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Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here. Some images for this article come from Toybox Soapbox.
Top 5 Best Transformers Cyberverse Toys
With the Cyberverse show over and the toyline now being the place where the Rise of the Beasts 2022 toys will be released, I felt it was time to look back at the toys made for the Cyberverse show. While the show did end up winning over a lot of fans in the later seasons (if you didn't watch the first half of season 3, you are missing out), the toyline was never made to win over older fans. It was a toyline for kids through and through. There were some pretty fun toys in there and I am looking at the ones I think are the best of the lot.
5. Deluxe Soundwave
Soundwave is one of the best characters from the Cyberverse show. While some characters get hat is the equivalent of a cameo, Soundwave got a full arc from Cybertronian citizen just having a good time, to ruthless Decepticon soldier, to Cybertronian resistance warrior to Cybertron's ultimate hero. And he had a great design too, which is why the toy looked disappointing from the start for not fully invoking the design and having some issues with kibble. But the toy won me over. It's very solid, has a fun transformation and comes with a cute transforming Laserbeak. In the end, it gives us another good Soundwave toy and e finally have a good toy for this wonderful version of the classic character.
4. Warrior Hammerbyte
This is a really fun toy of a new original character. While he is indeed a warrior as opposed to a deluxe figure, he feels more like a toy from the Cybertron line with nice hard plastic and a simple yet also meaty transformation. And it has a great design in both modes plus a fun non intrusive gimmick. And all for the low price of yesteryear's deluxes. So yeah, very reminiscent of the Cybertron line, which is something you will hear a lot of in the next entry.
3. Ultimate Grimlock
No other Cyberverse toy aimed only at kids even comes close to being as awesome as him. He is very imposing and really commands the space he takes. While he is light, the plastic feels strong and durable. The transformation is not too difficult but interesting and there are even surprises in it for people who know the typical Grimlock conversion inside and out. He has decent poseability and fine gimmicks that don't get in the way. Plus, he is the size of a leader class toy, almost 9 inches tall and only cost $30 USD. Design, transformation and articulation wise, this is almost like a Grimlock we would have gotten in the fabled 2004-2006 Cybertron toyline.
2. Deluxe Slug
While I love animated Slag, I think this guy takes the cake as the best deluxe Slag/Slug we've ever gotten. Now that I think of it, is he the best deluxe toy to represent one of the Dinobots? Could be. He has great articulation, including his horns which actually have their own transformation step, even the SS86 leader Slag doesn't have that. Lots of accessories, a nice colour palette with many differently coloured plastics working well together and a simple yet very well done hand to "paw" transformation. The face is very expressive too.
1. Deluxe Bumblebee
This is one of the greatest deluxe Bumblebee toys we have ever gotten and that is saying a lot since there have been some really good deluxes lately. This one works really well though since it finally gives us a version of that Evergreen design which combines multitude of now classic Bumblebee elements. While probably unintentional, I really like how the black and yellow plastic around the feet are perfectly aligned with the stripes on the car roof making it look like the car's design runs deep within the robot's innards. Nice car mode, great robot mode, good articulation, smart transformation, nice weapon storage for the gun in car mode, relevant accessories with unique blast effects make this an all around winner.
Honourable Mentions:
Deluxe Arcee: the car mode is super cute and a fun new take on Arcee. there is very minimal alt mode integration with the robot mode but at least the backpack you get is show accurate.
Deluxe Megatron: too loose for my liking in important areas but that transformation is really amazing. I love toys that feel like origami where you are shaping a vehicle into a robot and that's what this was, especially for the upper torso/back.
Warrior Cybertronian Starscream: now this is how you make a simpler toy! Articulation is not jeopardized, neither are proportions or the look of either mode. It simply requires few steps to get from one mode to the next. Of course, that is not always achievable, but when it works it can be a thing of beauty and the perfect toy for a kid wanting to mimic the speed of conversion seen on the show.
So here we are, another year is over and done with and while looking back on 2021 might not be of high importance on everyone's list of things to do, we did get some pretty cool figures. So the staff team at Seibertron got together to share what they liked best of the year in different categories and we invite you to join in on the fun and give us your pick for each category. Now, here we go!
Figure of the year
william-james88: Kingdom Rodimus Prime. As part of the standard Kingdom line, spending $80 on a voyager sized figure is rough. BUT if the same toy was released as a special "Gen MP" release, which was a line of toys with MP level engineering made to fit in with the current classics scale line, and he came with a trailer, turret platform, accessories (matrix, sword of Primus, effect parts) fans would be all "take my money" and the fact that it's below $100 would sound almost incredulous. Well that's what this Rodimus Prime toy is, truly. More complex than MP-10 with similar number of accessories. And since he's chug scale, he's 80$ instead of 150$ (hell, this released these days in MP scale and MP quality, we'd be looking at $250). I for one thank our Hasbro overlords for trusting me to understand what I am getting in this 80$ package. Obviously, if you find it on sale, then that's even more awesome but that's the same for any great toy.
Scotty P: MP-52 Starscream and/or MP-52+ Thundercracker. I suppose Skywarp makes the cut here too, though end of December releases get tricky, especially with the slower pace of international shipping these days. Anyhow, this third version of a Masterpiece seeker mold delivers the pinnacle, thus far, of the "Sunbow" style design aesthetic for the MP line. Delivering a complex transformation that is, for once, pretty easy to learn while still achieving a superb sculpt with all the articulation you need made this a slam dunk. I didn't need any more Masterpiece seekers but given what the final product is in this case, I can say in retrospect this is something I really wanted.
Bounti76: Unicron. The sheer scale of the figure and the PRESENCE he has is worth the cost.
ZeroWolf: I was conflicted here. Part of me wanted to give this to Unicron but then I couldn't think of a good reason why compared to others. So instead I'm going to say...Transformers Kingdom Core Class Rattrap. Sure, his shoulders are awkward but any toy I can return to and fiddle with constantly are a win for me.
Kanrabat: Definitely Masterpiece Reboost. Not only it's an original character for once (at least in the TF universe) but it's an AFFORDABLE MP with a simple transformation that is FUN to do. I was blown away by this truly Masterpiece of a Masterpiece.
Favourite Kingdom toy
william-james88: Even though this was the best year ever for my favourite series, Beast Wars, none of the beasts impressed me as much as Cyclonus. That transformation was amazing, truly going from one completely different form to another.
Scotty P: Rodimus Prime. Kingdom was an excellent line overall and this nearly went to Dinobot with even Huffer getting some consideration in my mind. Rodimus Prime is something like a dream which is why it gets the nod here for me. Some fans are understandably apprehensive about the switch from size classes to price classes even now, years after it happened, and Rodimus Prime certainly can be looked at as the poster child of this when comparing the robot mode to previous releases such as Jetfire. This is a case where size just doesn't matter when the toy uses that additional budget to be so darn good. Rodimus borrows cues from several previous iterations of the character and even MP-44 for the under-trailer accessory storage, has every feature he needs and even possesses the best headsculpt we've seen for this character ever. It's not perfect, as the trailer tab tolerances are a little frustratingly off and the packaging itself caused paint woes, but this is one of those topics asking for a "favorite" and not "best", so Commander Class Rodimus Prime was an easy pick.
Bounti76: Tie between Slammer and Cyclonus. Slammer is great fun to transform and feels solid, and Cyclonus not only looks the part, but is an engineering slam dunk.
ZeroWolf: this was going to be Airazor but Tigatron nipped her to the post.
Kanrabat: Very hard to decide. I guess Leader Beast Megatron is my favorite of the bunch. A fantastic mold with amazing poseability and great show accuracy. Why pay 400$+ for the MP when you can have this one?
Favourite Studio Series toy
william-james88: Slug, it was really great to finally get another big dinobot that wasn't Grimlock for a change. I love how beefy he is and I feel these leaders (both he and Grimlock) give us what we all want in a leader class release.
Scotty P: Studio Series 86 Grimlock. If Studio Series' branding being co-opted by The Transformers: The Movie wasn't enough, the toys released for this section of the line have been far superior, delivering pleasant and high-quality figures with 90% less of that frustrating 'panel massage action' when compared to their movie universe peers. Ignoring Wheelie, who should have been replaced with a sword, this is very nearly the definitive Classics-style Grimlock I've always wanted. An excellent companion piece in Slag makes me very excited for the inevitable releases of Sludge, Snarl and Swoop.
Bounti76: Tie between Dino and Jolt. We FINALLY got screen accurate versions of these two... only 10 years after the movie they were in came out. Technically, Dino's car mode isn't a Ferrari, but licensing issues aside, still looks great.
ZeroWolf: Grimlock, has to be...Who can resist a robot dinosaur?
Kanrabat: SS86 Grimlock. Simple, yet so perfect. Another mini MP.
Favourite Cyberverse toy
william-james88: I really didn't like deluxe Soundwave when he was first shown. The character has a great model on the show but it seemed ruined with some offputting kibble. But in hand, most of the issues went away. Not physically, everything I disliked was still there, but I just loved transforming and posing him that they didn't matter as much.
Scotty P: Deluxe Slug. Sometimes you have so many toys of a given character (or character archetype) that you feel like there are no surprises left to be had. Cyberverse Slug takes away some of the jaded feelings this old-timer gets on occasion by delivering two expressive modes that have a process to transform between the two that lives up to the brand's "More Than Meets the Eye" tagline.
Bounti76: Deluxe Class Arcee. Screen accurate robot (minus the back kibble) that actually feels decently made, and not be a "kiddie" toy, designed more to be cheap.
ZeroWolf: Deluxe Class Dinobot Slug...see previous answer.
Kanrabat: I didn't bought much Cyberverses so I'll cheat a bit because he was re-released in 2021. Ultra Skullcrunsher. This one blow both the OG G1 and the TR update away. Sure, he's no headmaster but the whole package just works. He's fun to transform, have a logical gimmick and he do MORE than the previous versions. Truly impressive.
Favourite Masterpiece toy
Scotty P: MP-53 Reboost. As is tradition, I've managed to pick two MP toys in this list once again. It's true though, while I don't think this is on the same objective level of nicety as the new Starscream, Reboost is an amalgamation of so many cool ingredients at once that he quickly became my unexpected favorite Transformer for the last little while. Start with the equally great MP-52 Skids, give him a cool red repaint, extra accessories, the soul of Diaclone and a headsculpt with the energy of Alternity and you get an amazing piece that feels like a celebration of everything that went into making it a reality. The fact that Reboost is a "literally nobody" type of character could be a knock against it, but in this era of Total Brand Awareness where everyone in the brand's A and B tiers gets done ad nauseum, these are the types of Transformers that spark the imagination and keep me invested.
Bounti76: Skids. Out of nowhere, and he and Reboost bring me back to the things I loved about Masterpiece in the early 2010s- fun transformation and durability of the figures without being overly complex.
ZeroWolf: Skids, thanks to not having to rely on cartoon accuracy, they instead made a fantastic toy that shines in both modes.
Kanrabat: I'll say MP Reboost again.
Favourite Exclusive
william-james88: We had great exclusives this year. I FINALLY got my coneheads but I can't use that for the best exclusives of this year since they were supposed to arrive in 2020. With beasts being absent from this Beast Wars fan's year end list, it's about time I changed that as I claim Covert Agent Ravage as my favourite exclusive. This was not cheap but it is the best toy of the character we ever got and none of those were ever cheap. I appreciate how he transforms different from Cheetor at parts and looks very different in robot mode. It's also a really cool package with a fun spin on how incredulous his transformation was on the show.
Scotty P: Buzzworthy Bumblebee's "Worlds Collide" set. This feels like a throwback to the exclusives of 20 years ago and I love it. One set manages to provide a killer black and teal repaint of a "good guy faction" leader that hasn't been done 19,000 times already, Blackarachnia in her weekend clubbin' outfit, a re-use of the awesome Earthrise Cliffjumper tooling as Bumblebee to fill in your kinda-sorta-Mini-Bot-homage ranks and a toy that should've been released years ago in Fangry. In a time where store exclusives are becoming as large a part of the overall Transformers toy line as the main series releases, this stood out as a uniquely fun and creative set that provided great value.
Bounti76: Tie between Tyrannocon Rex and Puffer and Road Ranger. The first female Leader Class figure. An official toy of a European version of a character that used another character's mold, and an official toy of an eHobby exclusive that brought GoBots into the Transformers family. I'm all about firsts and obscurity.
ZeroWolf: Origin Bee. Despite not being a G1 purist, I know a fun toy when I see one.
Kanrabat: Agent Ravage. A great package for a relatively reasonable price, with a superb figure. The engineering on the Agen Ravage is quite something.
Favourite piece of Transformers fiction from 2021
william-james88: My kids and I had a blast with the two Cyberverse films. I really wish we had a Volcanicus that transforms as he does on the show.
Scotty P: Cyberverse special 2 "The Perfect Decepticon". Honestly, it was such a bad year for Transformers fiction that nothing even came close except for the other Cyberverse special, but I picked this second one because the first one focused on one of the worst concepts in Transformers: combining Dinobots :shudders: Additionally, this special accomplished something that was very questionably possible by managing to make Tarn a character that worked in an all-ages piece of media while still keeping true to the character and his truly menacing personality. Add in fantastic roles for characters such as Soundwave and Hot Rod while providing moments to almost every character that mattered previously in the series at some point and you get "The Perfect Decepticon", which was the perfect finale for the best Transformers cartoon series since Armada.
Bounti76: Light/Star, the Transformers Annual for 2021. It strongly featured the first ever female Titan to have appeared in fiction, but also saw the "birth" of Computron (my favorite childhood combiner) in IDW.
ZeroWolf: The Transformers Cyberverse conclusion (thanks to Pop! On Sky TV for airing the specials in the UK!)
What are you looking forward to most next year
william-james88: Seeing what will happen toy wise with the change in release schedule for Transformers Rise of the Beasts. This delay was way too late in the toy development cycle so I am curious if Hasbro will release what was done already and rerelease it later. And I am also curious as to how different the toys will be from the final models now that there is even more time spent in post production between toy designs and final movie designs.
Scotty P: The chaos that ensues from RotB's delay. Necessity is the father of innovation. Mother of invention. Cousin of filler toy lines? Something like that. Bring me all the weird repaints and previously canceled molds. They're probably better than all the movie toys were going to be anyhow.
