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Welcome all. My name is D-Maximal_Primal, your friendly neighborhood Seibertron.com Admin, and today, I'd like to take you all on a journey through the year.
This journey is called the top 10 Transformers figures of 2022. It's a simple journey: I am going to talk about the Top 10 (or so) figures I personally bought and received during the 2022 calendar year, and in doing so, I hope to prompt you, dear reader, to share you own 2022 Top 10.
The top 10 is only limited to buying this year, not release of this year, and the terms of what makes your favorites are up to you. Me personally, I am going to talk about the 10 toys that brought me the most joy and that i like to handle the most.
Sound like fun? I hope it is! So let's go!
10) LEGO Optimus Prime
Boy oh boy, what a way to start this list off. I adore legos, always have, since I was a little boy. Seeing such a nice big lego set of Optimus Prime himself come to life was such a gift. It took a good while to build him, but the result is so very nice. The fact that this thing transforms so competently is a sign of how much love went into him. They nailed this one, well done.
9) Legacy Jhiaxus
I have always had this weird soft spot for Jhiaxus, and it wasn't even necessarily because the G2 comics started me there. I became weirdly attached to him during the IDW2005 run, and then properly bought and read G2, where I fell in love with this berserker. And then this toy comes along and kills. This toy is so very good, it deserves a lot of praise, and a lot of people deserve the chance to get to handle it. It's great.
'8) Transformers Animated Waspinator
Waspinator was one of those toys I was hunting down for a while, but always seemed a tad expensive. Well, good thing I waited, because not only did I get one for a decent price, but the one I got was signed by Derrick J. Wyatt himself. That signature alone made this guy worth every penny and every minute of waiting. Thank you to Grimlockimus Customs on Twitter for this guy, he is treasured here.
7) Transformers Cyberverse Battle Call Optimus Prime
This figure was a total surprise to me. He showed up in an Ollies near me, so I decided to give him a go, since I do love Cyberverse. Wow, was he a pleasant surprise. He is both very posable and also very fun, with a strong build that can take some punishment but still throw some great shapes. The spark armor and entire 2nd head that is a posable as the main head was such a cool touch. This is a really fun figure, and fun figures make for great figures to talk about on lists!
6) Robots in Disguise 2015 Legion Heatseeker
Speaking of fun figures, check out this little knucklehead. Heatseeker was one of those legion figures that were skipped over in many parts of the world, which is a shame with how good he is. I lucked into this one after a friend on Twitter just kindly threw him in a package to me. What a great surprise! The RiD2015 legions were a fantastic little era of robots, and Heatseeker lives up to the joy they brought.
5) Black Big Convoy
Speaking of eras, lets go back to the beast era, and check out this guy. I lucked into this guy at what is essentially a large pawn shop, and following some haggling, coupons, and more, I got him for a great price, especially considering his vintage and exclusivity. I love Big Convoy, and to get this gleaming black and gold version was a treat. He looks so nice, and is a joy to have. And he also sparked a journey I am now on to own all the Big Convoy repaints. Just 3 to go I think!
4) Dark of the Moon Deluxe Leadfoot
As a movie fan, there are some figures that were very limited that you just wish you could get. And early in the year, I got super lucky with a chance to finally get the only live action Wrecker mold I did not own: Leadfoot. This guy was a bit of a white whale for me, given how rare and expensive he is, given how his release went. And to now have him properly, and to have a full and proper set of original deluxe Wreckers, it feels so very good.
3) Transformers Animated Blackout
As someone who loves Animated, there were some figures that I had not had the chance to handle and add to the collection, though that number is slowly dwindling. But Blackout was a huge grab this year. I got really lucky with the deal I got made, and it feels great to have the bruiser in the collection at last. He is a fun toy, not the best, but still very fun, and the exclusivity of him coupled with how long it took to get him makes him feel extra special now.
2) War for Cybertron: Kingdom Rodimus Prime
I had passed on this figure initially, and then part way into the year, I felt a pang of regret, especially as I began to realize Rodimus might actually be one of my Top 3 favorite Transformers characters. So I corrected a mistake, and I am glad I did. There is no doubt in my mind this toy is the best WFC toy released, and he can do so much while looking amazing at all times. He is truly a great toy, one I am more appreciative of after almost missing him. He is positively great.
