noticed this.
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Now, Lego sets are based on popular movies, shows and yes, even comic books. This has made Lego more popular than ever before, since fans are always anxious to see their favorite superheroes in Lego form. Of course, whenever anything gets popular, fans snatch it up and it becomes hard to find. Take into consideration that Lego has also gotten into the exclusives game, and there are some comic book based Lego pieces and sets that are impossible to find. Also, they’re worth a ton of money. Here are some of the rarest (and most valuable) Lego comic book sets from recent years.
BATMAN OF ZUR-EN-ARRH
Originally appearing during a very different era of comics, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh first appeared in Batman #113 (1958) in a story by Ed Herron and Dick Sprang. He was the Batman of an alien planet named, appropriately, Zur-En-Arrh, and needed Earth’s Batman to help defeat giant robots. The modern version of the character appeared in Grant Morrison’s R.I.P (2008) storyline as a backup personality Bruce had developed in case his mind was ever wiped.
At the 2014 San Diego Comic Con, fans could pick up an exclusive minifig of the character. Only 1,750 copies were available, however, and it hasn’t appeared since. The character’s absurdity and ties to classic comic history have made it highly sought after, so anyone looking to grab one today better be ready to drop $4-500 for a new in box version.
BATMOBILE- 1966 VERSION
The Batman TV show from 1966 has might be a campier take on the Dark Knight than modern audiences seem to prefer, but it still has legions of fans. The show had a decidedly colorful take on the Caped Crusader, and many of the designs from the show are instantly recognizable. For example, the show’s take on the Batmobile is unlike modern versions, with an open top and red highlights.
Lego has made several sets based on the 1966 series, but the first was the 2014 SDCC exclusive Batmobile. It almost perfectly captures the look of the car, although the included Batman and Robin minifigs seems to be be based on more modern designs. This particular set will cost fans of the classic show up to $350.
ACTION COMICS 1
One of the most iconic images in all of comics is the cover to Action Comics #1 (1938) by Joe Schuster. The issue, penned by Jerry Siegel, marks the first appearance of Superman, and the cover shows him heroically holding an out of control car high in the air. It’s an image that’s been recreated and referenced countless times, and of course, Lego had to get in on the nostalgia.
Offered at the 2015 SDCC, Lego offered an exclusive set the recreated cover. Granted, it only included one Superman minifig, while the cover features several shocked onlookers (also, the Superman minifig features the modern chest emblem design, as opposed to one he originally wore). Still, it’s a nice piece, which probably explains why it currently runs for between $250 to $300.
TUMBLER
When Christopher Nolan rebooted the Batman film franchise with Batman Begins (2005), he showed fans a more realistic take on the Caped Crusader. This included a more militaristic approach to the Batmobile, which was a giant tank that Bruce Wayne appropriated from a shelved Wayne Industries design. The unique design, nicknamed the Tumbler, was a staple of the Dark Knight trilogy and of course had several toys made of it.
The Tumbler actually appeared in several Lego sets. One version was a highly detailed set, meant to be displayed, which was simply called The Tumbler. Another set was more kid friendly, and was called The Tumbler, Joker’s Surprise. Interestingly, the display set (initially more expensive) goes for a hefty $300, but the Joker’s surprise set will actually set fans back over $400, proving that fun is way more valuable.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’S THE COLLECTOR
In 2014, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy took theater goers by surprise. The relatively unknown comic book became one of the summer’s most popular movies, bringing in rave reviews and big bucks. Benicio Del Toro portrayed the Collector in the film, a character that collects rare cosmic items, up to and including living creatures, and his attempts to retrieve the Infinity Stones sets off the plot of the film.
Lego created a Collector minifig for SDCC 2014, but it was only available as a raffle prize, making it even harder for fans to get their hands on it. Whoever won that raffle sure was lucky, because this single minifig currently sells for around $280. In a cruel twist of fate, the Collector has become a collector’s item himself!
THE BAT-TANK: THE RIDDLER AND BANE’S HIDEOUT
Batman’s had a lot of gadgets over the years, but he’s never really had a tank. In stories like The Dark Knight Returns (1986) by Frank Miller and Klaus Jansen and movies like Batman Begins (2005), he’s had tank-like vehicles, but Lego decided to give the hero an actual bat-tank (meaning that aside from being a tank, it also has a bat-themed design).
It was released in a 2007 playset titled The Riddler and Bane’s Hideout, which included the two villains and a pretty dinky hide out. Apparently, they were just hiding behind a short fence, which doesn’t seem like the sort of thing Batman would need a tank to bust down. Either way, this set might not be the biggest or most elaborate set, but finding a brand new version of it will cost $250 or more.
DEADPOOL THE DUCK
In one of the most random combinations ever, Deadpool and Howard the Duck were merged together in Deadpool the Duck (2017) by Stuart Moore and Jacopo Camagni. The miniseries was a bizarre adventure that saw the two personalities trying to regain their individual bodies while learning to live together in one. It’s exactly as silly as it sounds like it would be.
With Deadpool being an ever-popular character for merchandising, Lego took advantage of this strange mash-up and created the Deadpool the Duck minifig for the 2017 SDCC. Considering the short lifespan of this particular character, it’s unlikely that he’ll find his way into future Lego sets, meaning that if somebody needs to fill out their Deadpool collection, he or she is going to have to decide what’s more important to them: having the figure or saving $250.
HELICARRIER
In one of the most breathtaking scenes in Avengers (2012), Captain America and Bruce Banner discover that what appears to be S.H.I.E.L.D.’s aircraft carrier can actually take to the skies. The Helicarrier, as it’s actually known, is the spy agency’s key mode of transportation, allowing them to bring the full brunt of their power directly to the enemy.
