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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 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was better than Hasbro's
Last time, we checked the times when the Hasbro was better than the Takara version. Now, we will do the flip side, where we check the times Takara outdid Hasbro. Many fans often expect that to be the case, but with us now being in a new age of brand unification where the same toy gets released in both markets, it is a good time to look back at the times when it was really worth getting the Takara version over Hasbro's. I am well aware there are a lot of examples that can apply out there so I welcome people to let me know which toys they feel the Takara version is really worth seeking out. Also, they had to all be good toys rather than simply mediocre toys with a good paint job.
This is an extremely underrated toy which came and went with few caring. And that is a shame. Not only was this the representative of the Robots in Disguise 2001 / Car Robots line in the thrilling 30, he was also one hell of an update. He was still a shell former like his previous Beast Wars mold roots but unlike his original toy, the shell was very compact and made for elegant wings in robot mode which did not take any attention away from the robot mode. Also, and I can never stress this enough, Takara outdid themselves on the engineering of the chest. The original toy was a shark who transformed into a robot who had a shark-like face on his chest that was a different colour on each side (giving a hint to his states of mind). Of course, the real shark head was still somewhere on the toy (part of his massive shell) so the chest was more of a reference that he was a shark and not supposed to be the shark head. This update however had the shark head actually be the chest as well. No fake parts this time, reducing the shell considerably and making the robot far more sleek. There was even a nice panel flip on the shark's nose to give the chest new robot mode detail and to further look like the original cartoon model. As you recall, the whole theme of that chest is that it had a different colour on each side, showing how he was this unstable killer. So now that Hasbro has this opportunity of having the actual shark head be the chest how do they colour it? Just all light blue. Not even one of the shades that should be there. You might think that it is for it to work better as a shark head in shark mode, but no, that shade of blue isn't found anywhere else. Takara however jumped on the opportunity of this update to give him the split colour deco on his shark head so that when it transforms into robot mode, it gets the signature look. These same colours are also made to match the shark's body which make for a better looking shark mode. Takara has often outdone Hasbro in the deco area, just look at the entire Beast Wars Returns (Beast Machines in Japan) line. However, with Gelshark the improved deco goes a long way, longer than any other improved deco, turning a toy many dismissed into, what I consider, a must have. I am a huge fan of when the deco honours the wit of the engineering and this guy does that in spades.
4. Transformers Binaltech Override vs Alternators Windcharger
Right off the bat, I think the name is better in the Takara release. Windcharger was a minibot while Override was a sleek sports car. If the Binaltech line was about giving new classic version of G1 characters, Overdrive would suit it much better since they are all the same size and any hope of semblance of scale with Windcharger would be lost (if that even matters). More than that, just look at the head. The toy issued by both companies has a visor and that is totally Overdrive's deal more so than Windcharger (and you DO NOT want to see what a Windcharger head on this guy would look like).
I mean between this
and this
Which one would this guy be representing?
The name isn't even the biggest deal with the release, far from it. Hasbro's was made of molded plastic while Takara had a nice die cast body which was painted red. This was the case for all Binaltech (Takara) versions of the of Alternators line. You really felt you had your money's worth with these guys (when you forgot how you disliked transforming them). But that is not all, oh no, that is not all. What makes this release far ore noteworthy than the rest of the line though is the weapon. You see, licensing agreements are handled by each company separately in their home country. Honda Japan was totally cool with Overdrive having a nice long barreled gun but Honda America didnt like their brand associated to violent toys and Hasbro had to literally circumcise neuter the gun and turn it into a non violent scanner. Yay.
Another big difference between Takara/Japan and Hasbro/USA are the laws they have to deal with. Japan is not as severe when it comes to toy guns (G1 Megatron came from them afterall) but the states is a different matter. For Megatron to be a gun again, they had to give him a Super Soaker deco. Takara, on the other hand, gave him an appropriate deco for a character who finally had a semblance of his original alt mode back. He had two appropriate decos actually, one being silver (United) and the other having more orange highlights (Henkei) which I think works even better.
2. Transformers Unite Warriors Devastator vs Generations Combiner Wars Devastator
In most cases, the reason to get the Takara version over the Hasbro one (or vice versa) is if you prefer the differences in deco. With Devastator's case, the deco was a side note. Sure, there were a few differences here and there (with the Unite Warriors version being a bit more accurate to the cartoon) but the real deal here is that your Constructicons had improved articulation in their individual robot modes. They all had functional elbows for one and some had better knees, and they all had individual weapons. There are pegs and specific sculpting details found on the alt modes which are for the sole purpose of holding/storing the robot's weapon in that mode and what is saddening about the Hasbro version is that those details and holes are still there but you don't get the weapons. Along with the extra joints, this just adds to what Takara has confirmed that Hasbro's Devastator is a result of taking a Takara design and build and removing parts from it. There isn't just that, the combined robot has a new head which had an optional visor and ratchets on his shoulders. It's not so much that the Takara version is better than Hasbro but instead that it is THE toy Hasbro had signed on for initially. This is the Devastator we should all have had, while the deco would have been the main difference. Instead you get the actual Titan Devastator toy from Takara and a shadow of it from Hasbro.
Yup, while a Starscream toy was the best time Hasbro had the upper hand over Takara, this character pops up again when we flip the conversation around. This case is practically a travesty all around and while at its core it's about the deco there is more to it. Looking at the mold alone, which is an excellent toy, Takara had him in perfect show accurate deco while the release of this Voyager Starscream toy by Hasbro was in a near random red colour. It was to the point where a fellow board member was talking about him to me and referring to him as Thrust since he truly believed that it was a redeco of Starscream into Thrust. Sadly, no it's not, that red thing is Starscream. Also, if you wanted him in the states, you could only get him in a two pack with Vector Prime who you probably already had, goody! So we established why the Takara release is the better one, but the reason behind the "failed attempt" for Hasbro to give fans this toy was because Hasbro was pushing another Starscream toy: Supreme Starscream, a toy which is all kinds of suck. It's just a giant Starscream which isn't even its own mold (even the craptacular Supreme Cheetor has that over him). It's just an upscaled version of the voyager, slightly retooled for the gimmicks. So all the fine details you would see on the voyager end up looking like broad strokes on the supreme class version. And while Starscream did become that big in the series, it wasn't for very long and much after this toy was released. There is a great air of disgust over this toy and a big part of it is the sacrifice of Hasbro never releasing a cartoon accurate version of the best Starscream figure of the Unicron Triogy, Cybertron Voyager Starscream, which is exactly what Takara provided.
Honourable mentions: There is a bunch of G1 stuff that was far superior when released in Japan by Takara than by Hasbro. However, I did not find it as fair since they were technically rereleases of the earlier toys from the Microchange and Diaclone lines and not specifically reworkings of a Hasbro version. Soundwave is a great example of a toy who's Japan release is awesome since it had firing missiles (something that was taken away from may Hasbro releases) as well as Headphones and a mic. However, this was all holdovers from the original release of the toy in the Microchange line which Hasbro changed for the Transformers. So it's more of a case of the Original pre Transformers version being better and not necessarily the Takara version of the Transformers toy. A very fine line, I admit, but I felt it would work better as an other list than to muddy this one.
Speaking of G1, Powermaster Prime was far superior in Japan, but since he wasn't the same character and release, I didn't really find it fair. The recent Legends line output from Takara has several deluxes coming with an extra Target Master while the Hasbro versions don't so they do offer you more, but at the same time you are paying an extra 10$ for that Target Master even before you add the import fees (plus you don't get the Hasbro weapons). So I don't know if paying more to get more counts as a fair comparison, they aren't even the same price points. However, this all deserves mentioning, and that's why you find them here.
With the news that has been circulating the past weeks, if not months, about the future of the toy store chain Toys R Us, the North American (Canada and USA) staff of Seibertron.com have pooled together some thoughts on what the stores meant to them growing up, what they do now, and what it might mean going forward now.
Be they Toys R Us kids or not, fond memories or barely present, there is something that struck a chord with a lot of children who grew into toy collectors, from Transformers and beyond. This is an homage to that, and an invite to anyone else to share their story. Let's reflect on the great memories of the past now, and let us know some more memories to the ones described below, and what you will miss the most.
william-james88:
Toys R Us is, with no exaggeration, my favourite store in the world. Some of my fondest memories, as a child, is going to Toys R Us with my mom and the money my grandfather had given her to find the perfect toy for me on my birthday. Every one of these trips is a memory I hold dear, even the time I picked up some Space Jam toys (say what you want, but a two pack of Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan was a dream come TRU).
Of course, Toys R Us is where I got my first Beast Wars toy, Terrorsaur, when I was eight. At the time, I did not know toys existed for the show I liked so much - though it was called Beasties in Canada - to the point that I remember telling my mom that when I grow up I will design toys that actually transform. I seriously did not know toys were advanced enough to have this happen.
I remember walking into the store and seeing all those gorgeous Transformers in there, toys I did not think could be possible. I remember a wall full from top to bottom of carded bubbles with so many different characters, shapes and sizes. It was breathtaking, especially as a kid. And I remember, later that year, seeing a column of Beast Wars Megatron toys, the purple on that T-Rex really popping against the neon yellow background, and telling my mom that this is what I wanted for Christmas. I remember seeing Street Sharks on the shelves, picking up a Mickey Mouse Viewmaster projector, and a Pride Rock Polly Pocket type set in a row filled with Lion King products.
I understand that this fairytale land I am describing might have changed in the US in the past years, with prices not being as competitive, and the selection not always being phenomenal. But our memories never fade, they are still with us and they will still be with us once all Toys R Us stores close in the US, if this is indeed what will happen. I am lucky to live in a country, Canada, where the stores are likely to stay open and where even my kids can be Toys R Us, as I was. So while this is the end of an era for many, the store we all loved will still, hopefully, be out there for others.
Bounti76:
I didn't live near a Toys R Us growing up. The closest one was 15 miles away, and by the time I could drive myself, I'd lost interest in Transformers, and toys in general. When I got back into collecting, around the the time Revenge of the Fallen came out, I would occasionally check a Toys R Us if I was near one.
I remember seeing MP Grimlock and thinking that he was a cool, modern version of the Grimlock toy I'd loved to pieces (literally) as a kid. Picked him up, and have kept him in package since. I found a couple of exclusives there, and it's the only place I ever saw Generations Metroplex and Titans Return Fortress Maximus on shelves. But by and large, the stores seemed dated even a decade ago, and I never really grew up with a love for the stores and catalog that most did. Still, it will be sad to see an outlet for toys that most non-specialty retailers will never stock, close. RIP, Toys R Us.
WreckerJack:
My fondest memory of going to Toys R Us was when I was 9 years old. I really liked Pokémon but I didn't have a Gameboy to play it on. I saved up all year and worked hard to get good grades. By the end of the school year I had saved up about a hundred bucks (which is one million dollars in kid money!) to go and buy a Gameboy, Pokémon Blue version and a strategy guide. I had chosen the electric green Toys R Us exclusive Gameboy Pocket. Still have it in my desk drawer to this day in fact. I remember trying to read the guide on the way home by the street lights while my dad lectured me about not letting my mom catch me playing video games too much.
As I got a little older, in my junior high school years Yu-Gi-Oh was the 'in' thing. Sometimes on Saturday mornings I would convince one of my parents to drive me out to the store to go and play in Toys R Us Yu-Gi-Oh league. It was a lot of fun to just show up and play cards with the other kids. It was more friendly than the tournaments and competitive play at card shops. I can still remember getting up early, driving over there when it was a sunny yet chilly morning to go and play. I'd often have time to get a donut or something to eat before and talk about my favorite cards and strategies with friends. I miss those times.
The one thing I most get nostalgic about is Bionicle. I was aware that Toys R Us charged a couple bucks more for them but they usually had what I wanted. It beat driving around from store to store and winding up not finding anything. Bionicle fans of the 2000s will remember that the red and green characters usually sold first leaving a sea of brown Bionicles to warm the shelf. Toys R Us always seemed to have a good selection of them so I could get the characters I liked best. It was always so nice to see the rows of canisters lined up because I knew how much fun it was going to be to buy one, take it home, and build it.