1) ThreeZero Revenge of the Fallen Jetwing Optimus Prime
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the movies. They are my bread and butter. And in the course of the live action movies, there have been a select few that have truly captured my imagination more than any other.
Jetwing Optimus Prime, the fusion of Jetfire and Optimus Prime at the climax of Revenge of the Fallen, is one of those. No release had ever done the design full justice. Such small details like the extra facial armor to the inner leg guards had never been done before. But then, ThreeZero went and did it. They gave us the perfect, be all end all Jetwing Optimus Prime. Getting this guy this year was the true highlight of the year, and was always going to be #1. I am beyond the moon excited that this is something I get to hold in my hands now. I will always treasure the moment I fully finished the combined mode. It is a sight to behold.
Honorable Mentions:
I just wanted to highlight a couple of other figures that were standouts this year, but didn't quite make the cut.
Beast Wars II Moon was a fun grab, and one I bought after reading IDW's Last Bot Standing. So thank you, Nick Roche, for finally counterpunching me into this adorable little wabbit.
Beast War II Thrustor was a necessary evil, as I have had his 3 Cyborg compatriots for a couple years now. To finally get him and complete the set of lackeys for Galvatron feels so good.
Legacy Transmetal II Megatron will also join this list, mainly because he is so very good. He is such a great figure, he really turned out great despite the questionable early looks. They did him good.
Legacy Metroplex is the figure I determined was figure of the year for 2022 on our Seibertron year in review article, but Given how much I will gush about him there, I felt like he could sidestep here, especially given how personally important some of the rest of the list are to me.
Studio Series Premium Edition Megatron was so close to making the list, as he is so very good and so rich in beautiful paintwork. But I decided ultimately that he'll just be shy of the list as I have splurged a lot about that mold before. But he was still worth mentioning again.
And with that, that is a wrap on 2022! I hope you all enjoyed this article, and I hope you find time to share you own Top 10 of 2022!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 Toys from Robots in Disguise 2015-2017 Line
Warrior Class Thermidor just oozes quality in every way but the literal. His vehicle mode, clearly resembling the most stylish of stylish cars - or, if you'd rather, very Batmobile-esque. His robot mode, wonderfully creative, characterful and inspired (with a side note that his head looks suitably lobstery without resorting to the weird googly-eyes-on-stalks thing that Bisk had going). His transformation, economical and highly effective, with a touch of the sublime in his genius claw conversion. All tied together with luscious blue plastic and (of all things) matte black paint that happens to feel wonderful, and you have a toy that screams pure quality in a way that you mightn't expect a mass-retail toy to deliver, let alone one from the "children's line". - Qwan
4. Battlepack Grimlock
The Robots in Disguise Warrior Grimlock came out with little fanfare. It was the same size as a deluxe, so out of scale with Bumblebee and the gang, his elbows had a breakage issue and he didn't even come with any weapon. But then Hasbro fixed all that, at a smaller scale. The Battle Pack Grimlock is similar in size to a scout figure of old. He has all the complexity of the warrior but in a smaller bot which makes him have a nice high parts count for his height. Plus they fix some of the transformation from the warrior and he no longer has the breakage problem. Also, unlike the warrior, he ends up in a nice scale with the smaller Legion bots and looks good next to the battle pack prime (who is a beast on the show). And lastly, the clear plastic weapons are perfectly fine. They give him an awesome homage to the AOE Grimlock when worn as armour and they connect to become a dino head which can plug into his arm for him to have some BW Megs action going. So all the pluses of the warrior, no downside and great accessories that give him two different homages. I call that a winner. - William-James88
This mold rocks. The alt mode is super sleek giving way to a gorgeous robot mode which takes pride in its Samurai callbacks, including some great facial hair (which Takara had the kindness to paint). I love that two sided chest panels which is a very efficient way to have new robot mode detail while using the alt mode kibble. This transformer reassures me that a simpler transformation doesn't mean lazier engineering and in fact ups the stakes. Along with the Combiner Wars figures, Hasbro and Takara have proven that there is just as much wit and originality in streamlining transformation and making these toys fun for both older fans and new young fans. Also, that Takara deco on TAV Drift is super sweet! Plus, if you like sweet decos, he also comes in his IDW deco - William-James88