Bounti76: Finally/hopefully getting a G1 Elita One, and saving money- Legacy looks to be an easy pass for me so far, based on what I've seen.
ZeroWolf: A toss up from looking at what the line after Legacy looks like, and more MP Raiden reveals
Kanrabat: The toys being better distributed with fewer QC issues. But I think I'm asking for the moon.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Grimlock Transformers toys
Grimlock is one of the most iconic and popular characters in the Transformers brand. I made a list three years ago for his best toys and I must say there wasn't the cornocopia of great Grimlock toys we have now, so I really felt this character needed another list. He feels a lot like Shockwave and Ironhide where even though they are classic characters, it took a while for Hasbro to give us some really great toys for our collections. Well, I am glad Grimlock is now getting his due.
The Dinobots are some of the crown jewels of any G1 collection and while their poseability is nothing to brag about, they will always looks great. Grimlock especially with his massive shoulders and decorative wings, adding to his upper mass. His T-Rex tail become the legs brings equal mass to his lower area, offsetting any top heaviness. The colours are also just great, with that gold just popping. It was a smart transformation and one that keeps getting carried over through different iterations over the years, even the movie toy covered above. And that biologically incorrect T-Rex mode adds to this toy being a time capsule of the 80s era while also giving him a more stylized mechanical dinosaur look, turning something dated into a timeless design.
4. Transformers Studio Series SS-07 Grimlock
FINALLY a good movie Grimlock figure came out. The previous voyager was not bad, but it wasn't something great. This one though really takes it up a notch. Firstly, they make him as big as you could while trying to still fit in a leader class box and then they give it a sweet air brush deco that is found all throughout the toy, making him look much closer to how he appearaed in the film. Speaking of that, we finally have a grimlock which, like in the film, has 2 full T-Rex heads as shoulder pads. And that second T-rex head is hiding in plain sight when in dino mode is pretty cool to me. I always love clever details like that. There is actually a lot of the robot mode detail hiding in plain sight in the dino mode, but that gives it a nearly kibble free robot mode. He is a tad simple, and not all pieces like to stay in place, but his imposing stature and look in both modes make him an easy pick for a list of the best Grimlock toys around.
3. Transformers Cyberverse Ultimate Grimlock
What's so fun to me about that toy is that it feels like a toy we would have gotten in the Cybertron line from the unicron trilogy, right down to a spring gimmick. It's something that both kids and collectors could enjoy while really having a presence and a smart transformation that feels familiar yet has some extra tricks to it. And it just looks so good as an update to g1 while being it's own take at the same time, and a the price of a voyager figure, you sure got your money's worth with this big beefy looking toy.
Lipstick on a pig is an expression fans throw around when there is a deeply flawed Transformers toy that Hasbro or Takara tries to amerliorate with a paint job. It doesn't always work and usually the toy ends up remaining just the same, but with lipstick. However, this is a good example of a time when it worked. Of course some retooling helped a lot to the point where this Robots in Disguise Battle Grimlock (the Hasbro version was just called RID Grimlock) feels very different from the Fall of Cybertron Grimlock toy it is based on, with different transformation steps too. The shoulders which were once a mess are reworked and made simpler and less frustrating, and if you didn't know the mold existed before you would think this was made just for this character. They reworked a lot of pieces from the original and give it a faithful colour scheme (Hasbro's version is a tad less faithful). Here is a quick example to show how it keeps the base mold yet reworks it.
What can I say at this point that hasn't been said? This toy is nearly flawless. It has an imposing robot mode and a smooth Dinosaur mode that looks exactly like the show but with the extra shine of the G1 toy. The Transformation is well executed as it replicates the G1 transformation while taking modern engineering into account. Plus he is fully poseable and comes in gorgeous comic colours as well (and there is a version with hus tux too if you want). After three years and a huge influx of Grimlocks, nothing's come close.
Honourable Mention:
I didn't have an honourable mention last time, but now that we have more toys, you can look back on the previous list to see who didn't make the cut this time around: /transformers ... oys/38563/
While he isn't too innovative on the G1 formula transformation wise, I do like like how they were able to get the proportions and cartoon look into an actual toy. And he is a solid toy, as is most of the animated line, probably even one of best voyager class toys from that whole line.
I've finally reached that point in setting up my TF collection room ... Alternators and Binaltech.
Unpacking them, I'd remembered the major figures. Smokescreen, he started it all. Sideswipe, he came after Smokescreen. Grimlock and his annoying pain in the arse double hip rotation point.
This guy, was released in 2006. Yeah, fourteen years ago. Yes, it's been that long since we've had Alternators, sadly, this meant we didn't get Frenzy to match.
This figure is awesome. Transforming from a Honda Civic Si, Rumble is quite different from all other Alternators, in that he has no hands.
Instead, he has PILE DRIVERS!
These, are a bit of a let down. They're "spring loaded" but once they're deployed they get a little floppy.
They definitely put some thought into this figure. In addition to his pile drivers, they also incorporated the look of his cassette chest.
Not only that, but back mounted weapons (ala G1) are also included. One of which, like virtually all other Alternators, formed the engine in vehicle mode (with the spare fitting into the boot/trunk)
Transformation is standard for the Alternators line, in fact, it's probably the most simplest.
As I said at the start, I had forgotten about this guy. Before I moved he sat in alt mode, which, if you looked at it, it could have been anyone (provided you ignore the rego plates). So finding him today and getting to transform him and display him was fun. He's definitely a forogtten gem in my collection.
Have you come across a forgotten gem in your collection lately? Let us know on the forums!
Another year, another round of toys! 2019 offered up not only some excellent new figures, but it also provided collectors of all ages plenty of opportunity to collect older figures as well.
And that is what we will be focusing on today. Today, I will be sharing with you the Top 10 Transformers that I collected last year, and then you can comment on the hauls as well as share your own Top 10 of 2019! And remember: any figure you bought from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 is fair game for your lists! And the figures don't have to be ranked based on being technically good, they should also be ranked on how much joy they gave you.
So here we go!
10) Transformers 2007 Movie Premium Optimus Prime
This was the figure that I was hunting when I went to TFcon D.C. this year, which was also my first ever TFcon. And it was a great experience! If you haven't gotten to go to a convention like this, I highly recommend you do.
But back to Prime: I have the leader Allspark Power Nightwatch version of this mold from the 1st movie, and it is my all time favorite Transformer, the one I could not give up ever. And I wanted to find the version with the sword, very badly. But throughout the Con, I could not find a hint of it, anywhere. And then, when me and my buddies were getting ready to leave, I ran to grab one final autograph. And after getting that, I saw a Prime on top of a pile at a table; it was the Leader with a gun; underneath that, a 2nd of the same Prime; and then, somehow, at the bottom of the pile, was a 3rd Leader Prime, and it was the one with the sword.
I got him! It was a great find, and one I will cherish not only since it is a good figure, but also because of the circumstances of the score.
9) Studio Series Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime
This one ends up on the list not for being the best Studio Series figure, but for being the one that I had been hoping to happen for 8 years.
When I saw Dark of the Moon, all I wanted was a Prime with a trailer that turned into a combat arsenal and flight tech, and it finally happened. And while it does leave some to be desired in terms of trailer detailing/paint, it is still a joy to finally get this set as I had always wanted and envisioned it.
8 ) Ghostbusters / Transformers Ectotron
At the beginning of this year, we knew a Ghostbusters MP-10 was coming out, but we had no idea this wonderful thing was coming. And it was the most fantastic surprise ever. Not only is it a wonderful crossover of 2 franchises I love, but it is also a very very good figure in and of itself. Ectotron is a wonderful figure that is so full of fun stuff, least of all being the first ever Transformer with a Proton Pack.
Ectotron was probably the greatest surprise of 2019, and is one of the best of the year, retro-hauls and all.
7) Siege Omega Supreme
This was a late entry to my collection this year, but ever since I have gotten him, I can't stop messing with and talking about him. Omega is the Titan that we have always deserved, he is of great quality and posability, with intricate detailing and some great paint work. Not to mention his transformation is really fun and his alt mode has so much playability. Omega is a fantastic figure, and one that everyone should get if they want a Titan figure.
6) Studio Series Rampage
My Studio Series figure of the year. Rampage this year was a lot like Jazz from 2018 - He is immensely fun. He is the best figure, technically? No. He doesn't even have elbows. But is he ridiculously fun, and also forms a leg to a massive combiner? Absolutely. Rampage is a wonderful Decepticon figure, and is one of the best Studio Series figures of the year, and one of the best figures of the year.
5) Siege Smashdown
I cannot stop singing the praises of this figure. For a $6 figure, this thing delivers so much. For one thing, a Minotaur that turns into a Hammer. That is brilliant. And then, a hammer, the one sole hammer that we have got in the battlemaster class, one of the few melee weapons, and one of the few hammers we got in the decade. Hammers are rare in Transformers, and I love every single one of them.
This is a figure where you can get 5 of them (like me) or more, and not feel like you've wasted money. Get as many of them as you can. And with a re-release coming in Earthrise, it's evident Hasbro recognized how good Smashdown is.
4) MPM-8 Megatron
While I ranked Smashdown as the figure of the year, Megatron is the most important figure of the year to me. This was a masterpiece of my first ever Transformer, and it was a perfect update. This is a huge figure that impresses in so many ways, not least of which is the fact that he is combiner sized and heavy as heck. He is wonderfully painted, and the sculpting is perfect. This was the update I really wanted my first Transformer to have, and it was delivered upon perfectly.
3) Armada Powerlinx Jetfire
The final 3 on my list are older figures, and those 3 start with Jetfire. I have recently been getting into the Unicron Trilogy, and bought a lot from those lines this year. Armada Jetfire was one of the very first figures I got this year, and it should say a lot that one of the first is in the top 3 of my year-long list.
This Jetfire is really good and really fun. For one thing, he is a massive shuttle, and he forms a great giant robot from that shuttle. The Powerlinx colors are great on him, and I love the faceplated head. And then he forms the pants to a giant Prime. This is an insanely fun figure by himself, and he's a team player too. I could not be happier to have him.
2) G1 Dreadwind and Darkwing / Dreadwing
This was a pair where the story is as important as the actual find. This was a 1:00 AM Friday night hotel find at TFcon D.C., where both of these, as well as a G1 Slapdash and Flywheels, were up for a barter for a half hour, with some help from a friend of mine from the Podcast. Finally, after a half hour, I got the price I wanted, and suddenly I had 3 of the Powermasters in one go, and these 2 are the greatest of that. I now have 5 of the Powermasters, including all 3 Decepticons, and plan to finish that entire team this year.
But back to these 2: not only was getting them a highlight, but these 2 are pretty dang good by themselves. The robots and jets are really good, and then the combined jet mode is really fun and bonkers. It's a sign to me that G1 still has some pretty nice tricks up its sleeve, and I love the entire Powermaster team/concept.
1) Cybertron Defense Red Alert
I will be fully honest, this one was a huge surprise to me. Whenever the Siege Selects Cybertron Defense Hot Shot was revealed, I ended up getting the original from a Twitter friend, and once getting him, I decided to get the other 2 members of the team if I could. And late Saturday night at TFcon, I found a boxed Red Alert and scored him for a great price with the last of my cash (and some help from previously mentioned friend/podcaster).
And wow, this figure is so good. So so good. This is a large toy that has some great weapons, poses pretty dang well, and is just fun. And that chest and head sculpt are fantastic. This is the figure of the year for me, special both for how I got it, and for just how dang good the toy itself is. It is pure joy.
Honorable Mentions:
- Classics Optimus Prime
This was another TFcon haul, and while it was not a Top 10 of the year, it is still a great toy that is fun to mess around with and is a good toy all on its own. It feels good to experience a mold so many have had such high praise for.
- G1 Pretender Jazz
Also TFcon haul, this one was complete and a surprise to find for his price. After some Toyhax stickers, he is nearly perfect, and is a wonderful Pretender addition.
- Cyberverse Ultimate Grimlock
I got 4 Cyberverse figures, and this Grimlock is a great toy. He is one of the best Grimlocks we have ever gotten, and he's a great Cyberverse toy. He also has a fun gimmick. This is a toy that Cyberverse needed, and it's one I am glad to own.
- G1 Powermaster Prime with Apex Armor
I got this figure in the fall, and it was wonderful. This G1 toy is incredibly fun, with tons of great features and gimmicks. Every mode has something fun about it, and it is a large great toy.
2019 was a very good year for Transformers fans. While it wasn't as insane as last year (where we had 4 main lines on shelves at the same time!) it delivered as much for collectors as any other years. More even with the advent of the Generations Selects line which feel like the old collector's Club but more affordable and more accessible. I mean, think about it, what other year did we get seven seekers? So yeah, for both G1 and movie fans, it was a very fun year. And Beast Wars fans got 2 Masterpiece figures, so drinks all around! Below are what we here at Seibertron each thought were some of the best toys to come out, grouped up within categories.
A Year in Review - Transformers 2019
To go along with your Year in Review, you can enjoy a nice little sidedish of the Twincast Podcast Episode #237, itself is a 3 and a half hour year in review, which you can download HERE! As for the folks who are joining you here today, check them out in their Avatar glory below:
the News Hounds
The Intimidators
The Smooth-talkers
The News Mongrels
Best Cyberverse Figure
William-James88: This has to go to Ultimate Grimlock. He was the shining beacon of awesome in a toyline that I felt was something I wouldn't even recommend to parents for their kids. This toy though made it feel like the Cybertron era was back. With an imposing physique and a fun yet not too tough transformation that just feels right and chunky to play with. I even wrote an article about how this is the toy I recommend to any parent who wants to get their kids into Transformers without wanting to break the bank or worry of fragile pieces. I do recomend him to everyone though, just to relive toys of a bygone era that were for all ages and just fun.
Bounti76: Gnaw, by a mile. The simple transformation is familiar if you had Titans Return Gnaw, and though this is a gimmick oriented line, his spinning torso gimmick is unobtrusive and easy to pull off, plus, it makes sense. He's a solid figure for the price point, and could easily be displayed with the aforementioned Gnaw(s) as their leader.
ScottyP: Lil Ratchet. He even has a sled! The Spark Armor "Battle Class" has been excellent, outclassing everything else in Cyberverse by a decent margin, with Ratchet being the best of this size class to date. A simple but still fun transformation, sculpting with a lot of personality and smart articulation points made this an easy choice. I'm looking forward to the Deluxe Class which will hopefully carry over some of the potential in these designs that's been held back by the stingy choice to just put out the bare minimum for Cyberverse toys over its first two years.
