Review:70903 The Riddler Riddle Racer/Latenightguy

Latenightguy
Country: United States of America     Gender: Male
Joined: February 2010   № of Reviews: 6   № of Featured reviews: 0
Building Experience: 7 years

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Welcome to yet another Brickipedia review! Today, I will be reviewing the newly-released 2017 set: 70903 The Riddler Riddle Racer! Of the impressive thirteen sets to be released in the first wave of The LEGO Batman Movie theme, this set proved to catch my eye on most any occasion. From the lower price to the many minifigures included, I have hoped this to be one of my favorite sets. So, let us analyze and determine how this set stacks up! (A brick pun. How humorous...)

• Theme: The LEGO Batman Movie
• Pieces: 254
• Minifigures: 5
• Price: $29.99 USD
• Brickipedia / Brickset

Box/Contents

The box is quite large, considering it only includes two bags, a small sticker sheet, and an instruction manual. It is the same size as 76067 Tanker Truck Takedown, which nearly has 100 more pieces. The front has the basic set information listed at the left and the The Batman Movie logo at the top, alongside a winking Batman and a brick-built yellow background. While I initially thought the yellow looked off, it works exceptionally well with the orange lights in the background. The box art illustrates Batman tossing a Batarang at The Riddler, riding in his titular racer, while the three C/D-list villains stand menacingly to the side. On the back, the figures are arranged differently, highlighting a smiling Kite Man. Smaller boxes showing the villains and the play features, including a set of spring-loaded missiles and the articulation of Kite Man's glider. 'Build Something Batman' is prominently shown on the lower right-hand side, parodying the common DC/Marvel line 'Build Something Super', undoubtedly suiting the film's humor. The instruction manual included is standard with the box art replicated.

Minifigures

Batman: Like every other Batman-based wave or line, the titular Caped Crusader is usually the least favorite figure. This incarnation of the character is similar to his black suit variant in the first wave of DC Comics sets, having a black cowl, iconic bat logo, black legs, and black cape. But, beyond the new fabric used in the cape, there are two differences between these two figures: a new utility belt mold and an expressive face. The yellow belt is an interesting addition, since every LEGO movie needs new molds, and I have grown to like it, despite its limitations to sitting positions. More than that, it is nice to have a Batman that is not grimacing or smirking, with a angrier face and a confused expression that shapes the eyes accordingly. I might seem happy about this figure, but that is only because this is the first of many (Negativity is for another review...).

The Riddler: Four villains are included, yet most people are only familiar with The Riddler. He has received a rather drastic makeover and it is splendid! Starting from the top, The Riddler has a new hat/hair piece, likely imitating the red-haired Jim Carrey costume, that . A new head print is included, showcasing a smirking and frowning expression. I am a little confused with the print, since it covers the mask, which oddly extends upward to strange points, and the face looks strangely juvenile, but it does not really damper anything. The torso diverts from the usual green jumpsuit, instead being a nice green suit with green question marks scattered throughout, even extending to the arms and the back of the torso! These details are greatly appreciated, especially considering that we finally received a question mark mold to make the villain's signature cane a reality. This may be my favorite minifigure, since I have a green bias and the detail is better than most Super Heroes figures.

Magpie: We have now reached what will become The LEGO Batman Movie's trademark: very minor villains. In this set, I surprisingly knew of the others, with Magpie requiring research to be familiar with her history. From what I can tell, Magpie's design is unique to this film, which somewhat lessens any nostalgic connection. Nevertheless, the figure uses preexisting molds, such as black Chima armor, two dynamite pieces, and white bob-cut hair, which may be a new color. The face is a notable aspect of Magpie, having two red streaks on the sides of her face and silver eye makeup that are used on her smirking and appalled expressions. The torso is unique, with a layered grey collar and a red belt on a black dress, continuing the back side. A slope is used to imitate the dress, possessing wrinkles and silver lines that continue from the torso. Overall, she is my least favorite villain, though she is detailed.