Thunderhoof is all the best parts of the stellar design and engineering work that accompanied most of this year's Warrior Class Decepticon releases from Robots in Disguise. Distilled within this blue and black antlered mobster is wonderful articulation and even the occasionally hard to find alt-mode weapon storage. Of course, then there's the transformation itself, which has multiple wild steps that truly involve him folding up and over himself in a way that must be experienced to be understood. The Adventure deco is a thing of beauty, so if you can track that down for a reasonable amount it's the recommended version here. - Scotty P
I remember very well getting this toy. The entire year leading up to it (2015) was Combiner Wars and by the time this toy came out, the deluxe class toys in the generations line were literally interchangeable. You could guess how a toy would transform in the Combiner Wars line by just looking at it and getting it in hand didn't yield too much in terms of surprises. The Robots in Disguise toys were fine but also on the rather standard side (especially since it was mainly Autobots/cars being released). But then you get this phenominal toy that reminded me of those beautiful days of engineering ingenuity of that golden era right between 2008 and 2010. He didnt have any gimmicks other than the fact that he could transform. He was super sleek in both modes minimal kibble showing in either form. The robot mode was dot discernible in vehicle mode and yet they both use the same parts (inorder to be this sleek, it's a must). This really felt perfect, in the sense that you have two very different and unique looking modes with an ingenius way to get from one to the next. He even had that weapon integration I like best (being a Beast Wars kid) where the gun converts into an exhaust port for the motorcycle, disguising it too. And plus, this is a wholly new character. I love Thunderhoof but part of his appeal is the novelty aspect (which a lot of the line has and the reason for which some fans avoided it) but Fracture just feels like a new character to be used again within the brand and introduced to us in a toy engineered as perfectly as possible for the price point. Also, unlike Thunderhoof, there is no need for importing the Takara version to enjoy the toy at maximum capacity.
I do not know where this toy would place if I had made a top 10 or if he would even be on it. But I did want to talk about it here. I personally feel this was a clever and efficient design and a great toy for the line's main character with a simple yet fun transformation. it is extreamly streamlined but in the best way possible. I really liked reading an interview from the Takara engineer who came up with the transformation. You'll notice below that ever surface of the robot mode from the front has very few details from the car mode (the shins, torso, pelvis, head ect), similarly to Cybertron HotShot. However, the designer wanted to make the transformation a little more dynamic, while still keeping the parts count as Hasbro wanted. So he added the fact that you had to rotate his waste at a 180 when converting from car to robot and having the robot torso actually under the car roof instead of it being seen easily under the car. I just found that fascinating that the idea was not just to get from a car to a robot but to do it in as fun a way as possible, and how certain transformation movement do indeed feel more dynamic (like turning the waste by 180 degrees). This added a deeper appreciation of these toys and it is all thanks to this Bumblebee.
With the year almost at its half way point, we thought of rounding up what was still to come which could be cause for excitement. And with this being an article by me, the Seibertron.com listicle writer, we will be looking at 5 subjects (with excitement rankings too) and where we can discuss all our anticipation.
Now, I am not a fan of the live action films and it's not even because of the look of the bots or how it differs from previous fiction, or anything like that. I simply think they are bad films, for the most part. But Travis Knight being the director of Bumblebee: The Movie has me very much intrigued and excited even. He is a true visionary in the film production world, being in charge of Laika Studios. If Bumblebee is half as good as his previous film, Kubo and the Two Strings, we are in for a real treat.
Let us know if you are excited on this film by joining the conversation here:
We know from Hasbro that this line is continuing, at least through to the end of 2018, and it will include characters from the Bumblebee film. Better yet, we also have listings for a voyager Bonecrusher. I can't wait to see how they knock that toy out of the park. While not all toys have been winners, some of my favourite toys from this year have come from this line (Starcream and Grimlock, secifically) and I look forward to any other toy in the works for this line.
