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Megatron truly appears to be the star of the Transformers: The Last Knight toyline with a toy in nearly every class, and the vast majority of them being new molds with his new cybertronian jet mode. This is a stark contrast compared to the rest of the line where most other characters are keeping their previous forms making them have several recycled molds representing them. So, we thought of breaking down the different options you will have for Megatron in The Last Knight toyline along with a description and price point for each when available.
ONE STEP FIGURE
Note how the wings are not deployed in jet mode and his feet are not lowered in robot mode. Meaning that, as is often the case, there is more than just one step to o with this one step:
KNIGHT ARMOR TURBO CHANGER FIGURE
(Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Spring 2017)
It turns out we saw this figure at toyfair from the very begining but since he didnt have his big mask gimmick on, it was not obvious.
LEGION CLASS FIGURE
(Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $6.99/Available: Spring 2017)
DELUXE FIGURE
There is still very little info on this figure. The shared gimmick of decodable glyphs with the cross sell figures, package leaks, unaccounted for in any list of mainline products and not listed in the official deluxe assortment listing from hasbro leads us to believe that it is part of a store exclusive subline.
PREMIER EDITION VOYAGER CLASS FIGURE
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99/Available: Spring 2017)
PREMIER EDITION LEADER CLASS FIGURE
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Another couple of weeks have passed, and we return to Transtopia and the more creative side of Seibertron.com - making sure to include any previous endeavours that we missed last month. Life has a habit of getting in the way of things, alas! But, without further ado, we bring this next round of customs, fan art, builds, paint jobs, tweaks, fiction, more fiction, comics fiction, text fiction and even more art; check it all out below and make sure to let the authors know if you liked something!
The Transformers Photo Game That Has to do with Movies is still going strong! Test your mettle and metal by heading to the thread here, and figuring out what scene is being re-created with toys, as shown below.
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 Most Overrated Transformers Toys
For this list, it is crucial that I define what I mean by overrated. All I mean is that I personally believe the toy gets more praise than it should. It is not necessarily a bad toy (though some definitely are), and it can be one of the best toys ever (like the honourable mention), but as long as it is said and promoted as being greater than it really is, that makes it overrated. So a very good toy seen as "Perfect" and a crappy toy seen as "fine" are both examples of overrated and this list covers all those nuances. Get ready for some Lewis Black styled TF rants as the nerd rage is spewed! Just remember that I still love you all, and come back in 2 weeks for a list of the most underrated toys.
I just really hate how this POS toy keeps getting a pass all the time. Sure, no one says it's the best, but it's never in the same discussion as Armada Sidswipe or other terrible toys and I feel it belongs there. What I often get instead is that it being a female decepticon makes it notable inclusion in a collection and to that I reply why don't we give the same pass to Airachnid? I just don't feel this toy is loathed enough since I really do feel it is a big crapstain on an otherwise amazing line. I mean, think about it, within that amazing transformer landscape, we got Thunderblast, which is a boat that has a small robot stored in its haul and is found by opening the big purple shell under the boat. This is pretty much, with no exaggeration, a pretender where the inner robot does not transform and is glued to the pretender shell, giving it a gigantic back pack.
This toy, as a Transformers toy, is inexcusable. And, like I said, it was sold at the deluxe price point side by side some of the best Transformers we ever got, meaning the designers were fully aware of its subpar engineering and design. And yet, when I speak bad of it I always get a similar expression like "it;s not that bad" or sure its a shellformer, but I have seen worse. WHAT WORSE?! And I even had people suggest it for my list of best water themed toys, I mean come on people! It was a simplified TF with very little articulation before those became a subline. The e-bay prices dont agree with my opinion of how worthless this toy is. But then again, that is the definition of overrated. I have placed it in this position simply because it isn't that loved a toy either, but I do feel it should get crapped on more.
4. The MP Seeker Mold
Oh boy, this mold. We can all agree that the MP 03 rendition (with the giant side kibble) was not done under the same manifesto as what the Masterpiece line has come to be known since. Alt mode detail, sure, but compare the robot mode to the classics mold and I find this later one to be a clear winner. Aside from the obvious cartoon inaccuracy of the MP mold, like the egregious amount of kibble hanging off his hips and near his head, what I really dislike is the transformation by disconnecting everything from the middle section to make room for the nose cone. This makes him so much more fragile and fiddly. And the back doesn't look good at all, it's the nosecone in a mishmash of junk. I find that very unappealing, especially when you look at it from the side.
I also, never liked how his head looked on his body. It always looks too pushed back and not in synch with the rest of his body whenever posing him at any other angle than facing you in a stiff pose. Trying to pose him with his stand in a flying pose in robot mode results in him looking like a marionette. I am also not fond of his feet both the aesthetic (they look nothing like the cartoon) and in terms of stability (in the initial mold). He should have some nice blocky triangular feet like this:
And not this:
It doesn’t stop there, because MP Starscream didn't stop at MP 03. Like Optimus, we had a new version for the Masterpiece line post MP 10 line. Since MP 03 was made at a time when the MP line was just beginning, I could see how it not being cartoon accurate was maybe an intention in an odd way. However, if that is the case, then why in the world did they use this mold again for MP 11?! Instead of it being an MP 2.0, it looks more like a 1.5 at best. I don’t consider the new seekers to be new molds more than simply retools of MP 03. The show accuracy may be better but I still have the same problem with how the mold is now. It is as fiddly as before, with the weak chest that has trouble locking and they didn’t fix the head placement, nor the feet.
But that’s not all. While people were happy seeing the side panels gone, they missed something that I find extremely crucial to Starscream: his chest is wrong. It was so in MP 03 and it is still wrong now (this mold is still being sold and released as this is written).
