There was one simple reason I wanted us to have this LEGO Avenjet Space Mission set.
Yes, we love superheroes and I have a particular fondness for Marvel. We are of course big LEGO fans too. And it was a pretty cool looking spaceship version of the Avengers Quintet.
But there was one very small but important inclusion in the set – a Captain Marvel LEGO minifigure.
Why is a Captain Marvel LEGO figure so important?
Formerly Ms. Marvel (who in the 70’s & 80’s was probably my first introduction to feminism) as well as a few other incarnations, she is a hugely important character in the world of female comic book fandom.
There’s too much to go into here, but basically writer Kelly Sue Deconnick took a tier 2 Marvel character and propelled her to the A-List. So much so that Marvel Studios will release a Captain Marvel movie in 2018, with the character making her big screen debut a year earlier in the next Avengers movie.
So as soon as I saw this this set, I knew I had to get it for my daughter as I really wanted her to learn about and engage with the character.
But it’s not just about Captain Marvel…
The set also features 4 other figures. On the heroes side, we have Captain America with his mighty shield plus space accessories. He is teamed with Iron Man wearing what is presumably a white space armour.
There is also Hyperion, a character who is literally Marvel’s version of Superman, from their riff on the Justice League, the Squadron Supreme. They’ve faced off against – and then with – the Avengers a few times.
Plus there is a large sized figure of Thanos – the intergalactic villain already seen in a few Marvel movies. He’s shaping up to be the big bad guy of the next two Avengers movies.
He’s also been copied – in this case shamelessly ripped off – from another DC character called Darkseid. My daughter noticed the similarity – proud geek dad moment.
The actual Avenjet model is in fact 2 spaceships in 1 – the smaller ship slots into and sits atop the larger one. It has been keenly noted by my daughter that the Captain Marvel LEGO ship is much bigger than Captain America’s. Both come with the ubiquitous stud guns and missile launchers.
The set has over 500 pieces in 3 numbered bags, and the completed model is less than 1sq ft. The stated age range is 7-14, but my 4-year-old daughter and I happily built it over a couple of sessions, with her doing the majority of the construction (I think she mostly wanted the company rather than assistance).
The only disappointment was the Thanos figure. While he looks great, he has very little articulation – the legs do not move at all and his arms only move in the shoulder and the wrists.
But it’s a minor quibble. My daughter is now enjoying playing out space adventures with familiar and new heroes – and with the Captain Marvel bug firmly planted in her mind she has yet another great female superhero to engage with.
The LEGO Avenjet Space Mission (76049) has an RRP of £49.99.
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We were provided with the LEGO set free of charge for the purposes of this review.
I know a 6 year old (and 39 year old) that would like this! #triedtested
Plenty of scope for imagination and creativity here. #TriedTested
This looks like a fab set, will have to go have a nosey and maybe put aside for my son’s 7th birthday.
#TriedTested
I was reading this post when my four year old son peered over my shoulder. I’ve only just stopped answering his questions about it and it’s way past his bed time, so I think you have a new fan! I’ve just started my own dad blog –thedaddanceblog.wordpress.com – and you’ve given me a hard act to follow!
It is a cool set! You’re too kind – good luck with your blog 🙂
Didn’t know they were making avengers LEGO! Awesome!
Thanks, I shall show the kids and see if any of them wants for their birthday. Then we can ‘share’ playing with it. (heh heh).
Love the Ms. Marvel faces. She’s a great character.
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