D-Maximal_Primal: Spark Armor Sky Byte - This little figure is just wonderful. For one thing, he is a totally competent little legends sized figure that has a really good robot mode and a cool shark mode. The only real weakness to the whole thing is he doesn't have a head swivel. But that is a minor point. The armor drone is a sweet little drill tank that looks pretty neat, and the spark armor combination with the Sky Byte figure is really cool. I love having a drill hand and claw hand on the same Shark figure. He is really fun.
Nathaniel Prime: The line from Season 2 has been pretty fun and good for the most part, but if I had to pick the best, it would probably be a tie between Ultimate Grimlock and Spark Armor Shockwave. Ultimate Grimlock just has some sort of charm to him, and his gimmick, transformation, and looks all scream "fun for everyone!". As for my other tie, isn't it logical? In all seriousness, he's a fun little figure, and the armor gimmick once against knocks out of the park what it means to have a fun gimmick.
ZeroWolf: I'm torn between two, Spark Armour Sky-Byte and Ultimate Grimlock. I'm going to give it to everyone's favourite Dinobot for the pure reason that it does best what I like to see in a toy. It's fun to play with, to pose and stomp around in T-Rex mode. Sorry Skye-Byte, as fun as you were, you'll have to appreciate being runner up this time.
Stargrave: I had to pass on Cyberverse as a whole in favor of collecting the main Siege line but like all fans I've kept pretty good track. I'd have to say the clear winner has got to be Cheetor. A welcomed call back to the Beast Era who not only has a super slick bot and beast mode but comes with a battleship for battle armor. That made me stop and check it out every time I saw in in the stores.
Best Studio Series Figure
William-James88: While last year's Studio Series toys for the Bumblebee movie were some of the worst, this year there were some of the line's best. Like that voyager Optimus Prime and Car Mode Dropkick which I liked even more. What I love most about it is how it shows that after years of doing cars that turn into robots, Hasbro and Takara still have some new tricks to show us. I especially like how the arms are formed so that the wheels are placed to be accurate to the film. I finally have a good looking Dropkick to add to my collection and it's a pretty awesome car mode to have as well.
Bounti76: For me, it's a tie between BumblebeeVoyager Class Optimus Prime and.... Deluxe Class Hightower?? Let me explain. First this particular Optimus Prime figure hits ALL the marks for me. Faithful movie design (though I know it's not 100% accurate), and it looks like G1 Optimus stepped into the movieverse. He's got a fun transformation, looks great in altmode. Combine my kid in the 80s nostalgia with my enjoyment of the live action movies, and it's a no-brainer. So how does he tie with Hightower? Well, given that the live action movies brought me back into the hobby after 20 years, I have a fondness for most movie designs. Though he never transformed on screen, Hightower is a great movie design, and a freaking WEIRD one at that. He's appropriately creepy looking and then some, like a mutant construction vehicle came to life and wanted to kill you. We rarely see any bot mode that isn't humanoid, so his incredibly unique design combined with the movieverse aesthetic puts him right up there, in my opinion.
ScottyP: The full set of Constructicons didn't quite make it out in the whole of this year but they got close, with each figure being a standout so far. I'm giving this to Hightower for being one of those really bizarre Movie-verse Decepticon designs that you'd think would translate into a terrible toy who then ends up being really charming in not only just the goofy design, but also in how surprisingly well it ended up translating into a real consumer product made of plastic. Honorable mention goes to the rest of the Constructicons and car Dropkick. Outside of a couple notable warts, Studio Series has been delightful and I wish more Transformers continuities would receive (and sell enough to deserve) a similar ongoing, consistent and high-quality toy line.
D-Maximal_Primal: Rampage. It was a tough choice between Rampage and car Dropkick, but ultimately, Rampage for me wins out. For one thing, he has presence, being pretty dense and heavy for a voyager figure. He feels really good in your hands. The paint work is also very well done, making him look really good and imposing. He also forms 3 solid modes (robot, bulldozer, leg). He may not have elbows, but he is still a very solid figure that looks and acts the part. I also love how poseable his jackhammer lower body is. He is so unique in body style and he can move it too. He's just really cool.
Wolfman Jake: SS-38 Optimus Prime Bumblebee Movie. The Studio Series has been knocking it out of the park, with a few foul balls here and there. The best of this year, though, has to go to the Bumblebee Movie version of Optimus Prime. THIS is the live-action movie version of Optimus Prime we should have gotten back in 2007. He's the perfect blend of intricate mechanical detailing with an almost pristine, realistic vehicle mode, all with so many more of the classic G1 Optimus Prime visual cues to make for a character that strikes all the right cords with both longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise. The vehicle mode, though unlicensed, certainly looks the part. The robot mode is detailed, beefy, and unmistakably Optimus Prime. The transformation is interesting, with a few neat surprises. There may be a bit of a design issue, particularly with parts of the leg assemblies, but it doesn't detract from the overall fun of this figure. He look great paired up with SS-18 Bumblebee
Nathaniel Prime: Studio Series is a line I entered with moderate expectations, and came out overjoyed with such cool and awesome figures! There was something for everybody, and while none were perfect, most of them were great enough to enjoy. As for my favorite, it was simply too hard to pick just one favorite. Between Car Mode Dropkick, the Constructicons, and so many others, it would too much for me to write (and too much for you to read!). In the end, I settled with SS38 Bumblebee movie Optimus Prime. A figure that hits all the marks for what it means to be an Optimus Prime, while having a flawless robot mode, altmode, and a transformation that makes me drool.
ZeroWolf: I've been debating this a lot, and it comes down to either Rampage or (this will shock everyone) Bumblebee Movie Optimus Prime. Rampage is bounds of fun though, so in this case, he takes it, though for me, none of the constructicons have disappointed.
Stargrave: Rampage. I didn't get a ton of Studio figures this year but man, Rampage won me over. And the only reason I think he beats out Hightower is that he came first. It's an amazing feat of pulling off that strange monstrous robot mode out of that vehicle mode, and he still turns into a foot for Devastator. No he doesn't have elbows, poor guy doesn't even have two feet to stand on, but despite these set backs, the paint, sculpting, the grotesque face, and articulated claws and treads all added up to make me go, so, I guess I'm getting a movie Devastator in the collection now.
Best War for Cybertron Siege Figure
William-James88: I have been doing this end of year list for a few years now and you may notice the trend that I am ecstatic when Ratchet and Ironhide are not given the short straw. MP Ironhide was a godsend not just because it was a decent representation of Ironhide in the G1 show but because we finally got a decent Ironhide toy, period. And this year we got that again with the Siege mold. Now we finally have a good Ironhide and Ratchet toy for our non MP collections. I pick Ratchet specifically for this list because I was really impressed by how dedicated Hasbro was to make him sculpted as differently from Ironhide as possible while retaining the same overall look and transformation. A lot of care went into the distinction between two characters that are very unique from one another from a character perspective. plus I like the asymmetrical arm details and the extra accessories (which didn't make him more expensive than a regular deluxe, yay).
Bounti76: If I'm being forced to pick, I can't help but pick Voyager Optimus Prime. Fun, unique transformation (though I do worry about the sturdiness of some moving parts). He is a fantastic CHUG style figure in robot mode, which is how I display him most of the time anyway.
ScottyP: Rung, because it happened at all. Now bring on a larger, more articulated version!
D-Maximal_Primal: Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime. This figure is a load of fun. The base figure is pretty dang good, minus the visible hands in truck mode. And then you get to the larger figure, and it is spectacular. The truck mode is pretty imposing, and then the robot mode is pure joy. The battle damage paint looks pretty good on him, and adds to his strong imposing robot mode look. The head is also spectacular, and rounds out a pretty dang good package as far as Siege figures go.
Wolfman Jake: WFC-S43 Mirage. One of the winners of the Siege Fan Poll last year was also one of the best Deluxe class figures to come out in the line! Mirage looks great in robot mode and is tons of fun to transform, customize, and display. The vehicle mode certainly looks the part of the G1 toy and cartoon model for the most part, but a few things like the large engine block made out of the robot arms shoved under the spoiler and the faux back end that is blatantly the robot mode chest, keep that alternate mode from being perfect. Still, this is easily the best representation we've had for G1 Mirage in a modern toyline since the 2006 Classics mold. While it was great at the time and featured no faux parts, the proportions were a little wonky and he was missing some trademark accessories, like his shoulder cannon. The Combiner Wars version of Mirage was fun as combiner fodder, but didn't quite sit right as a true Mirage update, what with being a repaint of Dragstrip. The Siege version of Mirage fixes all of that and gives us a transformation scheme just as good, if not better, than the Classics version. The way the rear wheels tuck up into the back torso of the robot mode is just pure magic! The translucent blue plastic parts also help Mirage really pop on a display shelf. He's just so satisfying, and I didn't even blink at the idea of double dipping on him to get the all clear blue version as well from the "Fan Vote Battle 3-Pack." (It helps that it also contained the exclusive Powerdasher Aragon figure as well as the also superb Impactor figure with new paint details and his IDW inspired helmet.)
Nathaniel Prime: Like Studio Series, there was simply too much for me to love, and it's hard to talk about just one. To settle the internal war over a favorite, I'll just go with Titan Omega Supreme. The only Titan class figure that has no flaws to me, it has such a presence in anyone's collection. It helps that he comes with my favorite Micromaster too!
ZeroWolf: A clear winner here, as despite the fact that I'm not a G1 guy, this toyline has delivered quality and fun figures, and that's nothing to sniff at. There was a figure that stands tall against all overs, and that is Jetfire. The designers went all out on him and it shows, lots of play value, and looks great in the crowd.
Stargrave: I haven't been disappointed by a single figure from the Siege line. I honestly love each of them for reasons from aesthetics to construction to fan service to nostalgia. I've thought about this for days and it keeps not making sense, but, I've gotta give it to Voyager Megatron. Many people have had problems with Megatron and I get all of them. He's got some flaws, but he's also undeniably Megatron. Outside of turning into a gun this is the most G1 accurate version of Megatron we've gotten in ages. Now that can be G1 nostalgic for the toys and then there's G1 nostalgic for the cartoon. This hits both notes for me. He's broad, he's beefy, the colors are all there and in the correct places. The countenance is perfect, the fusion cannon is PERFECT. Totally subjective here, but to me, I haven't been so pleased with a version of Megatron since Classics. These bots are all darlings to me though, thank you and hats off to the Siege line.
Cobotron: I want to put Optimus here. He is fantastic in every regard. But, when I look at Siege as a whole and think about which figures struck the strongest chord, I keep coming back to Sideswipe. Wave 1 Deluxes were the first Siege toys I received, and Sideswipe was the first I opened. Coming out of the Prime Wars Trilogy, my mind was blown by the precedent he set. The bar had risen. The elegant simplicity and intuitiveness of his transformation, the attention to his classic character design, and the tightness and solidity of his build quality were a fantastic introduction to the line to come. Almost the entire line continued to live up to the standard he had set in my mind. I actually prefer Red Alert's deco and details, always have, but I give it to Swipe since he was the first.
Best Masterpiece Figure
William: My favourite Transformers character and figure is Beast Wars Megatron. This is in no way objective, it's just what I grew up with and what made me fall in love with Transformers. So to have him be given such grand Masterpiece treatment was exhilarating. My copy had no problems and he is just sublime. I really like how he is an homage to the original toy,s transformation with many more tricks up his sleeve, like how that whole back section just folds away and how they give him a left arm. Plus that paint work is stellar.
ScottyP: Beast Wars Megatron but have to note that with one exception this was a phenomenal year for Masterpiece and this was a difficult choice to make. Megatron accomplishes something that I wouldn't have thought possible by delivering an outrageously detailed and complex incarnation of the Predacon leader that doesn't compromise in either mode. Parts of the accordion-ish folding when compacting the dinosaur mode's scales aren't what you would ever call intuitive, but the fact that it can do what it does at all is such a feat it's tough for me to hold that against it. Assuming the pelvis on yours didn't explode into purple glitter, nothing else from 2019 delivers the presence and personality that this toy brings to the table.
D-Maximal_Primal: MPM-8 Megatron. This is the movie 1 Megatron that we have all deserved and needed, and they delivered in an epic way. This figure is huge and heavy. The robot mode itself is as tall as a Prime Wars combiner! And it is super detailed and super well painted. He is really strong and stable, and the light piping and super attention to details just finishes off a fantastic robot. The jet mode is also really big and cool, and casts a heck of a shadow. The transformation is also pretty dang good, and I would argue it is the best of the Movie Masterpiece figures.
Wolfman Jake: MP-46 Blackwidow/Blackarachnia. This was not a banner year for the Masterpiece line. We're only (just barely) getting 5 figure in total by the very end of the year (if Hound isn't delayed again). Beast Wars Megatron and MP-44 Convoy/Optimus Prime version 3.0 are just too expensive for me to invest in right now. MP-45 Bumblebee version 2.0 is very flawed with unsightly kibble. Hound isn't even out yet, so I can't rightly pick that, no matter how amazing it looks to me right now. That leaves us with...Blackarachnia. That's not to say that she isn't a great Masterpiece figure in her own right. She's got a killer robot mode that evokes perfectly the character model of the Beast Wars femme fatal. She's got lots of fun accessories to reference the original cartoon, like the goggles, and the original toy, like the alternate missile launcher with a "spider silk" cord, and even includes a stand with a thematically appropriate energon web with which to pose her. The spider mode has been divisive, thanks to some mistransformed examples at trade shows and in official photography, but it's not at all terrible. It's just not perfect, but then again, none of the Beast Wars Masterpiece figures have perfectly "organic" alt modes. Each one has a bit of robot detail or kibble that isn't hidden. Blackarachnia is not an exception in that regard. Still, she's also not the best Masterpiece figure I've ever had, but she's not anywhere near the worst either.
Cobotron: Even though technically released in 2018, I didn't receive MP-36+ (toy version) Megatron until January of '19. Can we count it? I have to say, I waited out the 1st release of this toy in hopes of a plus version, and it was for me, the most major Masterpiece event of the year. What an amazing figure! I finally got to experience all the grandeur of this figure no matter the version, but in the deco, details, and head sculpt I had wanted from the start. He is with out exception the crowning jewel of my MP Decepticons.
