This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.
While the first wave of the Earthspark line was released almost all at once, the remainder of the line has been appearing sporadically on shelves and online. So while some may already have the toys below, they are the latest releases and we wanted to show you some reviews in case those who don't have them yet were curious. Below you will see three reviews from fellow Seibertronian Chuckdawg for Flip Changers Megatron, Twitch and Deluxe Grimlock. For Grimlock, he is currently available on Amazon if you want to get him.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:By this point, we all know what to expect from the Flip Changers. Megatron is one of the better ones since the propellers actually spin, I was expecting them to be molded in. It's touches like that, that I appreciate and I think you will too.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:The truest definition of a desk toy is something fun to fidget around with. We should all know what to expect with Flip Changers from Earthspark by this point. No articulation, all gimmicks. Terran Twitch looks really good and is close to the show model. As I always say do NOT throw these around as they can break, I'm especially concerned about the Vtol wings on Twitch.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:Well, this figure almost fooled me. I first thought this was an all-new mold with so many new parts. Grimlock, is a heavy retool of the Cyberverse Deluxe figure, almost every exposed piece is retooled from that mold. While my copy is a bit loose in the hips, I find this to be the better of the two releases.
There has been of news concerning the Walmart Exclusive G2 Themed Line. The deluxes, leader (Grimlock) and voyagers were found in the US all of a sudden. For those wanting all the info you can on these toys and their special decos, we have in hand images below. We also have video reviews comparing them to previous decos/molds along with a look at the box art.
The rest of the wave should be up for pre-order shortly. Please be aware that Sideswipe and Dead End are shortpacked while the others come 2 per case.
Legacy Evolution's second wave of core class figures was found at Target earlier this month and now that fans got them in hand, we have reviews coming in from our community. Below are reviews from Thundertron and Chuckdawg1999 for Legacy Grimlock, Thundercracker and Nemesis Prime.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:While it might be surprising to see Grimlock, the Dinobot Leader being used as a leg, I find it refreshing to see how Hasbro can still come up with unique ideas for the Dinobots. Robot and T-Rex modes aren't that great, but they're better than what we got with Sludge. It really feels like leg mode was the priority and everything else came after. If you've ever wanted a pocket Grimlock then this Core Class version just might fit the bill.
Fellow Seibertronian blurrprime has a very random but very fun video review for us. They found these Mr Potatoe Head Transformers Happy Meal toys at McDonalds today. They are part of a set that also has Bumblebee and Grimlock along with My Little Poney characters making this a Hasbro IP three way crossover. These are in Malaysia but may appear at any McDonalds worldwide at a later date as these are not linked to any show or movie in particular.
Without a show airing now, the Rescue Bots toyline has become the Transformers Classic Heroes line. Same idea, same place in stores, and same molds for many of them (through rereleases) but Optimus Primal and Grimlock are new molds and the latest releases. If you want them in your Rescue Bots collection or as perfect presents for the youngest transformers fans (it is how I got my kid into Transformers), they are now available on Amazon. The links are below. We also have a review from Chuckdawg1999 of Optimus Primal so you can see how this guy looks in hand. The attention of detail and call backs for a "Rescue Bots" toy goes beyond that of previous figures, but then again this is the first mold which refers to a character that was not on the show and thus does not have a simplified animation model.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:It's nice to see Beast Wars being represented in Rescue Bots with Optimus Primal being a part of the Classic Heroes line, kinda hard to swallow that a character that debuted in the 90s is now considered classic. Transformation is what you would expect and the styling is of that soft, younger style, I love the grin on the gorilla head. Optimus Primal is perfect for smaller hands, or as a desk toy for older Beast Wars fans.
Fellow Seibertronian chuckdawg1999 has a video review of WheelGrim, the latest roll and combine set pairing a Dinobot with a non Dinobot character. This one is Wheeljack and Grimlock. This toy came out in the US recently and is appearing at Walmarts throughout the country, first starting in Arizona.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:WheelGrim is another fun Dino Combiner to be released in the Dinobots Unite subline. Wheeljack makes a great pair of pants while Grimlock becomes the torso and they blend well. While it will never win awards for transformation and articulation, it is a fun figure that will make some people happy.
