The Energon Pub

It's like choosing between your children for a favourite....

The real answer would be Both...but as that's not an option and I've got 4 bits of Herc and another two coming I have to go with that. But finances permitting I'm getting Giant too, and Having gotten Maketoys Bomber and Hover in the last week I will get the finance even if organ donation or robbing banks are the only option - they are great and if any indication then Giant is going to be amazing.

I don't know how you can consider Giant "more of an homage" when it's...freakin' YELLOW.

Purple and green 4 LIFE! It's like taking a figure of Jack Napier, giving him blonde Thor hair and a yellow Mask-esque zoot suit and still trying to call him the Joker. That's a negative, Ghost Rider.

Anyways, on to the actual bots:

"Not-Scavenger":
-more detail in TFC's version ridging on the scoop, although Giant's version has better tread details
-I like how his scoop arm can be arm-mounted as a "thrashing" kind of weapon...option not available (judging by the pics) on the Giant version

"Not-Bonecrusher":
-alot more detail on the earth mover on TFC's version
-lower leg portions of both of these on Giant are basically the same mold (little variation/creativity kkthxbai)

"Not-Hook":
-Love, love, love the fact that you can add string/line to TFC's version for an actual working hook winch
-on Giant's version in alt mode, both his bot head and Devy's head are visible kibble...dislike

"Not-Longhaul":
-robot mode looks very "lego-y" (to use someone else's idea).

"Not-Mixmaster":
-love the fact that you can take the mixer apart and mount the pieces wherever. Detail and options make the toy "pop" IMO.
-trailer kibble = fail. Is that supposed to be some kind of generator? How is that canon?
-Giant's version DOES have better detail in the design for the cab of the truck

"Not-Scrapper":
-I actually like the "dual-piston" design of Giant's alt mode here...but again, TFC's design has alot more detail (look at the teeth on the earth scoop)
-unfortunatetly...moar trailer kibble!

"Not-Devastator" mode:
-hmm..."not-hook"'s hook is hanging...where on Giant? LoL!
-i DO like the way the alt modes of his arms make Giant look more broad-shouldered and bulky...Herc does look kind of lithe and sinewy next to him.


In general:
The kibble being used as trailers for Giant version seems to me to be indicative of poor/lazy design process. Yeah, i get the argument about Herc's fists as kibble....but to be fair I havent even seen what Giant does with thiers, but given the whole "trailer" debacle...I shudder to imagine.
And for people complaining that Herc is "too" big...well, its DEVASTATOR for cryin' out loud! He was the O.G....the towering, unstoppable force that was supposed to be the ultimate "oh $h!^" moment for the Autobots. I WANT my Devy to be a big, bulky juggernaut (insert own quote here).

Overall, seems like almost a toss-up, maybe with Herc just edging out Giant by a slim margin of combiner size and overall detail. What I really need to see are video reviews comparing robot mode detail and, more importantly, articulation. From what I have seen from vids of Herc's figures, the articulation and mod-ability ("not-scavenger"'s hook arm option, "not-mixmaster"'s uses of his mixer pieces) make these figures individually have a clear edge.

G2 is just as much a classic now as G1.........

And I do think Hercules is an awesome size..........

We could go on with this debate forever on which one sucks and which one doesn't, but there's no point. You can like your "overgrown, knock-off Lego playset", and I can like my "worst homage in the world"..............

But no way could Giant be compared to Joker jumping sides with a new hair do, swinging a tinker toy hammer (even though I like the zoot suit idea......DC Represent!)