Nathaniel Prime: This year truly was a feast on our optics with the Masterpiece line (unless you were a yellow Beetle ). For me, the best Masterpiece figures that were released this year are a tie between MP44 Optimus Prime and MP43 Beast Wars Megatron. Both figures scream the essence of the MP line; to be the best versions of the characters they represent, and I feel those figures do that job quite nicely.
Stargrave: No reveals just releases? Sorry Lio Convoy, next year my multi-maned friend. As an old Beast Wars fan I'm between Megatron and Blackarachnia on this. But, if I ask myself who I truly love more it's Black Arachnia all the way. One of thee best characters from that show and has kept coming back in the games and the cartoons year after year because she's got too many awesome qualities you just can't deny her. The quality of the Megatron toy may be better, but if I had to pick one, it'd be Black Arachnia. Ah we can all moan about that spider mode all day but come on how many of you display your MP's in alt mode, really?
Best Exclusive Figure (anything goes as long as it was an exclusive in some way)
William-James88: The Refraktor 3 pack is just good fun. While Reflector looking the same is show accurate, I am not much of an army builder. Most of my toys aren't on display anyway so getting three of the same toy is not too appealing and this is the kind of toy where if you only get 1 then you are denied the alt mode he was designed to turn into. So, lucky for me, we had this three pack to honour the toy deco with more accessories. So not only do I now have 3 different looking toys (which I can customize with accessories) but they turn into an even better looking camera. And I could grab this exclusive at my local TRU as easy as any other figure, which was icing on the cake.
Bounti76: Siege Greenlight and Dazzlestrike. From a background character with no lines, Greenlight getting a toy is nothing short of astounding, considering this was the kind of thing only Botcon used to do. Her headsculpt is plucked directly from the 1985 cartoon episode she appeared in, and her paint applications, deco, and colors do a lot in distinguishing her from her mold mates. Add a Battlemaster with the best action effect piece in Siege, and Greenlight easily wins.
ScottyP: Gurafi and Noizu/Decibel for giving me continuing hope that the era of "not reissuing toys so that a handful of collectors that bought import G1 stuff 20 years ago can still feel special" is over. Also because more cassettes are always welcome, they're pretty fun toys, the presentation with vintage style packaging plus new Tech Specs is fun (ignoring the nonsense Frenzy attached for some reason) and it provided another entry to my collection of Lost Light characters that I thought would never be attainable.
D-Maximal_Primal: Ectotron. Oh man was this one an interesting one. For one thing, just the reveal and release was super cool, and then they actually went ahead and made a full transforming and fully functional Ecto-1 Transformer, and the made it really well. He is tall, he has an awesome alt mode, the transformation is really good, and the paint work is really good. He is such a spectacular figure, and it is a blast to have a Transformers with a proton pack. He looks good no matter what you do with him, and he was such a joy to get.
Wolfman Jake: Refraktor Reconnaissance Team 3-Pack. Let's start with the mass-retail version of Siege Refraktor (née Reflector). We've been waiting a LONG time for a good update of the G1 cartoon character. There have been a few attempts along the way, like the "Targetmaster" version that came with Thrilling 30 Skrapnel, or the BotCon exclusive retool/repaints of Combiner Wars Shockwave, but neither came close to capturing the cartoon character model of Reflector so well, and in just the right scale. Siege Reflector has an amazing head sculpt, just the perfect amount of techno greeble detailing, and is painted to perfection. Although the singular "space cruiser" alt mode is nothing interesting, the combination of three Reflector toys makes for a great, classic camera alt mode. The special edition 3-Pack builds on that by including even more accessories to give the camera mode an even more convincing look, complete with flash cube, grip and shutter button, and a viewfinder. The figures themselves have been meticulously repainted to represent their original toy versions, rather than the cartoon versions, and are made even more distinct by their new accessories listed above. It's just too bad the heads weren't resculpted to match the original toys as well. The fun doesn't stop there with this set either. We also get an adorable little Kremzeek figure to cause mischief and mayhem among the Transformers. Finally, the whole set is packaged in a nifty box, styled after real 1980's camera releases. It even comes with a VERY tongue-in-cheek instruction manual meant to mimic those of the era with tips and tricks to get great photographs...in the service of the Decepticon war machine. You'll learn how to spy on your enemies, blackmail your colleagues, and make the perfect propaganda poster. A LOT of love went into making this exclusive box set, and it shows. Every bit of it is appreciated. Just like Mirage above, this was an easy choice to double dip on Reflector. I've got a trio of the cartoon versions on the shelf and the toy versions in camera mode displayed elsewhere. The extra accessories are still compatible with the mass-retail version of Reflector too, so you can beef up the cartoon camera mode if you want as well. Bravo, Hasbro!
Nathaniel Prime: While the main line has been awesome enough this year, the exclusives were the cherry on top to me. There were so many nice exclusives to choose from, and they were all really nice, from the Ghostbusters Crossover, to the Siege exclusives. My favorite one this year might just go to Ectotron, who just barely beats the Refraktor 3 Pack.
ZeroWolf: Tempted to say Siege Ratchet but I'm going to go with the Refraktor 3 pack. I liked Siege Refraktor well enough, great army builder and a fun way to build the camera mode. This set though was amazing, even down to the packing. These are the kind of exclusives we need more of.
Stargrave: Cromar. When I was a kid (many thousands of years ago) I actually had Cromar. And he was an outlier then, and an exclusive, just like he is now. So when I saw that strange clown face on Sixgun's body I figured we'd be getting the rest, and then there were the Rainmakers, and the Refraktor 3 pack, and more. But with Cromar's reveal my hair was blown back and I realized just how deep down the rabbit hole the Hasbro team was willing to take us. Take the rules, grab your expectations too, and throw 'em in that trash can right there. Buckle up and get your nerd on, this is going to be one heck of a ride.
Cobotron: Out of all the awesome exclusives that were offered this past year, the one I was most excited for was the Refraktor 3-pack. If you've ever read (or cared about) anything I've ever said, you'll know that this kind of thing is precisely my jam. A fantastic modern update to an old classic. It oozes with all the toy detail of their original release. Not to mention that it is a fantastic call back to the Takara of old. No surprise that this Microchanger has found a happy home with my Microman collection.
Toy of the Year
William-James88: Siege Optimus Prime was my toy of the year early on and it stayed that way the whole way through. I keep picking him up, transforming him, posing him. He is a really solid toy with a nice spin on the Optimus transformation. Being familiar and new at the same time. I really like the back detail too and that Hasbro went the extra mile not to have hollow looking legs. His is now the main Optimus of my classics scaled collection.
Bounti76: Orthia. She wasn't supposed to exist, and collecting her components took two years and three toy lines, but having the Female Autobots all together (and able to combine, to boot)n in toy form is amazing. The limbs all coming from the same mold does a lot to eliminate the somewhat awkward proportions of Elita One's torso mode but she looks great in her combined form.
ScottyP: MP-44 Optimus Prime version 3. One day, I'll be banned from choosing two different MP figures then putting one here and another in the "Best Masterpiece" category, but that hasn't happened so here we are. See, this category doesn't say "best" explicitly, so my interpretation becomes "Transformers toy of the year is the one that most represents the year 2019 that is also still a good toy." In several ways, MP-44 is indicative of almost every piece of the brand as we know it this year:
Repeated and continued reliance on 1984 and 1985 as the basis for stories and products instead of creating something truly new.
Multiple iterations of the same 'A' and 'B' tier characters in every form with new design refinements on each pass.
Masterpiece toys that utilize increased part count and an insane amount of paint to create figures that, sometimes to a fault, are oddly adherent to specific frames of the Sunbow cartoon while totally missing the mark when compared to others - and I don't mean in-betweens.
Pricing that is sometimes prohibitively expensive to the point of being exclusionary.
Lose-able effect parts.
Optimus Prime being awesome and driving you to spend lots of money on his toys anyway even if you're a little tired of him.
Anyway, more about this actual toy follows. I was extremely lukewarm on it when it was announced and still think the shoulders are too small unless the goal actually was "Headmasters" Convoy, but nearly everything else about my initial bah-humbugging was very wrong. The transformation feels really complicated and impossible to memorize at first, but by the third instance of exploding this toy from truck to robot and back I found myself barely needing the instructions and even then, it was mostly for recalling the precise order of when to transform a sub-assembly before integrating it with others. While the legs are still a little needlessly complicated in spots, the magic of moving pieces near the wheel well up into the torso while still retaining all of the expected articulation can't be denied. There are certainly more little quirks and annoyances I could mention, but the overall experience of this toy coupled with what is indubitably the nicest trailer ever given to a G1 Optimus Prime makes this the capstone that most collectors will remember when looking back on the brand's 35th Anniversary.
Let's just not talk about the similar attempt in MP-45 Bumblebee, who is the butt fumble to MP-44 Optimus' miracle game ending "Statue of Liberty" play that ends in a touchdown.
D-Maximal_Primal: Transformers War for Cybertron: Siege Smashdown - Who would have thought that a $6 Battlemaster could be the best figure of the year. Well, I can tell you confidently that Smashdown is the best of the best. For one thing, the very idea of Smashdown - a Minotaur that turns into a War Hammer - is a truly inspired and unique idea, and I have loved it from the reveal. For another, the paint work covers what it needs to, both modes are really good with a fun little transformation. and Smashdown just goes with anyone and everyone. I personally bought 5, and I have enjoyed placing Smashdown with everyone and anyone with 5mm hands. Everyone needs a Smashdown.
Wolfman Jake: WFC-S28 Jetfire. This figure is an absolute dream come true! We've had a few other modern updates to Jetfire in the past 13 years, one of them being a Voyager sized figure from Classics in 2006, based more on the original toy than the animation model, another being the Leader sized figure from Thrilling 30 about five years ago, which gave us a toy accurate alt mode and a very stylized cartoon-homaging robot mode. (I'm not going to count the Legends figures or the "Cyber Series" figures here.) Siege, though, has given us a nearly perfect cartoon Jetfire (or is it Skyfire?) at long last! He's BIG, a brand new size class, in fact: "Commander Class!" He's fun to transform, with quite a few nifty little tricks. He comes with a ton of accessories, so you can armor him up a la the original toy if you really want to. But, most of all, he looks like he stepped right out of the TV screen and into our figure collections! This figure is gorgeous, hefty, and has a real presence among the rest of the War for Cybertron Trilogy cast. Hasbro and Takara even built in an insignia changing gimmick, so you can have him as a Decepticon scientist/explorer from before the war, or as a new ally to the Autobot forces on Earth, just like in his debut episode in the G1 cartoon, "Fire in the Sky!" If all of that wasn't enough, Jetfire can interact with other Siege figures, acting as an areal transport of sorts for Deluxe class figures. He even has a secret compartment in the cockpit to fit a Titan Master or Prime Master figure! Jetfire has everything you could want in a Transformers figure, in terms of on screen fidelity, solid engineering, quality control, and playability.
Nathaniel Prime: Honestly, while the majority of people would only list one toy that defined this year, I have three, all of which were critical and are equally important to what 2019 meant to a Transformers fan. Those 3 toys are Studio Series Bumblebee Movie Optimus Prime, WFC Siege Omega Supreme, and Masterpiece Beast Wars Megatron. These toys are the utmost best 2019 had to offer, and there is nothing to be disappointed with any of them.
ZeroWolf: There can be only one winner here, and that is War for Cybertron Siege Titan Class Omega Supreme. An fantastic update, oozing with play value and features, sturdy and all around fun.
Stargrave: Rung. Of all the reveals and toys that came as shocks this year, nothing beats Rung. I honestly cheered out loud. I probably teared up like Kirk giving the Spock Eulogy when I saw that reveal, and it's all resonance from the amazing character he was in the comics. Some could say there've been better characters, stronger, better armed, but I can't think of a whole ton that have touched my heart like Rung did towards the end of Lost Light.
Cobotron: WfC - Siege Leader Class Ultra Magnus. This choice has nothing to do with fact or science. It's not based on engineering wonders or innovation in Transformers design. It's all based on feelings. Squishy gooshy nostalgia covered feels from the heart. Second only to Bluestreak, Ultra Magnus is my favorite Autobot. While Combiner Wars Magnus was also an awesome toy and a neat alternate take on the character. I was over joyed to get a traditional City Commander with all the modern articulation and design. The inner figure is great on his own, and only gets better armored up. He is the one figure I have played with the most all year long.
Best comic book issue
Bounti76: Given the glacial pace of the first several issues of the ongoing, I haven't read many comics this year, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the Galaxies series.
ScottyP: Transformers: Galaxies #2 was everything I want in establishing fiction for a new continuity, while the one-shot Transformers '84 #0 actually felt like a heartfelt apology for Regeneration One that showed veteran Transformers writer Simon Furman still has it after all. Unable to pick between the two, I choose both. If you don't like it, petition the other admins to make more rules for these sorts of things
Hats off to Tyler Blesinski, Simon Furman, Livio Ramondelli, Guido Guidi, Jean-Paul Bove, Tom B. Long, Tom Waltz and David Mariotte for these two excellent entries into the Transformers comic book library.
D-Maximal_Primal: Transformers Galaxies #2 - Galaxies has proven to be a very enjoyable series, and my favorite so far was issue 2. For one thing, we got our introduction to the Insecticons, and for the first time ever, this comic made me care for the Insecticons. They are creepy as heck, and their story was both frightening and cool. And then you have the progression of the Constructicon story, and both of them intertwine for form a very good and enjoyable story. I hope Galaxies continues to shine, and I hope the ongoing can take notes from Galaxies as well.
Shout out to the Ghostbusters/Transformers crossover too, that was a fantastic crossover series!
Nathaniel Prime: From what I've read in 2019, I'm not really impressed with alot of what I read. I'm hoping IDW picks up the pace and returns to their former glory with their comic book series. That being said, I would say the Transformers Ghostbusters Crossover comic, particularly the first issue, is what I would say was my favorite comic book issue of the year.
ZeroWolf: While not an issue persay, the Transformers X Ghostbusters crossover was the best TF fiction we've had all year. It treat both franchises with respect and was a joy to read. Ectotron is a great new addition to tf lore.
Stargrave: Hmmm. I'm going to just say Galaxies as a general offshoot. As an idea really. It was just what fans wanted, maybe needed to keep their Transformers comic book fires burning when the mainstream title had them dimming down. For all that Galaxies has brought and intends to bring, my hat's off.
