Watching The Batman will make you see 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off in a new light, but will still leave you frustrated with the main man figurine.

Hardware resource support won’t always drastically improve the impression of a LEGO set, especially with DC and Marvel Super Heroes sets. But that’s how 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off captures the essence of what’s seen onscreen in The Batman, there’s no other way to describe the reaction(k)night and day to this set.

On first impressions, when 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off was released before The Batman hit cinemas, it was a dark, drab, random LEGO model of something closer to an expansion. of the station in 75955 Hogwarts Express than any kind of Batcave, with a key part of any Dark Knight dwelling – the screens – being made into the main gameplay feature of the set, which felt a little gimmicky.

And even…

Theme: LEGOBatman Set name: 76183 Batcave: Confrontation of Enigmas To free: January 1, 2022

Price: £59.99 / $79.99 / €69.99 Rooms: 581 Figures: 6

LEGO: Available now

…kind of like The Riddler’s shot in The Batman, it all ties together to create a bigger picture, once you see the movie and realize what the designers at LEGO were looking at and how well they captured everything this in 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off.

From this moment there may be spoilers for The Batman – but to better appreciate 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off, go see the movie first.

It turns out that’s what it appears to be – an abandoned train station, in a location suggested as being linked to Wayne Manor (or some version of where Bruce Wayne lives in the city). It’s dark, drab and very lacking in focal point – it might not make for the most overtly interesting LEGO set, but it’s been one of the most authentic from the LEGO DC team for a while, with various aspects of the filming location captured so very well in the form of 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off.

This goes for some of the particular details of the model as well as the wider architecture. Indeed, the rather unusual and disjointed nature of the large displays, all red and with circular viewpoints, isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing display we’ve seen in a LEGO Batcave, but it is a perfect reflection of the technology and the configuration of what Bruce Wayne in The Batman has at his disposal. It’s a bond you’ll only really appreciate once you see how Batman uses the screens.

The precision in the movie is even reflected in the whimsical “clue” sticker tiles included in the set – hold them under the red microscope to reveal a hidden message, in a way that’s somewhat eerily consistent with how the Batman’s interactions with The Riddler unfold. on the screen, even very low until the red filter applied.

There’s not much else to the Batcave that we see on screen, beyond the central Batmobile display area (available in Batmobile 76181: Penguin Hunt), the arch above the style of an abandoned subway station and the occasional board of tools. All of this is included in 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off, along with some additional areas that are likely only in the background, such as the large map (which is more indicative of the map later discovered in The Hideout). Riddler).

Altogether there’s a lot more than originally expected overall, and this results in a much larger than expected all-purpose model, which includes a feature to integrate the central display unit into the tracks, where otherwise the Batmobile would be seated . This centers the set into a more complete and in-depth playset that doesn’t require you to purchase the Batmobile 76181: Penguin Hunt to upgrade it.

A good playset comes with great minifigures, beyond Batman himself. Each has been crafted with enough detail in the right points to more than accurately represent the respective characters they are based on. As a set, this is probably the darkest collection of LEGO minifigures in a single LEGO Super Heroes set to date, but it’s also one of the most accurate collections. There’s more here than necessary too – Riddler is a more accurate figure without the hairpiece.

Except, as they say, for Batman himself. It would be far better to create a face print for Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne who, masked, shows him as he appears in the film on more than one occasion, always wearing smudged eyeshadow – and this mask gives a much more menacing expression than the credits we get instead, where the alternate impression includes that ridiculously out of place smile.

Also, while the print on Batman’s torso and legs is very detailed and mirrors what is seen in the film, it’s the wrong color combination of the black print on the dark gray torso – the inversion Colors would have helped create a more accurate figure, as the predominantly gray look only detracts.

Along with that, the Bruce Wayne minifigure needs a new hairpiece to really come together, rather than reusing Cedric Diggory’s.

There’s more to the frustration aimed at Batman, and a little about the wrong hairpiece for Bruce Wayne, than anything else about the other figures, because they’re wonderfully and perfectly crafted for what you hoped they would be.

There’s a lot more to 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off than you’d initially expect, in terms of detail, size, playability, and genuine authenticity of the source material as seen in The Batman. With a selection of five out of six great minifigures also included, there’s plenty of LEGO here for the money, and few holes, beyond the Batman minifigure design.

Importantly, while it doesn’t need 76181 Batmobile: The Penguin Chase to act and feel like a complete playset, the Batcave’s relatively low price makes this additional purchase option more feasible.

76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off is a much more authentic LEGO DC set than originally anticipated. It’s cleverly designed to create a large open space and then fill it with enough detail and points of interest, while ensuring that the character and feel of the on-screen location as seen in The Batman, can really breathe through the model. .

This authenticity means it’s one of the dullest and most unconventional LEGO Batcaves we’ve ever seen, but where we criticize the Batmobile 76181: Penguin Hunt for not providing enough detail and accuracy, the Batcave 76183: The Riddler’s face-off can only be applauded. It might be a set to be overlooked by the general public, but it might also be a future classic that waits in the shadows, until it’s too late and the sequel unfolds…

(And yes, we didn’t mention the dramatically oversized bike. The rest of the package is so good, you too can pretend it doesn’t exist.)

This set has been provided for review by The LEGO Group.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics done by purchasing your LEGO Batman sets through one of our affiliate links.