Check how the nose cone in every shot of G1 shows it tappered pointing down, making the chest a nice hint of a “v” shape:
The chest is inverted with the triangular curve of the cockpit going up instead of down. This totally changes the figure's appearance by reducing the effect of a stronger upper torso with a more slender waist. I mean, does no one else see how that chest doesn’t look like the animation model at that point?
These changes to the cartoon model, which I find hard to see past, were made as a sacrifice for the alt mode and I personally think that is the wrong priority, at least for the Masterpiece line as it is now. The worst part is the following, and it really sets it apart from its fellow MP molds: the toy made with a much lower budget representing G1 Starscream is better. The Classics version (which came out the same year or just about), has a more streamlined transformation, better stability all around and is more cartoon accurate (gets the chest and feet right for instance). While I am not trying to dissuade people from getting a Masterpiece Starscream, I do want to warn people that think of getting it, that it is far from being the best representation of Starscream possible and that the only reason it isn’t disliked to such great extent by the fan community is because the bar was set so low as a show accurate toy when the first iteration (MP 03) was released. In a way, I find MP 03 better (the Takara one pictured at the beginning, but preferably with the Hasbro deco); at least that is an original interpretation and a perfect jet mode while MP 11 (the retooled Masterpiece seeker mold) feels like a compromise. It tries to give a screen accurate (perfect) rendition of the G1 character using a mold that was never intended for that. And worse than that, they are still using this mold for the Materpiece Coneheads. The first thing I thought when I heard that was "but how can they use that nosecone to make it the top of the head, it's way too long if using that mold". The answer was simple: don't use it. Just paint a fake nosecone on top of the head and have the actual nose cone hang out the back like a giant dong. And people say Hasbro takes the most mileage from their molds, HA!
I know this toy wasn't loved by all but I still just don’t like how the toy has gotten away scott free with some of the laziest designing/engineering of all time. I know Takara handles the engineering but you never know how restrictive they are to Hasbro’s design. I am aware that Hasbro’s cost cutting does limit as well as frustrate Takara’s engineering capabilities. Leader Grimlock is one of the best cases of this and he really feels more like a bad omen for where the brand might be going, even more so than the one steps and simplified transformers, which at least can be discarded to a different branding approach or market.
The best example I can give you to show my disdain for this figure’s design (also, just so we are on the same page, I am referring exclusively to how the toy is designed and in no way to the character model), is the exposed feet and hands in robot mode. There was no attempt made to even try to hide them. The unarticulated hands are just behind the dino feet while the robot feet hang off the side of the dino’s hips. This is unprecendented in Grimlock’s design along with the design of every single other dinobot in this line (INCLUDING THE MORE AFFORDABLE VOYAGER! And yet, there is still debate as to which is better). Some are able to hide one set of extremities but not the other. Both Slog and Slug manage to pull off not showing any robot bits at a far lower price point (budget too?), and I will never stop pointing back to the G1 Dinobots which managed to hide their hands (they didn’t have any feet to hide though). Even Warrior Class Robots in Disquise Grimlock, as cheap and simple as he is, doesn’t have everything so obviously out in the open.
The super lazy design doesn't end there. I really hate how the tail and lower back are partformed in the dinosaur mode. It reduces a lot of the potential for an inventive transformation and gives a fake idea to the transformer’s bulk. It is also insanely frustrating how they screw up in the articulation too. I spent 45$, at least let me pose it properly. But no, the elbow joints are ratcheted ball joints which limit the poses you can give.
It's worst when this is the case for the big centre piece of your toyline. Along with Leader Optimus’ giant backpack, Grimlock's exposed robot kibble is quite a let down and a great example to support how lazy the designing has become. I also hate how this marks a precedent for a cheaper product. And this is no hyperbole, these leader toys are a precedent for how little you are getting at that price level. These were the first ever movie leader toys to not have electronics and that has been copied in the current generations line.
We are no longer 1985, we can get interesting transformation with decent articulation. If they can do it for the lower priced ones, they better do it for the ones that cost upwards of 40$
2. Generations Fall of Cybertron Seekers (not the Classics mold)
This is obviously a very subjective list and it's much better to pick what I felt was overrated instead of getting a general sense of people's opinions because I can't defend those as well as I can defend my own. When it comes to this Fall of Cybertron Seeker mold, I have never felt so alone in my dislike of a mold, hence why it scores so high on this list. I am repulsed by its size and plastic quality but mostly from its engineering. I just do not get how this is a good toy. People mess with Generations Jetfire, calling him a KO, but at least his jet mode looks amazing from on top. But in this toy, not only do we have his giant legs right under the jet making it look stockier and as aerodynamic as a glacier, but we also have his head right there in the center of the jet mode. You only hide it by turning it around.
And when I look at the previous efforts at bringing the Cybertronian tetro jet to toy form, it makes this mold so hard to swallow. The previous one was from the Galaxy Force series, six year before. Not only does it look far sleeker, but the legs are not appendages below the jet, they actually form the jet, and the head is moved more to the back and surrounded by other details and structures, making it far less evident. And it's not like they had forgotten about it, the promotional the War For Cybertron Starscream toy that was given out years before the release of this FOC toy was a smaller version of that Galaxy Force mold. So they knew full well what came before but we were still given this sorry excuse of a toy. I am fully aware that the design may have come from the game developers but the toy makers are responsible for its engineering and they could have done a better job than this, which they showed they could with the Optimus from the previous War for Cybertron line. While people claimed the sky was falling when Hasbro said it was gearing towards simplified transformations, I didn't get why nobody could see that this toy already took that notion to heart with its non hidden legs or head and overly simplified transformation. The G1 Seekers and G2 Smokescreen knew how to hide a head and have the legs hide as part of the jet for crying out loud!
