LEGO ninjago movie annual 2018 review

The LEGO Ninjago Movie Official Annual 2018

2017 is almost over. And what's best to remind the people in the United Kingdom of that than next year's annuals! Starting of with The LEGO Ninjago Movie Official Annual 2018...

But first, a brief reminder of what annuals are. They are books published shortly before the end of each year, with the Christmas market as their target. Generally, annuals are large hardcover books centered on everything: sports, toys, celebrities, films, TV series... Everything! They feature various contents like text articles, comics, puzzles, etc. And some of them have freebies, like the LEGO ones. For 2018, four LEGO Annuals were released, namely, LEGO, LEGO Batman Movie, LEGO Ninjago Movie, and LEGO Star Wars. Interestingly, the LEGO one is published by Ladybird, and the other three are by Egmont. All of them have a recommended retail price of £7.99. But you can buy one at more or less half the price! Different book and toy stores have various promotions on these popular annuals. And if you can wait until later this year or early next year, these annuals will be reduced to just £1! There's just the risk of running out of stock though. Well, that's not at all brief, haha.

Moving on, The LEGO Ninjago Movie Official Annual 2018 is really made for the kids, with a recommended age of seven years old and above. There are numerous comics, puzzles, and activities about the latest LEGO film that can keep the little ninjas busy for hours. The art is strikingly colorful and beautiful. I really love the design, especially the graffiti style in some of the pages. It's just such a shame the artists were not credited for their amazing artwork. It would have been nice to associate the wonderfully drawn minifigures and brick pieces to the people who have created them.

For the freebie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie Official Annual 2018 comes with a Jay Walker minifigure. It's not really exclusive because you can also get one from the Movie Maker [5004394] polybag (which is not yet widely released as of writing). Individually, the parts are not exclusive as well. The hair piece is the same as in the Temple of the Ultimate Ultimate Weapon [70617] and the Collectible Minifigures [71019]. I'm surprised movie Jay has only two head pieces made, the selfie smiley one from the Collectible Minifigures [71019], and his default one just like below. It has two expression printed on each side, a half-smile, and a serious frown.

Jay Walker

Jay dons a white kimono for Spinjitzu training. Again, this is not exclusive. It's the same outfit that Nya wore in the Collectible Minifigures [71019], and the others (with the exception of Zane. For some reason, he doesn't have one) in various promotional sets. It's a great uniform though. It's really nice to see our ninjas wearing the same clothes before the multicolored Power Rangers-esque costumes.

For his accessory, Jay comes with his signature weapon, the flail. It's made of a chained blade connected to a stick.

Spinjitzu Training

All in all, The LEGO Ninjago Movie Official Annual 2018 is a good book with loads of fun activities and eye-catching visuals. The free Jay Walker minifigure is a sweet addition to any Ninjago collection. Actually, I think it would be nice to collect the whole gang in Spinjitzu training attires. Hmmm...

The LEGO Ninjago Movie widely comes out in the UK 13 October! And if you check your local cinemas, some are offering special advance screenings on 7 to 8 October! Go!

LEGO star wars annual 2017 review

LEGO Star Wars Annual 2017

LEGO Star Wars Annual 2017 has just been released, and it looks way, way better than last year's.

When I first came here in the United Kingdom, I bought a copy of the LEGO Star Wars Annual 2016 in Poundland for £1. It's a kiddie activity book with some free bricks. To be specific, it came with three 1x8 and three 1x4 white plates to represent lightsaber blades. That doesn't really make any sense. But I'm not really complaining, I got the book for only 1/8 of the retail price (paying the full price is not worth it). Apparently, annuals are a thing here. But what exactly are annuals? In my previous post I mentioned that annuals are books published shortly before the end of each year, and are aimed at the Christmas market. They are generally large hardcover books centered on sports, toys, celebrities, films, TV series, and so on, featuring various contents like text articles, comics, puzzles, etc. And since LEGO is quite popular here, it's not surprising to see LEGO Annuals. For 2017, three books were published. One is about LEGO per se, the other centers on Ninjago, and the remaining one focuses on, of course, Star Wars.

Imagine my excitement when I saw the preview of the LEGO Star Wars Annual 2017. Instead of senseless bricks, the new book includes not only an Ezra Bridger minifigure, but also a C1-10P, AKA Chopper. Even the LEGO Star Wars Magazine is yet to release an issue with free minifigures. So, when I saw a copy in my local WHSmith with a buy one get one for £1 promo, I decided to buy it (but not right away). I studied first if that was the current best deal. The book is actually cheaper in Argos for £3.99 (RRP £7.99), but it's out-of-stock in all the Argos near me. That alarmed me a bit. If it's selling fast, I don't think stocks will be left to be dumped into Poundland and be sold at a low, low price. Good thing there are still a few copies left in my local WHSmith. I immediately grabbed a copy (and a Ninjago one for my little sister) and found relief.

I was still in the shadows when the first Star Wars Rebels sets came out. So I missed The Ghost [75053], and The Phantom [75048], and all the minifigures that came with them. My first Star Wars Rebels set (that is not a polybag) is The Ghost [75127] Microfighter. Now my Hera Syndulla minifigure is no longer alone. She now has Ezra and Chopper in her crew (I'm just not sure if they'll all fit in the microfighter ship, haha).

Ezra Bridger

The minifigures included in the LEGO Star Wars Annual 2017 are not really exclusives. They are the same Ezra and Chopper that can be acquired in The Phantom [75048], Rebel Combat Frigate [75158], Ezra's Speeder Bike [75090] (for Ezra), and the San Diego Comic Con 2014 exclusive The Ghost Starship (for Chopper). I think the Ezra minifigure will be updated in future sets based on the show's third season, with his new look and all. I was just a little disappointed with Chopper's matched appendages. I was kind of expecting mismatched struts, but I guess that can be easily arranged. Now that I think about it, I think Chopper is quickly becoming one of my favorite droids ever!

C1-10P (Chopper)

For the LEGO Star Wars Annual 2017 book itself, it still is a kiddie activity book. It is recommended for children aged seven years old and above. The art is colorful and cute as always. The puzzles and activities are also quite similar. What's remarkably new is the inclusion of The Force Awakens characters and story line. It's always a delight to see BB-8 in whatever form.

The LEGO Star Wars Annual 2017 is a good enough of an annual with great minifigures and fun activities. It's a perfect book to add in any collection, or to give away this holiday season. Just make sure to buy it at a discounted price.