Best Cyberverse Episode
ScottyP: S2 E15, "Wiped Out". Hot Rod, Bumblebee and Cheetor accidentally get involved in a turf war between three rival gangs of surfer bro Sharkticons, each led by a Sharkticon that looks like a Street Shark. I made none of that up. It's totally amazing. Watch this show!
D-Maximal_Primal: Parley - This episode was fun, giving us a look at peace talks between the Bots and Cons, and gave us some fun character moments. It reminded me some of Maccadams from Season 1, with how enjoyable it was and how fun it was to see Bots and Cons actually enjoying each other somewhat. It also ended kinda dark, in contrast to the tone of the rest of the episode, setting up the stuff to come in a pretty memorable way.
Stargrave: Although the series as a whole is not my personal cup of tea, there's Transformers cartoons on the air! And kids like it! That's good news any way you cut it. Cartoons, comics, toys for old, and toys for young; those are all branches of our hobby and when one does well, they all do well. I love that there's an aspect of the brand to appeal to younger fans.
What are you most excited for next year?
William-James88: The Cyberverse deluxe figures. It's really the most novel line of next year when you think about it since the other lines (Generations War for Cybertron and Studio Series) are simply continuing the good work we saw this year. But Cyberverse is getting an overhaul with toys closer to what collectors expect. And since the show designs are based on those G1 evergreen designs, this means we will finally get good toys of those designs. Really looking forward to Megatron most since it's a great take on the G1 design turned tank-former. Plus I feel we are getting really good value with the additional BAF. I usually hate BAF since it has become less of an extra and more of an actual part of the value (meaning a bigger BAF piece will mean a smaller individually packaged figure and vice versa) but here we are getting toys that all have as much to offer in complexity and accessories as the Generations line and yet also come with a bonus piece which you can turn into an extra figure if you get the whole set.
Bounti76: Piranacon. He's expensive to complete, and I don't care for the Japanese names of the figures, but we're getting the last G1 Scramble City style combiner, and he looks great.
ScottyP: I'd like to say Earthrise's modular base play-pattern concept but can't be sure if it will live up to its potential until we see more products. Instead, would like to mention how excited I am for the first official English release of the 1980s Transformers manga. Even if it ends up being terrible it's always fun to see older parts of the brand's fiction recollected and made more accessible to a wider audience.
D-Maximal_Primal: The completion of Studio Series Devastator. This is a figure that I have been eagerly looking forward to, and with 4 of the 8 components in my hands and 2 more to arrive soon, I could not be more excited. I am ready to see this hulking behemoth rise up and fully form up. Bring him on!
Wolfman Jake: One word: Earthrise. I was a bit incredulous when the War for Cybertron Trilogy Siege line was first introduced back in 2018. Figures appeared to get smaller. Some had questionable greebling sculpted in. They had "battle damage" paint apps. But once I got the first wave of Siege in hand, I knew I was in deep. This was the new standard for Transformers toys, and I was excited about getting updates to many of the Classics, Universe, and early Generations toys in my collection. These things look like mini-Masterpieces. Earthrise looks poised to take this new standard and run with it. There isn't a single figure from the first wave of Earthrise that I don't want, and I'm anticipating more reveals in the coming weeks. The sky is the limit right now for Transformers collectors, and I couldn't be happier!
Nathaniel Prime: 2020 will be the turn of the decade, and I'm excited for it to come! As for what's coming, there's just so much to love! To keep it short, I'm super excited for Piranacon, The War for Cybertron Earthrise line, and Studio Series Devastator. And as of this morning, I'm super excited for the Transformers Terminator crossover!
ZeroWolf: Honestly, Earthrise. Siege proved it wasn't just a G1 pretty boy, with new additions and great little surprises (like Smashdown) so I'm hoping Earthrise does the same. Iron Works is a great preview of this and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest. Of course Fortress Maximus also gets his rival next year, which should be a sight to see!
Stargrave: Earthrise most of all but honestly, I can't remember a time where I saw more fan dreams come true. Thrilling 30 was pretty close, but with Powerdashers and Rainmakers and Rung and primo Cyberverse figures hitting the shelves, I'm looking forward to another year of surprises and dreams coming true. Here's to another year of collecting and feeling joy from this awesome hobby.
Cobotron: Earthrise, of course! Most notably, Hoist. Just glad to finally get a neat representation of this figure. Beer belly,weird long legs, and all. And I'm sure we can all anticipate a Trailbreaker from the mold too. Also really looking forward to Cliffjumper and the fact that he finally got his very own mold. And I am excited to see how the A.I.R. Lock system plays out.
Christmas is a week away!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since I do sell part of my collection on the side, I have been bombarded by people buying from me for last minute Christmas presents, especially since the shelves only have a small subset of all the characters the brand has to offer. However, most requests and questions have been parents and since all I have to sell is more collector oriented pieces, I don't have anything for 4-5 year olds.
Parents seem to ask for the same thing, a big durable toy that can transform, look good and yet not be too difficult and not too expensive. So basically, a toy from the Cybertron era back when there was no divide between collectors and kids, but of course a toy that can still be found on the shelves right now. And I recommend the same toy each time, so much so that I thought of writing this quick editorial to help any parent who is still looking for a nice big Transformer toy for their kids.
My pick is Cyberverse Ultimate Class Grimlock. I have written a whole review about him and how awesome it is for a kid's toy.
No other toy aimed at kids even comes close to being as awesome as him. He is very imposing and really commands the space he takes. While he is light, the plastic feels strong and durable. The transformation is not too difficult but interesting and there are even surprises in it for people who know the typical Grimlock conversion inside and out. He has decent poseability and fine gimmicks that don't get in the way. Plus, he is the size of a leader class toy, almost 9 inches tall and only costs $30 USD ($40 CAD).
And he transforms into a Dinosaur, something still awesome for kids to discover. So, if you are a parent with a kid who loves Dinosaurs and Robots and you want to introduce Transformers to them and also want to wow them with a big toy while not breaking the bank, this is the one for you.
Here are some links, where you can still get him in time for Christmas, followed by more images of the toy.
We have our traditions here at Seibertron.com and with 2018 coming to pass, we now share what we thought was best this year in all things Transformers, be it toys, comics and on screen adaptations. 2018 was a year of major change for the brand. We had a clearer definition on specific audiences for different toylines, the departure of Toysrus in many markets, the most abundant amount of toys released in one year to date (4 main lines co-existing on the same shelves), full brand unification between Hasbro and Takara, the end of the 13 year IDW Transformers Comic Universe, and a major change of course for the live action film Transformers films. We wrote an article about the positives some changes brought so you can click here if you want to discuss that further. Amidst all these changes, we got some remarkable toys and quite possibly the best media representation in a good while and below we will tackle all the major categories and 2018 toylines. While some countries did get Siege before the end of the year, it being 2019's Generations toyline, we opted to wait till next year to discuss what was the best from that line. Now on with the cast of opinions:
Scotty P: Our podcast superstar and Seibertron's archivist Cobotron: Everyone's bro D-Maximus Primal: Our top dog news hound, I'll just call him D-Max for short
Our latest news pups Emerje, Wolfman Jake and notirishman
And the one who put this all together, your friend and mine, William-James88
Now let's get started!
Best Toy from Bumblebee line (Hasbro or Takara)
Scotty P: Legendary Optimus Prime. The Age of Extinction was, for many, the extinction of their excitement for the Movie franchise. Despite that way too long snoozer of a movie and a mediocre toy line to go with it, the Voyager Class Evasion Mode Optimus Prime was one of the standout figures from a fun-factor perspective, and even kind of featured elbows that weren't gorilla arms - if you weren't around for AoE, this sadly was a standout feature. Legendary Optimus Prime takes that toy and improves it in every way while also making it bigger and more detailed. It even features a truly outstanding experience in how the weapon can be converted into parts of the truck's undercarriage that the robot can carry on its back. It doesn't stop there, as these parts don't have to be removed, put away, or reconfigured while turning the rest of it from robot to truck mode. Some days I feel as old as Kup actually is, so anytime a toy brings something that feels fundamentally different or new while still being a pretty, detailed Transformer that's a big deal to me.
D-Max: Leader Class Soundwave. I did not get much exclusive to the Bumblebee movie itself, grabbing a few of the little Speed Series Energon Ignitors and the Soundwave. And while all the figures from the line were good and fun looking, and the ones I did get were fun, Soundwave takes the cake. I never got the Titans Return Soundwave, but this one looked so good, and in hand it has not disappointed. The mold is really fun, nice and chunky, and beautifully colored. And I'm excited that all my data pads, the Fall of Cybertron disks, and the micromaster class members of Soundwave's crew from Siege will all be able to fit in his chest.
It also helps he turns into a mean dance studio. The mold is fun, and it really pops with the new paint job. Stellar job with this one Hasbro, stellar job.
William-James88: Legendary Optimus Prime. This was the first full year of brand unification between Takara and Hasbro where they would release the same looking toys in all lines (ie MP, MPM, POTP, Studio Series). But that didn't stop Takara from giving us a few exclusives here and there and Legendary Optimus Prime is their only exclusive mold of 2018. I love Evasion Mode Optimus Prime so getting him with added chrome and with sculpting and transformation tweaks to make him even better (and bigger) was right up my alley.
Emerje: Bumblebee Greatest Hits Frenzy. That's right, my favorite figure from the Bumblebee movie doesn't have anything to do with the movie. Who would have thought Hasbro would use this line to correct a great misdeed from Titans Return and finally reunite Frenzy and Rumble? It was a nice surprise, the only downside of which was also giving us Howlback without Garboil. Maybe for the next movie.
Wolfman Jake: This is a little tongue-in-cheek for an answer, but then again, it's reasonably sincere too. I love the Bumblebee Cassette Pack. That was a very sneaky (and well appreciated) way for Hasbro to finally give us "Titans Return" Frenzy. As a bonus, you get a recolor of Buzzsaw with gold highlights that matches better with the TR release of Laserbeak as well as a blue redeco of TR Ravage as Howlback. I wouldn't have guessed Hasbro would dig that deep for this set, but there you go! What's not to love? (The 1-Step Bumblebee, honestly.)
notirishman: Speed Series Volkswagen Bumblebee. Why? I mean, this figure is just so much fun to play around with. He's small, with a easy, yet satisfying transformation, and looks good in both modes! He also has the 5mm port in the back, allowing for some fire effects, or the energone core engine, allowing him to shoot forward. I like this lil guy. He's a sweet boy.
Best Toy from Cyberverse line
Scotty P: Ultra Class Shockwave, for being one of the only toys in the line that has two good modes. The bar is low, and this clears it. God I miss Robots in Disguise. Next.
William-James88: Ultimate Megatron. The Cyberverse line was truly unapologetic in catering to a young target audience and I did not mind that since we had two dedicated main lines for collectors (along with Masterpiece figures from BW, G1 and the movies) and while there are figures that I don't think even kids would like, I think Hasbro really nailed it with the Ultimate class. For the price of a voyager you get a leader sized toy that reminds me of the sturdiness of the Unicron trilogy. That Megatron's transformation even reminds me of the Cybertron line where you get this blocky feel of rearranging hefty parts around to really give two very different and striking modes. I love how simple the transformation is to get him into a tank where while you see the same parts as in the robot mode, everything feels cohesive and fitting of a tank. And the elegant foot transformation into becoming part of the tank treads is something I wish the Siege voyager Megatron could have copied instead of leaving his feet out. Oh yes, you heard that right, the tank mode on this Cyberverse ultimate class toy is better looking than the Siege toy's tank mode. The toy is not for me, but it does a really good job at giving young kids a nice hefty figure with a fun transformation.
Emerje: Warrior Windblade. Now, I know what the popular answer is going to be, but as an example of the Warrior class done right look no further than Windblade. She's well painted, nicely sculpted, has some of the best articulation (bicep AND waist swivels??), and best of all, a non obtrusive gimmick that actually works as it's supposed to. It's definitely a figure that feels like it would have been just fine in the previous Robots in Disguise line.
ZeroWolf: Warrior Class Shockwave, just really fun to play around with.
notirishman: Shock of shocks, it's Ultra Class Shockwave. Yeah, I'm sure this will be on other people's lists because well, it's pretty good! While Cyberverse is alright, and the gimmicks seem fun, this toy's gimmick is only on the arm, and the switch is on the same arm. And since he turns into, what is essentially, him in a funny exercise pose, yeah. The toy has a lot of articulation, and since the gimmick is on the arm only, it only hinders the arm. Compared to other Cyberverse figures, there's a lot of possibility, similar to that of a Siege figure. And this guy is just so fun to pose. And the toy looks good in both modes. Only bad thing, is the cannon is cartoon I accurate in both modes, but I can forgive it.
Best Toy from Studio Series line
Scotty P: Ironhide. Studio Series wants me to "collect the cast". It is a long way from allowing me to accomplish this, but even if it never really does, at least it's providing collectors with some great updated versions of characters from the movies. Yes, there's a Movie Masterpiece line, but it's plagued by every other release having engineering/tolerance issues and only puts out about two toys a year. Studio Series is where it's at, movie toy wise, and this was the best figure in this year's selection. Taking some of the smarter cues from Dark of the Moon's Deluxe Class figure and refining them while adding new touches in the much more scale-friendly Voyager Class results in an Ironhide toy that is super fun to transform back and forth between modes. When he's a robot, envision how he collapses down onto his own legs and becomes a truck, and you'll end up with a truck. I'm all for following the instructions, and on Masterpiece toys I absolutely recommend it, but this is absolutely a case of intuitive design making them not necessary. Some more integrated weapon storage for vehicle mode would have been nice, but that's grasping at straws for drawbacks. If the entire Studio Series lineup were this fun, we'd all be having a blast with movie toys like it's 2007 all over again.
Cobotron: The only SS figure I picked up this year was VW Bumblebee. Despite the frustration I experienced that first time I went from bot to alt, I really enjoy the toy. After I learned the ropes and got my bearings on his transformation, I was able to appreciate it, and just have fun with him. He has nice articulation making for a fun figure to pose, and has cool accessories (especially that battle mask!) that store nicely in alt mode. And, who doesn't love a classic VW Bug alt mode?
