e-Hobby Exclusive Magnificus Comic Preview

Eagle Eye. Interesting.

And they're in Iron Town from episode one of Transformers: Victory.

Hah, I was just about to say Hawk.

MINDVVIPE wrote:Hah, I was just about to say Hawk.

Which would be his European name Nice cameo there. I wouldn't be surprised if e-Hobby used the name of his canceled Japanese release, Hawking.

And it looks like Scrash is rearing his ugly head in the last panel.

I really like this Magnificus Exclusive figure. I pre-ordered from BBTS as soon as I saw it, according to their site it is estimated to arrive May 2013 so it should not take too long.

Pretty cool. Is that an antimatter energy cube he is holding in the last clip?

Arise dead topic!

Just received an email notification from Fun Pub that my e-HOBBY Generations Magnificus I preordered through the Club Store has shipped!

Censored version:

DO NOT REPLY to this email address as it is an automated shipping computer. If you have a question concerning your order, please email Admin2@FunPubInc.com.

A package was shipped to you on 10/15/2013 via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail to the following address:

***************
***************
***************

Invoice Number *****

Package Description Magnificus w/ Comic (pre-order)

The following optional services were used: None

The package's Delivery Confirmation ID is ******************************

To check the delivery status of your package at any time please visit:
https://www.endicia.com/Status/?PIC=*** ... **********
or the U.S. Postal Service's web-site:
http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm

Shipping Department
Fun Publications Inc

***********************************************************************
NOTE:
This e-mail was generated by Endicia Internet Postage (http://www.Endicia.com)
at the sender's request. DO NOT CONTACT Endicia if you have any
questions about the shipment or the package delivery. Please contact
the sender of this e-mail or the U.S. Postal Service if you have
questions about the package delivery.

NEAT. I'm excited for this guy.

We previously reported on eHobby Magnificus, which is a redeco of Reveal The Shield Perceptor. (You can preorder yours here for $82.00)

Now, fellow Seibertronian Sabrblade alerted us this morning to an email he received the collector's club store telling him his eHobby Magnificus has been shipped! He had this to say:

Sabrblade wrote:Arise dead topic!

Just received an email notification from Fun Pub that my e-HOBBY Generations Magnificus I preordered through the Club Store has shipped!

Censored version:

DO NOT REPLY to this email address as it is an automated shipping computer. If you have a question concerning your order, please email Admin2@FunPubInc.com.

A package was shipped to you on 10/15/2013 via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail

Package Description Magnificus w/ Comic (pre-order)

Shipping Department
Fun Publications Inc

It's safe to assume more and more emails will be showing up, the next one could be yours!

Keep your optics tuned to Seibertron.com for the latest in news and updates, plus the best galleries around!

$82 + shipping is a bit pricy. Maybe if he were $50.

megatronus wrote:$82 + shipping is a bit pricy. Maybe if he were $50.

Indeed. The chrome is pretty, though.

Autobot032 wrote:

megatronus wrote:$82 + shipping is a bit pricy. Maybe if he were $50.

Indeed. The chrome is pretty, though.

Congrats Sabr! Hope you enjoy it!

megatronus wrote:$82 + shipping is a bit pricy. Maybe if he were $50.

I kind of agree with Megatronus here. But even $50 is a lot for what's otherwise a repaint. Ehhh, I'm just peeved it's not a microscope proper, really, so I went 3rd Party.

I'm happy with my G1 E-hobby version. I love evil versions of good characters, I'd love a series of evil clones like Bumblebee, Jazz, and Grimlock. (Yes I realise shattered glass, I mean all done in the black and teal "nemesis" type color)

you must read my upcoming comment in the voice of this guy for full effect :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdQQjfDUBLY


ha ha ha, his name is magnificus because he changes into a magnascope and he's very impressive...ho ho ho.

Got my e-mail too, wanted to post something that night but it never happened, finally get something news worthy too.. if he follows the shipping times for TFSS fir me, I should have mine Wednesday with Jackpot due tomorrow!

It is funny/ironic/intriguing to compare his price with the TFSS installments, and even Airrazor but if that's EHobby's price...

It's too bad most of United Perceptor's metallic red paint ends up on his backpack in robot mode.