Everything I just wrote about Leader Grimlock being a dissapointement for his size class applies to Leader Megatron as well, but more so simply because he is currently being hailed as one of the best Megatron toys out there and for the life of me I just don't see why. When the Age of Extinction toyline was announced, there was a big marketing push to promote how the toys would be simpler than before. This was further continued with the Robots in Disguise line where Hasbro said transformations would not be more than 10 steps. Fans groaned, saying this was a step backward and that techinques like this would leave the toys in a corner where they would only appeal to kids. Turns out the Robots in Disguise Warrior toys are as complex as most other deluxe toys of the past five years, which also had about 10 steps, making the illustrated step count just marketing speak since several toys ended up with more than 10 steps and got truncated on the back of the box. So in the end, this simplification didn't affect the majority of toys, but not all, and Leader Megatron definitely got affected. Of all the toys since this new Hasbro Manifesto, he feels the most pushed for simplification, with only having 10 steps:
BWTF wrote:1. Detach his blaster weapons and split them up, then set them aside for now.
2. Straighten out the arms and the legs.
3. Swing the panels on the sides of the forearms forward to cover the fists.
4. Push the feet up against the front of the lower legs.
5. Rotate the cannon around so the wider end is facing down.
6. Swing the torso panel up.
7. Swing the waist panel down.
8. Bring the two arms together. The cannon has a tab sticking out the side that fits into a corresponding slot on the left arm.
9. Swing the tread sections from the back of the robot mode up, then forward. They tab into the sides of the torso panel, forming the front of the tank.
10. Swing each lower leg out to the sides then in. There are tabs on the sides of the lower legs that fit into slots on the mid-body of the robot mode.
Sure, the box states 15 steps, but as broken down above, it's really just 10, and it's already been concluded that the step count on the box is not indicative of anything. Just to keep things in perspective, the step breakdown from the same source above gives Robots in Digsuise Quillfire13 steps, and thats a deluxe sized toy from a line that was (falsely?) advertized as being simpler. And remember that Megatron is a leader, not a deluxe, but you wouldnt know it through a stop motion video of the toy transforming, with no reference of scale. This is appalling for a leader toy. Not only that, but that transformation isn't even innovative or unique. It was initially, when it was used for Cybertron Cyber Defense Scattershot, but that was 2006. The only thing new this guys gives us in the decade since is working treads (which also arent new, since we had them in Beast Wars, but a welcome addition regardless).
So, they simplify a leader class Megatron turning him into an upscaled deluxe (or an upscaled 2006 Voyager) with underwhelming articulation/poseability and do the fans groan? No, quite the reverse. A bucket of silver paint and a nice headsculpt is all they needed to be distracted from the rest. And during that time, the Robots in Disguise line which is just as complex as this Leader Class toy and has way more innovative transformations gets totally ignored. Great going!
Look, no one has to listen to me, but I feel the reaction of this reviewer after transforming this toy sums up my emotions quite well (go to the 12:40 mark):
Honourable Mentions: I would like to use this section more as a discussion because I really wonder if I am the only person in the world thinking that Transformers Masterpiece Optimus Prime (MP-10) is not perfect. Amazing, but not perfect, and there are a few points that do tick me off, especially when his price tag averages for $160-200 US (depending he version).
Total disclosure, MP 10 disappointed me a bit when I got him. He is still one of the best figures on the market, for sure, but he is not as flawless or perfect as people say he is either, hence why I wanted to discuss him here, with you. My main problem with him is that he is supposed to be an upgrade from MP 01 and thus you would assume that the decade of engineering preceding this release would have helped fix the problems the first one had. Well, while they fix a few proportion problems with the original MP Optimus, they take so many cues from the original transformation that what I found to be the original's biggest problem was still present here: his groin is still visible in truck mode. You would think they would improve that part from the original, but no. Oh and while we are talking to changes from the original toy, the lack of a chair for a minifigure in truck mode means Optimus' head is right there in front of you when opening his front cab windows. Back to the groin, the fact that it is the only part of him that doesn't undergo any change in transformation is all the more baffling since that means that the hole on his crotch doesn't need to be there at all. And that crotch hole is also seen in the truck mode, of course. Also, for the price that you are paying for this figure, the trailer is very dull. The G1 toy had a bunch of color in his trailer. I do not necessarily need that with this release, but I would expect some paint apps to bring out the sculpt. Instead it is just dull grey with the Hasbro version and monochrome silver for the Takara version (slightly better). Standard cost on this figure is anywhere between 160-200$ depending on where you live and that is a lot when you realize that the original huge diecast Masterpiece (MP 01) was less than 100$ in the US. Although this is an amazing figure, I definitely expected a bit more and for the price I was paying. Like for him to, you know, not have a hole in his crotch.
I mean seriously, how integral is that hole so that it must be present?!
Synopsis
GHOST STORIES! Optimus Prime returns to Cybertron—only to be confronted by his rival for the Matrix, Pyra Magna! As Pyra's origin—before she was part of Victorion—is finally revealed, Optimus relives his own past—the first time he met Bumblebee!
Starscream is also in this
Story
How do you take an annual publication, make it not an annual occurrence, and still deliver one of the best stories of the past months (and that's saying a lot, given the competition in all three current ongoings!) - give it to IDW, have John Barber channel his best Continuity editorial essence, and some of Mairghread Scott's devious writing tendencies (and penchant for poetry). Welcome to Ghost Stories.
..lest we forget, yeah..
