Batman & Superman, Rocket & Groot - LEGO MOC

 A two-part 8x8 build challenge, housing two different sets of heroes.

This month's LUG meeting included a build challenge that I...misremembered. In all honesty, I even wrote it down in my notes for the meeting, as I always do—"Underwater" and "Video Games"—but for some reason the idea of "Marvel vs DC" stuck in my head. It was one of the possible prompts that we had voted on, and so I returned home eager to build two 8x8s I'd been wanting to work on for some time...despite the fact that they weren't quite related to the actual build challenge theme.

Thankfully, there are many video games that feature the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Caped Crusader, and the Man of Steel (indeed, even some LEGO versions). So even if I didn't start out building quite on-theme for the month's challenge, I was still able to spin it in the end.

As I've collected minifigures and LEGO pieces, sometimes parts will fit together in a way that inspires further builds. That was the case here. 

The sand purple portal (such a lovely color, it's a shame it hasn't been used in more than a few parts) from the "Life on Mars" sets and the signs and Groot minifig from set 76253 "Guardians of the Galaxy Headquarters" seemed to fit well together, along with the lavender 1x4 masonry bricks I got at the local LEGO store's Pick A Brick wall a few months ago. I also had the idea to use bolt-shooter bricks, which have a lovely pattern on their sides, as a sort of wainscoting.

On the other hand I was inspired by the "Batman 1992" polybag to create a larger rooftop from which Batman could properly brood, then thought to add a Superman. Now, there are probably as many Superman minifigures as there are Batman ones, but the one in 71026 DC CMF is particularly charming, reminiscent of Christopher Reeve's portrayal of the Kryptonian, including the forelock curl and the stern-but-gentle smile (to me, he is the quintessential Superman, vs more modern—and more angsty—representations). I also decided to include some white masonry profile bricks, to further the contrast between the two superheroes.

As you can see in the trays above, I followed my usual MOC process, gathering more pieces than I'm likely to need, in the colors and types I would potentially use: this allows me to free-build and try things out, experimenting without needing to break flow to get up and dig in the drawers and bags for a certain piece. That's actually why, as part of my recent studio-and-build-space redo, I created a "wallbuilding" bag, with 1-wide bricks in plain and masonry profiles divided by color. Now I only need to know what color wall I'm going to work on and I can grab the specific bag, adding SNOT, slope, and other bricks and plates as needed:

There followed the usual period of wild experimentation, putting things together to see what fit, and what limitations were created by the specific parts and pieces I had to include. For example, Rocket's legs are so short that they don't come with a hinge, severely limiting his poseability. Though I didn't use it in this instance (in part because I didn't have lantern bricks in an orange to match the Rocket from set 76243) I found that lantern bricks can be used to make short-legged figures sit. With a bit of set dressing this joint could be hidden (with props, or the arm rests of a chair, for example), making it look as though their stumpy little legs are bending like normal ones.

The Batman minifigure had similar issues, but in the opposite direction: rather than having too-small a piece, it was too large! Specifically, his flowing cape of molded rubber. As is appropriate for the most dramatic hero, it looks stunning...but it also takes up a lot of space. The little cornice that came in his polybag was cute, but wouldn't fit well behind his cape; it also didn't have enough storage for all of the bat-themed accessories I hoped to hide away inside it. I would need to build something from scratch.

And build I did, creating a solid white wall with a SNOT brick (into which could be inserted a trans-clear bar with angled hollow stud for Superman to perch on), as well as a grey wall section in which to hide all of Batman's tools—or "Bat-Gear" as one of the tiles I found proclaims it. There's even an old trans-green crystal, a hunk of Kryptonite he keeps "just in case." The baseplate I turned into the cornice of a building in Gotham or Metropolis, with a decorative edge and a little statuette on the corner. 1x1 flower plates become a drift of autumn leaves blown into a corner, and a soda can is not only a piece of litter but also a bit of red to keep Superman's costume from standing out quite so much. Similarly, the back corner has a tiny wind-up car in matching blue, hinting at one of the several villains they've both fought who like using mechanical toys to deliver their destructive payloads.

It took some finagling to work around Batman's cape, but I managed to fit both of them in the scene. He looks particularly grumpy—clearly trying to brood in solitude on the city he guards—while Superman is showing off the latest issue of the Daily Planet. Hmm, who could that "caped wonder" be, I wonder...

Once that build was done, I turned my attention to the Marvel side. Since the diagnostic panel from the Guardians Headquarters set was grey, I decided that I could use that same grey as a contrast to a variety of purples, giving the build the proper alien-but-also-grungy look of so many of the locations in the Guardians' adventures. Fluted profile bricks add a nice texture contrast to the masonry profile ones, and also evoke the parallel lines of the portal. Making use of the limited stock I have in such unusual colors, the walls came together quickly, but I ran into a small problem...

...Rocket's gun was simply too long! Either I'd have to move him to the back of the build, or else find another place to put it. I also wasn't happy with the way he obscured the Guardians sign on the back wall, so I played with things a bit more.

A clip on the wall held the gun, and by moving the plant pieces around, I was able to fit the sign onto Technic pins on the portal's upper portion, which had the side benefit of making the 1x8 tile look less out of place. Now Rocket has a reason to be standing on the table, as he works on the backside of the sign. A neon yellow guard rail with matching trans-yellow grille block off the portal (which has a very alien-looking purple soda can, made from one of the 1x1 round bricks used for batteries in the modern Space sets) indicates that the Guardians are closed for the day, and Groot is busy either sprouting more flowers, or else trying to weed them out. Either way it's a busy day for the pair.

I'm always happy when I can use parts and minifigures that just seem to fit naturally together, and making a little scene with a little story is what—to me—elevates them from being merely displays. After all, if I just wanted to show off all of my minifigures, I'd put them in a plain box with a plain background. There's nothing wrong with that, but this way I am able to work on my building and set-dressing skills, as well as use up pieces that would otherwise have no purpose but taking up space.