I'd spend hours in my room making up stories and battles with my Bionicles. Back in those days I didn't have internet during the week, cable, or any games besides my Gameboy so I entertained myself with figures. I had superheroes, Pokémon toys, and some DBZ guys. I'd spend many an afternoon as a kid spilling them out on the floor in my room coming up with whatever plot lines I could dream up. Anything was possible. The creative play and storytelling I experience with toys is definitely something to get nostalgic about.
Tyrannacon:
Toys R Us has been a staple of my childhood since the 80s and well into my adult years. It was the place to go while growing up to get myself everything from dinosaurs, to Jurassic Park/Jurassic World things, Star Wars stuff, and of course Transformers. The only other store I used to visit to get myself new toys was KB Toys. Toy stores like KB and TRU brought many a smile to my face and I would always spend a lot of time in there just looking at things and amusing myself. Sometimes I didn’t really buy anything as it was just about being in the environment itself.
Unfortunately, KB Toys eventually went under here in the US and now with TRU having the same fate I feel worried about the possibility of ever encountering a toy store and feeling that twinge of happiness I almost always felt when I went into one to get lost for a bit. TRU really helped though for me when I was feeling down or just anti-social to feel better and made it so my mental health was easier to shoulder. I am saddened, but I also understand that nothing lasts forever either.
Cobotron:
I have actually been frustrated with Toys R Us over the course of the last 5 years. Some of their practices made it easier just to shop elsewhere. I was feeling kind of jaded by it, but now that they're leaving the landscape, I am remembering better times when they were a staple of my hunting grounds, and nostalgia is taking over.
I grew up at Children's Palace, so TRU wasn't a real force in my childhood. I got back into collecting in college, in the late 90s, and Beast Wars was certainly a catalyst. I remember convincing my roomates' with cars to drive me to the local TRU and wrangling the likes of Dinobot and Primal. They were fun trips and always some good brotime with the friends who humored my "silly habit".
Later at the turn of the century I would finish college in Chicago and there was the marvelous downtown State St. Toys R Us. It sat directly in the path of my school and my CTA train stop. Many toys were purchased there. Not just Transformers. And there were always sales. Sales GALORE! Even when it was just a stop to see what was new, they offered a warm respite from the harsh Chicago winter winds on my commute to and from school.
Things had been rocky between us lately, but you will be missed you goofy old giraffe. Thanks for the good times!
xRotorstormx:
Oh Toys R Us, never did I think I would see the day that you would no longer be with us. Growing up, my parents would always take me to the store to pick out a toy if I did well on my report card or to commemorate a special occasion. KB Toys and Caldor were great but Toys R Us always seemed to be the go to place for the "good stuff". My childhood store was in Milford, Connecticut on Old Gate Lane. I can still remember walking in and the "window" where you would bring up paper receipts for everything from bikes to video games was on the right just past the maze of aisles when you first walked in.
I remember getting G2 Optimus Prime and getting it home but the electronics didn't work, so we ended up having to go back and return it. It was also the spot where just about every other toy line I became obsessed with like Mighty Ducks, Extreme Dinosaurs, and Jurassic Park was purchased. Every time I go back to visit family, my dad and I would always make a trip to the store to stir up old memories and see what we could buy without my mom finding out (yup even at 32!).
One of the first things that my now husband and I did when we first met was go to Toys R Us because he wanted to show that he supported my hobby of collecting. When I started my job upon moving to Michigan, there was a Toys R Us just down the road so it became a part of my daily routine whether it was a lunchtime hunt if the weather was bad or a quick stop on the way home. Over the last few years, when the shelved stopped restocking and the crowds had dissipated, it was becoming evident that something was wrong but walking in and finding something I had been looking for always put a smile on my face.
I stopped by Toys R Us this past Thursday and was trying hard to fight back the tears until I found a little stuffed Geoffrey. It's hard to believe that something that has been a part of my entire life is no more. Toys R Us, you will be forever missed and forever a part of our lives. Thanks for all the memories that I will cherish fondly for the rest of my life.
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And how about you, Seibertronians and other readers? How does this news affect you? Do you have good, fond memories of the store? Does it hold a special place in the past? Are you not that invested in it at all? Join us, the Twincast Podcast crew (with their similarly themed episode here) in remembering what has been a staple of the Transformers collecting base for a long time, whatever your memories might be, and share some stories.
Welcome to 2018, Seibertronians! You know what time of the year this is, and you've been patient long enough now. We tickled your appetite with our #Transformersmas challenge round-up just the other day of course, but we have even bigger treats ahead. I'll start by citing our site founder, creator, owner, and gallery supplier (more on that later!) Seibertron when he wrote, in our end of year message here, that...
...2018 will mark the 34th anniversary of the Transformers brand, the 22nd anniversary of Beast Wars, the 13th anniversary of Armada, the 11th anniversary of Bayverse, and the 18th anniversary of Seibertron.com.
Before we reach the ticking of legal voting age (in some places) for our very own community, I think it's definitely time to look back at what has just gone past in 2017, a year with a movie and a series, and a year with endings and continuations, be it movies, shows, comics or toylines, and a year of late beginnings for toys, as Power of the Primes snuck in towards the last two months.
So it's time, once more, to make it...
A Year in Review - Transformers 2017
The best accompaniment to this several course meal, of course, is a glass of Energon Champagne, as provided by the Twincast Podcast episode 191 - which you can download and read about here. For an appetizer, you may want to look back at what we were discussing this time last year, too. As for the courageous plotters joining us on this sidequest through time, loop or not loop, here they are, in all their avatar-esque glory:
The Hounds
Bronzewolf
D-Maximus_Prime
william-james88
The Pups
Sigma Magnus
Qwan
WreckerJack
Bounti76
The Pedigree Podcasters
megatronus
ScottyP
Counterpunch
The Mature Mutts
Burn
Seibertron
The Mongrel
Va'al
The categories, as you might remember, are as follows:
Favorite 2017 Transformers: Robots in Disguise/Adventure/Rescue Bots
Favorite 2017 Transformers: None of the Above Figure
Favorite 2017 Transformers Masterpiece Figure
...and now: Figure of the Year 2017
Favorite 2017 Transformers Comics-moment
Favorite 2017 Transformers Show-moment
Favorite 2017 Transformers Game-moment
Favourite 2017 fan creation: art, custom, video, comic, fiction
...and now: Moment of the Year 2017
What are you looking forward to in 2018 for Transformers?
And with all that groundwork out of the way, it's about time we got into the meatier stuff. Ready? Let's go!
Favorite 2017 Transformers: The Last Knight / TLK
Bronzewolf - The Last Knight Toyline's terrible, terrible distribution has been complained about by many people (including myself) the world over, and not without reason. I along with many STILL have wave 1 clogging up the shelves of every major retailer, so TLK purchases for me have been few and far between. I did, however, get the two Deluxes I most wanted out of the line for Christmas: Cogman and Wave 3 Bumblebee. To be completely honest, I can't pick a favorite. They are both so extremely good in their own way that it's really hard to pick a favorite. Cogman is immaculately detailed, in some cases unnecessarily so, with paint apps that make his raised price point completely worth it, and the fact he can actually be a car and hold two Titan Masters in his (completely stunning and spotless) Aston mode is just icing on the cake.
Bumblebee, on the other hand, just rocks both his robot and vehicle mode, and truly looks like you peeled him off the screen. The quintessential Deluxe Movie 'Bee in my opinion. If I had to nitpick, my two issues with Bee are that his feet can unpeg and become floppy easily, and his doors pop off their sockets often and are starting to become just a little stressed.
william-james88 - Cogman. While the new voyager molds were all really solid, it was Cogman which showed how advanced the movie toys had gotten. He does the best job at showing totally new robot mode detail while hiding as much alt mode kibble in an elegant fashion. And he even gets to have a whole cockpit area in vehicle mode where 2 Titan Master figures can ride. I also want to give major props to deluxe Hot Rod which turned that lackluster Lockdown mold into something I would highly recommend owning.
Seibertron - My favorite figure from The Last Knight is none other than Deluxe Cogman. I loved that the figure served multiple purposes. On the surface, he was a pretty decent representation of a Transformers character, who never actually transformed in the movie. It represented the strengths and the flaws of the movies. I found the character both intriguing and annoying, entertaining and boring. My opinions about Cogman were much like The Last Knight ... all ... over ... the ... board. Yet, the toy won me over because of it's multi-faceted roles as an appropriate looking representation of Cogman, then as a Titans Return crossover figure, then as an interesting side-note for the movie franchise since Cogman was supposed to have a big scene as a Headmaster where he ripped off a Decepticon's head and transformed into the head of that body (so said Michael Bay to a group of us), and then the fact that his head transformed basically gave us an in-scale version of Cogman that was more-or-less Human sized. Toss in the fact that he could ride in himself, the only thing that was missing was some electronics that enabled us to play Cogman's favorite song by Ludacris.
D-Maximus_Prime - The Last Knight was definitely a mixed bag when it came to the figures it put out. The deluxes on the whole were generally lackluster, the leaders were a very mixed bag, the new legions were actually very cool and well done, and some of the simpler guys were not bad either (I picked up almost every Megatron toy!). But to me the best class of TLK was the voayger assortment. 5 new molds, and each one was very good in its own right. And I had a tough time narrowing it down. One of them was bound to be figure of the year, but that meant that 4 others had to fight for TLK figure of the year. and after careful thought and seeing what others are saying...
Voyager Scorn. Ok look, I love dinobots, and Scorn had the best dinobot figure of Age of Extinction for me. And then, despite not even being in the movie, he got the only new dinobot mold for The Last Knight. and it is a killer. The dino mode is huge and detailed! The transformation is fun and intuitive! The robot mode is a beast! And the paint work is perfect.
Believe me, Megatron, Hound, and Nitro Zeus fought for this spot, but I feel Scorn needed the love he rightfully deserves.
Sigma Magnus - Tough choice, as I didn't pick up much from this line. All I really have are the Voyagers, and each of them after wave one knocked it out of the park! Hound has loads of personality, Megatron is charismatic and intimidating (and surprisingly better than the Leader version), and Nitro Zeus is just as good as people say he is. However, my award has to go to Scorn. He's massive for a Voyager, and both his modes are imposing and badass. Despite an annoying transformation step in the shoulders, he's fun to play with too.
Bounti76 - While I LOVED Voyager Megatron, and his intuitive transformation, along with his excellent altmode kibble integration, I HAVE to go with Voyager Scorn for this one. Just a hulking BRUTE in both modes. A fantastic robot mode- very solid looking and imposing, while being amazingly poseable. Then, you get into (finally) movie-accurate Spinosaurus mode and daaaaaaaamn. HUGE. Solid. Looks like he sailed right off the screen from AOE (though he's a TLK toy). Outclasses and is light years ahead of the other Dinobot Voyager molds we got. He's the best of what the Bayverse Dinobots (and figures in general) should be. While there are a compromise or two in the figure, the rest of what he is just makes them not matter one bit.
megatronus - If there was one thing I was looking forward to after the disaster of The Last Knight, it was a non-awful Leader Megatron, and boy, did Leader Megatron deliver non-awfulness. This, by the way, was no guarantee - movie-style Megatrons have historically been stronger as voyagers and, indeed, the two strongest voyagers in the line, Nitro and Scorn, both came very close to taking the top spot from Megs. But, between his stunning jet mode, involved transformation, and robot mode articulation (ankle tilts!!!), it's hard for me to demur. The interchangeable face plate gimmick and the excellently molded dual-purpose flame accessories put him over the top.
Burn - I dunno, this is a hard one. I felt the bulk of the line was a big disappointment, poor distribution didn't help either.
I guess the two that stood out for me was Voyager and Leader Megatron. When pictures first emerged, I was excited! They both looked fantastic, in-hand, they didn't quite live up to the hype I'd built up in my head.
WreckerJack - To be honest, I have not picked up any figures from this line yet. Though I do have my eye on leader class Megatron and voyager Hound. Megatron for the spooky cool factor, he looks like a total beast. Hound because I have a taste for all things fire and rescue. I know a Mercedes Unimog tactical vehicle isn't exactly an ambulance or firetruck but that will set Hound apart from other figures in my fire and rescue collection.