Let us know your favourite so far and which characters you hope to get in this line here:
I don't know about you, but one of my favourite issues of IDW Publishing's More than Meets the Eye was when Cyclonus retold the Primus and Unicron mythology. We have not heard much of Unicron since, and for a while it seemed like he was indeed simply a myth. But IDW is bringing him back in a BIG way. Not only are we finally going to get Unicron in what is probably the best G1 inspired Transformers fiction of all time (for some, of course), but he may truly destroy everything we know about this continuity. Definitely something to look out for. I already added this miniseries to my pull list at my local comic shop, have you?
Let us know your thoughts on Unicron coming, on him being more than just a story and your thoughts on the impending doom he brings to this cherished continuity by clicking here:
With Wave 3 of Power of the Primes already being found in certain areas across the globe (including Inferno in the US), we are at a point where we truly know close to nothing about what is coming next to store shelves for the Generations toyline. Sure, we know the name of the line, "War for Cybertron", but we do not know which characters will be included (aside from Impactor and Mirage), what any toy will look like or if there will even be a line wide gimmick. We are bound to get reveals at San Diego Comic Con 2018 in July, but as of right now we don't even know the next toys to be on shelves. It's pretty nuts.
Let us know of all your speculations and wishes from this new line here:
Yes, we are getting a Masterpiece figure of Beast Wars fan favourite Dinobot but we now know we are also getting a Masterpiece Megatron.
Those two are not only the best characters from Beast Wars but these upcoming toys might just be the most innovative Masterpiece figures we have ever gotten. And they are all in scale with one another. While we can guess the overall transformation, I doubt any of us can wait to get these in hand and marvel at them. We are also getting some pretty cool other Masterpiece toys this year, like a Diaclone themed Sunstreaker, with a nice new head, and a new Masterpiece Optimus Prime with a fully new mold.
You can share your thoughts on the Masterpiece line in general here:
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are personal 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.
Ranking All Wave 1 Figures From Transformers Studio Series
The Studio Series is a new initiative from Hasbro to give us a Generations Type line for characters from the live action Transformers films. It definitely had more coverage and attention than previous lines, especially with the angle that this would be more collector oriented (similar to Star Wars Black Series or Marvel Legends), along with being sold at a more premium MSRP. So, with wave 1 well in hand and wave 2 most probably dropping next month, I thought it would be a great time to look at what the line provided so far in comparison to what we were hoping for, by ranking every entry from wave 1 available at wide retail. A tiny detour from our usual top 5 lists but hopefully you still enjoy it.
8. Bumblebee
This toy is your mileage can vary kind, but that includes the possibility for this toy to suck more than any Transformers toy of the past 10 years (at least). I honestly can't remember a Transformers toy which fell apart this easily. Nothing breaks, things just fall apart. The roof simply wont stay on with clear plastic hinges looking warped. Mine came with the back piece floating loose in the box! I also find the feet have a clearance issue during transformation, as do the wings and front wheel wells in robot mode. But these are all just minor issues compared to the massive f** up of the back piece (which has clear signs of a being manufactured to have a pin). I totally understand why it was literally destroyed by some toy reviewers.
7. Ratchet
This toy is just meh. I was fascinated at either how much the fanbase had rejuvenated or how short the memory span was, because it seems people don't remember the Dark of the Moon toy. This is basically that same toy with all new molding, which doesn't feel new. But the general look and transformation is about the same, but worse (you can see the comparisons below). He has the worse deco of the wave 1 toys so far, very bland, just a sea of unpainted chartreuse coloured plastic. But the biggest grievance is the back. He has a major butt flap problem. It's the whole roof cage of his car just hanging off his ass ... and it looks like ass. They could have made the cage removable and turn it into a weapon, give us some more folding options, but no, they just leave it there. For a line that promotes brand new molds, and the best version yet of the onscreen character, this toy is very disappointing.
6. Crowbar
These next three are essentially as good/bad but each for different reasons. But when you look at the pros and cons, Crowbar, Optimus and Stinger end up at about the same place, so the order is almost arbitrary with Crowbar being the less original of the three. Regardless, Crowbar is the best dread we have ever gotten. However those dreads of his become his downfall in vehicle mode with them having no place to go giving him a real bad case of hemorrhoids. And the transformation isn't all that fun, since he is a major shell former, but the shell does tuck in nicely and I do give Hasbro props for fixing the issue of falling panels which they had with his partial tool partner Berserker. Plus he has a pretty awesome head sculpt!
