LEGO Superheroes sets are always going to be a hit for LEGO because there is always a new film with new sets, vehicles and costumes to add to the Marvel world. What makes the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – 76060 Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum even more appealing than the other 2016 sets that have been released is that it is a whole new side of the Marvel universe. The Doctor Strange sub-theme will bring in new characters and ideas and this particular set is an interesting starting point for its 7-14 audience – although there are plenty of older builders and Marvel fans that are impressed with what they receive.
The world of Doctor Strange is one that we know very little about right now, but this is a great way in.
The first film is due to be released in November and cinemas are still at the stage of showing short teaser trailers. Because we know so little about the story, the characters or much else that can be expected from the upcoming film, it is difficult to have any sort of expectation about this LEGO model. It would have been easy for LEGO to throw together something simple and vague that merely wets the appetite something bigger and better further down the line. While it is true that the set doesn’t have the same scale of other Superheroes sets or the range of minifigures, there is enough here to keep fans of all ages interested.
The story of the set seems to be pretty simple. There are three minifigures in this Sanctum Sanctorum set, all of whom are presumed to be good guys, and a portal monster that needs to be defeated. These minifigures are Doctor Strange, Karl Mordo and The Ancient One. The portal monster is surprisingly detailed with some fun moving parts that add to the sense of danger. The tentacles are articulated so that they can grab hold of our heroes, the eyes rotate to see in all directions and the teeth also move to make it even more menacing. Karl Mordo has a staff, but the only sure fire way to dodge those tentacles is with the levitation elements. There are two levitation points for Mordo and The Ancient One and Doctor Strange has a levitation cloak.
Even though this has been set up as a starter kit, there is a nice amount of detail in the design and accessories on offer.
One early player noted that one of the pieces of paper that Strange has left lying around has the word Stark on it. Is this a clue to future stories or just a fun Easter egg for die hard fans? Most of the other pieces have strange forms of eldritch calligraphy on them to create a sense of this universe. There are also additional artefacts in the room that are more than just set dressing.
In November, once the film has been seen and the context makes more sense, this LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – 76060 Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum will be even more appealing. For now, it is still a big draw for keen collectors that want to expand their Marvel collection and get some clues about Doctor Strange.
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