As is customary with Barber, we have a narrative frame in the form of Starscream eavesdropping on Optimus and Pyra Magna visiting the epilogue of Dark Cybertron, and the singularity left behind by Shockwave's plan. Three leaders, three contenders to power, three ideologies: the soldier, the enforcer, the manipulator - all reluctant at some point, all connected to the power of belief. All no longer as clearly distinct.
Plus, of course, the Leader that Was
The first of the two centres on Bumblebee, and Orion Pax's first interaction with him in the early days - with a fitting crossover with Barber's own Optimus Prime series - some excellently prickish Prowl, some fantastic cameos (you can find them all in our database entry) and returns to the page for old friends and enemies, and some insight into the actual power and skills of the little bug that could (until he couldn't ded).
Do you even quip?
The second, narrated by Pyra, is the origin of the current team of Torchbearers, before Cybertron, before Victorion, before the change of heart towards the Mistress of Flame and her beliefs. And it is a gem of Transformers world building and characterisation, giving us stories fleshing out Pyra's motivations, background on Dust Up and Jumpstream, some touching Rust Dust moments and world shattering implications suddenly made explicit.
Art
Priscilla Tramontano, not a stranger to the TFverse, is the sole artist for the lengthy book, and she does wonders with her own style fitting the two tales - Bumblebee's in particular, with the younger narrative fitting the almost Animated-esque nods - but also the general frame of the Annual. Even in the freshness, the darker, more sombre panels and sequences are not diminished or made grotesque, either, and the emotional tones are sustained throughout.
Point
With three stories running through the book, the creative team made a nice choice of gathering multiple colourists too, one per section - or so we're told, at least, as Thomas Deer, JP Bove, and Josh Perez work so well and in sync with each other and the art that it's actually almost impossible to tell where transitions happen and who did what. I am utterly amazed, but not surprised, at their tripartite skill.
space shots will always get me
On the lettering front, we see the return of another older name on the books, Chris Mowry - who deftly delivers the captions and sounds to the narrative, and some eerily good title fonts too. While Tramontano delivers a gorgeous main cover for the book, the thumbnailed art comes from the variant done by Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez, taking an OP ongoing vibe, and some of Starscream's gun fetish along for the ride.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
Reader, I loved it. I really did. The book does so many things right, and the ones it doesn't are easily overlooked (the placing in timeline (ScottyP suggests between Optimus Prime 6 and 7). It brings us more information on so many characters, gives added relevance to Bumblebee in the wider scheme of things - though currently without obvious repercussions... for now - plays really nicely with continuity issues, and gives us the first openly canonic f/f relationship in the IDWverse, by elaborating a single line all the way from Combiner Hunters!
And some actual horror, too
What really impressed me the most, other than the entirety of the Torchbearers story, was the way in which the visual team of four, no, five people worked together to bring the right setting, tones, nuances, palettes, spectrums to the different threads running through the book - there are some thicker inks than maybe required in some panels, but the colours offset them; there are so many good compositions to choose from, and different layouts tried in the narratives, and there is so much to discover in the ramifications of it all. From here on, everything is going to be quite a ride.
With this week's release of the trade collected version (the hardcover already came to fruition) of the three Cybertron WarsPrime Wars Autocracy stories into one volume, here at Seibertron.com we considered doing a brief revisitation of the Flint Dille, Chris Metzen, and Livio Ramondelli effort to bring some more backstory to the pre-war moments.
First, another look at the previously unused cover that became the collected trade one!
The Great War has begun and the Decepticons have taken the city-state of Kaon. They now work to sow dissent across Cybertron via terrorist cells. Orion Pax leads a team in an effort to stop them, while confronting the true nature of what it means to be an Autobot.
My predecessor, Tigertrack, was the one to first encounter the book as it was a digital only release, which then became digital first - his review of the opening issue is here. Other staff member Psychout worked on the other reviews, up to issue #5 (here, here, here, and here).
The major points to be taken from the first of the stories, Autocracy itself, revolves around the senate and Zeta Prime's actions around them and through them (which we're also still seeing in the Optimus Prime ongoing series by Barber and Zama), the not-very-goodness of the Autobot faction - who are essentially violent state militia - the rise of the Decepticon faction as revolutionaries, and the doubts seeded in Optimus Prime/Orion Pax as he follows Zeta's warmongering directives. And a violent Pax it is, with a little help from his friends (Bumblebee in particular) to keep him from thuggishly pounding his way to order. And from his enemies, Megatron above all, who are the ones to plant those seeds in the second place.
The read is quick, the action is action-y and a little chaotic at times, with Ramondelli not yet hitting his stride with the refined trait he uses in more recent comics, and the lettering by Robbie Robbins doesn't always necessarily help with that. While it was nice to see a War Within/Megatron Origins set of designs, some jar a bit with the characters they're representing, and did not keep well up to now.
Outcome: Megatron and Optimus fight, the war begins.
Peak Dille moment: the revisiting of the 1986 battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron, with a very, very heavy hand in the retelling (for the good part of several issues), and some JJ Abrams levels of fanwinking (with an I, but almost an A).
MVP: A young 'terrorist' that is the fulcrum of the second half of the plotline: Hot Rod of Nyon. In the words of fellow staffer Kurona, this is probably the best explanation/foundation to his MTMTE/Lost Light characterisation, actually believing in a revolutionary ideal to the point that he blows up an entire city
In the early days of the war on CYBERTRON, OPTIMUS PRIME puts everything on the line to unify the planet—but not everyone agrees that this new Prime should be in charge! Meanwhile, the fallen DECEPTICON leader, MEGATRON, begins a journey that will change everything.
I was part of the comics staff by now, and covered all four print issues of the digital-first sequel series to Autocracy (here, here, here, here) - and admittedly, I actually quite enjoyed it for what it was. And what it was was an exploration of Megatron's commitment to his ideal (after being thrown onto Junkion by new Decepticon leader Scorponok), his formation as a full tyrant, and a peek into the collective mind of the Dynobots and the full power of their alt-modes.