5. Optimus Prime
This freaking toy !!!! The designers had such odd priorities. He is very complex and yet both modes don't look all that great for all the effort put in. Like there is a big effort put into a screen accurate chest and torso section but the use of fake kibble gives these off putting black lines dead center. Plus you get these odd parts on his side to hide the truck front, which feels like a big sacrifices just to have more screen accurate calves.
It still is so weird that the character which seems to be the most problematic is the one whose character model has a bunch of alt mode showing. There is also little effort is made to diminish the backpack and the feet have no effort in hiding in vehicle mode. And lastly there is both the size and colour which regardless of whatever to wiki bio or movie screenshot you show me, look really off.
He still has a fun transformation and what could be considered a premium style deco but I don't think the result for either mode is good and in a line where its all about getting definitive versions of the characters we see on screen, this might be the biggest fail.
4. Stinger
Of all the deluxes, Stinger is the only one which felt really new, and transformers by him the first time felt like breathing in that fresh country air after before no too long in the city. But as we all know, that country air usually has a hint of manure, and Stinger is far from better my flawless. I love the transformation and that alt mode is sublime, but they could have handled that car kibble better. The car roof hanging off his arm does not look like a gun and it reminds me more of an RID brother or Cybertron Crosswise. Those are of course fun and unique toys with awesomeness me alt modes, and Stinger gets the same accolade as a toy. But as a representation of the on screen model, he falls a bit short. Still, major props for that superb Pagani alt mode!
3. Blackout
I like Blackout more than I think I should. It turns out every issue I thought I would have with him did not turn out to be deal breakers, far from that. However, other issues I would nt have thought of creeped up. Judging from early images of his feet, I thought it would be a simple transformation with little do do, especially with the feet. Boy was I wrong. It turns out that to avoid this toy from being a shell former, lots of panels end up being neatly flipped or turned, hiding them under the feet. It becomes probably my favourite part of the figure. I think both modes look great and while I feared for a small looking bot mode, he still feels massive to me. Especially when transforming him. He does have a few flaws though. While not being the panel nightmare of ROTF Jetfire (or Death Star Vader), there is a definite issue with the panels. I have never been able to connect everything seamlessly. Also, the hand orientation is just odd and gives the impression that they were assembled backwards. But hey, its overall a great looking representation of the first live action Transformer we saw on the big screen.
2. Starscream
Upscaling a toy might be an easy way to put "new" products on the shelves but it can also result in great toys, like Beast Hunters Voyager Predaking. And the result for this voyager Starscream is awesome! Even being familiar with the deluxe mold from Dark of the Moon, the bigger pieces made for a very fresh transforming experience. And it being an upscale did not feel in any way like it had less parts than it should. It felt complex enough for a voyager. I really appreciate the attention to detail like covering parts that used to show hollowness adding parts to beef out the sides, add detail to the sculpt and, best of all, use that now famed Takara MP Beast Wars technology for adding a digital textured deco layer all across the alt mode. Really cool. I am a huge fan of the DOTM leader Starscream and I am not sure if this one beats it (especially when you factor in how much each cost at retail) but it is at least the second best movie Starscream we have ever gotten and easily the best one in this size class.
1. Grimlock
Grimlock ticks a lot of boxes for me and my ideal Transformer. I really like mean and lean Transformers, toys which use the same parts to convey different elements for each of their modes. this always results in a fun transformation (since there is no shell forming bit) and no back packs or extraneous kibble, hampering the look of the toy. It also means alt mode integration is a must and I just love that since to me, that is what Transformers are all about, one mode becoming another (not just a robot hiding in a shell a la Break). And this one does that, in spades. Almost every part of each mode is reused either in bot or dino mode and to great effect. I just love how his robot arm is right there front and center hiding in plain site in dino mode, but I would have never realized that until I transformed him. This is the perfect example of a perfectly efficient design.
The transformation does give some nice callbacks to one of my all time favourite toys, Beast Was Megatron, but builds off of it by giving us some more to do with the legs (both in terms of steps and them having different feet for either mode) and eliminating the shell former aspect. Also it does a cool bit by having the show accurate two full dino heads in robot mode and turning having one melt into the alt mode detail in dino mode. My wife isn't the biggest fan of my hobby or the space it takes, so her to actually be impressed with a toy (she didn't think it transformed) is high praise.