Thanks to Seibertron's own D-Maximal_Primal, we can bring you a fantastic look at one of the newest Cyberverse Deluxe figures- Slug! He's part of the aptly named Dinobots Unite subline of Cyberverse, and is due to show up at retail any time now. Let's see what D-Max has to say about this incarnation of the Dinobot brawler.
Guess who got the new Deluxe Slug already?
This guy!!
And boy oh boy, is he a dandy. He is a really good deluxe, super good. Right up there with Bee as the best deluxe of the line.
Look at this bot mode right here. This is G1 Slug, put through a color filter to crank up the color differentiation, with spikes, some stylization, and some mean sneering. He is so cool looking. And he can move too! Forward and backwards ankle movement, all kinds of leg movement, the only thing missing are bicep and wrist swivels, but the forearm swivels take care of most of that
Have a 360 turnaround
Transformation is pretty insane. You yank up part of the torso, tilt it around 180, crunch the abs and dino head, swivel the dino head and waist, and origami the tail out of the legs as the feet form the back. it's nuts
This dino mode is really sweet. It is chonky, but still mean looking
Finally, have some comparisons to the other Cyberverse Dinobots minus Grimlock, as he is still buried in moving totes. And have some to SS86 Slug
He is definitely a top level Cyberverse figure. He is really good. He is a lot of fun too.
There you have it! Slug is slowly making his way out to retail and is the only new figure in his Wave. Happy hunting to those of you looking to pick him up!
Grimlock's adventure in Menonia continues with today's release of Transformers: King Grimlock #3 from IDW Publishing, and they've turned in a swiftly-read action comic that's indicative of everything this series has been so far. If you enjoyed the first two issues, you'll enjoy this too, though there are some shakier bits this time around. Read on to learn more, or skip to the end and look at the score blindly. It's your robot adventure.
It isn't, but if this were to turn out to be the missing link between Last Stand and MTMTE #6, well... ok, I'm good with that.
Story-wise, things are at the "mini-boss" stage for this mini-series, which makes sense with a couple more issues still remaining after this one. Issue 3 shows the results of Grimlock's efforts to aid the Menonians in the first two chapters, resulting in a book that's light on words and big on splash pages. While it's certainly a quick read, it never feels like space is wasted. It's clear there was some conscious decision to approach this as an action comic, so more of writer Steve Orlando's wordier areas get less page real estate than the big, flashy action scenes.
Busy, busy, busy
The art, with lines by Agustin Padilla and colors by Jeremy Colwell, never becomes actively bad, but there are some moments that are busy and visually confusing, at least digitally. Despite some panels and pages that might not reach their intended grasp, the flow of the action always worked for me and helped tell the story of a battle effectively, with little doubt as to what the result is. Jake M. Wood's letters didn't distract from focus on the other visuals at any point, which is another credit to the artists as it rarely looked like the bubbles were fighting to have space to exist.
Three cover options are available as usual, with the "A" cover by Bryan Lee, the "B" cover by the interior art's team of Padilla and Colwell (which serves as this review's news story's thumbnail image), and a 10-copy retailer incentive cover by Alex Milne, just in case you need more MTMTE vibes from this one. As always, remember that you can find all the cover images and full credits for the issue through our Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers: King Grimlock #3.
Verdict Your character arc is beneath me
King Grimlock is a fun series that continues to be just that with its latest issue. The art is mostly good with a few busier, rougher patches and the story continues on a predictable but logical and entertaining path. Of course, I say predictable but should mention there's a twist at the end which, while foreshadowed, maybe didn't feel super well-earned. Its worth is likely to be determined by what's done with it as the story moves towards its conclusion, so it's not really considered with much weight in the score below.
Greetings Seibertronians! Thanks to fellow Seibertron user, and toy reviewer, Chuckdawg1999, we now have video reviews of the recently re-released Transformers Rescue Bots toys (now under a Dinobot Adventures branding). These figures are all ones that have been seen on store shelves before but are perfect for those little fans who might have missed out on them the first time.
