There was nothing quite like walking down the Lego aisle growing up. Splitting off from Mom after she dragged me to Target and made my way over to the wonderland of plastic bricks. It felt like walking into Santa’s workshop, seeing all my favorite superheroes in epic battles with their iconic vehicles, waiting to be built. It was heaven.
Walking down the Lego aisle today, or even shopping online, the feeling is not the same. I am just getting older, and the fog of nostalgia has finally lifted, or Lego (to put it simply) really fell off. I miss the overwhelming sense of joy that buying a new Lego set brought me, but the only options I see on the shelf are overpriced and underwhelming.
When I think of the pinnacle of my childhood experience, the Marvel and DC sets of the 2010s come to mind. Inexpensive dioramas of the Sanctum Sanctorum or sets such as Green Lantern’s spaceship battle brought to life a variety of characters, buildings, and vehicles into your collection. This past year, it looks like every other set on the shelves is another Batmobile, A $15 mech for every character under the sun, or another car for Spider-Man. WHY Does Spiderman need a car and a mech? I understand that Batman and Spider-Man are huge moneymakers, but I miss the days when I could get a set with Shazam or The Flash without a movie just coming out or an insane price tag attached to it.
Looking back at the sets for The Lego Batman Movie, I can confidently say that I still am excited by them and would buy them in a heartbeat if they were still in stores (although my girlfriend might kill me if I buy a LEGO set without her). Walking into a Lego aisle now, I find myself overwhelmed. Not by choice, but by the absence of it. I feel the need to lower my standards and settle for a tiny set for more than it is worth, or a medium-sized set for WAY more than it is worth! I feel the need to justify my purchase of something I do not love, versus riding the thrill of creation.
While I really, really do not like big corporations, Lego still has my heart. I still hold out hope that LEGO’s new sets, specifically the Marvel and DC ones, feature some new characters and new ideas for their next releases. Instead of another car for Spider-Man or a massive Batman logo, I would love to see some bright and colorful sets for the 2025 Superman Movie, or a set where Daredevil and Gwenpool team up to battle Bullseye and Kingpin!
I miss that feeling of whimsy that buying a new Lego set brought, and I’m hoping that if the Lego group pushes more towards novelty and whimsy, and moves away from a big price tag, our hearts will be better for it.