D-Max: Grimlock. Look, I will mention Jazz later down the line, and my rule is to not duplicate figures on this list, so it was narrowed down to figures besides Jazz, and there were 4 truly worthy contenders in Starscream, Blackout, Lockdown, and Grimlock. But ultimately, Grimlock just smashed the rest (pun intended and relished). Compared to the previous Leader figure and even the voyager, this figure rocks their socks off. He is so accurate from every angle it is incredible he transforms. And he transforms into a fairly good, not perfect, but good Knight Space T-Rex. And he is so fun! He was the very first bot I took to work, and he still stuns me to this day how good he is. This guy lives up to his movie look, and he is great fun for what he has accomplished. Kudos to you Grimlock, you blew me away.
William-James88: Leader Grimlock. I did not expect to like this toy so much. I really really love the look of the dino mode where technically all the robot bits are there but they blend into the rest of the detail. It's rather genius. You end up with a much better looking robot mode than ever before, with no backpack. And yet this one comes with not one but two full dino heads for the shoulder pads, as was done in the film. I still can't believe they could reconcile that into a toy and have it work out as well as it does. I love the size too, and the dry brush paint is an excellent effect. This was easily the leader class toy I felt I got the most value from this year.
Wolfman Jake: Voyager Starscream is easily my favorite so far from the Studio Series line. I've been waiting for over 10 years for a properly sized, sculpted, and colored movie Starscream figure. The Studio Series has knocked it out of the park! The new voyager mold takes a lot of the inspired transformation scheme of the Dark of the Moon Deluxe Starscream mold and expands upon it, giving us a Starscream that is fun and not too cumbersome to convert between modes, looks very much like his on-screen character model, at a size that fits in with the rest of the cast (not too big or too small), and in the original movie colors too! I've always preferred Starscreams "clean" look from the first movie over the tattoo deco he got in Revenge of the Fallen. If that's not your feeling, though, Hasbro had you covered by releasing a redeco WITH the tattoos for anyone fond of that look!
notirishman: 06 Voyager Class Starscream ('07 movie). This toy is fun! Very fun. It's also the best version of Voyager Starscream, which is a recurring theme in Studio Series. The transformation isn't too finicky, and both modes are good. The jet mode looks nice, and has a nice deco to it. The robot mode is very accurate, and is fun to play around with this guy. Since I don't own the Revenge of the Fallen version, I don't know which one is better yet.
Best Toy from Power of the Primes line
Scotty P: Battletrap. Never in a million years would I have guessed that the Duocon combination of Battleslash and Roadtrap would have been such a highlight of the collecting year. I would have expected something like, well, Flywheels is out now - that. Instead, the Legends Class delivered a legacy character, whose only previous update was at Botcon 2015 as a Springer repaint, as a fully realized pair of small Transformers that combine into something close to the size of your standard Deluxe Class toy. Unlike some attempts from the last decade at similar combination schemes that didn't quite hit the mark, Battletrap has as much articulation when combined as each smaller robot does on its own. Proportions can also be a problem when a combined form has so little to work with, but that doesn't phase Battletrap in the least as Roadtrap becomes a pretty normal looking pair of pants for the broad shouldered, v-chested Battleslash's torso mode.
Cobotron: Abominus! Again! Just a fantastic Combiner. If I had to pick one member of the team as my favorite though, it would have to be Blot. Possibly the most expressive figure of the line. On first look he conveys so much character. Big, dumb, and mean! In both modes. And those unquestionably Decepticony colors tell you right away he's a brute not to be trifled with.
But the oafish clod of a troll would be up a creek without his buddies, so the title still goes to the entire team of Terrorcons.
D-Max: Rodimus Unicronus. Alright, this was another tough battle, as Abominus and specifically Blot are all really good figures. Battletrap is gorgeous and I think Optimal Optimus is a great Leader. But this figure takes the top prize. He is so evil looking and bulky! He oozes dark charisma with that gorgeous headsculpt and visor, and the purple and black look incredible together. The transformation is fun, and the space Winnebago is great. Nemesis Hot Rod is fun too, but dang does the main Unicronus look look stunning. He is a great figure, truly one of the most underappreciated figures of the past few years.
William-James88: Predaking. It was going to be Blot at first because I thought that toy did a great job at being original even though it was another combiner limb that had to adhere to a system we have experienced for a while now. And plus Predaking came out to very ho hum reviews from the community so I was in no rush to experience him. But man, I am glad I jumped on him on Black Friday because this is easily the best combiner I have ever played with. The combined mode just feels so solid and poseable for a rather big combiner where all individual bots are about the same size. I love his sleek look and was happy to get rid of my third party versions which could not achieve the same poses if their lives depended on it. I have never seen a combiner so well balanced. Sacrifices were made, I can't deny that, but I can't think of a better way Hasbro could have delivered us this imposing toy (aside from giving the knuckles some spikes). The individual modes are fine too and actually feel like voyagers rather than upscaled deluxe figures.
Zerowolf: If I discount Abominus, because he's the toy of the year, then the next one in line is Nemesis Prime... his deco oozes evil and new accessories sweeten the deal on this evil repaint and for a price that was cheaper then what I would pay at retail for the original Optimus.
Wolfman Jake: Power of the Primes was a bit of a mixed bag and divisive among fans, but it still had a lot to love. The stand-out for me, though was getting a new, properly "evolving" Hot Rod to Rodimus Prime toy after all these years! That's something we've only really had once before, and not even in G1, where the two forms were completely separate toys. The Masterpiece version was only released by Takara, is extremely expensive now on the secondary market, and had a lot of critical flaws that made the figure fragile to the point that it wasn't a question of IF your figure would break, but when. It IS being reissued in Asian markets currently, but not for cheap. PotP Leader Rodimus Prime is a great treat for G1 fans, particularly of The Transformers: The Movie, for a reasonable price at $50 USD. This figure also probably best showcased the "gimmick" of the Leader Class for the PotP line, where all four modes work very well (though not perfectly). It's the most "balanced" execution of the idea, even if not every mode is absolutely flawless.
notirishman: Titan Class Predaking. I liked this set a lot more than I thought! Each component was big and hefty, and the combined mode was glorious. The stickers were also much easier to apply. There were definitely some problems, but overall, it was a great package.
Best Toy from Masterpiece lines
Scotty P: MP-41 Dinobot. although there's really not a lot to choose from here, chances are this would have ended up here anyway because this is a fantastic collector's piece. Dinobot's design in the show was so far removed from what ever seemed possible in toy form that even Universe 2.0's attempt at an updated look for the character felt like it was near the pinnacle of what you could do, at least at that time. Then Takara Tomy decides to go full-hog for this Beast Wars BBQ and delivers Dinobot, as if he just waltzed out of the TV and has invaded my home for a round of rodent extermination. Even the beast mode, which looked worrisome in some early prototype photos, has more playability than some Transformers do in robot mode, with a host of accessories helping capture the prickly yet lovable nature of our lizard bot pal. While it's a shame that extreme care must be taken in transforming the toy from one mode to another, that's what Masterpiece demands in its new paradigm of hyper-screen-accurate design. Light up eyes, the Golden Disk, and even a stand to help with ultra dynamic raptor action poses make this not only the best Masterpiece toy of 2018, but one of the best of all time. Bring on Megatron!
Cobotron: HOLY SMOKES! I think the only MP I got all year was MP-42 Cordon! I've learned patience with MPs over the last few years. I don't go for the toon accuracy they are striving for with the line these days, and that's fine. Because Takara has proven again and again that they won't forget us toy fans. My patience paid off, and Cordon delivered. A fantastic achievement in this mold. He's elegantly complicated without being annoying. And in this classic Diaclone deco and toy accurate head sculpt, he checks all the boxes of what I look for in what I consider to be a masterpiece. Also just ecstatic to add another officer to my Diaclone Police Force.
D-Max: MPM-05 Barricade. We got some great Masterpiece figures this year, including 2 great Movie Masterpiece figures, a Beast Wars Masterpiece, and a few G1 Masterpiece figures as well. And while Dinobot is an amazing Masterpiece, I have to give the MP of the year to Barricade. Barricade finally truly lived up to the Movie Masterpiece title in every way: looked the part in every way in robot mode, had a great alt mode, and the transformation was smooth and worked. The weapon on him is really good, and he is a lot of fun to pose, he looks so menacing! The die cast feels great on him, and it is so cool that we are getting die cast on all of these Movie Masterpiece figures. He is the perfect encapsulation of movie Barricade, and I don't think they really could have improved him in any way.
William-James88: Takara MP Dinobot. While my initial copy's head did break off, I did get a replacement and I can assure you that this toy is worth the money. The transformation is smart, the robot mode is killer and the deco is as premium as you can get. And we finally have a Dinobot that looks good in both modes (this feels like MP Ironhide all over again).
Emerje: MP-41 Dinobot. The Beast Wars Masterpiece figures as a whole have been amazing so it's no surprise Dinobot would be an outstanding figure. Photos can't prepare you for just how big this figure is when you first open the box and behold the massive raptor for the first time. It's an intimidating figure to hold with all of its moving parts and folding panels, but once you've transformed it a few times it's quite the engineering marvel. And then you've got all the little things like the clever dino head eye change feature, the faces, the weapons, the laser eyes, and the golden disc. I'm not even mad about the stand anymore knowing it's compatible with the upcoming Megatron. Yeah, there's things they could have done better, but I shudder to think what that would have done with the price.
Wolfman Jake: Looking back, this was a leaner year for Masterpiece figures. I was going to say MP Sunstreaker would take the cake by a stellar mile, but he was technically released in the last few days of 2017, though I wouldn't have him in my hands until January of 2018. As such, I'm going to say that Cordon is the Masterpiece of the year for me. The mold itself is a wonder, being able to covert between a licensed realistic Countach Lamborghini and the fictionalized "supertuned" model we all know and love. The robot mode looks utterly fantastic, and it was a great idea of Takara to spice it up a little bit with the original toy-inspired head sculpt and shin detailing to differentiate Cordon from Sunstreaker by more than just coloring and a police light bar. The transformation is very involved, but clever and ultimately rewarding, even if frustrating at times, and the amount of articulation in this figure is incredible too. Little touches like working pop-up headlights and the reverse opening hood in vehicle mode are icing on the cake.
notirishman: I don't own any Masterpieces that came out on 2018, buuuut, if I would have to choose something, it would be MPM-5 Barricade. The Bay movies certainly popularized this character, especially into a bad-cop persona. And as a fan of Barricade's design, this certainly portrays it extremely well. The figure looks great, looks awesome to pose, and is relatively cheap (by that, I mean it's cheaper than other Masterpiece figures, and was on sale for a while). The alt mode also looks spot on. Great!
Best exclusive from 2018
Scotty P: Dino Cassettes. The greatest con ever pulled on the Transformers fandom was by four Autobot cassettes that managed to work their way into the stratosphere of secondary market pricing. Two of these (for now) have returned to apologize, and they brought along cool clear counterparts and some bonus Bumblebee toys. Sure, the back of the feet on the combined Legout mode is a victim of a terrible and unfixable (I think?) assembly error, but Legout really looks kind of terrible anyway. For serious G1 collectors that don't want to or can't spend four figures on elusive imported Deployers, these were an event - the freaking Dino Cassettes! I can't wait to see what other "that will never happen" reissues leave that category in the years to come.
Cobotron: Repugnus was The COOL! And, I really enjoyed Leader Class Nemesis Prime more than I thought I would. With that dope little punk rock night ninja Nemesis Pax inside, but surprisingly the one exclusive I think I was most excited about was the Walmart G1 reissue of Starscream. I never had Starscream as a kid, and in all these almost 35 years I never hunted down a vintage or reissue of the character. He is a very premium release, with the added hand ports, Megatron blaster ,and the tampoed eyes. The construction and casting is great, and in that awesome G1 packaging, he really did open a portal to the past for me. Obviously there is nothing new about the toy. No innovation in engineering, or some fresh new take on on an old character, but I found much gratification in finally completing my classic G1 Seeker trio. Nostalgia is a strong magic! I was not expecting to be so taken by its power.
D-Max: SDCC Exclusive Throne of the Primes. I mentioned Optimal Optimus earlier in this review and how he was a pretty great figure, and now he can get some recognition as a member of this list. The Optimal figure itself is pretty good, and it has a ton of options, as the "Prime Armor" section can operate as an entirely separate unit from the little Optimus Primal figure. Armored gorilla, surfing gorilla, robot, robot and gorilla, and more. And in this release, we got the smaller and larger figures both in the original Primal colors, and it looks so sweet. And then you get the crown and the scepter that holds Prime and Titan Masters, and a throne (even if it is cardboard). The whole package is a ton of fun, and it's pretty fun to have a place for all 16 Prime Masters to gather together while still having a great mold with unique accessories. Truly some fun stuff.
William-James88: The Punch Counterpunch toy came out of nowhere. Not only is he an exclusive brand new mold, but it happens to be of a perfect new rendition of the character. And by perfect, I just mean that he retains all the original toy's gimmicks (of two distinct robot modes and one car mode) without adding any new gimmicks to fit a particular line. They went all out on this one, with a gorgeous car mode and two cool robot modes which are indeed quite different from one another. I especially love the hand switcheroo in the transformation, very clever.
ZeroWolf: Amazon Exclusive Counterpunch, a great toy, and such a surprise to see.
Wolfman Jake: Power of the Primes Punch-Counterpunch was the biggest surprise for me. I wouldn't have guessed that we'd get a Deluxe class figure for PotP that wasn't a combiner limb, but instead kept the complete original gimmick from the G1 toy intact! Punch-Counterpunch has a beautiful car mode, very curvy and sleek, with transparent windows (which is always appreciated). The transformation among all three modes is pretty easy, but still results in two spot on looking robot modes on top of the already mentioned fantastic vehicle mode. It's just a very satisfying figure to have in the collection, being a late and often forgotten G1 character, and fun to play with too. It's rare to have a "reverse" triple changer in Transformers that sports two different robot modes and one alternate mode.
notirishman: San Diego Comic Con Throne of the Primes, boss monkey. I don't own the Power of the Primes Optimal mold, and it's pretty good. It looks good, and turns into a hoverboard riding monkey, amongst other things. The deco is pretty good, and helps to blend the backpack Primal blend in. Also, the additional accessories, the Throne of Primes, the Scepter of Sparks, the crown, and the 4 Primes are all awesome (BTW, I bought this on HasbroToyShop, not the Con).