Qwan - I have no doubt that Deluxe Sqweeks and Voyager Nitro Zeus will receive their share of love in this section, but I find myself instead singing the praises of a slightly greener 'bot - Voyager Hound. With a perfectly-balanced transformation more complex than Sqweeks and more intuitive than Nitro, a fantastic-looking mode at each end (a significant improvement over his hardly-screen-accurate AoE toy), and even a few fun little extras like his removable helmet, is it really any wonder that this characterful little chunk of plastic has won me over this year?
ScottyP - My pick is Deluxe Sqweeks and to be completely frank, I'm picking this just because I know others on the staff will pick Nitro Zeus and give that toy the love it deserves. Sqweeks is one very good Transformers toy, and one that does a lot when you'd think it has no right to be much of anything. Instead of blindly following conventional business wisdom and making a smaller toy in the same package that costs the same as other bigger toys in the same package, Sqweeks includes a "trailer" accessory that not only turns into a mini-battle station/repair bay like base, it also gives ample room to store the other accessories and optional arm configuration pieces that are included. Top this off with plastic that's lovely ABS with the glossy sheen and finish that evokes memories of another time and you get one of the diamonds in the rough of what was overall a pretty lackluster product selection for The Last Knight.
Favorite 2017 Transformers: Titans Return/Takara Legends in which no one agrees and that is great stuff except for the editor
Burn - Triggerhappy. By gawd this is one hell of a figure. I simply cannot fault him.
But, the biggest surprise for me came in the form of Windblade. Character wise, I despise her. But this figure is brilliant. She's solid, unlike her previous toy incarnations. Pulls off some fantastic poses and is just fun all round.
Triggerhappy is still better though.
Sigma Magnus - The Headmaster gimmick is one of my favorites, as there's an odd satisfaction to having little pilots for the vehicles. I liked Quake more than anticipated and I can't wait to get Twin Twist to go with Topspin. Trypticon was one of the figures I was looking forward to the most, and he is an great toy, but he's on the repair table until further notice thanks to a missing ramp and a broken hip. Overall, Titans Return has had a lot of amazing figures, but Triggerhappy still stands out as one of the best Deluxes ever. A great robot mode (with optional gunhands), a fun transformation, and an awesome-looking starfighter altmode all cement it as one of my all-time favorites.
Bronzewolf - So, I'm figuring everyone is going to say Trypticon, and he is an awesome toy, far better than Fort Max, last year's Titan Class offering. So, to vary it up a little, I'll pick somebody smaller: Sky Shadow. He's an awesome package of bad-ass attitude (Bad assitude?) who can just ruthlessly beat down anybody in his way. He's so evil, I just love it. He's probably the TR toy I had the most fun playing with this year, although Windblade and Brawn are close seconds.
WreckerJack - Oh man, that is tough. This has been my favorite line for the fact that it is very consistent and I like to headswap. Naturally, I can't get enough Titan Masters. I must say that Sky Shadow stands out to me the most. He's an amazing looking figure and has many modes. I really wish he got featured more because he just looks so cool! Though I know I can always make up my own stories for fun. Perceptor and Windblade are also favorites of mine because of them being some of my favorite characters and how well detailed they are as figures.
Bounti76 - While I was sorely tempted to go for a figure of a character we hadn't gotten in any form (Kre-O doesn't count to me) for 30+ years (Misfire or Full-Tilt), or one no one ever expected to get at ALL (Arcee and Daniel as her head), I'm instead going with an out-of-nowhere choice of ...Shuffler?? Yes, Shuffler. A VERY obscure figure, but one who I keep picking up, posing, putting on different bodies, transforming from elephant to tank to missile launcher... basically, all the things you do with toys you love. He's got the best integration of all the individual Titan Masters in any mode, and his headsculpt is one that looks great on almost any body. His retool of Ramhorn works just as well.
Counterpunch - Titans Return Topspin - There is a lot of good in this little package. Topspin does just about everything right. The transformation is smooth, the feature integration is spot on, and the character representation is effectively perfect. While Topspin was not a traditional Headmaster, it matters very little here. Hell, the character may as well have been one with as good as this toy is. So good in fact, that it has displaced my third party rendition of the character in my mind and shelves.
While Topspin had some moments in the comics, he was always at best a third-string entry. In many ways, the character was defined by the original G1 toy. This toy takes that task to heart and gives us a newer, better, and more interesting take on Topspin. Bravo.
Seibertron - While I am frustrated by the line-wide gimmicks that I feel destroy the essence and look of some characters that should never have been Headmasters (such as Galvatron), I was oddly surprised by some of my favorites that came out of the line that also should never have been Headmasters. Aside from seeing the main Autobot and Decepticon Headmasters receiving a modern (and appropriate) update after all of this time (thank you Hasbro and Takara Tomy), I have to say that Perceptor is probably my favorite even though I didn't like that he was a Headmaster. The toy just looks great. Plus he transforms into a "working" microscope, and the Titan Master being able to ride in the "tank mode" is a really nice nod back to the Microchange lineage of the Transformers brand.
megatronus - There were so many highlights amongst the Titans Return line - excellent deluxes, two titans, leader phase sixers - it can be hard to see achievement in the vanilla, pretool heavy series of TR voyagers. But Octane stands out. Of the triple changers, he has the distinction of streamlining all 3 modes: total bruiser of a robot mode, convincing tanker, and a wacky jet (the weakest of the 3 options, but more than adequate). The robot mode has the additional bonus of being surprisingly coherent, with less greebling and more striking highlights than his compatriots. Add a set of robot wings and a blaster or two, and I can't put him down.
Qwan - Titans Return, as a whole, has really knocked the ball out of the park. Picking just one figure to be "the best" is nigh-impossible, with multiple exemplary figures in every size-class all vying for attention. In the end though, my vote has to go to Voyager Blitzwing, for being a shining example of everything the line had to offer. A great Headmaster, with somewhere new and sensible for the Titan Master to go in every mode; a great triple-changer, with three distinct and appealing modes and fun conversions between them; even a great (p)retool base, also yielding my favorite Classics-style Megatron toy in recent years from the same mold. Everything that Titans Return was, Blitzwing is, and to me that makes him the cream of the crop this year.
D-Maximus_Prime - Also a very hard category. The deluxes in this line were fantastic, and I loved the leaders. But if one had to stand above the rest, I would need to say God Ginrai.
This was one that had a very peculiar set of circumstances behind me getting him. When the Siege on Cybertron set was revealed, I loved the looks of the set and the figures in it, and if I was going to have a Ginrai, I wanted Godbomber. So I picked up one of the last ones from BBTS and shipped him with the boxset. And I have loved it. They are both pretty good separate, and the combined vehicle mode is lots of fun too. But the combined robot mode is so awesome. He stands tall, and he has been fun to play with. He was one of my go to bots to mess with for a solid 2 months, and he still stands proud on my shelf, waiting for me to get an apartment/house where he can have more space to stretch out.
This guy is loads of fun, a great pickup. I would never have gotten him had the Siege set not happened, and I am glad it did.
Favorite 2017 Transformers: Robots in Disguise/Adventure/Rescue Bots
Qwan - I'd hesitate to call myself an RiD "collector", but though I only picked up a few releases here and there, one particular catch from the tail-end of the year really stood out to me: 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".
Counterpunch - Robots in Disguise Thermidor - In the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king. RiD has been treated shamefully. The 2017 releases have been scattered, inaccessible, and largely made little to no sense. Thermidor, while merely a redeco of Bisk, is at least a show accurate character. He's blue. He's a lobster-man. You probably couldn't find him in stores. He's pretty good and Hasbro should have treated him and the line with more respect.
ScottyP - There is really not much to pick from here. Most of the tail end of Robots in Disguise had its potential squandered by the painfully not good Crash Combiner gimmick, leaving maybe a handful of Warrior Class releases out there to pick up the slack for collectors. With Adventure dead, and Rescue Bots floundering with the Flip Racers imprint, it falls to this small assortment when picking the best of this area of the brand.
This limited selection is my way of defending the choice of a repaint of a 2016 figure as my choice for favorite in this lineup: Thermidor. Featuring a new head sculpt, the Warrior Class Bisk base mold is given a brilliant blue makeover that looks really great in-hand. Additionally, this helps expand the very lacking ranks of Decepticons in the line. One more Scavenger is always a good thing, so please, please, pleeeeease bring on Clampdown and Clawtrap before RiD is sent out to pasture entirely.
That's not happening, is it?
Seibertron - There have been some fantastic figures that have come out of this Transformers product line, that sadly seems to get overlooked by a lot of fans. It was fun to see some new introductions like Twinferno, but I think I've got to go with Bludgeon, just because he's been one of my favorite characters for almost 30 years (thanks to Simon Furman making a not that great Pretender into an extremely memorable character). Yes, Bludgeon is technically a "repaint" from Blastwave and a "retool" from Megatronus, but I'm really happy with him as Bludgeon. Here's hoping we get a Generations Bludgeon at some point. Honorable mention: Thermidor needs some love since he was originally shown without a retooled head. It was nice to see him get his own noggin' separate from Bisk. Both are characters that I never thought we'd see in toy form. But Bludgeon would put both of their heads on spikes, so he wins.
william-james88 - Windchill the Yeti Bot. I cannot believe it, there is now an actual Transforming Yeti. I am a big fan of Cryptozoology and this was just awesome to now have as part of the iconic franchise/brand. Its also fun that his alt mode is a snowmobile, works well with the arctic theme. This was part of the Arctic Rescue sets and I must admit of all the Rescue Bots stuff I have seen so far, these sets are some of the best due to the level of interaction you could get. It reminded me (especially the Bumblebee one) of the Microman revival of the new millennia where you could remove parts of one animal and fuse them with another.
Seibertron - I've collected Rescue Bots since the beginning. While I have an immense amount of respect for the TV show, it's not for me, but many of the kids in mine and my wife's families have grown up with them before graduating onto something else. The Rescue Bots toyline has intrigued me since Hasbro demonstrated the concept to my wife and I at BotCon 2010. Many of you might not know this, but each of the original Rescue Bots transformation of the Rescue Bots main figures encourage different motor skills from kids, whether it's a push-and-pull, a lever, spinning, or other simple transformation schemes that utilize basic motor skills for children. The lighthearted, basic style of the Rescue Bots that are also "cutesy" and simple is just fun to have as part of my massive collection.
So that's a lot of me writing to basically say that I really don't have a favorite Rescue Bots figure this year. I feel like the uniquely American toyline from Hasbro's Playskool division might have finally jumped the shark this year, with dragons and other unnecessary versions of these characters while not having many updates to the main cast that you must have. With that said, if I had to choose, I'd say Brushfire. He's a new character, has an interesting half-track ATV alt-mode that we don't see too often, and even has a Mini-Con partner bear named Sequoia. Runner-up would be the very interesting looking Optimus Prime that has a very stylized helmet, unique alt-mode, and more-or-less a Diaclone color scheme.
william-james88 - 2016 was just such a better year for Robots in Disguise when it came to the warrior class. In comparison 2017 didn't have as much ingenuity and freshness in designs. But I did like that Soundwave. Of course the arms in alt mode are hard to ignore but he is still very gun to mess around with (fun transformation) and I always love seeing the evolution of character designs. This was a new take on Soundwave, one of my favourite characters, and the design borrowed from previous elements while also making him new and distinctive from any previous version.
Sigma Magnus - Warrior Soundwave wins by default, as he's the only RiD toy I have at the moment. He's not the best, but I still think he's pretty fun and has a good deal of personality.
WreckerJack - Warrior class Soundwave and Blurr for sure. I really like the clear plastic that was used in each of these figures. For Soundwave there is even a variant where he is either wearing a mask or has a fully clear faceplate. Blurr looks very cute and friendly so he's got kid appeal, but older fans can appreciate the smoothness of his race car design as well as the awesome clear gun.
Bounti76 - While not a huge fan of the show, I did pick up a figure or three now and then. The first one I was really intrigued by, and bought on sight, was Blurr. While not looking anything like previous Blurrs, he still had callbacks to them with the blue and white color scheme. He was something of a shellformer, but had enough unique bits in his transformation to make him fun to switch back and forth. And while I'm not a huge fan of translucent plastic being used for anything but light piping, I really enjoyed his weapon and headsculpt, which both use it, but with completely non-gimmicky (to me) results.
D-Maximus_Prime - So Robots in Disguise did not have a great year. The warriors were sort of lackluster and there was a larger focus on the Crash Combiners and Teams Combiners. I will say I did enjoy both combiner classes a lot, despite the criticism they got. They are fun things, especially the team combiners. which leads me to my pick.
