LEGO Explorer Magazine Issue 9 – Human Body

I look forward to receiving my copy of the LEGO Explorer magazine through the post direct to my door as it’s the only one I subscribe too, I’m partial to a good LEGO polybag and don’t want to miss out!

There is some good news if you do miss an issue as the publishers have now started a back issue service. ‘Hooray’ I hear some of your shout as that is the main question we get asked here at The Brick Post. Follow this link to grab the one(s) you’ve missed.

So far, out of the 9 issues, every polybag has been awesome and I can’t complain about any really. Of course there are one or two that don’t quite hit the mark but then those go into my spares collection and ultimately into a MOC.

Let’s start with the Magazine itself and what you’ll see inside.

The Magazine:

As the title suggests this issue is all about the Human Body, including topics on what’s inside our bodies and how they work, history makers, a quiz, and a whole lot more.

Contents page and life hacks

I’ve often said that this particular LEGO magazine is not only jam packed with great LEGO ideas and fun things to do but also educational material that will help all young fans learn about the topic in question.

With the above (image) being a prime example of the content you’ll find inside. It focuses on and feels you all about the inner working of the Human Body and more precisely Bones. What they’re made of, how they work and what they do, I must admit that when reading this to my 5 Year old Son I learnt a few things too!

Turn the page and there are even more facts about Bones, this time diving into how your Muscles pull bones to move, bones breaking, and X-rays. With the added captions and LEGO Minifigures joining in, they ask some interesting questions, and in a way they represent you or a younger fan, reading it – I’m actually really impressed with how it’s done and laid out, superb job goes to the writers/editors, and of course LEGO here.

Another awesome read, found slightly towards the back of this issue, gives you a brief glimpse at some truly inspirational and incredible people throughout our History, and what they’ve left behind to benefit us as a whole.

With the likes of Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Stephen Hawkin, and most recently Usain Bolt making the list, just a handful of awesome people who have done unique and amazing things for us. It’s definitely worth reading and will hopefully spur you onto seeking out more information and expanding your knowledge.

Just in time to take part in the Brilliant Bodies quiz, which pulls from all the information provided within the issue to test your knowledge and see if you were paying attention! Let us know what score you get in the comments below.

Moving onto more LEGO centred content now, and first off the full page poster we get that depicts a Minifigure and Skeleton side-by-side surrounded by bubbles with facts inside. This is awesome!

I love this poster, as you can probably tell, and I’m not entirely sure why, it’s just a great looking piece of LEGO art that I’d want to display at all times, especially if I had a LEGO room.

Granted it’s not specific to LEGO Minifigures, which is a shame and would have been even more epic, as it points out key areas and parts that we Humans have but in a fun and engaging way.

Illusions are always great fun and that doubles when LEGO bricks are chucked into the mix. These ‘trick of the eye’ segments are done using standard LEGO parts that most of us have laying around or in part of a set, so go and grab them and make your own!

Each issue the Brick Master chooses a cool LEGO piece to showcase and highlight all the ways you can use it.

This time you get a closer look at 1×1 plate with vertical tooth element, which can be found in a multitude of sets and on LEGO’s own Pick A Brick service, as well as Bricklink and Brickowl.

As we can see from the images the piece has many uses, from hair and body detailing to car parts and  building decoration, it’s such a great part to have in your collection and will come in very handy when creating MOCs.

We get a double page spread activity in the form of ‘Doodle & Design’, which allows you to recreate yourself in LEGO form using the outlined graph paper supplied.

I must say it’s great to see these doodle areas in every issue, and adding the grid lines is a smart move. We can now create a drawing that not only represents us but also looks like LEGO too!

The LEGO Polybag:

Following along the theme of the Human Body, the ‘free’ LEGO Polybag that’s included with this issue is a Skull.

As you’d expect most of the pieces are white, with a few beige parts chucked in. The image below shows the white elements we get and you’ll probably agree with me there is a great selection, with the majority being some sort of slope or inverted tile/brick!

The build itself is small and compact and very straightforward to assemble, there aren’t any fiddly bits to get stuck on, so great for younger fans to make and enjoy.

I particularly like the shape of the Skull and the way it has been ‘fleshed’ out, excuse the pun, with the depth of the eye sockets, the protruding nose bone and the teeth, the LEGO Designer has done a wonderful job.

It also looks great from any direction and would happily sit on display, although at a slightly jaunty angle.

Part of me wishes it was a full, smaller scale, Skeleton, with posable limbs and turning head. I don’t think that would of taken many bits and would have been so much more fitting for the Human Body topic.

Overall another great addition to the LEGO Explorer line and well work picking up if you haven’t already. With the information contained inside the magazine your child, or yourself, can learn a thing or two about how the Human Body works and how to look after it.

The LEGO Polybag is also good and although it’s just a miniature Skull the build is enjoyable. The parts on offer here are well worth picking up if you’re into MOC building, with the many slope and inverted pieces.

Issue 9 is highly recommended by us and don’t forget you can subscribe and find back issues via the links below. Thank you for reading this review, catch you next time!

Back issues: link

Subscriptions: link

For a sneak peek at next issues freebie take a look below…