We Build the LEGO Marvel: Venom Bust Set

LEGO Marvel: Venom Bust

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The LEGO Venom Bust, however, is a ‘what you see is what you get” proposition. There is no Eddie Brock – no Easter egg underneath the Venom skin. There’s just the LEGO bricks and Technic rods that hold it all together. This feels like a missed opportunity, on one hand. But this is also not a set for LEGO devotees, who would crave and expect some next level innovation. This is a bust, just like the LEGO Iron Man MK4 Bust and the LEGO Iron Spider-Man Bust before that. It is exactly as advertised – nothing more, nothing less.

This is an 18+ build – a LEGO set for adults – but it’s relatively straightforward. The age recommendation is based more on interest than level of difficulty; the Venom Bust works well as an ambitious gift for a talented child or as an entry-level set for an adult.

You first build the base, and the instruction booklet gives you two options. You either build a thinner, symmetrical base, which places the Venom placard at the center of it. Or, you build a wider, asymmetrical base, which moves the placard to the left and leaves room to pose the Venom minifigure on the right.

Then you build the torso, which uses cleverly placed rounded parts to create the illusion of musculature. And lastly, you build the head. Easily the fussiest part of the set, building the head requires you to join multiple connection points, facing both downwards and upwards, in a sandwich-type manner. Venom’s lower jaw is a frustrating exercise in precision; if you press down when things aren’t aligned in both directions, the head will come apart and you’ll have to rebuild it. And once it is all together, it’s still fragile.

The Venom Bust costs $50, whereas the Iron Man Bust and the Spider-Man Busts both cost $60. That discount is likely because Iron Man has retractable shoulder cannons, and Spider-Man has two adjustable mechanical arms anchored to his back; Venom only has himself. LEGO advertises that Venom’s long, symbiotic tongue is detachable, and you can choose whether or not to use it in the display. But let’s be real here; what Venom fan would display this bust without the tongue? It’s like displaying Wolverine without his claws, or Captain America without his shield. Yeah, you could do it. But that doesn’t mean it’s to be done.

LEGO Marvel Venom Bust, Set #76356, retails for $49.99, and it is composed of 413 pieces. It is available now.

Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He’s also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.