Team Combiner Ultra Bee. The team combiners did something fairly unique: they were full 4/5 bot combiners that had robot modes, alt modes, and combiner modes, and were still fairly cheap to get. They were no combiner wars figures, but they were still quite good. They are a sort of new brand of G1 combiner, which is not a terrible thing. And Ultra Bee was so cool just because of how unique he is. He's a 4 bot combiner, 5 if they had counted Drift as the sword for the toy. His CG model was really cool and became my profile pic. He had a Dinobot, a Bumblebee, a pun for an arm, and a targetmaster of sorts. He had both male and female bots as components. And the toy was really cool, and is still fun to fiddle with. Grimlock's transformation into bottom half mode is quite cool and simple, and it is fun to transform Bee into torso mode too. The set had a lot going for it, and I greatly appreciate the love and effort they put into him.
Favorite 2017 Transformers: None of the Above Figure
ScottyP - 2017 was the year that "Classics" styled Transformers lines fully pivoted from re-imagining characters in creative, fun, new ways to recreating G1 toys while adding articulation. I am not a fan of this direction.
Out of protest, I'm choosing LG-EX Magna Convoy. A redeco that was in-demand for 11 years finally arrived, complete with an awesome sword, beautiful box art, appropriately placed chrome, and Convobat's butt. This felt like a treat and was a winner from start to finish. Even the full-sized pack-in comic has fun from the first page to the last. If this is a send-off for this mold, then it's the most appropriate one I can imagine. Thanks for 11 years of fun Transformers adventures, Classics Optimus Prime mold!
But I'll also mention MB-EX Laserbeak. Despite Dark of the Moon coming out at a time when Bumblebee repaints were so numerous they became a fandom joke, this on-screen representation of how the murderous Laserbeak enjoys spending his afternoon tea time was never released as a figure - until this year.
william-james88 - I LOVE the Movie the Best line from Takara. It gave me all those movie toys I wanted by either finally existing or being affordable. We finally got a voyager ROTF Megatron in colours that werent turguoise (gorgeous silver paint instead) and I finally got my hands on an authentic human alliance Soundwave which came in a fully painted alt mode. But best of all, and this is my pick for this category, MB 11 Leader Optimus Prime finally gave me the very best version of the ROTF mold. All I had before this was the original with the annoying flip out swords and lackluster deco. But at a very affordable cost, MB 11 gave me a gorgeously painted leader Prime, with separate accessories (rather than flip our swords, making the transformation much more enjoyable) with articulated hands and the retooled abdominal along with the brass knuckle accessory Prime uses to crush Soundwave, an accessory that previous to this was only available in a $270 release from Hasbro Asia. I was so worried I had waste money buying this toy when a new MPM Optimus prime was coming out but this turned out to be the better purchase, by a long shot.
D-Maximus_Prime - I'm going to pull a 2016 Counterpunch here with my pick: Chaos on Velocitron Laser Prime. I am considering this an "other" since it was a specialty boxset, and I really want this figure to be in here somewhere. I did not get the original figure, but when I got the boxset, I fell in love with it. A black and red Prime is so cool, the tanker sticker was awesome, and the figure overall screams how awesome a choice it was. It is a fun mold, the best besides Alpha Trion from Titans Return, and I love everything about it. It is a go to figure for me to play with.
Grotusque is a close 2nd place. I loved the Monsterbots we got. It was a hard choice between him and Laser Prime.
william-james88 - I also particularly liked the Chaos on Velocitron set. Especially the Laser Prime which went all out, even including a giant sticker of Optimus burning down a forest. Its just fun seeing an homage done so right and while the airplane mode isn't great, it can easily be ignored and wont interfere with the other two striking modes. He is one of the few toys I just couldn't put down. And I love that it was part of this very affordable set which could easily have been double the price or more if it were a Botcon exclusive. I really like what Hasbro did with these sets and I hope to see more in the future. Also, for some odd reason, I was able to enjoy that Sixshot mold far more as Quickswitch, which had a more premium feel to me.
Bronzewolf - I think my top POTP figure would honestly be Legend Beachcomber! It's nice to have a complete set of updated '85 Mini-bots, and he's just really fun to just drift around. A ton of the other fiugres in this first wave are really enjoyable, (See: Slash, the Prime masters, Dinobots) but Beachcomber's the best.
Bounti76 - I have to go with POTP Slash for this one. Even while being a big-time collector of fembot figures, and a lover of the Dinobots since childhood, I was intrigued by this figure for a number of reasons. She's tiny, but this works in multiple ways: her altmode is a tiny dinosaur, and as a tracker, she needs to be small and lithe to do her job effectively. She's quite poseable in robot mode, but a bit front heavy in raptor mode (her only drawback, in my opinion). But the clincher for me is the fact that her deco and figure homage the G1 Dinobots so well with the clear plastic and gold underneath, and even her transformation is G1-esque to the point that she fits right in with the other Dinobots and looks like she's always belonged there.
Counterpunch - POTP Leader Optimus - Who'd have thought an Optimus Prime toy would make my list? No one because I haven't been active enough this year for anyone to pay attention to any commentary I have. Regardless, this toy is outstanding. Now, I couldn't give a crap about Orion Pax as he is presented in the Sunbow style here. I'd honestly prefer and IDW-ish Orion or simply a nicer cab-to-Optimus figure. Still, the evolution gimmick here runs its course well and the toy itself is pretty good (alt mode gaps aside). Where we shine and I mean...really truly shine, is in the full Optimus Prime combined form.
This figure has personality to spare and I don't even understand how. It has shelf presence and heroic proportions...and a head tilt that is so full of charm you'll mistake it for me with three sheets to the wind.
megatronus - I'm a sucker for a black Prime, and the Leader Prime retooled from Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus is sexy as all heck in black. His packaging is original and slick, and that rail gun accessory - it's to die for. And that name! Primitive Prime all the way.
Seibertron - Some of you who really know me might think my pick for this category is really odd, but it seems to continue my trend of picking things that conflict with other opinions I have on this list. As some of you might know from listening to me on the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast, I dropped off the Transformers comic bandwagon for the first time ever after collecting them ever since 1984 ... and it was all because of what happened with the Hasbro Universe, as I strongly disliked how it was handled. However, this year's San Diego Comic-Con Revolution set that finally presented the IDW Hasbro Universe in toy form from the IDW comics, was a nice nod to fans. I still think the Hasbro Universe would have been much better off with a slow build to introduce this idea to all of us, and a toyline to go along with the comics. I've always wanted to see 3.75" human action figures alongside the mainline Transformers, and this finally accomplishes it. No Human Alliance silly scaled humans. I like my toys to be scaled, but not religiously scaled. Sometimes, just "hey this toy is bigger than another toy" is all you need. Smaller humans standing alongside larger robots is cool. It was a nice set and I give Hasbro kudos for bringing it to market. Here's hoping that the concept gets expanded further... and the Hasbro Universe stories improved.
Favorite 2017 Transformers Masterpiece Figure
D-Maximus_Prime - MP-37 Artfire. I have heard great things about this mold from the get go with Inferno, but my thing with MPs: I only want 1 per mold, and they have to mean something to me, really stick out to me. And Artfire has done all of that.
The paintwork is fantastic with this guy, he is flawless! The truck mode is a thing of beauty, and the ladder magic is all I hoped it would be. He is a fun Masterpiece to mess with, helped of course by Nightstick, who is a great little targetmaster in his own right, and a great partner to Artfire. And the paint work on Artfire makes him look far more detailed than he is, he doesn't look flat like Inferno and Grapple did. He is the best version of this mold.
Out of 3 new MPs and an old one I got this year, bringing my MP total to 5, He is the best.
Bounti76 - This one was tough. While Megatron is a strong contender, I also don't own him and haven't seen or handled him in person. He looks amazing in both modes, while having an insanely complex transformation, so while I may or may not get him in the future, that might throw me off a bit.
So while I'm waiting for Sunstreaker to show up (which might have been my favorite), I'm going to go with Artfire as my pick. He's got a great deco, probably the best of the Inferno/Grapple/Artfire/(Hauler??) mold, with multiple beautiful tampographs, and a color scheme that really makes the figure and the details of the mold pop. He looks great in either mode, and the inclusion of the best MP Targetmaster mold (to date) is icing on the cake.
ScottyP - Artfire because it's a cop-out answer so I can use something else in the next one. It's a fun mold, this redeco is very very good looking, and the new Targetmaster included is one of the best small figures that's ever been executed.
Seibertron - MP-38 Beast Wars Convoy Legendary Leader Version was a really nice redo of MP-32 Beast Convoy. I loved the classic Beast Wars Ultra Class Optimus Primal toy elements that were given to this toy to make it stand on its own merits from MP-32. The original toy version of this character in 1996 was a really great toy, and it is still one of my all-time favorite Transformers toys, despite it's simplicity. It represented many things to me and to see it in an updated toy form brings back many nostalgic feelings and memories to me.
MP-36 was a partial mess in robot mode to me. I just couldn't get over the problems with the upper shoulders and his backside, though I would have been much more forgiving of his backside. There needed to be some panels or something to cover up that mess. It's a "Masterpiece" figure. I can't forgive issues like that on a toy we've for which been waiting so long.
MP-35 Grapple and MP-37 Artfire also deserve nods because they have beautiful and well thought out transformations that I didn't find frustrating. I love the ladder magic of the Inferno mold.
However, MP-38 Beast Wars Convoy Legendary Leader Version just tugged at the right cords with me, so he wins this nomination from yours truly.
megatronus - Continuing the MP Beast Wars line with Cheetor was delightful, as is the new, smaller size movie Bumblebee. But really, they are a distant seconds to the biggest big bad of them all: Megatron. As someone who started collecting again with the goal of collecting ONLY Megatrons (boy, has time changed my tune), this is a figure I've wanted for years --- and he delivers. His articulation, accessories, and general expressiveness are an engineering achievement of the highest order, and it's clear these were intended to aid in reenactments of Transformers: The Movie scenes. The only drawback is that I will never, ever transform him - but I can cope.
william-james88 - This sucks. You see I am getting the Masterpiece Megatron rerelease at the very begginig of 2018. I had first passed on it since it was simply out of my price range and I had been burnt on previous attempts to a masterpiece (styled) Megatron. I didn't want to jump the gun (ha!) again. But what I have been hearing made me regret not getting him sooner. In any case compared to my other options (like Cheetor) I would rather go down in history as saying that Megatron is the best MP toy of 2017.
Bronzewolf - For the first time in years, I actually have two MPs to choose from! The brand new Hasbro MP-10 TRU release, and Mp-12+, and I have to go with Optimus just because of how significant he is to me. This is my first MP Optimus and first experience with the MP-10 mold after years of pining for him. I can finally fill that very large hole in my collection. (It helps that he's an incredible figure.)
Counterpunch - Frankly, I don't think it's fair to put any other figure in this place. Trypticon is the figure of the year because not only does he do everything right, but the size and scope of the project he represents has to be rewarded for what it is.
Trypticon is the G1 figure, minus the walking feature, but plus 30 years of design, development, and engineering. He's detailed, retains much of the play pattern, and somehow incorporates useful articulation into the sizable frame. He comes with stickers, that while not perfect, are a great margin better than Metroplex or Fort Max. He has a delightful integration of the Titan Master gimmick and three perfectly functional modes. Not only is this figure a treat for collectors, but I can attest to it enduring play with a 3 year old and being absolutely engaging for him.
I'd be remiss not to mention the design flaw that plagued the initial discussions of this toy, but to be honest, I had forgotten about it until now. It's a bummer that a number of people in the first days of this toy had issues. It's even worse that so many wen through with "fixes" that amounted to bad surgery on a problem that had far simpler fixes. Still, the vast majority of us had good figures or ones that could be corrected with small effort.
Trypticon continues in the pattern of outstanding city-bot figures from Hasbro and Takara. I hope this pattern is encouraged and continued with an Omega Supreme in the near future.