The fact that he is also a transforming Tyranosaurus Rex and has an absolutely gorgeous deco just adds everything one could love about a toy.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are personal 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 Toys R Us Transformers Exclusives of all time
There are not many lists I have written which I won't have to edit in the coming years. It's only normal since more toys come out and new fiction is written (even for existing universes) that there are bound to be updates and new toys that come which make my list dated and in need of an update (like my Top 5 Best Grimlock toys for instance). But when I read the words "All stores CLOSING forever!" in a recent e-mail Toysrus sent out, I realized that with a list like this, it can be definite. So, in honour of this store we all once loved and which many will never be able to walk into again, I decided to look back on its amazing history if Transformers exclusive. Thanks to the multiple board members who suggested the topic, I hope you enjoy it!
If I was truly bias, I would probably put this at number 1. I just really like this toy and think it has so much to offer. Firstly, you finally get a show accurate Beast Machines Optimus Primal (I would even say you finally get a show accurate figure period). Of all the Transforming gorillas out there, I feel this is the one with the most changes from bot to beast. And that is quite a feat since of all animals, apes are the closest to having humanoid proportions (so many parts are reused in both modes). The chest, head, and every limbs undergoes some kinds of change. I find what they do with the arms brilliant, with the giant gorilla knuckles becoming the massive shoulder pads. Plus he has an awesome array of gimmicks. Just overall a fantastic toy.
I did not know this was a Toysrus exclusive until doing research for this list. I was sure such an iconic character and toy (and mainly look) would have been more widespread to have garnered such an appeal. But no, Scourge was indeed only sold at Toysrus. This is easily the most iconic toy of the line, even if it is a redeco. Actually, the fact that he is encapsulates the line quite well since a big part of it was breathing new life and characters into toys we had already experienced. It was also about merging the gap between what came before the year 2000 in the Transformers brand and setting a stage for a return to vehicles along with starting a constant look at the past in terms of homages and inspirations (and also foreshadowing the fact that every single Optimus Prime mold would need a teal/red/black deco treatment from here on out).
Calm your horses, this isn't merely based on the toy, but its status as a Toysrus exclusive. The original toy was available for a while and fans had found a way to get it with this release merely making it more available (and affordable, depending on the release and where you are located). I take major issue with the packaging too, along with the unpainted trailer. The main advantage here was not having to pay the import fee, and for a toy as cool as MP 10, he is still most deserving of this number 3 spot.
Those final Animated toys were all sublime. That refers to Arcee, Rodimus Minor, and the Cybertronian Ratchet/Ironhide mold, which I recommend all fans to experience. These all display what is great about the animated line, having these radical designs be brought to toys, with innovative transformations is hard to beat. And of those three molds, Rodimus is the one that succeeds best. I have already gushed about this toy enough and you can read more about him here and here.
I know I wasn't the nicest when it came to Masterpiece Prime's release (but give me a break, he made the top 3), but Soundwave was everything a fan could dream. Unlike Prime, the Hasbro release, exclusive to Toysrus, gave us some major value by having all his cassettes included with him (well the ones that were already out) rather than buying them individually. That was a saving of 80-100$ easily. Plus he came with the new collector oriented packaging, which helped you store everything perfectly with an awesome display window. It is better packaging than the Takara version which had been released the same year, meaning western fans wouldn't have to wait for a domestic release. Not only was the wait short, but they got more.
Honourable Mentions:
The Prime First Edition toys are an odd bunch since they are technically mainline toys that saw a release all over the world but were only picked up by Toysrus in the US, and then were eventually found in other places like 5 Below. So depending on one's definition for an exclusive, I kept them for the honourable mentions but I do want to highlight Prime and Bulkhead who I don't think saw a release in the US outside of Toysrus (could be wrong, this line's release is super confusing).
I also really like the AOE Evolution Optimus Prime set, and the three 2016 Clash of Transformers toys we got in the RID line (though the only unique mold, Starscream, did get released later unchanged, so it doesn't really qualify as an exclusive anymore).
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