Let's see what Chuck has to say:
chuckdawg1999 wrote:Rescue Bots are fun Transformers with simpler transformations that are made for smaller hands. The Dinobot Adventures version of Bumblebee with his partner Lance is a fun set that will charm fans both young and old.
And:
chuckdawg1999 wrote:Now, these are squad goals I can get behind! Continuing our look at the Dinobot Adventures subline of Rescue Bots is the Dinobot Squad pack of Grimlock, Snarl, and Predaking; one of these things is definitely not like the other. All three feature simple transformations and static posing but Predaking is the stand-out with articulated dragon heads. Definitely worth a look for younger fans.
Stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews!
Given all the stories about heroes being transported to other worlds, it was only a matter of time before this reached the planet Cybertron and the Transformers, and with today's release of Transformers: King Grimlock #1 we've arrived at this eventuality. On paper, the basic pitch is one hell of a concept, but is the execution any good?
Mostly yes, read on for more.
But were they fine and young?
If you check out the preview pages for the issue, you'll see a decent amount of robots doing things on Cybertron. While that might seem off given the basic concept here, what's in that preview is all there is to the setup. Following along with Grimlock directly helps provide just the right amount of tonal whiplash which would be expected when jumping from Cybertron to a feudal world of swords and (presumably) sorcery. In other words, the basic setup is simple but effective.
What's an anti-sun anyway?
Most of the book follows Grimlock's interactions with human characters in this new world of Menonia he's found himself in, building his character while allowing others to provide the exposition which, for the most part, doesn't feel too forced. Steve Orlando does spend some time with an antagonist that's laden with proper nouns and jargon that border dangerously close to confusing, but I suppose that lends a bit more realism to the context of how it's presented. Realism though, do we need that here?
You see where this is headed
Agustin Padilla handles the line art pretty well throughout, and you may remember this is not a first attempt at a dinobot story, as Padilla also drew plenty during the brief run of Beast Hunters comics. The art shines most in the sections showing humans and more natural-feeling environments, though Grimlock is still ever-present and most of the time his depiction is crisp and scaled appropriately next to those he's interacting with. There's an attempt at a transformation sequence which I appreciate, but it doesn't really land and it left me feeling like an attempt was being made at showing something the artist really didn't want to draw. Again though, the art is usually pretty good and never worse than acceptable through most of the book and a paper copy is probably going to look even better, especially considering it has multiple two-page layouts which shine in only the monthly stapled floppy book format. Someone should really find a way to fix how those read in trade form, especially in the hardbacks, but I digress.
Jeremy Colwell's colors are superb in communicating the tone of the story, as Cybertron's typical hues give way to a natural look that makes Grimlock feel appropriately alien in his new environment. Color is also used well for the presumable villain of the story, or at least it definitely gave him an appropriately over-the-top-in-an-unlikeable-way vibe. Jake M. Wood takes good care on letter duty, with usual Transformers editor David Mariotte handling the reins on that side of things. This section of the review's gone on for so long that some brevity feels required, so as always, remember that you can find all the cover images and full credits for the issue through our Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers: King Grimlock #1.
Verdict Doesn't have to be complicated
Transformers: King Grimlock #1 does exactly what it needs to do - it sets up the story, introduces us to our main characters and begins to define them in the context of the plot's central conflict. It's a quick read for sure, relying on action and spectacle instead of heavy doses of dialogue. First issues are tough for me though because even if the initial taste is good they typically don't have enough to really savor, which is definitely something I felt on this one, but as the picture above this paragraph alludes to I still had a smile on my face by the end. King Grimlock is off to a very good start and is likely to bring some measure of joy to your day if you pick it up, so my recommendation is to do so.
For the score below, this was a rare time that I wanted to do something like a 3¾, but let's avoid breaking the scale and just round up.
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
![[Valid RSS]](/images/rss/valid-rss.png "Validate Seibertron.com's RSS feed"){kind=small}