Qwan - Like some others, my choice for Figure of the Year doesn't align with any of my previous top picks. While Blitzwing was, for me, the height of what Titans Return achieved, Titan-Class Trypticon was a monumental toy in every regard - for what he was and what he represented. Not only the best Titan-class cityformer we've had so far in the Generations superline, he also assuaged any fears after Fort Max that we wouldn't get entirely new molds for our cityformer updates even when they were sorely needed, paving the way for new-mold Titans at least occasionally and restoring fans' dwindling confidence in the size class. He also has a bit of personal meaning for me - being an early-bird in getting him upon release more or less gave me my "in" to the Seibertron community, both with my reviews of the toy's good aspects, and my admittedly slash-and-burn approach to fixing early runs' major QC issues - so with that Tryp tips the scales to become my favourite Transformers toy of 2017.
Seibertron - Trypticon is truly an amazing figure that we probably shouldn't even have in our collections. I never thought we'd get an update of Trypticon as anything other than a Leader Class toy, and wasn't expecting a massive Titan Class version of him, even though I've wanted one since Generations Titan Class Metroplex. Sorry Perceptor, I think Trypticon has to take the top spot. While I picked Perceptor as my favorite main line Titans Return figure, I picked Trypticon overall because we'll get more Perceptors. However, at the rate we're going with Trypticon toys, this could be the only properly done Trypticon we get until 2048.
william-james88 - There were remarkable toys this year but none really stood out in the retail toys. RID didnt have much to offer this year and while Titans Return Kup and Topspin were fun, they do have some issues. Even Trypticon who doesnt do anything wrong still didn't wow me due to him being exactly what I thought he would be (and also due to having a shorter digestive track than I imagined). But there is one toy that came out early enough and that just still looks as awesome and imposing: Titans Return Sky Shadow. He just oozes cool. Even for those who don't know the character, the design and colour scheme are undeniably stylish. He just looks intense and a Decepticon truly worthy of being in the highest ranks. The transformation was simple but clever and all modes look great. The chunkiness also reminds me of the Cybertron era, but with today's articulation, it's awesome! I like him even better than Overlord, a toy we have been waiting age for, since this seems like an evolution in design (which I always like) rather than simply just doing G1 with articulation (which often ends up rather dull). And its really awesome that this Sky Shadow is a Hasbro exclusive this time around (at the time of writing this). My runner up was TLK Voyager Megatron, what an excellent Transformers toy.
megatronus - I was not expecting pre-tooled Overlord to beat Overlord, but Sky Shadow is that good. Like Octane amongst the triple changers, Sky Shadow is the most streamlined of the phase sixers. This, combined with Sky Shadow's ease of transformation and the most outstanding play pattern in the entire Titans Return line, clinches it for this dark horse. MP36 Megatron comes close, but while I value his superior ability to pose and admire, I prioritize play in this category. Further, Octane is right there with Sky Shadow, but the Leader compares more favorably when considering competing figure lines. Plus, did I mention the Club intended to redeco him as Energon Megatron? Sky Shadow for the win.
ScottyP - MP-36 Megatron because duh. I know, you're too proud to use instructions, and you're getting old like me and remembering a bajillion steps gets harder all the time, but let's ignore that - the objectively right answer for this category is MP Megatron "2.0". This toy is in-scale with other Masterpiece figures in robot mode, amazingly engineered, packed with accessories, infinitely expressive, and just plain cool. Among those accessories are weathered, damaged chest and face pieces that, along with the included handgun and some smart shoulder articulation, let you put Megatron in the exact pose he waited an eternity to be in. It's over, Prime :Hot Rod jumps in to cut off the Furmanism:
Bronzewolf - Same as above, MP-10. He's just perfect, and is the penultimate Optimus Prime figure. Everything that could be said about him has been said, and I'm just glad to finally own him.
D-Maximus_Prime - TLK Nitro Zeus. It was always going to be him for me. For one thing, he is a fully original toy and character, and he got a very solid jet toy. His undercarriage blends into his overall jet mode, so you would really need to look to pick out the robot parts if you didn't know what the robot mode looked like. And the transformation is insane! The fact that his arms are the nosecone and thrusters yet the rest of the bot is symmetrical is insane. He is fun to swoosh around, and he has a cool looking robot mode.
But what really puts him over the top for me is his customability. His head is on a titan master port, so you can take his head off and swap in Titan Masters. His cockpit was designed for that purpose! The titan master can even ride inside the cockpit in robot mode too, so you can have a full time partner, like the Siege on Cybertron Thunderwing. Apeface is also a great looking head on him. He has so much potential for so many fun things regarding movie figures, transformation, and Titans Return and even Power of the Primes compatibility. He does everything for me, and he is the best of the year.
Bounti76 - Scorn. By a mile. Possibly the best Bayverse figure there is.
WreckerJack - I would probably have to say the leader class Megatron from TLK. It defines 2017 not only because of the movie but as one of the best looking Megatron figures of all time. I like how the design makes him look like an absolute monster, especially his mask.
Burn - Triggerhappy. Just deal with it!
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For those of you still with us, here's a brief break, before delving into our Transformers media compilation!
And now, on with the show!
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Favorite 2017 Transformers Comics-moment
Bounti76 - The entirety of Till All Are One. From the first page of the first issue, until the last page of the annual ( ), Maighread Scott, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Joana Lafuente and Tom Long created a masterpiece of a series that I couldn't wait to read every month. From shining a light on more obscure characters (Greenlight, Lancer, Lightbright) and bringing Prime characters (Knock Out and his husband-in-universe Breakdown, Airachnid) in so organically, I just devoured the series. And the unexpected moments that just knocked the breath out of you: Starscream's true self being revealed, his confession in the annual and seeing his face literally and figuratively light up with Windblade's gift to him in the final panels of the series (Mairghread Scott GETS Starscream when she writes him, and makes him such a compelling figure); Sara Pitre-Durocher's depiction of the merging of the Combaticons' minds into Bruticus'... that is an AMAZING piece of art that not only tells a story, but gives the best depiction of a combiner's mind we've gotten in Transformers fiction, ever; Liege Maximo's return and Elita One and Strika's unsuccesful attempts to stop him and Vigilem......I really cannot say enough about how well and seamlessly this team worked together to tell the stories that they did. I just wish IDW could have left well enough alone and let Scott, Pitre-Durocher and team keep going. Instead, we have the travesty that Lost Light is turning into, but that's another thread for another day.
Counterpunch - Till All Are One Annual: Starscream's Redemption - This is one of those, "I hope someone doesn't come around and screw this up later" moments. Starscream as "The Chosen One" has been a bit of a confusing topic that while significant in the story, has never really played out well in reader's minds. The Windblade books and subsequently Till All Are One have done more to add to the Transformers mythos and backstory than anyone has admitted except in retrospect. Oft times overlooked in favor of the more popular and poppy MtMtE and Lost Light, these books have given heart and soul to the world outside of one singular ship and its crew and done so with pointed stories and even more pointed character moments (Brawl, I'm looking at you).
In a way, what's happened to Starscream over the past year takes hold of and answers the question that's always been just beyond the issue of blind ambition and tackles it; the question of 'why is Starscream the guy he is'.
Va'al - I finally get to contribute something of my own, too! And I definitely have to jump back onto the wagon, and proclaim my undying love for Till All Are One, and its creative team - Mairghread Scott, Sara Pitre Durocher, Joana Lafuente, with Tom Long and the rotating editors at IDW - who were able to deliver the best story I could not have imagined about one of my very favourite characters (Windblade), and deal with issues that I'd easily read about in other books I follow, from politics to personal, religion to identity, and the over-arcing manipulation and mental spaces they all inhabited. All while tying extremely comfortably with the Primes plot steaming ahead in the background for the Transformers universe at large, eventually leading to Unicron.
william-james88 - I will be honest, I wasn't too fond of Lost Light for most of this year. BUT, and that's the beauty of how awesome this brand is right now in the comics, that still meant I had tons of other great comics to read to get my Transformers fix. I had been reading More than Meets the Eye exclusively before the relaunch and reading Till All Are One gave me a nice change of (s)pace, with a focus on what is going on in Cybertron (which I totally stopped caring about after Dark Cybertron). It was fun to see the day to day of this Transformers Home world and also seeing Tigertron and Airrazor together (alive and well and not fused). I would say my favourite comic moment is definitely discovering this new comic. It's also really fun that it made me glad I got the Hasbro Combiner Wars Blastoff.
ScottyP - Hats off to the creative minds at IDW Publishing for making this a very, very hard category to pick one choice from. One comics category in a great comics year and a bajillion toy ones in one of the weaker toy years, cool. (Sorry Va'al.)
After a great bit of deliberation, I'm going with Optimus Prime #9: "The Life of Sideswipe". An old soldier realizes his time has passed, and then he dies. It's powerful stuff and I recommend it to anyone reading this article.
D-Maximus_Prime - Optimus Prime #9 and the story of Sideswipe in that issue. This to me is one of the best Transformers moments and comics written. The story is touching, and it puts to rest one of my favorite Transformers of all time in the respect he deserves. It was brilliant.
Bronzewolf - 2017 was the year I got back into Transformers comics, thanks to ScottyP and my required reading for the Twincast (more on that below...). I LOVED Lost Light 10, and it immediately got me hooked. Can't wait to keep following along.
megatronus - That moment in Lost Light 10 when you first suspect the Protectobots & Mirage are in a memory loop... and then they end up in a memory loop. It was one of those rare moments of 12 Monkeys or Sixth Sense-esque surprise (I <3 Bruce WIllis) that encapsulates what I like about well-executed twists: the clues are all there, and when you look back, it seems so obvious. But they got you. They got you good.
Wreckerjack - Lost Light number 12. It really felt like things are getting into high gear. Yeah some upsetting things happened (which I don't want to spoil for those who take a week or two to get to the comic store.) I think that it matched the intensity we got with MTMTE, plenty of action and events that make me want to read the next issue to find out what happens already! Seems to me Lost Light has dragged on with filler for a long time and this issue has blown my mind more than any other in a long time.
Sigma Magnus - I haven't been keeping up with the comics as well I should, unfortunately. But one of the moments that I have read that stood out was the Wraith-infected Ultra Magnus from Shining Armor. The design of it was horrifying and grotesque, but I couldn't stop looking at it.
Seibertron - I just bought the past 18 months of Transformers comics for about $70 courtesy of Midtown Comics out of New York City, thanks to their 75% off sale. I'll get back to you guys on this one after I catch up on the Lost Light and other Transformers comics thanks to ScottyP's guidance, who I also owe a huge thanks to for more than one reason.
Favorite 2017 Transformers Show-moment
Qwan - I only have The Last Knight to pick from, having not seen any other Transformers media from 2017, so my range isn't too good here. And so, though my favourite entirely through irony, my top moment of this year was a single line from TLK and the subsequent reaction of every character present. To paraphrase a presumably world-leading scientist: "If these two planets collide, there will be millions of casualties." Oh no, approximately half the population of New York, truly an unimaginably huge casualty toll (not even a death toll) from an interplanetary collision. And nobody questions it, everyone reacts like this event would be the end of the world - which according to common sense it should be, and yet based on the information presented in the film somehow isn't - just, just. Keep doing you, Transformers: The Last Knight. Keep doing you.
Sigma Magnus - Cogman in TLK. While others thought he was annoying, I liked his comedic moments. Can't wait to get my hands on his toy, too!
megatronus - Hm. I wish I was up to date with RID, because I understand the conclusion was a bit better than satisfactory. However, for argument's sake, I'll say my favorite screen moment was in TLK when Megatron is negotiating to free his Decepticon compatriots. I appreciated the Suicide Squad reference, because it was entertaining call back to a crappy movie that helped distract me from the crappier movie I was watching.
Bounti76 - Sqweeks and Hot Rod being introduced into the movieverse was enough to make me pause. Would they (especially Sqweeks) take over screen time from more established characters? Would they take over the movie and make it annoying, rather than a fun summer popcorn movie? Thankfully, they did none of that. Sqweeks' scenes were funny without being obnoxious, and his big moment in blowing up the gun was hilarious (getting knocked back by the kickback of his gun arm) and hell-yeah inducing. And Hot Rod? He was a welcome addition. His gun served a purpose without feeling like it came out of nowhere, thanks to being introduced early on. His altmode and general character model were slick, and thanks to being voiced by an actual French speaking actor, his accent never sounded annoying.
