Review: LEGO 76199 Carnage

LEGO are on a tear with their Helmet collections, and now Marvel Super Heroes fans can get in on the action too with 76199 Carnage!

This new Carnage helmet/bust is the second LEGO Marvel after 2020’s Iron Man Helmet is a great new entrant, slated to coincide with the upcoming release of the Venom sequel, Let There Be Carnage.

LEGO were kind enough to send an early review copy of 76199 Carnage, so I hope you enjoy this first look at the upcoming set!

76199 Carnage will be released on LEGO.com on 11 April 2021 in the United States, ahead of a 1 May 2021 global release, and will retail for US$59.99 and AU$89.99.

I was very lucky to have received the opportunity to check them out early, so enjoy an early review and in-depth look into the LEGO Darth Vader and Scout Trooper helmets!

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing these sets for review

76199 Carnage Set Details

Name: Carnage
Set Number: 76199
Pieces: 546
Price: AU$89.99 | US$59.99 | £54.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [AUS] [USA] [UK]
Exclusive to: N/A
Theme: Marvel Helmets
Release Date: 11 April 2021 (USA) / 1 May 2021 (Worldwide)

Firstly, it’s nice to see Marvel get back into the helmet game and Carnage is a pretty interesting pick in my opinion, as it’s not technically a helmet, but fits the brief.

When photos were first revealed, I was quite apprehensive – Carnage is pretty neat as a character, but I had mixed feelings about the design but after getting the chance to build it, I think I’m much more receptive to it.

LEGO have been on a roll with Helmets, with 5 Star Wars ones so far, and now more Marvel and even DC Super Heroes-themed ones in the pipeline, so if you like these helmets, you’re going to start needing a lot of space for them.

Here’s a look at the instruction manual – I like how minimalist and simple it is – just the model on a black background, and no branding or text which was an interesting choice.

On the inside, we have some great lifestyle photos of Carnage, along with LEGO Creative Lead Jesper C Nielsen, who waxes lyrical about the design and inspiration behind this model.

And here’s the dreaded sticker sheet. There are a lot of stickers to apply, and they’re slightly challenging, as you apply many of them on slopes, instead of just flat surfaces.

Pretty disappointing to see an over-reliance of sticker, and makes me question the longevity of this set as a display piece – the last thing you want is for Carnage’s details to start peeling and curling once sticker inevitably come undone.

The build was actually a lot of fun, more enjoyable than I thought it would be. The build experience was quite unique, especially compared to the Star Wars helmets, and I really liked building the “organic” portions such as Carnage’s eyes, teeth and mouth.

I also didn’t expect so many pink bricks to be used throughout, and for the plethora of other colours and elements used too.

It was also a fairly brisk build – clocking in just under 2 hours of leisurely building time.

And here’s the completed Carnage helmet/face! I really liked the flow of how Carnage’s face comes together, and when you snap together his bottom jaw, it does feel quite satisfying.

I think this is one of the most eye-catching LEGO helmets that LEGO have released, and there are plenty of great details.

While I typically loathe stickers, I think they do the job they’re meant to do, to give Carnage his signature symbiote texture and look – also kudos to the team for great colour-matching as they don’t stick (hah) out as much as I thought they would.

Thankfully the plaque is printed 🙂

Here’s how Carnage looks from the side, where you can really appreciate his overbite and massive jaw full of sharp teeth.

And here’ a look at the back and top of the head, with typical textures and techniques used to achieve the curves.

Carnage’s eyes are pretty well done, and they contrast really nicely, and give off quite a menacing look.

What really bothers me, and I had to double and triple check to ensure I didn’t make a mistake is this stray stud on his right eye. If you’re an OCD-type of person, this will bother the heck out of you, and just looks so entirely out of place.

Carnage’s most recognizable feature is of course his mouth, which is filled with oversized and razor-sharp black teeth. The effect works really well, and I love how the teeth are layered on one another to give it a really organic and natural look, as well as the generous pinkish interior of his mouth.

In terms of flaws, Carnage also does look quite strange from the side, where there are some really sharp angles at play – which doesn’t quite fit Carnage’s mostly organic appearance.

And yes, I can confirm that Carnage looks super creepy on display.

The contrast created by the clashing red, black and white elements also work in Carnage’s favour as a display piece, as you can accurately make out the details, and features from nearly every angle.

If you’re curious about how Carnage looks next to Iron Man, here’s what the Marvel Helmet collection looks like currently, until Venom is launched!

What I liked:

Fun engaging build that was never quite boring
Looks great as a display piece, and Carnage’s features are really vivid and engaging
Small footprint makes for an easy display option

What I didn’t like:

Too many stickers
That stud on the eye
Price is a tad expensive.

Final Thoughts:

If you enjoy LEGO’s Helmet collection, or are a big Carnage/Spider-Man fan Carnage will be a no-brainer addition to your collection.

With all my helmets currently on display, Carnage is the one that stands out the most, in a good way, and I like that they’re expanding Marvel’s helmet collection.

The design team should be praised for how they’ve managed to capture Carnage’s look, although they had to rely on stickers.

I do think that there’s a wasted opportunity here with the lack of tendril, or Symbiote bits sticking out from the back. I know it will technically break the Helmets’ style and design language, but for a character like Carnage, it feels like a massive miss to not have anything stick out.

I also think it’s fairly expensive as full-price, so if you can, wait till there’s a good Gift with Purchase, or until it goes on sale if you want to pull the trigger.

Rating and score: 3/5 ★★★✰✰

Build [3] – The build was interesting, with some cool techniques employed, and I liked that it didn’t take too long.
Real Value [3] – The price is a little high for what you get, especially with all the stickers.
Innovation [4] – I love the techniques used for the teeth and eyes, and how solid and tough it feels.
Coolness [3] – Carnage isn’t a massive mainstream character yet, but maybe the Venom sequel will change that. It would be way cooler if he had tendrils popping out the back.
Keepability [4] – LEGO seem to be driving hard on helmets, so if you are collecting them, there’s added incentive to have the entire collection.

Thanks so much for reading my early review of 76199 Carnage! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will be able to bring you my review of Venom soon as well.

76199 Carnage will be released on LEGO.com on 11 April 2021 in the US, and 1 May elsewhere, and will retail for US$59.99 and AU$89.99.

For bonus content, you can also watch my Speed Build and Video Review on Youtube!

I’d love to know what you think of Carnage and more Marvel helmets. Who else would you like to see from Marvel Comics get the helmet treatment?

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