Batman: The Animated Series LEGO Set Is Amazing Easter Egg-Filled Building Brick Art

"Batman: The Animated Series" is one of the best shows of all time, a masterclass in superhero and animation storytelling, with high stakes and mature stories that don't talk down to young audiences, no matter what limitations Fox put on the creators. It also features one of the best voice over performances in animation, with Kevin Conroy embodying the all-time greatest Batman and Bruce Wayne.

The cartoon was a visual marvel, the animation done on black paper to give it a noir aesthetic that, together with Art Deco designs give the show a unique and timeless look. The series also gave us new and bold reinterpretations of classic comic book characters from Scarecrow and Clayface to Mr. Freeze, making them sympathetic and complex.

Of course, capturing the entire 85-episode cartoon into a single LEGO set is an impossible task, but the designers at LEGO pulled it off by focusing on imagery and style. That's because this is not a traditional playset, like the fantastic LEGO Avengers Tower that is filled with minifigs, but rather a tableau-style building brick piece of art that recreates the Gotham City skyline as seen in "Batman: The Animated Series."

This is a massive set, clocking in at 4,210 pieces and measuring nearly 2.5 feet wide, resulting in a set worthy of artwork that Catwoman would try to steal or that Bruce Wayne would buy. What makes this a truly special build, however, is how it also serves as the perfect way to either re-watch or be re-introduced to "Batman: The Animated Series."

The first thing to know is that this is not an exact recreation of the Gotham City from the cartoon, but rather an amalgamation of different recognizable locales from "Batman: The Animated Series" that makes for a stunning display. Most impressively, the set recreates the art deco style of the show by using red LEGO sheets as the base of the build, and covering the sky with dark red clouds, contrasted with the striking yellows of police searchlights and the Bat Signal.

Rafael Motamayor

This is an impressive construction, filled with skyscrapers on top of skyscrapers, bars, nightclubs, office buildings and much, much more. By stacking these buildings, the set captures the sprawling feel of Gotham City, its dangers, and its beauty. It is worth nothing that the set is actually much deeper than it looks in pictures, with several layers of depth that invite the builder to examine every single brick for hidden references.

Indeed, nearly every major locale can be removed to reveal some kind of Easter egg or even another location hidden underneath. Take the Batcave, for example.

Rafael Motamayor

On the forefront, we see the Stacked Deck bar and pool hall (from the incredible episode "Almost Got 'Im") next to the Wild Deuce club seen in Two-Face's origin episode, while the old Wayne Manor (with its bat-ear shape!) stands atop a hill.

Rafael Motamayor

Except, much like the real Batcave is hidden from prying eyes, so is the LEGO Batcave hidden in plain sight. Just behind the club and the bar, as if you're moving one of Bruce's books from its shelf to reveal a secret passageway, so can you take out the Stacked Deck to show the Batcave.

Rafael Motamayor

That's right. The Batcave is shaped like a bat, and it has little imprints of Robin and Batgirl next to the Batcomputer, while the giant penny Two-Face once used to try and kill Batman with hangs from the ceiling.

Rafael Motamayor

And what Batcave would be complete without a teeny tiny LEGO Batmobile? Additionally, the set includes a micro-Batwing, too.

The LEGO Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City set is made up of smaller boards that you slowly connect, as if you are making mosaics of the many different regions of Gotham City and the various villain turfs before putting them together to form a single image.

Rafael Motamayor

The villains of "Batman: The Animated Series" were always the true stars of the cartoon, bold and unique characters with depth and tragic backstories. The LEGO set recognizes this, and packs the Gotham City skyline to the rim with references to virtually every villain in the show. Unsurprisingly, a lot of them are found in Arkham — which includes a reference to Bane's first appearance and his fight with Killer Croc in the sewers — while many others are spread out across the city, wreaking havoc.

Rafael Motamayor

There are obvious references, like Joker standing on top of a vat of acid behind the — what else? — Ace Chemical building sign. But there are also one-off villains that made an impression, like Clock King and Condiment King (who can be found right behind the Laugh-Off comedy competition theater).

Granted, the build, with its many tiny parts can be tedious to piece together — especially with so many small stickers. But there is one small thing that makes the build tremendously fun. The designers added an episode watchlist to the build guide, so each little bag corresponds to an episode of the cartoon, which helps provide some context for what you're building.

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Seriously, this thing is packed with references to the animated series, including the more popular and well-known episodes like "Heart of Ice," featuring Mr. Freeze (and a tiny ice structure meant to be his wife).

Rafael Motamayor

You'll also spot the Gotham City Hospital where a certain villain is born.

That's right, Two-Face, who broke out of the hospital before starting his campaign of terror in the two-part episode "Two-Face."

The set has a good balance of the obvious and the not-so-obvious. Take the Gotham City Police Department building, which is recreated on the outside. But take away the facade, and you'll see a fun recreation of their offices, complete with Harvey Bullock and Commissioner Jim Gordon, as well as a ceiling fan seen constantly in the cartoon.

Rafael Motamayor

There are also some less obvious choices that show how much the design team know and love the cartoon. A poster of "The Gray Ghost" is included, referencing the phenomenal episode where we learn of the TV hero that inspired Bruce Wayne, played by an aging actor struggling to find a purpose (the fact that he was voiced by Adam West was the icing on the cake).

Rafael Motamayor

Every major building seen on the show is present, from the constantly-robbed museum, to Arkham, to the Gotham Opera, which is playing "I Pagliacci," as seen in the episode "Birds of a Feather" — that episode also includes a reference to "Batman Returns" that you recreate in the set.

Rafael Motamayor

Of course, just because this isn't a playset, doesn't mean you don't get some sweet minifigures. They may not be many, but they are a good representation of the cartoon, as Batman, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Joker make up the set, each with their iconic look from the cartoon. Particularly good is Joker's magnificent hairline and devious smile. The figures also come in a very bat-appropriate stand adorned by gargoyles, so they can perch over the Gotham City skyline.

Is the LEGO Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City worth it? Absolutely. The watchlist makes this a perfect way to be introduced to the iconic cartoon for the first time or a fantastic way of rewatching it, while the build makes for a beautiful artwork.

You can buy the LEGO Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City directly from The LEGO Shop for $299.99.