Best “Other” Transformer
Cobotron: Diaclone had some fun releases this year, but they were all the little Powered System Suits, which are certainly fun. It's a shame Battle Buffalo didn't make it out in time. It would have taken this cake, for sure. So, my "Best Other" goes to Takara's Star Wars Powered by Transformers Millennium Falcon. The toy is just so silly, really. Bordering on stupid. I happen to be a big fan of stupid silly. It's a real cram sandwich of two of my favorite things ever. The engineering of the toy is fantastic, and the transformation is smart! I love the sculpts and the abstract use of the Falcon shapes to make the Han and Chewie Mechs. And, that dang Wookie head sculpt is just awesome! Also the cross playability with my Diaclone collection has proven to be a ton of fun!
D-Max: Star Wars Powered by Transformers Millennium Falcon. The Star Wars Powered by Transformers line has had 2 figures with Darth Vader as the Tie Advanced and Han Solo and Chewbacca as the Millennium Falcon. I never got Vader, but having owned the original Transforming Millennium Falcon, I really wanted this new one. And dang, it is cool. It is such an improvement over the original, and so bulky and sturdy and detailed. The Falcon is pure perfection, and then it has the bonus of the robot modes. Both heads are awesome, with the Battle Wookie and the Face-plated Solo head. And they are chunky but still really posable. The figure may have been expensive, but dang was it worth it with how unique it is. A great line that really deserves some more love.
ZeroWolf: Takara Tomy Millennium Falcon, I know many aren't sold on these but I love them.
notirishman: Flame Toys Nemesis Prime. This was my first model kit, and it was fun to build! Time consuming, but fun! I also hold this in a special place, since I bought this at my first New York Comic Con, or heck, my first convention. It was also the first thing I bought too, heh. The toy itself is also a very sleek, and has a great design. And as a model kit, it has tons of articulation.
2018 Toy you liked least
D-Max: Power of the Primes Novastar. It's not that this figure is bad, it's just lackluster. Believe me, I'm enjoying the increasing number of females bots in the lineup, and Elita-1 proved you can make a killer gal who looks good and can pull off all the modes given to them. But the Moonracer mold, and specifically Novastar, are lacking. The giant backpack, the transformation, and the tiny robot mode compared to the alt mode just don't help these figures look as good as I wanted them too. It was a bit more noticeable in Novastar to me just because of the colors and the fact that I prefer Moonracer's head sculpt. They make great arms for combiners, but the other modes don't work that well. They needed a bit more design work, and they could have been pretty great figures.
Wolfman Jake: Power of the Prime Starscream is just an utter disappointment. From his first reveal to seeing him in person on the store shelves, to reluctantly buying it to have a Starscream combiner torso, this rendition of Starscream has been very uninspiring. The robot mode is overly stylized with a tiny head, Popeye forearms, and Mega Man boots. It just doesn't work. The jet mode is extremely poor. While it's very common for airplane Transformers to have a lot of kibble in the undercarriage, PotP Starscream does little if anything to hide it. Worse yet, his chest is still a faux cockpit in robot mode. I really don't like that on Starscream figures. The one redeeming quality of the figure is the torso mode, which is fun to convert into and looks good as a core combiner piece, but the massive amount of metallic stickers are still very distracting in that mode. I had been waiting for over a decade for a decent Voyager Class Starscream to use in my "Classics" displays, and this was NOT what I was waiting for at all. At least Voyager Siege Starscream is right around the corner, so I can forget about the squandered potential that is PotP Starscream.
notirishman: My least favorite toy of the year is... Cyberverse Warrior Class Optimus Prime. Now, why you ask? Well. The figure just looks terrible in robot mode, and the gimmick doesn't look fun at all. The flip out axe causes the left arm to be at a permanent 90 degree bend at the elbow, and no hand. The proportions aren't too good too. Also, the gimmick doesn't work well, and makes the back look funky. Truck mode is, alright, I'll give it that.
Everyone else who answered picked the same thing, the Cyberverse Scouts. Scotty P wrote the best response to sum up why: One of the worst concepts for Transformers toys ever conceived was released this year: Transformers Cyberverse's Scout Class. If you just look at these in robot mode, they don't seem bad. They're smaller sculpts at a low-ish price point, kind of, with a character lineup that's somewhat diverse and each features a unique action feature. If they didn't transform at all, they actually might be forgiven and these being a case of The Brand and its characters being used to make products and toys for children as one of its goals would make sense.
This is not what happened here. In an effort to have some kind of transformation be a part of the toys, which is a respectable goal, it was decided to have them transform from robot into a half-robot-half-alt-mode thing. A "gerwalk" style Starscream can maybe be forgiven, but just look at some of these other monstrosities begging for death.
He probably will catch you and kill you, because you'll be too busy laughing at him to run from his... wait is that a meat tenderizer? Never mind, you'll definitely survive every encounter with Guy Megatieri over here.
If this is what Cade Yeager had found he'd have left it in that burnt out rubble of a movie theater.
You might think this isn't that bad and that you could just tilt it over more to make it vaguely more Dinosaur-like, but if you thought this, you'd be wrong as that only turns it into a more pathetic looking hunchback mutant nightmare robot. Any effort to use the limbs to try and salvage this poor Dinobot commander result in a frustrating exercise in futility. So close, yet so far.
It's a shame the Scout Class has had its good name sullied by these abominations. I feel bad for any children that received these for over the Holiday season from parents and relatives with the best of intentions (they do look decent in their packaging), because they're bound to yield bad experiences that make no sense within any Transformers play pattern. Avoid these at all costs and question what kids and collectors did wrong to deserve such awful representations of on-screen characters.
Toy of the Year
Cobotron: Abominus! As a whole. Maybe one of the very best combiners of all of the Prime Wars Trilogy. Sure, Hun-Gurr is a freaky reworking of Silverbolt, and his dragon mode is lacking in some departments but, as a torso, it's as if the designers learned from every mistake they made on the Combiner Wars torso bots, fixed it, and said, "we're sorry friends. Hope this makes up for it." Everything tabs together so well. On every bot. it's the one combiner I can grab and play with knowing I won't have to waste time fiddle-farting the forearms or anything else back together.
From the amazing color palette, to the silly monster modes, to the stock feet with just enough ankle tilt, and joints that can hold a giant sword above his head. A-bom was a hit straight out of the park! -Cobotron
Scotty P: This category doesn't say best in the title, so this goes to MP-29+ Laserwave. Let me explain this choice of a straight-up palette swap of a 2016 toy, since on the surface this makes no sense. 2018 was a confused and chaotic year for Transformers, but everywhere you look, there's a single yellow eye inside of a purple hexagon. The IDW comics end, and we learn it's pretty much all Shockwave's fault. Cyberverse's end-of-season big bad? Not Megatron, but Shockwave. Several new toys for that iteration of Shockwave, plus a Generations Leader Class figure at long last, all got to newly adorn collectors' shelves this year. He even has a small role in the Bumblebee movie. This was Shockwave's year, so the definitive Masterpiece figure of him gets my nod as "Toy of the Year" for how well he represents everything about 2018 in Transformers. And that dark purple should not be underestimated, this is THE Shockwave toy for your collection.
D-Max: Studio Series Jazz. I will preface this by saying he is not the greatest Masterpiece of a toy this year. On a technical level, there are figures better than Jazz. But he is an incredibly fun figure that ticks every box of mine and is amazing in his own right. He is small, yes, but the small package is of great quality, perfectly painted, perfectly sculpted, and great fun to pose and mess around with. The transformation is involved but still fun and not overly complicated. And he is a character that was in need of a good deluxe figure, and this mold killed it.
And the thing about being a small toy that is a great posable package is that he can go everywhere and anywhere with you, and the silver paint he is coated in just pops anywhere you take him. He has become one of the best and favorite figures of my collection, he goes with me a lot, and he is the most photogenic figure that has come out in a long time. So yes, he is incredible, and proves that sometimes the best things comes in small, unexpectedly great packages.
William-James88: Lots of great toys came out this year, and while there were standouts in all categories (as you have seen), I think Movie Masterpiece Barricade is the one I would recommend most. With the rising prices of Transformers collectible figures, I was happy to see that we can still get Masterpiece engineering at a fair price. The designers were able to use a lot of the real alt mode parts in robot mode and contort them to resemble what we saw in the film. Plus this item being an Amazon exclusive meant everyone who had a computer and credit card could get it, fixing distribution problems of the past. While I was unimpressed with the other MPM toys so far (especially Optimus, where I still highly recommend the ROTF leader class toy over), Hasbro and Takara really gave us a Masterpiece here. I am not even a fan of the Bay films, but that wont stop me from admitting what a great toy this is.
Emerje: Prime Wars Trilogy Power of the Primes Punch/Counterpunch. Let me start by saying I have three of the original G1 figure, I have the Transformers Collectors Club exclusive Timelines version, I have the Subscription Service Counterpunch, I have the little Punch Kreon figure (technically Nightbeat, but just look at it), and now I have two of the latest incarnation. There's a lot of ways this could have gone wrong and it did nearly everything right! For starters it's an entirely new mold, not a recycled mold that can barely make the gimmick work. Then the transformation is smart, really doing the original figure justice. Plus there's the interesting choice of including a Prime Armor piece (since it's a PotP figure) that makes one heck of a great jet pack appropriate for a spy, whether that was by chance or by design. Yes, there was a factory issue with the shoulders, but that was easily corrected. This was everything I always wanted in a remake of one of my favorite G1 figures and it didn't disappoint.
ZeroWolf: This was a hard one, surprisingly a lot harder than I first thought. We've seen a lot of good toys this year though some I got were technically from last year... And further back. However there was one that excited me as soon as I knew he was coming... Abominus. I have found memories of trying to track down G1 Terrorcons at a car boot-sale, found Cutthroat, Blot and Sinnertwin that way. So fast forward to wave 2 of Power of the Primes and I was away.
This new update of Abominus is fantastic and while I'm never too keen on G1 these days, I make exceptions for exceptional renditions. All the team members are fun to handle and play with in both modes (I tend to be very lucky regarding QC issues), they would be toy of the year contenders just with those qualities but when they combine... Abominus is a monster for all the right reasons. He's so good he makes me want to track down the G1 toys again and the Beast Hunter Legion toys and variants just to have a display.
Wolfman Jake: It's hard to choose just one, especially from so many different lines this past year, but if I had to pick, it would still be Studio Series Starscream. You can check my answer for the best Studio Series figure for why this figure checked all the boxes for me, but suffice it to say, it was something that has been a long time coming, and now that it's here, I have a renewed appreciation and interest in collecting the live-action movie figures once more.
notirishman: Darn you Will! This was so tough. This is also my first year doing this. Buuuut, I'd have to give it to (drumroll please)... Studio Series Leader Grimlock. Man, what a figure! What a good looking figure! Seriously, just him standing there, he looks awesome. He has so many details, and has crazy amounts of movie accuracy! The dino mode is weaker, but still great! My one nitpick, one, is that his "butt flap" in robot mode doesn't stay up in dino mode if you don't bend it to grab onto the mace hand.
Favourite Cyberverse Episode
William-James88: Siloed. I was never a windblade fan, but in 2018 everything changed. I finally got to finish Till All Are One, which was so good it made it in my top IDW Transformers Comics of all time list, and I watched the episode Siloed with my 3 year old daughter. This was a tight episode with some nice solid action, and it featured Windblade against a squadron of seekers. My little girl loved it and I loved watching it with her.
notirishman: Megatron Is My Hero. Certainly the most entertaining episode to me. The second flashback shows how the Deceptiocns came to be, with a public rally from Megatron. I really enjoyed this, and was not something seen from Megatron in most cartoons. The next flashback shows when Optimus first splits from Megatron, the latter of whom announces war. The final flashback is an entertaining chase scene which ends when Soundwave subdues Bee. Then Megatron tells him his plan, and rips out Bee's voice box. The voice actors and score really add weight and emotion to the scene, and I loved it.
Everyone else who answered picked the same thing, Maccadam's. D-Max wrote the best response to sum up why: This episode was so rich in Transformers lore! Maccadam was a great club tender (can't call it a bar really), and it was such a rich atmosphere with all the bots and cons pre-war, and then as things deteriorated, it stayed a place of neutrality, and it was so cool to see Maccadam scare Megatron down and make him run away. And it was so cool to see that Maccadam was secretly helping Bumblebee the whole time he knew him, planting the seeds of memories to help him in the present. The episode was pretty much perfection, and I thoroughly enjoyed this scene of no fighting and just the progression of relationships from peace to war.
Best Comic (either issue(s) or series)
D-Max: IDW Unicron #1. Unicron had so much potential, and started with a lot of potential. It sadly ran out of steam and ended short of where I had hoped it would go, but Issue #1 was a pretty great issue. After getting the destruction of Elonia in #0 complete with a Wheeljack sacrifice play, #1 acted as an even bigger all out fight, complete with some great Beast shots and some great views of the inside of Unicron. It even served to make him even scarier in that early time, as the planets and life forms he ate became part of him, still partly alive but twisted now to serve as his insides and his antibodies. Issue 1 made Unicron something to fear, and gave us some great battle shots. It was the issue that made Unicron feel like the huge deal he was meant to be.
William-James88: Lost Light #20. We had been waiting 2 years for Rodimus to finally confront Getaway and this paid off. Not only that but it was done at the hands of artist extraordinaire Casey Coller. That page of Cyclonus against Starsaber is my favourite Transformers comic book panel of all time, this is no hyperbole.
Scotty P: Lost Light 16-25. I really thought that if it was going to end, it'd be a year or two from now. I was ready for that. I wasn't ready for things to end so soon. Clearly enough readers were, at least readers of the "paying customer" variety, so IDW pulled the rug out from under not only their shared Hasbro universe, but their long-running Transformers meta-series too. For Optimus Prime and its namesake character, this felt fine - the larger story arc was approaching its natural conclusion and respect is due to the creative team for not wanting to "force it" and do more.
