For the video games, see Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes and Lego Marvel Super Heroes. Lego Super Heroes is a theme and product range of the Lego construction toy, introduced in 2011. The line features both DC Comics and Marvel Comics characters. The DC Comics part of the line was launched first, being released in late 2011. The Marvel Comics part of the line was launched on April 10, 2012,[1] to be featured alongside the 2012 film The Avengers. The first wave of sets released included nine sets from the DC Universe line. The largest of the sets was "Arkham Asylum Breakout" which included 1619 pieces and eight minifigures. In addition to the first release, two polybag sets have been released under the DC Universe line, "Batman jetski" and "Batmobile" as promotions. Lego have also announced nine sets are to be released later in 2012 under the Marvel Universe line. Prior to the first wave of sets, Lego had given away five different minifigure promotional sets at comic conventions in the United States.
At the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, a Green Lantern minifigure and a Batman minifigure were given away to raffle winners and at the 2011 New York Comic Con, the minifigures of Green Lantern, Batman and Superman were given away at the DC Comics booth.[3] In July 2012, 4 more exclusive figures were given at New York Comic Con to raffle winners - Shazam!, Phoenix, Bizarro and Symbiote Spider-Man. In July 2013, four more figures - Green Arrow, Black Man of Steel suit Superman, Spider-Woman and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 suit Spider-Man were released at NYCC. Lego have also released an accompanying magnet set under the Super Heroes theme. It is a three piece magnet set consisting of the Batman, Robin and The Joker minifigures each attached to a magnetized brick. In the latter part of 2015, it was confirmed that sets based on the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be released. The Marvel Universe sets were first released in 2012 and that year consisted of four The Avengers sets and one X-Men set released in March, followed by one Ultimate Spider-Man set in August.
2013 saw a much smaller selection available, with two Ultimate Spider-Man sets released in January followed by three Iron Man 3 sets in March. All of the 2012 and 2013 sets have now been retired by LEGO. 2014 saw two waves of sets available. These were three Ultimate Spider-Man sets and two Avengers Assemble sets released in March, followed by three Guardians of the Galaxy sets and one X-Men set in June. 2015 again sees two waves of sets, with six Avengers: Age of Ultron sets that were released in March and was followed by two Ultimate Spider-Man sets and one set based on the Ant-Man film. In the latter part of 2015, it was confirmed that sets based on the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War will be released. All of the following product information is correct as of March 2015. Main article: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes A video game based on the Lego DC Super Heroes half of the line, titled Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was released in the summer of 2012 as a sequel to Lego Batman: The Video Game.
The game was released on personal computer, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Wii and Xbox 360. Main article: Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham A second video game based on the Lego DC Super Heroes line, titled Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham was released in November 2014 as a sequel to both Lego Batman: The Video Game and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. The game was released on iOS, personal computer, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Main article: Lego Marvel Super Heroes A video game based on the Lego Marvel Super Heroes line, titled Lego Marvel Super Heroes was released in October 2013. Originally, a Lego Avengers game was set to be made, but the developers felt that just being able to play as the Avengers was not enough, and thus decided to add other Marvel heroes.[17] The game was released on iOS, personal computer, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Main article: Lego Marvel's Avengers A second video game featuring the Lego Marvel Super Heroes line, titled Lego Marvel's Avengers is in development. It will follow the plots of the two Avengers movies, Marvel's The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. The game is slated for a January 26, 2016 release. It will be released on personal computer, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS.[3] The game is a standalone sequel to Lego Batman: The Videogame and the second Lego Batman video game. Numerous DC characters within the Batman continuity and outside it are playable characters. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes also featured dialogue and an open world to explore, the first in the Traveller's Tales's Lego series to do so.
The game was released in North America on 19 June 2012.[4] The Mac OS X version of the game, published by Feral Interactive, was released on 6 September 2012.[5] The Wii U version was released on 21 May 2013. A direct sequel titled Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham was released in November 2014. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes features an open world setting. The game's gameplay is similar to its predecessor, Lego Batman: The Videogame, but allows players to play as classic Batman characters and other various DC Comics superheroes, such as Robin, Batgirl, Green Lantern, Superman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman.[6] There are 75 playable characters.[7] New gadgets such as Robin's Hazard Cannon, Superman's heat vision, and a Power Suit for Batman were introduced.[2] An optional 2-player cooperative play mode, is also present.[8] However, a split screen is used, due to the game having an open-world environment.[8] The Wii U version allows the use of the gamepad's screen instead of a split screen, allowing both players to have independent screens.
