The Joker Manor LEGO Set Review
In the absence of Bruce Wayne, The Joker has captured Wayne Manor and has transformed it into an impenetrable fortress of fun and jokes. With 3,444 pieces, the Joker Manor is one of Lego's biggest sets of all time. Not to mention, it is also one of the most enjoyable builds of all time.
Disclaimer: I am not a master builder. This is my 4th Lego set in my life. I am merely reviewing this Lego set from a Batman fan standpoint.
Set Name: 70922 The Joker Manor
Price: PhP 19,000
No. of bags: 24
No. of pieces: 3,444
No. of minifigues: 10
RATING: 8.5/10
BOX
Lets start this review with the box. I'm not much of a MISB collector nor do I store boxes of my toys and Lego sets. But The Joker Manor box makes a compelling case for me to reconsider keeping it. Joker graffiti wraps around the entire box making it look fun and exciting. The logo insignia of the heroes are also placed in an ornament-like silhouette, adding that Christmas-y vibe to it. Well, considering that the Joker Manor was released together with the other Winter Collection, it was only fitting to incorporate some Christmas elements on it.
As mentioned, the box is filled with Joker graffiti making it one of the most colorful Lego boxes I've seen in a Lego store. Opening the box is almost the same as its exterior--it is filled with surprises. Like I said, this is only my 4th Lego set so I was a bit surprised to see that there are two smaller boxes inside the box. The two boxes contain the instruction manual and 22 polybags of Lego bricks. Two additional polybags, which includes big parts, are placed outside of the two small boxes. There are two sticker sheets included in the set--one for designs and the other for the mirrors. It is probably worth mentioning that the instruction manual has a whopping 458 pages consisting of 613 steps.
MINIFIGURES
There are a total of 10 minifigures in the Joker Manor set. Four of which are recycled minifigures, five are exclusive, and one probably a mix and match between different minifigures.
Batman, Barbara Gordon, Joker, and Harley Quinn are the four recycled minifures in this set. Batman minifigure is a given. But the other three is quite surprising. Despite it being reissued from a different set, these minifigures are still rare. Joker and Harley minifigures are re-issued from The Joker Notorious Lowrider Set while Barbara Gordon is a re-issue from the Arkham Asylum set.
Nightwing and Alfred (wearing the Batman suit) are two of the best minifigures in this set. Only in the Joker Manor set do we get a Dick Grayson in the Nightwing suit. Moreover, Alfred is like a mash-up between Alfred's head and Adam West Batman body and leg minifigure. Nonetheless, both minifigs are fun to play with. I'm expecting the Nightwing minifig to be a collector's item in the following months.
The Joker Manor also comes with 4 special minifigures. Lego calls it Disco Joker, Disco Batman, Disco Robin, and Disco Batgirl. The details on these minifigs are amazing. It is also a nice touch that Lego, through these 4 special minifigures, made doubles of Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Joker. But to be honest, the minifigures made me feel like I didn't get my money's worth. For its price, I was expecting that Lego included the Disco Harley and Disco Alfred, which are to be released in the second wave of Lego Batman minifigures, in the Joker Manor set.
THE BUILD
I'm not sure how to consider if a set has a good and sturdy foundation or not. I've been reading about some sets being flimsy and easy to break, but I haven't built enough sets to know the difference. Nonetheless, I think that the Joker Manor has a sturdy base for a big set. However, I would like to note that the Joker Manor is not as compact as other sets.
I had so much fun building the Joker Manor. I'm not used to big sets, the biggest I've built prior to this was the Lego Batman Batcave. Hence, it took me around 18 hours to build this bad boy. Going through the polybags one by one, the Joker Manor starts to look like an impenetrable manor. Its a ground-up approach build and has a sturdy horizontal support. Laterally, the manor relies on the 2-stud bricks put together, which in my opinion, is not a sturdy build. However, once everything is put together, it becomes a solid build.
There are a lot of colorful bricks which makes the build so much fun. There are a lot of big bricks which made my thumbs hurt, but there are also some small parts for the interior design which makes the manor a sight to behold.
The facade of the manor is a bit perplexing to me. The Joker gimmicks incorporated in the Wayne Manor are colorful and vibrant. On the other hand, the Wayne Manor, as it is, looks plain and simple. While beautiful as it is, I just wish that they included more stickers to fill the facade with Joker graffiti. The Joker signage in front of the manor is a beautiful touch. However, some letters on the signage lacks support to make the build strong. Another thing I didn't like was the big eye at the center top of the manor. The bombs near the steps are also eye-catching.
The insides of the manor is the money-shot. There are too many rooms to explore. The only downside is that they made the halls less spacious than expected. However, there are a lot of details that overcompensate for the lack of space. For one, there are a lot of portraits in this manor. Two, the coffee spill design is a cute addition to the set. Three, there are a lot more. It is also worth mentioning that Joker's face is a prominent figure at the back. Not only is it cute but it also is appealing in so many levels. Just to add, the top of Joker's face is a trap door which will shoot to a slide.
The roller-coaster is a nice addition to the set. Many have said that the Joker Manor is equipped with an updated roller-coaster system (I wouldn't know since I'm a newbie Lego builder). The coaster looks fun but I find it bland. The hood of the front coaster lacks something, in my opinion.
Just to add, The Joker Manor Lego set is not as big and as extravagant as that in the movie. I remember that the Joker Manor in the movie had a Ferris Wheel. Asking for it might make the set a little more expensive, hence, it is only reasonable for Lego not to include the Ferris Wheel. Nonetheless, I think that including it will make the set a must-have.
OVERALL
There is no doubt that Joker Manor is such a fun build. However, there are certain parts of the manor that lacks fun and color. Nonetheless, the interior design, details, and minifigures make up for the lack thereof. The manor is tall and wide making it hard to display, but is beautiful and captivating. The value per piece runs at PhP 5.52; not bad considering that this is a licensed set and it includes exclusive bricks such as the wobbly mirror.
I recommend it to all LEGO builders and to all Batman fans. It comes with a hefty price tag but I think that you get your money's worth. The Joker Manor set is now available in your favorite Lego Certified Stores! Get yours now before its too late!
Paolo Ollero, 28, working law student, a comicbook enthusiast and a Batman historian, is one of the co-founder of The Dark Knight Philippines -- the premier Batman group in the country. He also contributes reviews and write-ups in Geekend Gladiator and Flipgeeks.
