When this set came out, there were few things about it that caught my eye. First was the tan colored spiral staircase. Second was the over-sized doors. The stairs and the doors were exactly what I was looking for in terms of parts that I will need for a museum MOC for my LEGO city. While the MOC itself is not one of my upcoming projects for the immediate future, it is always good to start collecting parts. Finally, there was the Ra’s Al Ghul Minifigure. What Batman collection would be complete without one? So, I did not buy this set for the set itself, but let’s review it anyway for fun.
Set Summary
Name: Batman – Rescue from Ra’s Al Ghul
Set #: 76056
Theme: DC Comics Super Heroes
Cost: $39.99 CDN
Brick Count: 257
Minifigures: 4
Of Interest: You get a scorpion
Release Date: July 2, 2016
Summary Review: 67%
VALUE: 70% ($0.16 per brick at full price is a little above average.)
BUILD: 70% (Lacks a little substance, but fun.)
MINIFIGURES: 87% (Generally good Minifigs, awesome brick-to-fig ratio.)
ENTERTAINMENT: 40% (This set has some great re-usable pieces, but not much else.)
Review
VALUE: 70%
I got this set with saved up VIP points from the last Double Points event, so for me, this set was pretty much free. But, if you are going out and buying it at the retail price of $39.99, with 257 bricks, this set works out to $0.16 per brick. There were no DC Super Heroes sets in the summer 2017 LEGO catalog. However, if we compare this set with the average cost of a LEGO Batman Movie set in the catalog, this set is $0.03 above average. Looking back to the January 2017 catalog, this set is $0.02 above the DC Super Heroes average. Rescue from Ra’s Al Ghul is also $0.02 above the average cost per brick for the whole summer 2017 LEGO catalog. It is not a terrible value, but not a great one either, and earns 3.5/5 (70%).
BUILD:
This set has been designed as a little play set with kids in mind. The main structure is meant to be Ra’s Al Ghul’s fortess (or at least part of it). It has a small jail cell with a door that can be blasted off with the push of a rod. There is also a booby trap in the form of a very visible axe on the staircase. It swings into action with the flip of a little lever. The fortress doors are loosely attached so that Batman can break in with ease. Finally, the Lazarus Pit also has a lever that is meant to launch Ra’s out for an attack. Generally, these play features work well, with the exception of the Lazarus Pit. You can’t easily balance a Minifigure on the lever to launch it well. I also wish that this fortress had a little more structure to it. As it is, it is not a stand alone set, and looks more like a ruin than something Ra’s Al Ghul would actually use.
The other build in this set is Batman’s desert buggy. It actually looks quite nice, and I like the overall feel of it. The front is a little bland, and the frame over the cab is shaky and not quite enough to protect Batman should the buggy flip. But, otherwise it is a sturdy little design.
Overall, I give this set a build score of 7/10. I wish it had more substance, and the play feature for the Lazarus Pit is weak. More detail on the front and cab of the buggy would have been nice too. Otherwise, it is a fun little play set.
MINIFIGURES: 87%
One thing that DC Comics sets are generally great for is the Minifigures. This set comes with four: Batman, Robin, Talia Al Ghul, and Ra’s Al Ghul. Batman is actually one of my favorite variants so far. He comes in a tan costume with shiny bronze accents. Given the number of Batmans that come with LEGO sets, it is really nice to get one that is a little different, but still functional (unlike all the Batman Movie variants that are fun, but just plain silly). This Batman does not have the newer cowl design. He does have a double-sided face, with one side neutral and the other scowling. As accessories, he has a katana for dueling with Ra’s, and a couple of Batarangs. He does not have any printing on his legs, but the torso has front and back print. I give this Batman 8/10.
Robin is sadly an ape-child Minifigure. He is meant to be Damian Wayne, I suppose. He does not come with a hairpiece, and sports a black hood instead. His cape is yellow. I know he has sported this look in the comics, but I am not a fan and wish the cape had been black. Since it is a look that is true to character though, I won’t take off a mark for that. Robin has a double-sided face, one side is shocked, the other is angry. The torso is printed on the front and back, and it actually looks quite nice. This Minifigure loses a lot of favor with me on account of the stumpy “kid” legs. I hate these as they don’t bend and make the arms look overly long (hence the “ape-child” comment before). As an accessory, Robin comes with a staff. I give him 6/10.
Talia Al Ghul is an ok Minifigure. I think I would have been more impressed with her if they had given her a new hairpiece that covered one eye, reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series. As it is, the hairpiece is nothing we have not seen before. Talia does have a double-sided face, with one side angry, and the other smiling. She has front and back print on her torso, but no printing on the legs. Her accessory is a naginata (Japanese sword on the end of a pole). As with many weapons in LEGO sets, I actually got two in this kit. I give Talia 7/10.
Ra’s Al Ghul is the Minifigure that I really wanted from this set. He has a black “vampire” hairpiece with grey streaks painted around the temples. He has a double side face, one side old, and the other younger and crazed by a trip into the Lazarus Pit. His cape comes in two pieces, the actual cape and the collar, reminiscent of The Martian Manhunter. Ra’s cape is, of course, green and not blue. He has front and back print on his torso, but again, no printing on the legs. His accessory is a golden katana, and again there are two in the box. He earns 8/10.
With four Minifigures and 257 bricks, this kit has an amazing brick-to-Minifig ratio of 64:1. It actually shoots the overall average for the summer 2017 catalogue (201:1) right out of the park. That earns this set a full 5/5. Averaging the Minfigure design scores gives 73%. Combining that with the ratio score gives the Minifigures in this kit an overall score of 87%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 40%
The cost per minute of build time for this set is sadly not very good. It took me 45 minutes to put together, and at a cost of $39.99, which puts each minute at $0.89. That earns 2/5 in my books. As for my overall feelings towards this set, I am not a huge fan. This was a Minifigure/parts purchase for me from the get go. That is one of the reasons I waited so long to pick it up. I was not ready to start the custom project that I need the parts for, so I waited to save up my VIP points until it was basically free. I give it 2/5 for enjoyment as well. That gives this set an entertainment rating of 40%.
Overall: 67%
I have to say that I am not a huge fan of the build for this set. It isn’t a great value per brick, and it is an even worse value in terms of build time. The desert buggy is neat, but the partial building is nothing to write home about. The Minifigures are pretty good, and you get a lot of them for the brick count. I am particularly happy with the Batman variant and Ra’s Al Ghul. What are you thoughts on Rescue from Ra’s Al Ghul? Feel free to leave your comments below.
Until next time,
-Tom
I love that you buy LEGO based on how you can reuse the pieces. 😛
This set raises so many questions. Why is Batman dressed in a desert-coloured costume, but still has a black hood and cape?
Okay, I guess that’s the only question. But the scorpion is cool.
That is a valid question, it did not initially occur to me that black does not blend in well in the desert (and is hot)… I suppose one could take the brown cowl and cape from Cave-Batman from the LEGO Batman Movie Minifigures series and replace these ones…