LEGO Reviews DC Comics Super Heroes76040

Brainiac Attack

Name: LEGO Brainiac Attack 76040
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 76040
Rating: 4.41 (16 reviews)

68 · MIXED REVIEWSINVESTMENT GRADE: BB2015179 pcsHigh agreement · 88%

Expert reviews

2analyzed

Owner ratings

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Mixed Reviews

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"Brainiac Attack is a minifigure collector's purchase first and a set second; with Supergirl and Martian Manhunter's retail debuts headlining the lineup, Jay's Brick Blog called it one of the budget winners of 2015 while JANG's harsher 55-score reflects the skull ship's shallow play value and awkward side-on construction, landing the BrickScore at 67.9."

Brainiac Attack earns a Mixed Reviews verdict driven entirely by its exceptional minifigure lineup, not its vehicle build. Jay's Brick Blog calls it one of the budget winners of 2015's DC lineup, praising Supergirl and Brainiac's retail debuts alongside a rare Martian Manhunter appearance; JANG is more measured, scoring the skull ship's design as front-facing only and noting low play value. Owner ratings at 4.41 out of 5 across 16 buyers sit reasonably well, with value for money at 4.14, aligning with the general sense that this is a minifigure-driven purchase.

Where they split: The two expert reviewers diverge on overall sentiment: Jay's Brick Blog scores it 80 with a buy recommendation and genuine enthusiasm for the full package, while JANG scores it 55, pointing to the ship's poor side-profile integration and near-absent play value. Owner ratings at 4.41 sit between these two positions.

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LOVED (8)

01Retail debut of Supergirl as a minifigure, exclusive to this set
02First retail-set appearance of Martian Manhunter with two-piece fabric cape
03Long-awaited debut of Brainiac as a minifigure with impressive torso and head printing
04Fabric capes on multiple figures praised as a premium upgrade
05Skull face on the front of Brainiac's ship is well-constructed and expressively brick-built
06Distinct, menacing visual identity for the ship
07Good value for four desirable characters at the $24.99 price point
08Opening cockpit reveals interior details

CRITICIZED (8)

01Skull forehead section appears pasted on with a visible gap when viewed from the side
02Very limited play value beyond basic figure interaction
03Removable laser/cannon falls off far too easily during normal use
04Super Jumper play feature can damage minifigures
05Superman is a near-identical repeat of his 2012 version, the least exciting figure in the set
06Ship feels small; reviewers wished it were larger
07Stickers on curved pieces require careful alignment
08Heroes arrive with no vehicles of their own, limiting playability

What reviewers are saying

"Brainiac Attack is probably tied with Green Lantern vs Sinestro as the budget winners of 2015's spectacular lineup of DC Super Heroes Justice League sets."

Jay's Brick Blog

"I think they did a nice job of setting up that skull face look on the front you know it's it's all brick built up and it has some really good expressiveness to it I think this is a nice design"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Ecosystem

Green Lantern vs Sinestro — Brainiac Attack is probably tied with Green Lantern vs Sinestro as the budget winners of 2015's spectacular lineup of DC Super Heroes Justice League sets. Like Green Lantern vs Sinestro packs a lot of value in a relatively small set.

Black Manta Deep Sea Strike — Following the footsteps of Black Manta Deep Sea Strike, Brainiac Attack once again pays homage to one of DC's greatest villains.

6862 Superman vs Lex Luthor Power Armour — Superman is quite simple – almost an exact clone of his 6862 Superman vs Lex Luthor Power Armour version. His torso print and legs are exactly alike.

Alien Conquest Tripod Invader (2011) — The Skull Ship also reminded the reviewer a lot about the Tripod Invader from 2011's brilliant Alien Conquest theme.

DC Comics Super HeroesTier 3Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Jay's Brick Blog

Editorial Source

BUY

"Brainiac Attack is probably tied with Green Lantern vs Sinestro as the budget winners of 2015's spectacular lineup of DC Super Heroes Justice League sets."

Key Pros

✓Exceptional minifigure lineup with key debuts
✓Well-designed Skull Ship with distinct appearance
✓Great skull design construction experience

Key Cons

✕Likely to be a retailer exclusive (limiting availability)
✕Superman is a simple, near-identical clone of 2012 version

READ FULL REVIEW

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

WAIT FOR SALE

"I think they did a nice job of setting up that skull face look on the front you know it's it's all brick built up and it has some really good expressiveness to it I think this is a nice design"

Key Pros

✓Strong minifigure selection, especially rare characters like Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, and Brainiac
✓Well-designed brick-built skull face with good expressiveness from the front
✓Nice tentacle legs with high adjustability and realistic random appearance

Key Cons

✕Skull forehead section poorly integrated; appears pasted on with visible gap from the side
✕Very low play value beyond basic interaction

JUMP TO REVIEW

Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (1)Wait for sale (0)

Value drivers

Jay's Brick Blog: The four minifigures are the key value drivers, particularly Supergirl's retail debut, Brainiac's long-time-coming debut, Martian Manhunter's retail set debut, and Superman's reappearance giving newer fans access.

JANG's LEGO Reviews: Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Brainiac - not primary characters released in multiple Superman variants

Exclusivity

Jay's Brick Blog: Retailer exclusive: In the United States, Brainiac Attack is a Target exclusive. In Australia, it is a Myer exclusive.

Resale

Jay's Brick Blog: I can definitely see this set appreciating in value due to the perfect storm of LEGO investing factors such as being a retailer exclusive and containing 4 highly coveted minifigures.

JANG's LEGO Reviews: Likely driven by minifigure demand rather than set desirability; collectors seeking these minifigures may drive aftermarket value

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (8)

Supergirl

$76

Supergirl

$40

Martian Manhunter - Cape with Collar

$37

Martian Manhunter

$36

Brainiac

$23

Brainiac

$21

Superman

$12

Superman - Blue Suit, Spongy Cape, Hair with Front Curl, Frown / Red Eyes

$10

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Transparent green dome
Interesting part mentioned as pretty interesting. Round transparent green dome used as part of the spaceship weaponry.
Supergirl's printed legsValue
Extremely detailed leg prints with details that go round the side. Did I mention that Supergirl has awesome printed legs with details that go round the side as well? This has to be one of the most detailed leg prints I've seen in my life. However, these appear to be Chinese-made: There is cause for concern as there are is no LEGO embossed inside her legs, which is one of the most reliable ways to tell if the legs originate from China.
Fabric capes
Newer fabric capes which are a huge improvement over paper predecessors. Supergirl and Superman both come with the newer fabric-er capes which are a huge improvement over their paper predecessors simply because they drape on the minifigs much more effectively. They also feel much more premium and high quality.
Brainiac's head diodesValue
Signature diodes implanted on head. His minifigure is relatively plain but contains all the essential Brainiac elements such as his signature diodes implanted on his head.
Softer newer style capeValue
Flowy design on Superman, Supergirl, and Martian Manhunter minifigures
Super jumper pieceValue
Allows heroes to fly through the air; designed to be used as a launcher

What Owners Say · summarized from 16 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

Owners love this set primarily for its exclusive minifigures, especially Supergirl and Martian Manhunter, plus the detailed Brainiac ship and strong value at the price point, though some note the build feels flimsy and Superman's cape positioning is awkward.

COMMON PRAISE