Seibertron - My favorite scene from Transformers The Last Knight also continues my conflicting opinions about all-things Transformers from 2017. I really liked the scene where Optimus Prime and Bumblebee duked it out and Bumblebee got his voice back. But I also really disliked that scene because it wrapped up too quickly and ... Bumblebee got his voice back, which is something that should have been resolved back at the end of the first movie or Revenge of the Fallen. It's silly that continued for as long as it did. However, in the end, it was an emotional scene and even brought a tear to my eye. The scene represented everything that was right and wrong all at the same time with the Bayverse.
ScottyP - Optimus Prime, in truck mode, drives out of a cloud of smoke at the end of The Last Knight while Steve Jablonsky's "Arrival to Earth" is arranged in a full cheese rendition that blares in the background. Why is he a truck just now? Was this a lazy way to show how he survived the battle? What was this movie even about, and why did I buy it on Blu-ray? Who cares. Despite this movie's many, many mistakes and shortcomings, this 5 seconds of overdone brilliance will live forever as one of those "Optimus Prime really is great" moments.
WreckerJack - Seeing Bulkhead on RID. I missed his humor so much since TFP.
D-Maximus_Prime - Moon Breaker and the fight between Ultra Bee and Menasor. For one thing, it is fun to watch Ultra Bee form, and then it is fun to watch him move around and fight. And this was about as close as we got to a great combiner fight between any recent shows. It was fun to watch, and it is still fun to watch, just like the Bee and Bisk rock concert fight from last year.
Favorite 2017 Transformers Game-moment
D-Maximus_Prime - The addition of more combiners in Earth Wars. The combining aspect was something that seemed like so much fun, once you got the combiner. It took me until June, but I finally got my first: Bruticus, one of the combiners added this year. And finally experiencing the rush of combiner combat in the game was great, something I still really enjoy. I did finally get Devastator too, and I am only 1 bot away from Predaking, so thank you Earth Wars for combiners.
Burn - Any time I cracked a 4* crystal in Earth Wars and it wasn't a duplicate. OTHERS WILL UNDERSTAND MY JOB!
megatronus - The introduction of Astrotrain and the triple-changer concept in Earth Wars was pretty great to experience - and having a 4* is even better! The game has far exceeded the shelf life I expected it to have, and coming up on 2 years playing, I can only wonder what is wrong with my life.
Seibertron - I'm still tinkering around with Earth Wars and am still the commander of Seibertron.com's Autobot Alliance. I'm finally losing steam with the game. My least favorite update to the game is the new one where we attach "Matrix" like things to the chests of the characters and add power-ups to the defensive weapons. It's a bad take on the Matrix or the Power of the Primes power-up scheme and everything looks ridiculous now in the game. However, I like that they keep plugging forward with Combiners, Triplechangers, Beast Wars, and introducing other fan-favorite characters. It's still a fun game with a lot of potential tie-ins with the toyline, that I still don't think has been fully utilized but it was nice seeing a the game reveal Volcanicus alongside Hasbro's reveal at Hascon 2017. While I'm not a fan of Volcanicus or Dinobots combining, I loved seeing Hasbro and Space Ape do this reveal in conjunction with each other.
Favourite 2017 Fan Creation
Sigma Magnus - Thew's Awesome Transformers Reviews. He's a joy as he always is, and I'm always looking forward to his next video. Hopefully his channel continues to grow like it has this year!
Qwan - I know everyone gave Thew a bunch of attention last year, but I wasn't on staff back then, and his content certainly hasn't declined since last time so I feel it's only fair to give him a bit more spotlight for his stylish, often informative and always hilarious videos.
ScottyP - Customizer Chrome Tyranno had these custom Getaways available at TFcon and I'm so glad for it.
Bounti76 - As ScottyP has posted, turning the entirely lackluster Titans Return Getaway into his IDW coloring really makes that mold work for him. And it was so simple to have done it in those colors in the first place, it makes me wonder why Hasbro never did.
william-james88 - I really loved this stop motion ad for Titans Return.
Pretty smart that Hasbro is inviting the community to contribute in this way. I was also happy to see one of our own, xrotorstormx, featured in a Hasbro ad for the Toys'R'Us release of Masterpiece Optimus Prime.
Va'al - I have a number of them, but above all, I'd have to go with Lindsay Ellis' The Whole Plate, her video essay series on film studies through the lens of Michael Bay's approach to Transformers. It's a really well thought, written, edited and produced critical look at how to reconcile film with film, and what might come out of the meeting between criticism and movie-maker with singular vision.
Honourable shout-outs go to Chris McFeely, who single-handedly curates an introductory series to the Transformers franchise and its characters, on YouTube under Transformers: The Basics; another goes to the official Transformers social media team, and their game-upping on meme spreading and shitposting (Starscream is a cat person for sure); and finally, Bronzewolf's Transformersmas, which is getting better every year, and that is thanks to all of you.
D-Maximus_Prime - Fires_of_Inferno did a masterful job with his skit for the Transformersmas holiday special. Seeing Prime Starscream as a Scrooge for a week of comics was brilliant, and I am eternally grateful for all the funny stuff he gave us during the challenge.
Bronzewolf - Becka Allen's Transformers Photo Comics on Twitter. They've given me so much consistent joy over the past several months every time she releases a new one. They're hilarious and adorable, and really one of my favorite parts of the entire Transformers Twitter Sphere.
WreckerJack - There are so many I just can't decide. All of the fanwork I see makes me really glad to be in the community so I feel weird about liking one over all of the others. I honestly just like to see people's contributions to our fan community as a whole and just appreciate just how much the Transformers series means to all of us. People put a lot of heart into their work and it really shows.
...and now: Moment of the Year 2017 This is always the weird and wonderful one.
D-Maximus_Prime - I really don't wanna inflate their egos anymore than they already are ( ) but I have to say the moment(s) of the year for me came from my fellow Seibertronians and the Transformers they passed on to me to experience. Willy-J helped me obtain the final RiD guys I wanted and some TLK deluxes I never saw, and he got me my Sixshot. I am eternally grateful to Va'al for passing on a Prime Breakdown to me, and now I have 2 versions of that mold thanks to the Club Megatron from their sale. Cobotron helped me wrap up my Titans Return hunt, and many others such as Autobot N, Shajaki, Carytheone, o. surpreme, Rodimusconvoy, and Itscramtastic have contributed to my plastic crack.
But the true moment from all those: my buddy Burn. His love for pretenders finally caught my attention, as did an old Thew Review, and I have obtained 5 Pretenders this year. I found and put together G1 Roadgrabber and Gunrunner, and then Burn helped me complete Gunrunner while also giving me a complete Skullgrin and a nearly complete Waverider. I didn't have a particular "older line" that I really had love for other than Animated (not THAT old), but he hooked me on Pretenders. They have become a concept I incredibly enjoy, and they have some really awesome stuff I have started to hunt down (such as finally getting that Botcon Oilmaster) and they have me all excited for the Prime Masters of 2018.
So thank you all, and thank you most of all Burn
Burn - All those people I got to ban! HA! I kid. I actually don't like doing that.
I think the one thing that stood out for me this year, was helping guys like D-Max discover older G1 figures and finding others like bodrock who share my weird fascination with Pretenders.
Bounti76 - The reveal of POTP Terrorcons and fembots (Elita One, Moonracer and Firestar). More fembots? Yes please! Original G1 fembots? YES, please. And the Terrorcons were some of my favorite toys in the 80s.
Seibertron - Hascon 2017. Again, I continue with my favorites having opposing views. The event had a lot of love behind it, is full of untapped potential, and was an awesome family event. However, it was missing a lot of love, was full of untapped potential, and was a very absurdly expensive family event. Like I said, I'm torn. But at the end of the toy, it was a really unique brand experience, the Hasbro family of employees were there with smiles and showing fans of their brands much love, just as fans were showing their love and appreciation of the brands that made us. I look forward to seeing what Hasbro does with this at Hascon 2019 as well as any other possible incarnations that might come out of it.
megatronus - HASCON! That's right, Hasbro's very first fan convention was a smashing success and an all-around great time. As a Marvel Legends & Star Wars Black Series collector, it was awesome to have an opportunity to interact with all my favorite toy brands at one show. I had equal opportunities to meet the legendary Mark Boudreaux, an old guard Kenner designer who has been with the Star Wars brand for 40 years, as well as Ben Montano and John Warden, keepers of the Transformers brand. At the end of the day, it's great to have a toy-oriented convention geared towards experiences, as well as a convention that skews equal parts fans and families. Hascon was unique in its own way, and though I'm sad it is not yet an annual affair, I very much look forward to what 2019 brings for the convention.
william-james88 - This is easy, probably the easiest of all of these. Earlier this year, Seibertron himself asked if I would be interested in covering a story in Vancouver for the Forged to Fight game. I accepted right away and for this brief moment I became a full on jet-setting reporter. I absolutely loved the experience and the people I met, which included the artist for Transformers packaging from Armada to now). It was thanks to Seibertron and I wish to thank him again for it.
WreckerJack - Going to Cybfest 2017 and meeting a lot of really awesome people. It was great to connect with other fans and an old friend of mine. (And we scored some awesome loose figures from years past, along with some art!) It was a journey to get there but it was really worth it to be a part of the fan community in person rather than online. I loved every minute of it.
Bronzewolf - 1. I gave my first Transformers/Toy industry Convention Panel at this year's Fort Collins Comic Con in Colorado. It was SO MUCH fun, and the audience was great. I really hope to come back next year, and I've already applied to present at Denver Comic Con in 2018, which is one of the biggest conventions in the country. So stay tuned!
2. Being on the Seibertron Twincast Podcast! I've always wanted to be a part of the Twincast, and I finally got the opportunity to this year! ScottyP and megatronus were great, extremely nice, and whatever nerves I had instantly went away. It was one of my favorite times of 2017, and I really hope to do it again sometime soon!
ScottyP - At TFcon USA 2017, I hatched a diabolical plan along with fellow Twincasters Counterpunch and Razorclaw0000. You didn't find Cyberutopia, did you? No. No, you did not. I don't want to hear it.
Counterpunch - That girl at TFCON who yelled, "What the F is wrong with you?!?" upon seeing our "GETAWAY WAS RIGHT" shirts. It was the principle of the thing, lady.
Va'al - For me, it's a toss up between two things: a comics theme (and surprising no one), Mairghread Scott using my portmanteau for Dead Bumblebee in Till All Are One - aka Bumbleghost - as 'canon'. She said so. I don't make the rules, this is now the truth.
Or, the various moments we've had of complete and utter wholesome idiocy in the Energon Pub. Like the pun-a-thon that led to the creation of Va'alcanicus, for which I blame Qwan. Or the one Bronzewolf and I had during Transformersmas. You get the gist.
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Whew.. we're almost at the end of this looong trip through memories of a year just passed. If you're still with us, take a look at some Bad Comedy (geddit).
And finally...
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What are you looking forward to in 2018 for Transformers?
william-james88 - Leader Class Optimus Primal, Leader Class Blackout and Masterpiece Dinobot.
D-Maximus_Prime - I would have to say some of the Masterpieces and tail end legends guys. MP-40 grabbed my attention and has started my desire to collect Targetmaster MPs, and MPM-5 Barricade and MP-41 Dinobot are on the horizon too. Legends G2 Megatron also looks like a killer, and that "Megatron Rules!" sticker has me hooked. But the Prime Masters and beast combiners also have my interest for the coming year as well. It looks like it will be another good one!
Sigma Magnus - Masterpiece Dinobot, the Bumblebee movie, IDW Unicron, and the reveal of what comes after Power of the Primes.
Bounti76 - If the rest of POTP is as good as the already revealed figures, I am IN for the entire line, with only minor exceptions.
Burn - Power of the Primes stuff locally would be nice.
Hopefully finally taking possession of MP-36 Megatron as well.
I don't expect much for 2018, but I do foresee a lot of sneak peaks and reveals for 2019.
Qwan - As an Australian, I'm mostly just looking forward to being able to buy Power of the Primes toys in a reasonable manner . That aside however, I also like the look of the Studio Series toyline, and the Cyberverse cartoon has me cautiously optimistic too! Of course, anything Transformers is a good thing for me, so all I can say is: bring on 2018! I may not be ready, but you can be sure I'm excited for it.
megatronus - Honestly? Evolution Decepticons. We've got 3 Autobot/Maximal Evolutions announced, and I'm highly anticipating a Beast Wars Megatron that evolves into Transmetals 2 Megatron, or a 'Breastforce'-type character that evolves into Deathsaurus. If they can execute those concepts properly, I will forgive the poor execution of the Dinobots, and the poorly rates Combiner Wars-style figures we've received in the Power of the Primes line up to this point.