All that while incorporating more elements of the 1986 movie stuff, plus some live-action movie facets of some of the characters - and by that I mean Megatron, his patchwork of injuries, and propensity for cloaks. The artwork, while still working on earlier Ramondelli style, really blended well with the tone rather than the matter, and the weird hybrids used in the story, the monstrosities, came out looking excellent.
Outcome: The war keeps beginning.
Peak Dille moment: Hey Quintesson judge. Nice to see you there, being a teacher/trophy to Megatron and all.
MVP: Despite a tie between Grimlock, though used at not his very best, but rather in a very old characterisation, and Megatron himself, even with the disproportionate amounts of cheese in the series overall - Tom B. Long's lettering wins this spot.
THE WAR FOR CYBERTRON! Optimus Prime versus Megatron. Autobots versus Decepticons. At the dawn of the conflict, battle lines are drawn and sides are set… now legends will be made. The war that would define a planet begins in earnest—and its revelations will shake the TRANSFORMERS' world to the core!
I was reviewing these as they came out, but by the third one I got so bored of the story and the writing, that I never actually finished a review for the ending. First three are here, here, and here. Whoops. The issues I had with this final section were mostly to do with contradicting and confusing statements made by characters in the story (Omega Supreme above all still grates me), though the first half was way more enjoyable than the latter part. The plot, on the other hand, is very very very very thin.
Ramondelli and Chris Mowry have all of the fun with this series, playing around with large-scale devastation and all the noises that come with it, because all the series wanted to do was have a giant battle with all of the possible characters in one place, and pit Trypticon against Metroplex. Done and done.
Outcome: The war KEEPS BEGINNING TO START. Jeez.
Peak Dille moment: All of it.
MVP: Sarah Stone and her covers.
Concluding thoughts
The series doesn't really add that much to the IDW universe, even in its attempt to uncomfortably sit between Megatron: Origin, Chaos Theory, early flashbacks across the ongoings, and most importantly, the current happenings in Optimus Prime. With the latter especially, what information is being fed to us by Barber's writing is actually more than enough to get the rest of the context - at the same time, the highlights of the series might appeal to a reader who wants some extra cheese on a sprinkle of background motivations, and with the Junkions and Quintessons appearing or bound to reappear soon, it's worth giving a look at if you're so inclined. It can fit with an IDW or Transformers completionist, but it is by no means essential reading, and for a more traditional fan, the IDW editorial veil may not sit well. It has fights, but also politics; it has references, but also new characterisations; it has an audience, but we're not sure who that is, essentially.
Do not expect Barber, Roberts, or Scott levels of writing: the exploration of the grey shades between the factions is done much better in later series, including the very current Lost Light and Till All Are One, but most of all, the flashbacks in Optimus Prime. Do expect cheese: it's what Dille does best, and Metzen is mostly there for the assist in world building of a world that already existed. Don't @ me if you like it more or less than I did: I'm just noting down thoughts on a series that happened over three years ago, as I had some time over the weekend and there are no new comics for me to review.
*insert 1986 movie reference here to come full circle*
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 Dinosaur Transformers Toys of all Time
With some of the biggest news coming out of the 2017 Toy Fair being dinosaur themed, I felt it would be fun to look back on dinosaur themed transformers and I cam up with this list of the top 5 dinosaur Transformers toys we have gotten so far. Enjoy!
The fifth spot is always the toughest. We all know toys better than these two, but are these better than most other dinosaur Transformer toys? I think so, but I can't tell which is the better between the two. Both are exceptionally stylish for dinosaur Transformers. Transmetal 2 Dinobot has an external metallic skeleton look which reminds me of a mechanized version of the dinosaur skeletons we see in museums. I especially love that segmented tail. He is a rther interesting reimagination of a mechanical raptor. Every raptor element is still there (claws, snout, tail), but done anew, as if HR Geiger decided to draw a raptor on day. And it works.
Animated Swoop is also full of style, being from the animated line and all. However, unlike Grimlock and Snarl, this doesn't involve any element of the figure being exaggerated. Everything is proportional and while the angular nature is there, it only adds to the figure. I especially love how this reincorporates the robot head and pteranodon head being the same, but with a more involve transformation of the upper torso making both modes look very unique. Another great aspect is how the wings (which become a cape in robot mode) connect to the robot arms to become the pteranodon arms. This works very well and makes both modes a lot more sleek by integrating kibble rather than trying to hide it.
4. Killer-Punch
How I wish Hasbro had released this toy. Ok, so here's the deal. Takara designed and released a ticeratops Transformers mold during Beast Wars Neo. It was ok but there was a lot of kibble since, as with many Beast Wars Neo toys, they wanted as much new robot mode detail. They even brought in an odd third mode which gave the impression that the triceratops was dead. Seriously, you could transform him into a dead dinosaur by showing his bloody ribs, tail and stick out his tongue. The robot mode ended up with the dinosaur head as an arm (classic). Before this mold could be released by Hasbro, Takara doubled down on their dinosaur mold and retooled it into Killer-Punch. Now this was one hell of a retool because not only did they change the aesthetics (and turned it from a triceratops into a styracosaurus) but they added an extra functionality: he could now shoot his springloaded robot arm dino head. His name is probably the most appropriate I have seen. Oh and they kept the dead dinosaur mode, just because.
