Super Heroes Marvel

Venom

A snarling black bust that lives or dies by the angle you put it on the shelf.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 76187 · 2021

Pieces565

Minifigsn/a

Year2021

Set number76187

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The verdict

This is a build-and-display bust of Venom's head, all teeth and tongue and menace, and the tongue is the part that got me.

It swivels, it curls, and it does more for the finished look than I expected from one bright red piece. It is not cheap for 565 pieces and it only truly clicks from one flattering angle, so it rewards the right shelf and the right lighting. If you love the character or the 18+ helmet-and-bust line, it earns its spot. If you want minifigures or a build with surprises, keep walking.

Best for: Marvel fans who want a menacing character bust for the shelf, not playtime

The full review

What it is

This is Venom's head as a display bust, mounted on a small black stand with a printed nameplate, and it is all about that snarling face. The teeth are what sell it, tan fangs set against the black head so they actually read as teeth instead of blending in, and then there is the tongue. It is a single bright red piece that swivels and curls, and honestly it does most of the emotional work here. Set it lolling out to one side and the whole thing goes from creepy to properly deranged in the best way. The build runs across three numbered bags over roughly two hours, starting with the stand and core, then working up through the head and jaw. It uses soft organic curves rather than the harsher paneling you get on the Star Wars helmets, so it feels more sculptural and a little more forgiving to put together.

The catch

I have to be honest about a few things before you fall for it. Sixty-nine dollars for 565 pieces is a steep price per part, and apart from that one nameplate tile there is not a single printed element, so a lot of what you are paying for is the design rather than the brick count. The bigger catch is the angle. This bust looks fantastic from the front three-quarter view the designer clearly built it for, but shift too far to either side and the face collapses into something oddly shapeless. You really do have to find its good side and light it well. The eyebrows are also held by only two studs on each side, so they knock loose if you handle it much, and if you already own the Carnage bust from the same wave, you will notice the two are built almost identically.

Who it's for

Get this if you love Venom specifically or you are collecting the adult bust-and-helmet line and want a face that stares back at you from the shelf. It is a display object first and last, so treat it that way and it delivers. Skip it if you are after minifigures, a playable set, or a build with clever engineering twists, because this one is a fairly straightforward stack-and-shape job. And if you are torn between this and Carnage, pick the character you actually like more, because you are essentially getting the same building experience in a different color.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this is a calm, steady couple of hours rather than a technical workout. You start with a simple stand made from slopes and corner slopes, then run two Technic lift arms up through the center for stability before layering the head outward with curved slopes and rounded elements. It is the kind of build where you can put on a podcast and just enjoy watching the face slowly appear, with the teeth and tongue saved for last so it ends on a high note. Nothing here will stump an adult builder, but the organic shaping is satisfying in a way the blockier helmet sets are not.

The standout pieces are all about color placement rather than rare molds. Those tan teeth and the single red swivel tongue are the parts doing the heavy lifting, and they are why the bust has any expression at all. The white eye pieces read well from the front, though several reviewers noted the eye shape is not perfectly screen-accurate. The one printed element is the Venom nameplate tile on the base. For part-count value it is a tougher sell, since 565 mostly black basic elements at this price is not where the money is, but the design turns ordinary bricks into something with real menace, which is the whole point of the line.

Fun facts

01The set launched on April 26, 2021 as the companion piece to the LEGO Carnage bust (76199), and the two share a nearly identical internal build.
02There are no stickers anywhere on the model. Every detail including the eyes and fangs is created purely from bricks, with the only printed piece being the Venom nameplate tile.
03It retired on December 31, 2023 with a $69.99 launch price, and sealed copies have since climbed to roughly $75 to $98 on the aftermarket.
04The finished bust stands about 19 cm tall and is aimed squarely at the 18+ collector line, with the red tongue designed to swivel into different snarling positions.