The comic book that came with Magnificus was really interesting. It featured Oilmaster, the given name to the prototype Pretender Gorilla from the 80s that we never got. G2 Hawk/Eagle Eye was also featured in the comic oddly. It's not a great read because of the translation, but the artwork and the characters featured were fascinating. I've wanted "Oilmaster" since I saw his prototype at BotCon 1996 or TransCon 97 but now I really want him.

Seibertron wrote:The comic book that came with Magnificus was really interesting. It featured Oilmaster, the given name to the prototype Pretender Gorilla from the 80s that we never got. G2 Hawk/Eagle Eye was also featured in the comic oddly. It's not a great read because of the translation, but the artwork and the characters featured were fascinating. I've wanted "Oilmaster" since I saw his prototype at BotCon 1996 or TransCon 97 but now I really want him.

Is yours the e-HOBBY version or the TCC version? Cuz the latter will have a proper English translation.

As for the story itself, it serves as a prequel to the United EX fiction, being set one year before both it and Operation Combination, in the year 2034 (since Op Com and United EX take place together in 2035).

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:The comic book that came with Magnificus was really interesting. It featured Oilmaster, the given name to the prototype Pretender Gorilla from the 80s that we never got. G2 Hawk/Eagle Eye was also featured in the comic oddly. It's not a great read because of the translation, but the artwork and the characters featured were fascinating. I've wanted "Oilmaster" since I saw his prototype at BotCon 1996 or TransCon 97 but now I really want him.

Is yours the e-HOBBY version or the TCC version? Cuz the latter will have a proper English translation.

As for the story itself, it serves as a prequel to the United EX fiction, being set one year before both it and Operation Combination, in the year 2034 (since Op Com and United EX take place together in 2035).

It's the e-Hobby version, but it has English in it and Japanese text above it. It'll be the same comic you get. It's just not that great of a read, just like the terrible Shattered Glass Soundwave/Blaster set's comic. Good artwork, interesting read, but not that great of an English translation in my opinion.

Seibertron wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:The comic book that came with Magnificus was really interesting. It featured Oilmaster, the given name to the prototype Pretender Gorilla from the 80s that we never got. G2 Hawk/Eagle Eye was also featured in the comic oddly. It's not a great read because of the translation, but the artwork and the characters featured were fascinating. I've wanted "Oilmaster" since I saw his prototype at BotCon 1996 or TransCon 97 but now I really want him.

Is yours the e-HOBBY version or the TCC version? Cuz the latter will have a proper English translation.

As for the story itself, it serves as a prequel to the United EX fiction, being set one year before both it and Operation Combination, in the year 2034 (since Op Com and United EX take place together in 2035).

It's the e-Hobby version, but it has English in it and Japanese text above it. It'll be the same comic you get. It's just not that great of a read, just like the terrible Shattered Glass Soundwave/Blaster set's comic. Good artwork, interesting read, but not that great of an English translation in my opinion.

Well, as mentioned, the TCC one will have a proper English translation instead of bilingual Japanese/"Engrish" text.

The SG Soundwave/Blaster TCC one had a good translation too.

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:The comic book that came with Magnificus was really interesting. It featured Oilmaster, the given name to the prototype Pretender Gorilla from the 80s that we never got. G2 Hawk/Eagle Eye was also featured in the comic oddly. It's not a great read because of the translation, but the artwork and the characters featured were fascinating. I've wanted "Oilmaster" since I saw his prototype at BotCon 1996 or TransCon 97 but now I really want him.

Is yours the e-HOBBY version or the TCC version? Cuz the latter will have a proper English translation.

As for the story itself, it serves as a prequel to the United EX fiction, being set one year before both it and Operation Combination, in the year 2034 (since Op Com and United EX take place together in 2035).

It's the e-Hobby version, but it has English in it and Japanese text above it. It'll be the same comic you get. It's just not that great of a read, just like the terrible Shattered Glass Soundwave/Blaster set's comic. Good artwork, interesting read, but not that great of an English translation in my opinion.

Well, as mentioned, the TCC one will have a proper English translation instead of bilingual Japanese/"Engrish" text.

The SG Soundwave/Blaster TCC one had a good translation too.

I somehow doubt that they are doing different print runs when the Japanese version actually has English text in it. When you get yours, scan a page or panel if you don't mind so that I can compare.

Seibertron wrote:I somehow doubt that they are doing different print runs when the Japanese version actually has English text in it. When you get yours, scan a page or panel if you don't mind so that I can compare.

