Lego Art The Milky Way Galaxy review

Lego is really knocking it out of the park when it comes to wall-hanging kits recently. We've only just had The Amazing Spider-Man, which we deemed to be an absolute must-have for Marvel fans in our review. But we have to say it pales in comparison to the newest 'Art' set to come from Lego: The Milky Way Galaxy is simply astonishing. For us space fans, it might just be one of the most innovative and interesting sets we've ever had. 

Usually, space-themed Lego sets involve rockets, shuttles and rovers. But the Milky Way Galaxy art set instead gives us a unique perspective of our own galaxy. Packed with color, detail and some really fun ideas, it's undoubtedly one of the best Lego space sets yet. We're just left wondering: What will Lego come up with next?

Lego Art The Milky Way Galaxy: Build

• Perfect for building in a group
• Ingenious use of parts
• Can hurt the fingers thanks to all the small pieces!

The Lego Milky Way Galaxy is a rather daunting undertaking, being made up of 3,091 pieces. If you're tackling it by yourself, be prepared to spend around eight hours with it. 

What's particularly neat, though, is that its instructions are split up into six shorter books: one for the frame, and five each tackling a section of the main image. It's the perfect build to undertake with friends — we completed it as a pair, making the process much more enjoyable and sociable.

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Since you're dealing with a lot of small pieces here, it can be a little fiddly — and it's rather hard-going on your fingertips. Prepare to have a sore index finger when you're finished, thanks to all the pressing down you're going to be doing. 

It's made much more manageable by the fact that the image of the galaxy is split up into 15 smaller squares, each built on its own baseplate. You'll insert them into the frame, three at a time, but as a result, it feels like lots of little builds, rather than one giant project.

None of the squares by themselves make much sense, however: They're simply a series of random and colorful bricks. It isn't until you begin to piece them together that the wonder of The Milky Way Galaxy starts to come together. And boy, is it spectacular. 

Lego Art The Milky Way Galaxy review: Design

• Designed to hang on the wall
• Incredible application of color

The explosion of color in Lego Milky Way Galaxy is enough to catch you off-guard. As an adult, it isn't very often you get to enjoy such color in a Lego set aimed at adults. 

You're more likely used to swimming in a sea of gray bricks as you piece together the latest Star Wars build, or black or white bricks as you put a NASA space shuttle together. 

Here, it's as if the designers have raided the repository of Lego Friends pieces: the set is awash with gorgeous blues, purples, pinks and oranges. It truly is stunning — and when it's on the wall, it brings any room to life.

It's not simply 'flat' like earlier Lego Art sets were, either. Sure, Lego could've designed a version of the Milky Way made with flat studs, but they've taken it to the next level by layering up different pieces to create a set that's textured, intriguing and as complex-looking as the galaxy itself. 

Look closely and you'll find love hearts, flowers, hairbrushes, purple carrots, leaves, bike helmets and even frogs all stacked amongst each other. It sounds bizarre (and it is), but somehow it absolutely works.

It's also worth noting that there are some notable landmarks included in the Lego Milky Way Galaxy, offering it some scientific credibility alongside its artistic flair. Look closely and you'll find the Gaia space telescope, the Crab Nebula, the Pillars of Creation and Trappist-1 amongst others, and a humorous "you are here" sign points to the rough position of Earth.

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Should you buy Lego Art The Milky Way Galaxy?

Yes. We would not hesitate to recommend Lego Milky Way Galaxy to anybody. This is a gorgeous set that simply resonates with happiness thanks to its cacophony of beautiful colors, and it's going to look fabulous on just about any wall. Even if you're not a huge space fan, there's so much to love in the design that we think it's likely to win you over.

Our only hesitation is the price. At $200/£170, this isn't a cheap set. But you are getting over 3,000 pieces for that — and an incredible piece of wall art quite unlike anything else. So we think it's very much worth the asking price. 

Other Lego sets to consider

If you want more interesting Lego to hang on your wall and just so happen to be a Marvel fan, we’d recommend the Amazing Spider-Man — another ingenious Lego Art set to release in the last few months.

If you're looking for more space-themed stuff, the Lego Ideas Tales of the Space Age provides four little art pieces that you could hang on your wall, but they look just as great standing on a shelf or desktop. We also love the Creator 3-in-1 Space Astronaut, and at just $54.99, we think it's an absolute bargain. 

If you want something a little meatier, however, the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery is an incredible build and truly does resemble the real thing.