I really like how he is a new dinosaur we didn't get before when the Dinobots were finally brought back to the big screen in live action. He's good, no gorilla arms (unlike most of the AOE Dinobots), and the lance tail(even though more of a whip in the film) is very striking. I also like the little extra details in the transformation, like how the legs fan out, how the spine changes orientation and how the hips fill out the back to hide some robot detail in dino mode. He's the most easy to recommend of a line which was all about bringing the Dinobots back for a new generation.
As I wrote above, I had a hard time with this list. The G1 dinobots are iconic G1 toys, but engineering and articulation has improved since and those toys have grown more niche as they age and new fans discover the hobby. They look like little Transformer jewels though and I didnt know where they would go or which to choose. But then I saw this great post that rang so true with waht I was thinking:
Gauntlet101010 wrote:I think the G1 dinos count collectively as one. Individually they're good, but as a set they're fantastic. Great colors, iconics in both moulds and they defined "dinobot" for many. But if we're going for just one, I think MP Grimlock would overtake them simply for having everything they have, but better.
This is so true. MP Grimlock is a love letter to those G1 toys and can show new fans how awesome the Dinobots are while giving old fans the best possible toy of one of their most cherished characters. Even if you aren't into G1, an MP Grimlock will always be a standout in any collection, he is an excellent Transformer and worth every penny.
I LOVE this toy. I will always be impressed at how this toy really gave kids a Megatron that captured what they saw on screen. Not necessarily the details (he isn't perfect) but the stature, the style and transformation. That of course has more to o with the show model being close to the toy but it is indeed the toy that is responsible for how awesome he looks on the show. So it's a circular loop of awesome. He is full of gimmicks, but doesnt suffer because of them. The water pistol is actually quite fun and provides a chomping gimmick, which ever good Tyranosaurus toy needs. Also, this toy is a great example to show how toys pulls from science and can change as our knowledge of the world improves, since this toy portrays the Tyranosaurus as not standing straight. That was something learnt in those 10+ years since Grimlock's standing T-Rex, and it makes Beast Wars Megatron the best Transformers T-Rex toy with a more realistic alt mode (until they come out with one with feathers, but lets not go there). He is also a perfect example at how a toy could pull off being a shellformer while still integrating alt mode detail and giving the shell style that adds to the robot mode rather than taking away from it. Him being a shellformer also helps give a very convincing T-rex mode with no exraneous robot parts. So he has a phenominal realistic T-Rex mode, a bad ass and regal robot mode, and a fun transformation. I cannot think of a better toy to be number 1.
Honourable mention: Power Core Combiner Grimstone and G1 Trypticon
Grimstone came out the best he possibly could given what they were going for. The idea of automorphing drones without articulation and the lack of hands is seen as a misstep with the line itself but Grimstone pulls it off better than any other toy. He is by far the most uniform of any PCC combiner and while that deters anyone from mixing and matching him it does make him look better than the others. The hand problem is excused with him having a dinosaur head for a hand, which is a trend seen in this list and by no means a negative point. And he just pulls off the look which is something to be glad about when he happens to be the only official Dinobot combiner we have as a toy. Plus, I really love how he doesn't repeat any of the Dinosaurs that make up the G1 dinobots while still sporting the G1 dinobot colour theme. And man, Takara and Hasbro sure love their styracosauruses.
Trypticon is very similar to Grimstone in the way that it's not a great toy per se but looks really really good. He technically makes no thematical sense as a Mecha Godzilla-like monster who turns into a city. Why would he turn into something he wants to destroy? The city mode is ok, but it is probably the simplest transformation into a city mode ever, where you just pull a swith and he splits in two automatically. However, this is a list that looks at the Dino mode more and it really rocks, even if it is a brick, so I would be remiss if I didn't mention. Here's hoping the new Titan one rocks!
Please tell us who your favourite dinosaur Transformers are in the comments and give us your own list when you have a chance!
Recap:
Action Man and the sought after talisman got transported to somewhere unknown and Ayana’s Joe team members were zapped into alien creatures along with a townful of innocents.. What do you do? Who’s in kahoots? And Kup wants his little buddy back…
This Issue:
Did you check out the preview?
ENTER THE SHADOW
Action Man’s been transported to the moon (via a familiar GI JOE device). A seemingly abandoned bad guy base happens to be there as well—and not abandoned— not to mention a whole squad of dead Cobra soldiers. We also have tiny people/aliens trying to elude very large people and an even larger alien.
Whatchamadoodles > Petrorabbits
Kup, Mayday, and Blackrock are trying to catch and talk to (and not squish) the Micronauts to ask them for help in using the talisman to hopefully: (a.) find Action Man and (2.) change the alien-zapped Joes and townfolk back to normal. The talisman has been recognized by Blackrock as microverse tech, thus, the ‘watcha-ma-doodles’ should be able to use it- hence the needed help by the Micronauts. The ‘nauts are still very nervous about getting involved in these matters… in their experience, alien meeting alien = destruction/havoc/capture/torture. Thank Primus, Micronimus, and all the other deities and Primes that we have a universally recognized greeting to rely on and an older wizened bot who knows it!
"Now offer them some energon goodies..."
"Don't worry, they'll reciprocate..."
Progressing and Layering:
Pieces are getting pulled together from the different involved franchises. There’s a few familiar surprises -used in a new way- new bad guys, and some old, as well. Perhaps, no one familiar bigger than the inclusion of Stormshadow and HER Red Shadow ninjas who are also alien symbiotes. Yes, that’s right. Red Shadow Alien Ninja Warriors…(and that other thing).
Storm SHE-adow joins the fray...