Calendar Man: Alternatively, Calendar Man may be my favorite villain, only below The Riddler for the sake of notoriety. As opposed to the other two villains, this obscure villain has appeared in other media, such as video games, albeit in a grittier fashion, though this campy costume is quite desirable. This figure reuses the beanie cap piece, introduced in the Minifigures line, though it is in a new red color with calendar printing on the front. The character's face print is interesting, having only one neutral expression that is printed on a red head with a black mask. The torso displays a white bead necklace and a calendar/measuring tape belt, which are sadly off from white being printed on red. The legs are dual molded, depicting red underwear over white leggings, which have red lines that connect to red boots. Yet, these nice details pale in comparison to the new cape elements, specifically made for Mr. Day. Mimicking his calendar cape and collar, the elements are white with red numbers, placed upon the tendrils that are further divided into squares, further noting the calendar in Calendar Man. The detail is even greater than The Riddler, further raising the set's desirability.

Kite Man: Lastly, we have Kite Man. Similar to Calendar Man, he has a costume that is near identical to his old Golden Age appearance and is quite campy. The helmet is reused, but I believe it is a new color with a little green kite printed on the front. A transparent red visor is attached to it, concealing Kite Man's face. The face print is unique, while this figure is the perfect candidate to reuse a head, depicting a smiling and angry expression with cheekbones and bushy brown eyebrows (An IHE reference?). The torso is a light green with dark green arms, depicting a yellow kite logo and belt, with faint muscle lines. The figure's legs are colored like the arms without printing. Aside from the figure, Kite Man is supplied with a glider build. While it differs from the simple kite of the comics, the glider is designed with grey and red wing plates, possessing transparent yellow studs to represent engines. Intriguing parts used in the build include a transparent neck bracket and a bendable handhold that looks and is used to great effect. Kite Man is a happy addition, on par with all of the other villains.

The Model

The primary build of this set is The Riddler's Riddle Racer. Like many sets in this theme, a vehicle is the main build for the antagonist, following a theme that is in line with the character. But, while the racer fits our villain's green color scheme, one that I enjoy, there is no real indication that it is his. This is not to say that the build is bad though. The many sloped, studless pieces create an appealing vehicle that is oversized with nice design aspects. Many have compared this set to a Creator build and I cannot help but agree, aside from the two play features. The first of these, as shown on the box, is a set of spring-loaded missiles that are revealed by pushing the grey exhaust pipes downward, angling the engine upward. I personally enjoy the detail that went into the engine build with the various grey pieces, including the transparent cover. The other feature, which incites little play, are two lightsaber hilts, acting as guns of some sort. They are concealed under a hinged plate that has one of two stickers in the set. Next to them, two yellow tinted windows are used as headlights, creating a unique design feat, though it is nothing groundbreaking. I like the car, because it is green and appears nice, but it will not appeal to everyone.

Final Verdict

Overall, the set is a decent value. The minifigures are all nearly exclusive, besides Batman, and introduce new elements that will entertain some LEGO fans and many DC fans. Aside from these figures, the build is not without its flaws. This is only a minor flaw in that the Riddle Racer is not as creative as some of the other villain vehicles and the lack of play features is fairly notable. The car looks nice, perhaps in a Creator sense. Though, if I were to compare it to the similar 76067 Tanker Truck Takedown with the same price and figure incentive, I would chose this one, because it follows this theme's rule of focusing on one good build. Yes, it is a little overpriced, if you use the 10 ppp ratio, but the minifigures make up for it with stunning detail. I recommend this set to any DC or LEGO Batman Movie fan who wants to collect some nice figures, regardless of their nostalgic value or notoriety. But, if the figures mean nothing to you, you will not be missing out.

Price/Value	5 / 5
Playability	3½ / 5
Minifigures/Pieces	5 / 5
Model	4 / 5
Overall	4½ / 5