Gary Collinson reviews the LEGO DC Super Heroes Jokerland (76035) set…
Last month, LEGO expanded its DC Super Heroes line with two Batman-themed sets in The Batboat Harbor Pursuit (76034) and Jokerland (76035). Clocking in at 1037 pieces, including eight minifigures, the latter of the two transforms Gotham City’s amusement park into the nightmarish ‘Jokerland’, with the Caped Crusader taking to his Batmobile to rescue the teen heroes Robin, Starfire and Beast Boy from the clutches of the Clown Prince of Crime and his fiendish associates Harley Quinn, The Penguin and Poison Ivy.
Jokerland doesn’t have a main build as such, instead offering four separate fairground attractions (each with a macabre twist), along with a new version of the Batmobile. The four rides are all themed to their relevant villain, with Harley Quinn’s Wheels of Fire, Penguin’s Deadly Duckies, Poison Ivy’s Carnivore, and the Jokerland centrepiece, which also features a slide down into a toxic tank should you wish to recreate the Joker’s origin (well, kind of). On top of that, there’s also a firing cannon, although sadly it’s not wide enough to hold a minifig, so you’ll need to stick to cannonballs.
The set includes eight minifigures, tying with Batman: Arkham Asylum Breakout for the most in the DC Super Heroes line. However, unlike Arkham Breakout, there’s no redshirt here and they’re all recognisable, named characters: Batman, Robin, The Joker and Harley Quinn (all exclusive variations), The Penguin, Poison Ivy and – to even the odds between the heroes and villains – two minfigs exclusive to this set in the Teen Titans members Beast Boy and Starfire. And if that’s not enough, you also get a penguin carrying a stick of dynamite and a pistol-wielding clockwork clown! Batman is certainly going to have his hands full…
It’s saying something when that line-up of minifigures isn’t the highlight of a set, but that honour here falls to Batman’s wheels. We’ve already seen a few Batmobiles in 2006 (The Batmobile: Two-Face’s Escape), 2008 (The Tumbler: Joker’s Ice Cream Surprise), 2012 (The Batmobile and Two-Face Chase) and 2014 (Batman: The Riddler Chase), so do we really need another? Well, yes – especially when it takes its inspiration from the classic design from Tim Burton’s Batman. Christopher Nolan fans may prefer the Tumbler, but for me the Jokerland version is far and away my favourite LEGO take on the iconic car so far (although next year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice set looks pretty awesome too!).
When it comes to LEGO, fun is the name of the game and the Danish toy manufacturer has excelled itself when it comes to Jokerland, delivering one of the most fun sets of the DC Super Heroes line to date. Bright and colourful, it really captures the feel of the more ‘campy’ versions of the Caped Crusader, with a sprinkling of the Burton-era Batman for those who like their Dark Knight a little darker. It’s packed with playability, has great minifigures, and an awesome Batmobile. Kids will love it, and adults will too. A must-buy for any Batman fans out there.
Gary Collinson is a writer and lecturer from the North East of England. He is the editor-in-chief of FlickeringMyth.com and the author of Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.
https://youtu.be/IWWtOQOZSTI?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