It’s not just all fun for Joe fans (or not depending on how you react to the above information). There are plenty of other cool elements splashed into the story. Kup and Blackrock are there for Transformer fans to appreciate (note Kup’s Titanmaster deluxe toy form), and by the way, the microverse tech seems to also be ancient Cybertronian…
ART:
The art by Ossio is consistent with what we’ve seen before. Excellent action scenes and vehicle design work, I really loved his Kup flyer design, and Ossio seems to be finding his rhythm becoming more familiar with drawing big robots and people much more consistently. As much as I like what has been done, I’m still not a fan of how Blackrock has been designed in his Cybertronian form, looking more like Iron Man (“Iron Man sucks…”) than a titanmaster- and then when you add in his ‘billionaire’ human head image the likeness seems even more intended-.
Computer, password 'Blackrock Sucks!'Password Accepted. Welcome home Kup.
Ossio and the art team also have a very large task (and tiny) -especially in this issue- trying to show the different scales of the characters- from teeny, tiny micronaut people and ship to large Cybertronian-scaled Kup; scale and size are a huge element, and I think it’s no easy task to effectively portray the character’s size in relation to one another in the panels, but are they doing it? Sort of. I think they rely more on your understanding of the character’s size rather than other devices to show the scale. I often feel like Acroyear is the size of a regular Cybertronian, or at least Rom, and that the Micronauts are regular human-sized alien people, not 3 3/4 inch action figure size (or 6 inch whatever). Not a big deal, and I may be being a bit too picky on this, which is why I mentioned that it would be quite hard to do!
Tom B. Long is always making his presence felt in very meaningful ways. It’s hard to imagine the books he works on without his special touch.
WRAP UP:
I wasn’t sure where to begin with this review. The concept of this comic being such an amalgamation of the different worlds and franchises coming together, and I’m just not used to it yet— or where all the other involved franchises were prior to Revolution. It’s a lot better than the introductory crossover story that it spawned from, being focused on a much tighter and smaller group, and working to relate the different titles together.
New Buckethead bad guy on the block that I do not yet feel threatened by.
Kup and Action Man are a fun pair. A bit like Hot Rod’s generalized relationship with Kup, Action Man seems to fill that role of young, hot shot go-getter to Kup’s experienced war vet. Action Man is very capable on his own, as is Kup, but together they both seem to be getting something that they both need…
I’m not sure what to think of Mayday yet, or Blackrock. I seem to have a lot of personal problems with Blackrock and what he is (and isn’t) that I can’t get to really trying to enjoy or hate this character yet. I lean more toward hate right now.
The story definitely has something good going for it. I’m not sure we are far enough in to the series to really understand what this book’s characters and plot ‘do’ other than bring together pieces/histories of the IDW/HASBRO-verse. As the Revolution story line showed us, this is not an easy task, but Revolutionaries seems to be going in a positive direction.
WRAP UP 2:
Joe fans may be cringing, but at least IDW is calling GI JOE the flagship title and it’s getting more exposure. Transformers fans still have lots of other fun in other places. Revolutionaries, so far, is a capable add-on, but it still has a long way to go to approach ‘Optimus Prime’, ’Til All Are One’, or ‘Lost Light’ for that group of fans.
Synopsis
NEW CYBERTRON! Optimus Prime struggles to unite the Junkions, Cybertronians, and humans—but will diplomacy be scuttled when the Junkion’s secret comes out?
Fair.
Story
We return to Earth, which has Cybertronians and Junkions on two sides of an agreement which may not be, as humans reluctantly also maybe agree to disagree, while two leaders very much disagree as other two leaders disagreed in the past. We return to John Barber's vision of the new order of the things - Optimus Prime #4 is here!
Oh, and we start here, yes
Let's get this out of the way: Optimus is reaching peak Prowl. There are a number of moments where this is obvious, and I can't but think of this being a consequence of Combiner Wars (still) and his moment so close to the Autobot's master manipulator - other than being around him for pretty much the entirety of his life as an Autobot himself, of course.
Chekov's prop?
It's good, it's very good to see some development of Pyra Magna's character, as all of the Torchbearers were teased as having secrets and intrigues which we are still waiting pay-off for. But having that development also be pitted against Optimus is a super extra treat. Two very strong leaders with strong ideals, in their own way, against each other for very similar causes, at not the best time, but also maybe the best time too.
Pyra BURN
The rest of the story is a very good exercise in build-up, I felt, too, with a subtle increase on the pressure valve (up to the final act, where subtlety is chucked out the window) - but also a very welcome distraction in the form on Thundercracker and Buster, and a lot more about Marissa Fairborne in just a couple of pages.
Art
We knew of Alex Milne's subbing in for Kei Zama in this issue, and it's very good to see him back on a TF book interiors, even halfway through an arc. He keeps to the style that makes him beloved to the fandom and readership, while also thickening some inks, and adding a lot of black, black spaces for added tension, emotion, and pacing.
Also, his humans look really great in this issue
What is truly extraordinary on the art side of things, though, is the combination of Milne's lines with Josh Burcham's continuity colouring, keeping the transition between the two artists as smooth as possible for the book (the blue shading really does help), without sacrificing the differences of the two styles. It's a feat he achieves perfectly, I feel, and really helps the issue.
Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away
The devices used in the script to carry along the narration require skill from the lettering side of the book, once more in the capable hands of Tom B. Long, who is also still painstakingly bringing us mini-bios for each character as we read through - and somehow manages to never make it intrusive. There is a full roster of TF veterans in the cover roll, and you can see all of them and full credits in our database entry here, from Zama to Griffith, with Nelson Daniel, Casey Coller, Joana Lafuente (thumbnailed), Burcham and Josh Perez fully acknowledged too.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
Having Pyra Magna as the point of view for the running commentary on the issue is a great way of bringing in her voice on top of the placing against Optimus' leadership, and a welcome addition to that of Arcee, and Soundwave so far - and using the parallel threads of the past (the panels mirroring Zeta and Optimus are exquisite and very revealing) alongside the multiple storylines in the present and her personal beliefs, works out as a very revealing and definitely enticing, plot movement and pacing.