Obviously, the Helicarrier is too large a vehicle to accurately produce in scale for even Lego figures, but the company still produced a rather large set based on the flying fortress. It came with regular sized minifigs of Captain America, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Black Widow and Maria Hill, but also came with several extra-mini minifigs that were closer to being in scale with the vehicle. Even with all that, spending between $240 to $300 for this thing still seems high.
SAM WILSON
Originally appearing as the Falcon, Sam Wilson took over the mantle of Captain America from a temporarily elderly Steve Rogers in Captain America #25 (2014) by Rick Remender, Carlos Pacheco and Stuart Immonen. Since then, he’s wielded the shield, while also still incorporating his wings and bird communication powers, while also dealing with a public that hasn’t fully embraced him as Rogers’ replacement.
To celebrate the character’s jump from sidekick to leading man, Lego created a Falcon minifig for SDCC 2015. Like most convention exclusives, it’s become incredibly rare since its initial release. Unfortunately, his only accessory is his shield, with his wings not included. Even without the wings, people are still willing to pay $220 for the Lego Sam Wilson version of Captain America.
ULTRABUILD CAPTAIN AMERICA
For the most part, Lego is a pretty straightforward product. Mostly, it selsl sets of bricks that can be built into buildings, vehicles or even sometimes larger statues. The company has tried to branch out from that formula, including kits that can be built into regular-sized action figures based on popular brands and movies. The Ultrabuild line was based on comic book characters, and for the most part is still fairly easy to find.
The Captain America Ultrabuild, however, seems to be the rare set of the lot. Depending on where it’s being sold, the price can range fairly drastically. It can top off at around $200, which is pretty steep considering that it’s for just one figure. Still, it’s a great piece for anyone looking for a giant Captain America to stomp on their Lego town.
BRICKHEADZ SUPERMAN AND WONDER WOMAN
Another one of Lego’s spinoffs, the Brickheadz line is a pretty clear attempt to cash in on the current Funko Pop craze. The building sets are designed to look like stylized versions of popular characters. Unlike other Lego character sets, however, there’s articulation and these are clearly meant to be statues. Also, they have giant heads, round white and black eyes, and no mouths, very similarly to how Funko Pops are styled.
The line was launched at SDCC 2016 with several sets of duos. Superman was paired with Wonder Woman, which made sense, considering Wonder Woman had just made her film debut in Batman V Superman (2016). So far, neither character has been released as a single figure in the line, meaning that this exclusive is the only place to get them. Which is probably why it’ll cost a steep $180.
BRICKHEADZ CAPTAIN AMERICA AND IRON MAN
Also released as an SDCC 2016 exclusive, the Captain America and Iron Man Brickheadz set will make fans’ wallets cry in pain… not just from the cost, but also from the painful memories of 2016 for the two characters. Marvel Studios had just released Captain America: Civil War (2016), which saw the superheroes breaking into two separate teams and fighting each other.
Cap and Iron Man’s relationship had gotten off to a pretty rocky start in the movies, but they had become close friends by the start of Civil War. By the end, they were at each other’s throats, and their current status is probably listed as “it’s complicated.” While both figures were later released individually, completist collectors looking for the box set will have to shell out around $170 for this broken friendship in a box.
THRONE OF ULTRON
Around the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Lego released plenty of sets that included Ultron minifigs. The evil robot, who first appeared in Avengers #54 (1968), has been terrorizing humanity ever since. In the film, the robot had set up base in Sokovia, a small country that housed an abandoned Hydra fortress, which Ultron claimed as his own.
While fans had plenty of opportunities to pick up figures of Ultron and his robot sentries, there is one set that’s much harder to find than the rest. Throne of Ultron was released as an SDCC 2015 exclusive, and comes with Ultron and some sentries, and a chair for Ultron to sit in (why a robot would need to sit down is never explained). The relatively small set will cost big bucks, however, often going for around $150.
WOLVERINE CHOPPER SHOWDOWN
Considering the character’s popularity, it would make sense for Lego to make a ton of Deadpool sets. Instead, the merc with a mouth has only made one official appearance as a true Lego minifigure. Deadpool, who first appeared in New Mutants #98 (1991) by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, was still a few years away from having his own movie in 2012. He made his Lego debut that year, however, in the set Wolverine: Chopper Showdown.
The somewhat odd set included Wolverine, Deadpool, Magneto and Deadpool’s helicopter. In all honesty, it’s a pretty random matchup (also, Deadpool doesn’t usually have a Deadpool-copter in the comics). It’ll sell for close to $100, which is a lot considering that the only real reason to get this set is for Deadpool.
VIXEN
There have actually been multiple Vixens in the Arrowverse, DC’s line up of TV shows. Vixen first appeared in an animated web series before making her live action debut in Arrow. Then, during the time traveling adventures Legends of Tomorrow, the original Vixen appeared and was confirmed to be the grandmother of the Vixen that previously appeared in “Arrow.” This version would go on to join the Legends, helping them hunt down the Reverse Flash after he killed her lover.
Another SDCC exclusive, Vixen was available at the 2017 event. It didn’t take long for this single minifigure’s worth to skyrocket, however, and is already being sold for $90 on the aftermarket. Once again, this is just for a box that only has a single Lego minifigure in it, so that’s a pretty crazy amount of money to spend.
How much would you realistically spend on one of these playsets? Let us know in the comments!
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Michael Hollan
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