Counterpunch - I'm looking forward to a return to focus. What I mean by that is with RiD done and TLK in hindsight, all this unloved product on shelves can hit the old dusty trail and get out of my life.
There are some really good things coming around both in the Generations line and movie world. I'm looking forward to seeing these featured and not lost among the flotsam and jetsam of our beloved franchise.
Also, Grand Max.
Bronzewolf - MOAR DINOBOTS. Seriously, I think Hasbro pretty much knocked it out of the park with Swoop, Slash and Slag, and I can't wait to complete the set. I'm also looking forward to the Femmbots, as it's been an extremely long time coming for them. POTP seems to be the line of figures that are finally getting a true update, and I'm totally on board.
WreckerJack - I am very interested for Power of the Primes. Combiner Wars and Titans Return have had consistently good. They are almost always well engineered which gives me positive expectations. I already like the looks of the ones I have seen so far.
I also want to see the characters from Power of the Primes get more time in the comics so we get to know them more. I always tend to gravitate towards figures of characters I know and appreciate. When a figure is of good quality and is well detailed, being fond of the character it represents really seals the deal for me.
ScottyP - IDW's Unicron story. Maybe it's the end, maybe it's not. Maybe 2019 brings a reboot of the Tranformers comics for the first time since 2005. While I hope that isn't the case, if it is, then this is the story to go out on. Five and a half years, give or take a few months, led to his reveal and if you think the signs weren't there I will fight you. This is great timing to move the story along to another chapter, and with so many new characters introduced lately and the body count of 1984 cast growing, I'm ready for our Beast Wars/Armada/G2 dreams to become reality.
Plus, this story proves I was wrong about Rung all along, and I probably deserve that for coming up with a crappy fan theory in the first place.
Seibertron - The Bumblebee movie. It will either be a turning point or an ending point. If it does well, new life could be breathed into a Michael Bay-less Bayverse, but if it does poorly, I suspect that it will mark the end of the Bayverse. Time will tell. Hopefully with a smaller cast of actors and robots, a real story about the Transformers will surface that is full of emotion, characterization, and a sensical story that everyone can follow this time around. I really enjoyed Hailee Steinfeld in the Edge of Seventeen movie, a flick I highly recommend others watch, which I saw not long before it was announced she was going to star alongside Bumblebee. I look forward to seeing what she can bring to the film, and if it has some edginees like Edge of Seventeen, I'll be sold on the movie. Time will tell. It'll be interesting to see what we all think of the movie around this time next year. Almost forgot this point: Bumblebee will be a Beetle! Can't wait to see the toys that come out of this. I'm still hoping for a more G1 look in robot mode than a Bumblebee Camaro look.
...as for me, Va'al? I'm not sure, to be honest with you all. This is a strange moment in my investment in Transformers, and though I am content with where I am, something is niggling at the back of my head. Maybe 2018 - and Battletrap / Roadslash, along with the Transformers episode of The Toys That Made Us - will ease it. Oh! Though I am planning to attend SDCC in person with Seibertron, rather than through his phone on videocalls. We'll see where that leads when the time comes.
And of course, the new Seibertron.com redesign awaits us all.
For those of you who reached the end of this very long piece, I hope you enjoyed the writings and musings of the staff of Seibertron.com, and the editorial interventions that totally did not occur anywhere at all. How was your 2017 in Transformers? Any categories jump to your eye, and want to share your thoughts? Any wish or prediction for the year just started?
Share your thoughts in the Energon Pub discussion, and be excellent to each other.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers, written by a fellow Seibertronian. These are our 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 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders
When it comes to Transformers, leadership is usually fairly straightforward. Optimus Prime leads the Autobots, and Megatron leads the Decepticons. On rare ocassions someone might have to temporarily fill the role for them like Ultra Magnus or Starscream; and back in the 80s cartoon Rodimus Prime and Galvatron got a very long run of it. But in the original Transformers comics by Marvel, straightforward is the last word you could use to describe the seat of command -- deaths, power struggles and plotting behind the scenes were aplenty in both factions; leading to a much more varied and ever-changing selection of faction Leaders for avid fans of the comic. And so today, we're going to count down the Top 5 Leaders of the Decepticons in the Marvel comics. Focusing on the US side of things with only a tinge of UK material, let's dig right in and see on whose shoulder Laserbeak deserves to sit most.
5. Bludgeon
Bludgeon, admittedly, doesn't get a lot of time in the driver's seat. With the post of Decepticon Leader left an open vacancy after the thrilling epic Edge of Extinction, the new leader only has a handful of issues to prove his worth before the comic's unfortunate end at Issue 80 -- and it's impressive to see how easily Bludgeon throws himself into the role. Immediately appointing a second-in-command and usurping the Autobots' attempts at peace before sneakily taking all the working shuttles off-world, he successfully leads an invasion of an innocent planet and personally chopping down a handful of Grimlock-led Autobots himself. His limited panel-time as leader is what lands him so low on the list, but what he does with that time still impresses me enough to give him a spot.
4. Ratbat
It's very difficult to leave this guy off the table when talking about unique Decepticon Leaders. While usually we see a powerhouse like Straxus or Galvatron take control, it's certainly different to see a small Cassette take command of the main Decepticon forces. Not content with just being unique in stature, Ratbat sees fit to employ a unique command structure as well; focusing all his efforts on saving and conserving energy after deeming the earth-bound Decepticons' fuel consumption to be inefficient. While he usually had to share the role with Shockwave or Scorponok and only got the spotlight to himself for a short time, he nevertheless struck an impact with his unique approach and his characterisation would prove to be inspiring enough to get echoed in the likes of IDW and the Aligned continuity.
3. Thunderwing
Marvel saw fit to go all-out when it came to unique styles of leadership. From Grimlock's ruthlessness to Ratbat's fuel conservation... to Thunderwing's addiction. While he only steals a small squad of Decepticons rather than assuming control of the entire faction, Thunderwing still proved to be probably the most terrifying Decepticon leader in the comics since Galvatron. Driven by his obsession for the Autobots' sacred Creation Matrix, having the power to back it up and not caring a jot for the units under his command other than a means to an end, the Mega Pretender fought as a one-man army against everyone in his way and winning every time - and actually succeeded where Megatron continually fails in obtaining his coveted Creation Matrix. How better can it be put than the High Councillors who named him leader in the UK comic -- "You exhibited single-mindedness, ruthlessness and fighting prowess! The perfect qualities for leadership!"
2. Scorponok
On the face of things, Scorponok might seem fairly basic for a Decepticon leader. He's big, he's powerful, he's mean, he's shouty; everything you'd expect from your standard 'con in control. And, in fact, he does start off like that when we first see him on Cybertron - but then we introduce the human factor.
The Headmaster gimmick is something that is always criticised as being very confusing in both toys and the G1 cartoon, but I will always applaud how the Marvel comics handled it; clearly showing a distinct bond and melding of minds that when focused upon can make for some truly compelling characterisation, especially when Marvel was so good at characterising its humans. And it is Zarak - Scorponok's Headmaster - that really makes this Decepticon Leader work. As the comics go on, we keep seeing subtle little hints that Scorponok's bloodthirstiness is being quelled and reined in by Zarak's more calm and intellectual mind. Forging truces; eventually coming round to seeing Optimus Prime's concerns about Unicron -- and even, finally, making the ultimate sacrifice near the end of the comic. Scorponok is an entertaining Decepticon Leader on his own, but it's the binary bonding that truly lands him a spot so high on this list.
1. Megatron
Megatron, much like Scorponok, seems like just your standard Decepticon leader at first sight. Much like early Scorponok, all the bullet points are there -- he's a lot more ruthless and intelligent than his cartoon counterpart to be sure, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's an incredible character on its own.
So what makes this one stand out from the rest? What nets Megatron the Number 1 spot? His burgeoning insanity. It's clear right from the start, but with each issue we see more and more of Megatron's sick, twisted mind and every major loss and event drives him further and further into a pit of despair. Constant power struggles with Shockwave and blows to his dignity and power in battles with the Autobots contribute to a shattered psyche that finally culminates when his eternal foe, Optimus Prime; dies -- and not at his hands. In Gone But Not Forgotten - a story this user considers to be one of the best of Marvel's Transformers stories - we see the end result of this madness as a space bridge catastrophe orchestrated by Shockwave finally brings death to the babbling madman, brought about by his own crippling insanity.
Honourable mentions:
Shockwave is usually the one that most minds drift to when someone thinks of alternate Decepticon Leaders in the Marvel comics, so his not being on the list may be surprising. It is, quite simply, because this reader found the 5 on the list to be more entertaining characters -- but that's not to say Shockwave doesn't deserve a mention, far from it. When he takes over from Megatron it turns the Decepticons into a very intimidating and formidable fighting force; a logical, well-oiled and efficient machine committed purely to expanding their forces and their fuel resources before moving on to domination. While later issues wouldn't portray him as solidly, Shockwave's original Decepticon Leadership was still pretty damn impressive.
Soundwave is a very interesting character when it concerns Decepticon leadership, though moreso when he's pulling the strings and mediating between power struggles rather than assuming full command. He's a constant presence all throughout the comic; always somehow surviving and always taking up a main role among the Decepticons. And, rest assured, he does get his own run of the place in a few UK future timeline stories -- which are absolutely glorious. Soundwave superior!
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 Worst cases of Undercarriage among Transformers Toys
This list is all about the most poorly disguised robots. We are talking here about the Transfomrer toys which wish to remain inconspicuous (so of course, no random cybertronian spaceship) but have just a bit to much robot showing which removes any illusion. That protruding robot kibble usually sprouts from under the robot and while I would never knock against kibble that can only be seen when a car is flipped over, I am really not fond of when I see so much undercarriage from the sides. Here are 5 examples of the worst cases of that:
While the articulation of today wasn't present, the G1 era will always be a place for great design in my book. They are probably the best era (aside from Masterpiece and Alternators/Alternity) for the most realistic vehicles with well disguised robots. However, that specific era I am referring to encompasses the first few years of this rather expansive era we now call "Generation 1". The alt mode wasn't always prioritized and by the end it was a line made up of gimmick after gimmick. Case in point Vroom. He sure looks like a fun goofy toy but the alt mode doesn't try hiding the fact that there is a whole man under there with his hands hanging out the side and a big belly as the undercarriage. The motorcycle becomes simply a mode of transport (like Transmetal 2 vehicle modes) rather than an actual disguise. Why this guy takes the cake though is because his underside is all organic and doesn't mesh with the mechanical motorcycle which makes the undercarriage really distracting.
Ironhide kept the same voyager mold for a long time (as did Ratchet) and while it was always the same, different versions worked depending on how they handled the underside. Movie Ironhide having a real life recognizable GMC truck alt mode would make any extraneous kibble look really off. It just so happens that the voyager mold has his arms hanging there in the undercarriage. Certain versions hid them well by placing weapons on either side but the ROTF version just let it all hang loose for all to see and for the disguise to fail. The leader figure, while quite good in my opinion, went for a very streamlined and efficient transformation, meaning that most of the bot is already there under the vehicle. As you can tell from the pictures, it isn't hid very well either.
It really pains me that this toy did not take any cues from any Pteranodon transformer that preceded him when it comes to handling his robot arms. For crying out loud, the G1 toy hid them better and all that was done there was have them compact within his chest (which G1 Divebomb also did to an even better result). A transformation I fnd quite brilliant was the Animated Swoop where his robot arms were in plain sight in Dino mode but merged with the wings to become the arms of the Pteranodon. AOE Strafe did none of that. The robot arms are just right there spread far and wide, under the wings (which feature their own dinosaur claws). It's not just the arms you see, but practicaly the entire robot. The chest doesnt transform at all from dino mode and the head just nods a little for you not to see the eyes. It looks like he's got four hands and three heads.In the end, the dino mode look more like a robot playing peek-a-boo than a legitimate attempt at a dino mode (I do find the robot mode quite nice though).