They visit Sicily!
The reintroduction of a different, but established, visual team does not disrupt the book at all, and the whole issue comes across as perhaps a seminal one in the aftermath of whatever may happen with the Junkions in the arc - will Pyra Magna get something more than she expects? How will the colonists react? What role will Aileron play?
As spoiler-free as I can make it The build, part 1. For part 2, read the issue.
They moved the Doomsday Clock up recently, you know. I don't want to think about that. No one does. Sometimes you have to, but thankfully this isn't one of those times.
It's a simple joy, getting caught up in a comic book. When the next page gets turned and you can't wait to see what's in store, be it from some anticipation or dread or excitement, it's joyful. Even the dread - it means you're experiencing moments that mean something, even if it's just to you.
It's ok if there's no other road, the breather is welcome!
Lost Light #3 finds Rodimus and co. probably wishing for those moments, stranded in another time and place with the end of #2 giving at least a faint glimmer of hope for better times ahead just before its ominous conclusion. This glimmer lies in the midst of almost chaotic action and fighting, though as anticipated this issue begins by gently putting the brakes on Team Rodimus' journey. Plenty of dialogue with this team and the new bots they've encountered ends up being a very welcome and perhaps genius moment of pacing. The modest change of setting accompanied by the introduction of some other familiar (and surprising) faces into the fold helps frame the scene for things to come. Satisfying answers laced with yet more tantalizing questions all with a complexity becoming of the series await readers that dive beyond the surface of the dialogue.
The urgency is real!
Fans of action won't be disappointed though, as Swerve, Ten, and Whirl run into misadventures of their own. A plot point seeded within the first handful of issues of More Than Meets The Eye reveals itself, and manages a great balance between peril and humor. Our heroes are still funny when it might be wiser to dial down the wit and dial up the focus, but that's what makes it work. Without giving anything away, James Roberts executes this other running plot of the issue expertly, ensuring that a sense of danger stays within the tone delivered.
Haven't seen this bot in awhile.
The timely political and social commentary found not only within this issue but within the overarching thematic structure of "Dissolution" thus far is effective and poignant without being either heavy handed or polarizing. Readers will find simple truths about decency, mixed with rhetorical postulates on theology, finished with Megatron and Ratchet coming face to face with some cold realities - or maybe warm memories.
Transformers at its best, everyone: starting heavy and ending with personable robots. Simple joys.
Drink this panel in. It's incredible.
The production of the book is at a very high level, with Jack Lawrence's art evolving to suit the unique challenges that Transformers present at a positive velocity that's often seen when real talent begins the daunting task of playing within this huge universe. Joana Lafuente's colors are the usual, which is to say that they're great. This is especially so in the numerous scenes where a contrast between light and dark is a wise choice in art direction, helping with the narrative delivered through the words. Those words are again presented by Tom B. Long, who might as well be teaching a class on lettering at this point. Come to think of it, he kind of is on his Twitter account from time to time.
There's much to say here that I'll have to save to chat about with you in the discussion that follows the review, but simply put, a great deal happens in this third issue of Lost Light. Characters are built, ideas are grown, and a few major surprises are in store. All the while, a sense of foreboding is omnipresent, but is that because of the story or because of the history of awful things that always seem to follow this crew? I haven't decided the answer to that part yet. I'm less certain that I ever want to, if I'm really honest. The journey is just too much of a simple joy.
Verdict
I'm going to be reviewing this series for the site for at least the next issue, if not for the rest of this initial story arc. Some of you can guess why this is. I'm moving my own little version of a Lost Light/Hasbro Comics Universe Doomsday Clock (Uniclock, perhaps?) back two minutes after this one, because it was joyful. That didn't remove all the dread though by any means, as you'll see from the minute hand below.
A score for this issue though, is that what you're waiting on? It's coming. This installment, to me, is one more answered question away from perfection, or maybe one huge moment away. There were certainly big moments but on the surface and without the benefit of hindsight (which has often been a beneficial factor in going back and re-reading issues of this series and finding a new appreciation) I can't quite find it in myself to put it up into the pantheon of perfect scores. I reserve the right to regret that decision later.
However, if you're reading this and haven't read this comic, I'm glancing up at the url and wondering how you set your priorities. Maybe it's just timing in your day and you haven't gotten to the shop yet, but if there's another reason, stop what you're doing and go buy this. Lost Light #3 is fun to follow and engaging even as a single part of a whole, though the whole is something you should simply invest in. It's a joy, I promise.
. & 1/2 out of
Bonus! James Roberts' soundtrack suggestions for this issue:
Many were both confused and surprised that Titans Return Ramhorn was not a datapad to interact with Titans Return Blaster, mirroring the interaction of the G1 toys, and instead having Ramhorn just be a Titan Master. Well, you have to give Hasbro some credit because what they give you instead is something for the ages. You see, Japan had designed a ton of head only characters, here is a diagram of the lot of them.
Only a few made it to production with a finished product such as Lione...
...and Shuffler
Both of which are in the Titans Return line.
Well, take a look at this head, which was never made in the G1 era, and which turned into a rhinoceros.
This is the design used in the Ramhorn head the Titan Master turns into.
So this head is not just a take on G1 Ramhorn in Titans Return but it is also that Japan only character which was to be released with Lione, Shuffler and the others. And it is finally happening 30 years later. Like Shuffler and Lione, the animal the head would have turned into back in G1 is now a Rhinoceros vehicle for the Titan Master to interact with.
So this is a deep cut from Hasbro showing that old designs we think will never see the light of day actually get brought back.
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