[9] Most of Gotham City can be broken into "bricks", as players can use the broken bricks to build new suits or construct objects that can help solve puzzles. In Gotham City, an award show is being held where Gotham's finest is attending. The "Man of the Year" award is being presented to Bruce Wayne with Lex Luthor being runner-up. All is well until a group of Batman's villains (consisting of Penguin, Riddler, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and Joker) show up as Joker steals the award thinking that he is more deserving of the title. Bruce Wayne steps out and changes into the Batsuit and becomes Batman. Along with Robin, Batman confronts and defeats all of the villains, but Joker escapes.[10] After an extended chase, Batman captures Joker and he is thrown into Arkham Asylum. Sometime later, Lex Luthor arrives at the asylum and breaks the Joker out using a weapon called "The Deconstructor" (which deconstructs unbreakable black objects, and is powered only by kryptonite). Joker then uses the weapon to release all of the inmates from Arkham Asylum.
Batman is called in to round up the villains. After capturing several of the villains in Arkham Asylum's maze, he discovers pieces of bricks that have the energy signature from Lex Luthor's weapon. After learning of a break-in at Ace Chemicals, Batman and Robin search for clues as to what the Joker is up to. After an explosion begins to destroy the factory, the Dynamic Duo are rescued by Superman. Batman then learns what the Joker was up to. The chemicals stolen from the plant, although not particularly dangerous alone, can be combined to form a synthetic Kryptonite. Punching the signature into the Batmobile's on-board computer, Batman and Robin catch up to Lex Luthor's convoy and infiltrate it. After a brief skirmish, Batman is thrown out of the massive convoy and enters the Batmobile. Unfortunately, Joker has completed his synthetic Kryptonite (which is used to power Luthor's weapon) and uses it to blast apart the Batmobile. Back at the Batcave, Batman is trying to figure out Luthor's next move.
He determines the new Kryptonite is harmless, but it proves to be a tracking device which leads Luthor and Joker to the cave. Batman has a Kryptonite Vault, which he uses 'in case Superman turns evil', which the Joker knew about. Using the Deconstructor, the villains destroy the cave, escaping with a load of Kryptonite. Having no way out, Batman reluctantly allows Robin to call Superman for help and they escape the collapsing cave. Batman and Superman team up and assault Luthor's massive airship. Batman is thrown off after confronting Lex Luthor and Superman saves him. The World's Finest then attempt to infiltrate Luthor's LexCorp headquarters in Metropolis, but are caught and forced to fight their way through the LexBots. After getting deep in the heart of the fortress-like building, Luthor reveals a giant Joker-esque robot and flees back to Gotham. After trying to sabotage the robot en route to Gotham, Superman and Batman are thrown off when the Kryptonite power-source is exposed and Superman begins to lose power.
A weakened Superman and Batman then realize Luthor's plan. Using Joker's special gases, he can influence the minds of the public and win the Presidency. Batman and Superman then attack the robot again and force it to crash. After damaging it more, Batman forces most of the Kryptonite out of the robot, making a giant Joker face in Gotham viewable from the Watchtower. In turn, the Justice League is called in by Martian Manhunter. Realizing he has been defeated, Lex Luthor begins to lay siege to Wayne Tower. The Justice League arrive to help Batman and Superman and successfully stop and destroy the robot. With all of the Arkham inmates, Lex Luthor, and Joker captured, Batman says it is good for him to have friends he can call on in times of need. They all then decide to repair the Batcave as Green Lantern shoots a beam of green energy into space where he calls some of the other Green Lanterns to help. In a hint of a future title, Brainiac is seen on his ship watching a screen with the energy while uttering "I have located it."
A promo for the game was leaked online by Lego fansite, Bricktuts.[12] On 15 March 2012, the game's first reveal trailer featuring gameplay for Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was released to the public.[13] During the 2012 Game Developers Conference a 45-minute demo of the game was limited to eyes-on only.[8] A demo was later released on Xbox Live on 19 June, the day of the game's release, and PlayStation Network on 26 June 2012, while a Microsoft Windows demo was released on 20 June 2012. Lego Batman 2 is the first game in TT Games' Lego series to feature full voice acting, as opposed to the mime acting and the grunts, mumbles and gibberish of the previous titles.[14] Cam Clarke was the voice director of the game. Clancy Brown reprises his role as Lex Luthor from the DC Animated Universe. Troy Baker (who voices Batman in the game) reprises his role as Two-Face from the game Batman: Arkham City. Steven Blum reprises his role as Captain Cold from Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
The game's background music consists of Danny Elfman's score from Batman, John Williams' score from Superman, and original music written by Rob Westwood. It has been described as "just right". Main article: Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite Warner Premiere released Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite, a direct-to-video animated film adaptation of the video game produced by TT Animation. The film uses cutscenes from the game as well as new scenes to replace gameplay.[16] The film, produced and directed by Jon Burton, was released on 21 May 2013. The game was well received, with critics praising its refined gameplay, story, and voice acting, although it was criticized for some minor and sporadic technical glitches.[18] Game Informer gave it an 8.25 out of 10.[10] The game holds an 80 on Metacritic for the Xbox 360 version,[19] and an 81 for the PlayStation 3 version.[20] Andrew Laughlin, of Digital Spy reported that Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was the best Lego game yet, admiring the game's new features, and original story.