Lost Light clearly wanted to do more. The Scavengers have been flying death flags since More Than Meets The Eye #7 when they debuted, and surely that was leading to a sad but wonderful Last Stand of the Wreckers-esque heroic departure for them. Roller returned a couple years back and looked pretty in the background, but surely one of Orion Pax's most loyal soldiers had a greater role to play. More examples exist (the haters probably can't wait to tell you about them) but the book was cut short and these adventures have been lost in time. The remaining story was compressed after the "Mutineers Trilogy" concluded, and after some final setup, we reached Lost Light #16 and "The Everlasting Voices". Compression can be bad, but in this case, compression was used as a metaphor when Rodimus' crew suddenly found themselves on Mederi. Oh, and this was also a good thing
Starting there and going on through the end the final ten issues of Lost Light chew up your expectations with no remorse. Rather than returning a sloppy mess spit out at force, it subverts your expectation of even that by delivering a powerful, appropriate, and definitive-if-you-want-it-to-be ending that harvests a yield from years of seeds cultivated in a way that allowed for maximum efficiency. In other words, while some storylines never took root and a couple other minor plots died on the vine, the good stuff that you really wanted was there and left you plenty satisfied. James Roberts story handily unseats (for me) the last chapters of Simon Furman's initial Marvel run as the best Transformers comic ending there ever was. By utilizing a murderer's row of talented artists in Brendan Cahill, Casey Coller, Jack Lawrence, and EJ Su, when combined with Joana Lafuente's ability to keep a visual coherency through color, the production prowess of Tom B. Long on letters and the steady guidance of David Mariotte as editor, a full package of fun and emotion that I'll never forget made 2018 a special but bittersweet year in Transformers comics. "We've Achieved Something" never felt so appropriate.
Favourite part of Bumblebee Movie
Cobotron: I saw it! And just in the nick of time. I really liked it. Wouldn't say I loved it, but I was definitely entertained and had a good time. Obviously all the Cybertron scenes where just a total cream dream. I had seen plenty of teaser and leaked shots, but when it opened with a shot right on Ratchet, they immediately had my attention. And I didn't know Brawn was in there either. I enjoyed some of the feels in the relationship between Charlie and Bee. Who knew Bee could be so cute and cuddly, then turn around and kick so much ass like a big boy? Well, actually I guess we all did.
But I think my favorite thing about the movie was all the great, well storyboarded fight scenes that I could actually see! No more 360 spinning whirlwind flying camera moves distracting my eye for the one thing I went to the cinema to see. My favorite space robots battling one another.
Oh, and I also really got a kick out of, "I like the way they pop!".
Scotty P: "Thank you for helping me find my voice" is a fantastic line and felt like a meta-contextual, fourth wall breaking moment of realization for the film franchise. This is what it could be. Unfortunately y'all were too busy with freaking Aquaman to care, from the looks of it.
D-Max: The Bumblebee vs. Dropkick battle. The Bumblebee movie has been such a great experience, and it really is a fantastic movie. The entire thing is a really fun experience and there are a ton of different things that make the movie great. But the Bumblebee vs. Dropkick fight was awesome. We got both bots slugging it out, using weapons sporadically when the chance arises, special moves are used by both bots, some of which involve the different alt modes. Transformation as a battle move! It was great. And then the imaginative end to it all, Dropkick getting chains all wrapped up in himself while transforming, and then starting to ask Bee if he really thought chains would stop him, only to blow up. And then the shot of Bee holding the chain after that, that was awesome. That was a very well thought out fight, a great scene that I really enjoyed.
The part where Bumblebee goes "Iron Giant in weapon mode" on the military was great too. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for him to put his foot/fist down, and it did not disappoint. I loved it. Fantastic movie and fantastic bots and content.
William-James88: I love everything about the first 15 minutes of this film. The Cybertron sequence is everything we ever wanted (can't believe it took 10 years and a new director to figure it out) and I especially like when Bee gets to earth. I love the quick scanning of a jeep and him re-emerging from the new alt mode with the newly acquired kibble, I liked everything about his fight against Blitzwing. It was just shot in such a perfect way, bot against bot. Not a bunch of crap flying everywhere with quick cuts all over the place. So refreshing. Also, it was super cool to have our man Jon Bailey in the film as both Shockwave and Soundwave (who both sounded the part).
And while a lot of the comedy didn't really do anything for me, I absolutely adored Bee's response to Cena's salute. It was perfect and hilarious.
notirishman: The first two scenes, when the Autobots fight and flee Cybertron and when Bumblebee comes to Earth. While yes, these are more action based than anything else, these two scenes were a blast. The action was better in my opinion, since less was going on (in the case of Bee vs Blitzwing) and each character gets their little quip (Cybertron). Also, Blitzwing's death was creative, and gnarly. Also hey, some John Cena humor. Nice!
Welcome one and welcome all! As we approach the New Year of 2019 (or in some cases, you have already crossed over into the new year) I your fellow Seibertronian would like to take this opportunity to start the Top 10 Transformers Finds of 2018.
The rules for this are very simple. This list is a Top 10 list of figures I, and by extend when you make your list you, purchased this year. This list is open to any Transformer from any generation or release year, so long as it arrived at your house between January 1 and December 31 of 2018. The figure doesn't even need to be a good one or a collectible one or even a big or little one; it's all about your opinion and attraction to the figure. 3rd party figures are allowed for the list, it's all on you!
So with that, let's get started!
10) Generation 1 Jetfire
This one is exciting because I found this complete in wonderful condition in person. I could not believe my eyes when I was in a Collector store and there was a guy taking pictures of it. I went over, could not believe it was complete and so perfect, and asked if it was for sale. A half out and several more G1 figures later, I had a holy grail. I could not be any happier with my fortune that day.
9) Animated Safeguard
This is a figure I did not get originally despite how much I love Animated. It took until earlier this year, but it was worth it. It was yet another grail of mine to find, except this time I was looking for it and have consistently wanted to find it.
8) Masterpiece MP-41 Dinobot
Little else needs said about this figure. They could not have done Dinobot any better. He is perfection. It is a figure long overdue, finally giving Dinobot a perfect appearance. This is a character deserving of a Masterpiece, and it is fantastic and well worth the wait.
7) Studio Series Grimlock
This was the Studio Series figure I was the most excited for, and it did not disappoint. It is a really fun figure and holy crap is it detailed. I love a figure with a great amount of detail, and Grimlock shows how vast he is with the amount of detailing he has. Not to mention how clean the robot mode is and how well painted he is. He is gorgeous, and he is fun.
6) Transformers 2007 Dropkick
This was one I did not expect to want or get, and it's even funnier considering Dropkick himself ended up in the Bumblebee movie this year. This guy, along with 8 other movie bots and 2 G1 guys, came from my buddy and Forum Admin Burn, and he is so much fun. He's a good figure, but far and away he is really fun. This is a unique looking robot that can blend into many different spots in the collection. And that con symbol is huge!
5) Takara Legends Greatshot
This one was a special one to me. I was super excited for Sixshot, and then somewhat let down. Then came Quickswitch, who was better but was harder to get. And then came this gorgeous retool. In just over a year, I went from 0 to 3 6-Changers, and they got better as they went. The retooling done to Greatshot is fantastic, and it is such a great looking unique figure. Winged space Rhino for the win and Eagle chest for the win!
4) Generation 1 Grotusque
This was another figure I got at the same time as Jetfire. And this guy has been a ton of fun for a G1 figure. It is so ugly but adorable at the same time. The spark gimmick is ridiculously fun! And I just got the updated Titans Return one too, so it's awesome to have 2 different Grotusque toys 30 years apart. And it was also cool because it only took a few reprolabels to perfect this old gem. i wish more people liked these late G1 figures like the Monsterbots and Pretenders like I do.
3) Beast Wars Tigerhawk
After watching the show, this guy was an expensive must have. But then, I found this guy pretty much mint in package for a great deal, and wow is he great. The paintwork, the sculpt, the size, the bulk, the near perfect fusion of Eagle and Arctic Tiger. It is so great! A really fun figure, I love this big bulky guy. And the fact that Tigerhawk was one of my favorite characters in the show, even if he wasn't around much, also helps. Him being the fusion of Airazor and Tigatron was also really cool.
2) Studio Series Jazz
Simply put, this guy is the definition of fun. I was not impressed when I first saw him, but in hand, Jazz is fun personified. He is small, but that's part of the charm. He is perfectly painted, fun, nice to transform, solid, and the silver color means he can go anywhere and be perfectly photogenic. He is fun, fun FUN! I love this little guy, he is near the top of my collection in terms of favorites.
Before I get to #1, a few quick Honorable Mentions. I bring these ones up because it was hard to but the list down to 10 and these ones were strong contenders:
-Beast Wars Fuzor Silverbolt - Great figure, lots of fun, one of my favorites from the show!
-Generation 1 Abominus - My first G1 combiner, pretty fun!
-Beast Wars Depthcharge - This one is huge and painted so well and also really fun! I only wish his backpack was a bit smaller, but I still love it.
-Beast Wars Dinobot II - Transmetals, I and II, are really fun, and this guy is so fierce looking I love it.
-G1 Icepick - A fun little find, I found the inner robot in a bin for a Quarter, and picked up the shell. I never thought I would find a G1 Pretender Monster!
-Hunt for the Decepticons Bludgeon - this figure is fantastic, that is all that needs said
And now, on to my Top Transformer find of the year, and the honor goes to:
1) Beast Wars Transmetal Tarantulas
The character of Tarantulas was so brilliant in Beast Wars, I needed his figure. I found him and got him right before I moved to my new apartment and job, and I have loved him since. The colors work, the chrome works, the Tarantula mode is really big and impressive, the robot mode kills, and he is so screen accurate. He is the perfect encapsulation of his amazing TV show counterpart, and I love him. And with how cool the character is, and the fact that it translated perfectly to toy form, he is my #1 Transformer find of the year.
So there is my list! With the topic now laid out in front of you, let us know you Top 10 Transformer finds of 2018!
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are our opinions so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time
The title says it all. In light of one of the most significant eras of Transformers comics ending last wednesday, I thought of concentrating on the comics side of the brand and looking at all the beauty that adorned them throughout the years.
For those who do not know, issues in the US were split up in the UK. For instance, issue 75, which dealt with the autobots vs Unicron was split up into 4 issues. And all those issues get their own cover. the finale, issue 322, has this wonderful shot of us inside Unicron looking at Optimus about to enter it's mouth using the Matrix to light their darkest hour. It makes for a truly awesome shot that I find much more impressive and evoking than most of the more recent Unicron themed covers we have gotten.
When looking at classic Transformers covers, you will come across a lot from José Delbo, who I truly believe is on of the best of that era. And of course, there is Jim Lee, who I don't think needs an introduction. I had a hard time choosing between both these shots since I love them for the exact same reason: both use perspective to show the Decepticon threat. With Galvatron, you feel the hopelessness that all is lost while with Bludgeon you can feel the dread of the autobots where the fight seems already pretedermined even if they are higher in number (and include Grimlock!!).
Jae Lee is an incredible artist and as someone who has seen him draw live, it is truly mind boggling that the lifelike quality he brings to drawings can be done with no reference and no digital effects. That's why even the smallest of Transformers (Ravage in this case) can look so nightmarish and immense. While he has drawn characters who may be more popular in higher profile books he is very proud of his work on this book to this day and it is hard not to see why.
While Sara Pitre Durocher is a fine monthly artist, her cover work is just on another level as you can see above. She is like the Transformers' equivalent of Alex Ross and Marko Djurdjevic. While the cover above is my favourite of the lot, the whole arc run is a very good lesson in composition and the effect of symmetry.
We have the best Transformers artist we have ever had on the books right now. However when it comes to covers, many put just too much. While that amount of detail on any Alex Milne Unicron cover is astounding, a simpler composition can be more striking and eye catching, as we saw in the fist Unicron cover mentioned on this list. Nick Roche, another all star, defied the conventional standard by giving us as much if not more detail than any modern day cover artist but in a clean and smart composition, making this one of the most eye catching and awe inspiring covers of all time. It is a great companion piece to the Stewart Johnson shot from above by focusing on a different angle, making this as epic as possible.
This was one of the favourite covers of my mentor on this site and I will leave you with his succint review:
This one will always hold a place in my spark casing. - Va'al
Not only does this cover show us of Megatron's new allegiance (WHAAAAAAT????) it did it in the most playful and fun way. That cover is an homage to Roche homaging Maguire (DC's Justice League), as Milne signed it.
Which was then subsequently re-homaged by Roche (homaging Milne homaging Roche homaging Maguire) and then by Jack Lawrence.
Its a great cover layout too, giving you a sense of all the main players in the team.
3. All Hail Megatron #1 by Trevor Hutchison as well as Casey Coller and Josh Burcham.
This storyline has its fair share of dislike from the community, deserving so, but you have to give credit where credit's due, it had incredible covers. Two of the all time most eye catching covers in the history of the brand were used for the first issue. I adore the standard propaganda-esque poster which just sums up perfectly what the series aspired to be: the story where Megatron finally wins. Peace through Tyranny never looked so good.
For those not in the know, one of the greatest comic book covers of all time (if not THE best) is Brian Bolland's cover for Batman: The Killing Joke and it perfectly recreated with Megatron and Reflector. Both Brian Bolland and Casey Coller hold a very special place in my heart in terms of their art so seeing the product of both truly is a treat. It's crazy to think that both awesome Transformers covers described here happen to be for the same issue, that means I can cover two entries in one go!
Marvel US issue #80's Andrew Wildman cover is just about as perfect as it gets. It represents all the hopelessness of knowing it's the end, but despite another hero being in the foreground about to get cut down by Bludgeon, there's that shadow of Prime in the background that always feels like it arrived just at the right moment. To this day, this cover gives me chills. Circumstances have been just plain bad for months in the comic for the Autobots and our other heroes, including you because for the last year only very few shops were sporadically getting in new issues. Despite being a little bit lost about the totality of events, among all that darkness and ruin you see that shadow back there. In some form, in some way, Optimus Prime is going to show up and save the day. It all might be about to end, but the bad guys are finally going to get what's coming to them. - Scotty P
More than three decades later and this comic cover still stands unrivaled and has only kept growing more iconic. With only one character on the cover, we can gather what happened (or what will happen). Just the smoke coming from Shockwave's cannon tells us that all hope is lost. The fact that the artist replicates many mechanical details from the toy but in a pose impossible for said toy to be in adds a great sense of realism to this image which is enhanced by the textured feel of the cover thanks to the mixture of light and shadow. This gave us the best sense of what Shockwave would look like in the real world, where we would have no chance of defeating him. I can keep talking but I fail to see the point when all you need to do to see that this is the greatest cover of all time is just to give it a glance.
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