I'm not too keen on scanning, but I do have my SG Soundwave/Blaster issue on hand, and I say that it has no Japanese text in the speech bubbles and reads quite legibly. It even includes everyone's speech quirks like Soundwave's righteous dude slang and Blaster's German accent.

On the front cover in the bottom-left corner are the following credits for the SG Soundwave/Blaster comic:

Story by Jesse Wittenrich
Art by Hidetsugu Yoshioka
Translation by Andrew Hall

I'd imagine that the TCC version of the Magnificus comic would similarly feature coherent English-only speech bubble text with no Japanese.

The comic is definately the same as the eHobby print, with Japanese text in the voice bubbles and small print English translations below.

Also, my Magnificus has a bum right leg. It's too loose, so whenever I try to stand him up, his right leg just collapses back down and makes him topple over. I'm talking specifically about the joint that would hold the leg in place when fully extended for robot mode, as opposed to collapsed for vehicle mode. The left leg fuctions as intended.

UPDATE:

Superglue fixed the problem! And yes, it does still transform. The glue didn't freeze the leg in the extended robot mode configuration.

Just opened my Magnificus from the TCC. I'm saddened to see that the comic is just straight up the e-HOBBY version when the TCC release of SG Soundwave vs. SG Blaster went the extra mile of having a fluent English translation with no Japanese text.

Sabrblade wrote:Just opened my Magnificus from the TCC. I'm saddened to see that the comic is just straight up the e-HOBBY version when the TCC release of SG Soundwave vs. SG Blaster went the extra mile of having a fluent English translation with no Japanese text.

I received the e-Hobby version of the Shattered Glass Blaster and Soundwave set from BigBadToyStore.com. The comic had the same English text you described without the Japanese text. I'm assuming that's the only version of the comic that exists just as this version is the only one that exists for Magnificus.

I still stand by my original statement that both of these aren't great reads, even though the artwork is magnificent.

Seibertron wrote:Version of the Shattered Glass Blaster and Soundwave set from BigBadToyStore.com. The comic had the same English text you described without the Japanese text. I'm assuming that's the only version of the comic that exists just as this version is the only one that exists for Magnificus.

For real? I had no idea.

Well, now I feel sorry for any Japanese consumers who bought that set and don't know English fluently enough to read the comic.

Seibertron wrote:I still stand by my original statement that both of these aren't great reads, even though the artwork is magnificent.

I'd have to agree, now having read the comic myself. Though, I can't really recall when an E-HOBBY pack-in comic has been all that great anyway. It's kinda their shtick to produce one-shot TF comics that are isolated cases of randomness and fanwank.

Though, with some additional insight to the behind-the-scenes details of this comic, it does become a fit more fascinating. Like, you already pointed out Oilmaster being the canceled gorilla Double Pretender, but aside from him, there's G2 Eagle Eye, who here is rendered with G1 Micromaster Eagle Eye's head, indicating the two to be one and the same in this story, which means that the G1 Autobot Micromaster defected to the Decepticons at some point. This defection also explains why Eagle Eye is absent during the United EX stories, in which all three of the other Air Patrol members made an appearance (Tread Bolt is Jetmaster, Blaze Master is Choppermaster, and Sky High is Airmaster).

The setting of the story, Iron Town, was featured in episode 1 of the Victory cartoon, being the old western town planet we first see Star Saber in.

And most importantly of all is the appearance of "Skyquake". I put his name in quotes because Magnificus only thinks that it's Skyquake, but it isn't. In reality, it is none other than the Decepticon High Regent known as Scrash, the uber-obscure Decepticon leader from the Operation Combination figure.

There's also some minor nods to other things, like Magnificus referencing Metalhawk when Eagle Eye identifies himself as "Hawk". Or Eagle Eye using the term "guzzler" to refer to standard-sized Transformers like how Micromasters used that same term in the same fashion (which makes this another reference to Eagle Eye's having once been a Micromaster). Or mentioning Mebion, which was Magnificus's hometown on Cybertron.

It's true that this comic isn't all that special from a storytelling standpoint, but all these little things that were put into it do help to bring out some extra goodness from it.



Though, regarding the SG comic story, it helps to have read the TCC Shattered Glass prose stories (HIGHLY recommended, BTW) and the "Invasion" comic to better understand it, as it was written to tie in to those.