If it wasn't for number one, who is a very special case, this guy would take the cake for most extraneous undercarriage. There is absolutely no one kidding themselves that this is just a jet and not some mechanical alien hidden under it. It's a very weak and cheap way to make a toy and what's worse is that while the design is lazy and the transformation is overly simplistic, they made it one of the most annoying transformations on the planet (unlike say, AOE Leader Optimus who is also simplistic but not annoying in any way). I don't know why they wasted so much time putting all the necessary panels needed to make the top of the jet look ultra lifelike. It just makes the panel forming more frustrating when you know the end design wont benefit from any attention to detail since all we are paying attention to is all that kibble underneath.
1. Silverbolt, (almost) all of them.
Oh man, this is the ultimate poorly disguised robot, with a heavy undercarriage loaded with all the robot kibble possible. What I find quite funny is how the fact that this was the case in the G1 era seems to give it a free pass for designers to continue imitating it. Quite frankly, I think it is a rather easy way out when supporting design. Silvebolt is one of the most iconic jet transformers (he is at least surely the representative for the concord jet in this brand) and yet perpetually suffers from his whole body being under the jet. I think he deserves better, and should at least be disguised better.
And I know it's a different character, but it just fits so well here as the most poorly disguised robot, here s another Silverbolt with very exposed kibble in his "undercarrage":
There is one toy I want to mention here that should be on the list as well but I don't feel is fair. You see all toys above have an undercarriage as a consequence of converting between two modes that dont share the same pieces but of course are connected to eachother. There is one toy out there with an egregious undercarriage isn't stuck to his undercarriage though, Gunrunner.
It's a robot that only turns into a "jet" because you plug a jet body on top of it. So you end up with a jet with a robot plugged under it. An odd toy indeed.
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!
One more day is left, and this year will be over. If you look at 2016, there have been too high a number of dark moments outside of the life on the boards. But when you look at what our hobby, our fandom, our world of robots have produced, we actually struck some very good chords this year, wouldn't you agree? It has been a year of anniversaries, a year of milestones, a year of beasts and movies and comics, a year of toys, a year of endings and beginnings -- I suppose it's only right that we take some time now to make it...
A Year in Review - Transformers 2016
Art: Kei Zama
That's right: we're back! We'll be taking a look at what happened since the end of 2015, a few categories at a time, as usual. Also, this dish is best served accompanied by a nice 2016 podcast episode. Trés joli.
Let's meet our hosts for the ride, then, shall we..? Introducing:
The Newsmongrels
D-Maximus_Prime
william-james88
Kurona
Bronzewolf
The Twincasters
megatronus
ScottyP
Counterpunch
Our Gracious Over Boards
Cobotron
Burn
...this guy Va'al
We've rejigged the categories a little, to include more topics to cover outside of just the toys:
Cobotron - At first I thought Grand Galvatron. That whole set did a real number for my imagination, and the decos come close to the very best of the line. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there was one other toy from the line that I spent more time playing with and building my own stories around. I spent hours "scrambling" to find the perfect team to accompany him, and in doing so discovered that there isn't really a single limb that doesn't look good on him. I think he is the very best torso bot of the line, and he goes by Voyager Sky Lynx. The proportions in torso mode are near perfect, and although some seemed to have issues with loose joints, mine does not. His dino-bird mode is equally as fun, especially serving as a mount for another warrior. And while he looks smashing combined with the G2 Aerial Bots, his best looking feature is still that amazing high collared lynx head sculpt. MEOW!
Bronzewolf - While most would regard the CW era as wave after wave of retools and repaints, it did give us, most importantly, a combiner system that not only worked but worked well, and looked good at the same time. The likes of this we had never seen before, whether in G1 or those awful Movie "Combiners". It also gave us some updated versions of our favorite G1 characters, my favorite of which is Sky Lynx. While it, like almost all other figures from CW, has its faults (namely the inability to separate into lion/bird modes individually). It's a gorgeous looking representation of a character that has gone under-appreciated since the G1 days.
megatronus - Coming at the tail end of Combiner Wars, Sky Lynx is, in this staff member's opinion, the most superbly engineered voyager of the line. He encapsulates all of his G1 wackiness while making for a no-hassle combiner torso - what's not to like? What put him over the top - and this is a perversely personal point - was the devilish difficulty finding him at retail. That made finally finding him that much more delightful.
ScottyP - Grand Galvatron came in late and saved Unite Warriors, as well as all of G1. Let me tell you why...
Editor's Note - Redacted Content: ScottyP wrote about 12,000 words of fan fiction about Grand Galvatron here. It was, well, not very good. In fact, were we to publish it, the whole of civilization may be set back about 12,000 years. That's right - one year for every word. There was this mess about how to properly extinguish a campfire, a romance plot involving time travel and Jennifer Love-Hewitt, a continuation of Budiansky's Skullgrin story arc for some reason, and all the while it just never got anywhere in terms of plot or character development. I think Thundercracker's Josh Boyfriend screenplays are likely infinitely better than every last sentence of this junk that was written by a usually upstanding Site Admin. For the potential entertainment of readers, the last dreadfully melodramatic line is left intact below.
And so it was that Curse Armada Thrust looked wistfully into the deep vacuum of time and thought the only thought that mattered any more: "It was all just a matter of... time."
william-james88 - Part of me wishes this year’s combiners came out last year. I say this because there is no doubt in my mind that this year’s combiner wars toys were better than last year’s by a fair margin. The teams were more diverse in terms of molds and transformations and several had that extra premium feel in terms of paint apps. Yet, there was that mold fatigue that was hard to go against. I remember looking at my G2 Menasor and while I was marveling at the paint apps and tampographs (especially on G2 Wildrider), I didn’t really have this urge to transform the components or put them together simply because any mystery was already uncovered when I transformed the original. While maybe beautiful, redecos rarely have that same special feeling of discovering a new puzzle and with a combiner you get that for several toys all at once. But Grand Galvatron found a way to go against all that. The decos, and especially the two new heads, really went a long way into making this the stand out set of the entire line. To the point where I still felt I was experiencing something new even though they were all redecos (especially the jets). So, while I really like Unite Warriors Computron, I think the best combiner of the year would go to Grand Galvatron.
Burn - Geez where does one start with this? Such a big line to choose from.
But for me, if there was one that really stood out it would be Computron. Not Hasbro or Takara though, a combination of them. (Something I did). While Takara went the extra mile with Nosecone, both did a fantastic job with Strafe (though Takara won there too).
Of course Hasbro gave us the plucky little wheel that could (melt) ... Scrounge!
Counterpunch - I could have turned my attention to the larger teams, particularly UW Computron, but Nosecone was such a delightful tooling that I felt he should get a nod all his own. It’s as if this base body was designed for our scientific drilling expert from the outset. The color choices, the blocky nature of the limbs, and the Japanese exclusive drill all pull together to make what is in my opinion, the nicest limb of the year in the CW/UW line.
D-Maximus_Prime - Hmm, kind of a difficult one for me really. I'm gonna have to say... Strafe. I love the Air Raid mold a lot and it really works for Strafe. Plus, he is the one Combiner Wars Technobot that got a good makeover and he can combine with Scrounge! Both Unite Warriors and Combiner Wars delivered good looking Strafe's, and I love this one. He is awesome. And considering the fact that I consider Computron to be the best Combiner we got from Combiner wars, Strafe is just so sweet.
Kurona - It's a really difficult choice for me, but I've really gotta go with Victorion. When I got her I couldn't stop being amazed with her; the remolding on each figure to make them more feminine was fantastic, it had my favourite CW Voyager, my favourite CW limb twice, Dustup really stood out from the rest of the Dead End mold uses as her own unique thing, the colours are great in person, the sword is absolutely phenomenal, the new feet and hands work so well... I can't stop going on about her. She's absolutely perfect, I'd say the only real disappointment is Jumpstream - I just don't like that Breakdown mold. But hey, car and leg mode are great so can't complain too much.
Va'al - Much like previous years, my toy habits are limited to very select figures at specific times. But I had been eyeing Victorion since her announcement, and the entire Hasbro team knew of my definitely-not-an-obsession with the set at BotCon, Earth Wars meetings, online... It uses one of the best torso molds in the line, it has the adorable motorbike that could, the sword is magnificent, and the Helitwins arrived to kick some sense into Alpha Bravo! Gotta love siblings...
Burn - While the end of Combiner Wars saw more and more repaints that I just wasn't interested in, it was off-set by the introduction of Titans Return. My initial stance was to ignore the likes of Blurr and Scourge who were already represented in my "Neo-G1" collection. But I grabbed them anyway. While not blow my mind impressive, they were okay.
But then there were the others. Hardhead was a fun figure. As was Chromedome. But the two stand out figures for me, and these only recently joined the collection, were Brainstorm and Triggerhappy. These guys look fantastic in both modes. Not to mention how great they are at different poses. If you have the chance, grab these guys. Totally worth it!
megatronus - Deluxe Brainstorm. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. While TR voyagers thus far have been fairly clunky with the occasional inspired touch, the deluxe figures have stolen the show. Of these, Walgreens-exclusive Brainstorm is best in show. Between the original mold, color scheme, streamlined transformation/alt mode, and remarkable poseability, Brainstorm checks off all my boxes. I remain amazed that I could be so sullen over mold-mate Blurr, but so ecstatic over Brainstorm... do you believe in magic?
Bronzewolf - So many excellent figures to choose from. Mindwipe is pretty good, with an engaging transformation with a great looking robot and bat mode. Takara PowerMaster Convoy looks stunning in robot mode and in truck mode, with a cab that looks just spectacular.
But my favorite had to be the Blurr/Brainstorm mold. Walgreens Brainstorm has amazing tampos and color scheme. They look slightly faded and yellowed, making it look like a vintage toy, which, for me, is awesome. The proportions of the mold are really good, and it just looks incredible on a shelf. Really a highlight so far of the TR line.
Kurona - The Titans finally returned! ... with bad UK distribution. And a ridiculous price hike in the UK. And while my own personal funds are declining. I'm poor, guys.
Anyway, this meant I was only able to get Chromedome, Weirdwolf Wolfwire and Buzzsaw (totally counts). I love them all, the Titan Master integration works really well, and I'm glad I finally have a Chromedome for my Lost Lighter shelf. Buuuut, much as I like Domey and much as I'm surprised at how much I've been liking Buzzsaw, it has to go to Wolfwire. Absolutely incredible figure, especially in wolf mode - that's what really sells him. They really went to town on that because there's no molding or paint app choices (Titan Master notwithstanding) I'd change, and standing on his own or among a bunch of other random 'cons he just looks really cool and unique. Oh, uh, the robot mode is cool too. But the wolf is amazing!
Cobotron - My absolute favorite gets a spot further down the line here, so I'll put my #2 in this one. The honor goes to Wolfwire Weirdwolf. I love it when a toy can achieve a nice deco simply by using it's plastic colors to do the work. Wolfy here does that. He also hits a few of my other Transformers sweet spots like, beast mode, and a sword. He is a well made figure with an awesome robot mode, an even better alt mode, and a pretty fun and interesting route to get from one to the other. The Headmaster gimmick goes a long way for me on all the figures from this line, but the idea of a little bot driving a giant robotic dire wolf just really turns a key for me.
D-Maximus_Prime - Cerebros. No, really. That dude has so much character in him despite the fact that he turns into a head. He really does look awesome, poses really good, and he is the middle guy in the double Titanmaster gimmick. Plus, his head mode and his individual head sculpt are both amazing.
Shout out to Blurr. He will the favorite of many, but Cerebros wins for me.
ScottyP - This pick was almost Cerebros because that toy/Reflector Pre-tool is great, but I'm giving the nod to Highbrow. I'll go with the Takara Legends version for the superior paint/color scheme and bonus Titan Master car. Plus, that version includes a comic where Highbrow saves Papika from Weirdwolf, who is slowly cutting off all of her clothes but ultimately does not succeed thanks to Highbrow's actions. Anime may not be real, but the fun you can have with Highbrow definitely is.
william-james88 - While all Titans Return toys were fun, I found them rather simple. Legends Blurr was different though. He was quite complex for a deluxe and extremely satisfying. There was a great attention to detail, like how one leg stores the tail fin and how the tiny well rolling wheels are hidden flush in robot mode thanks to perfectly shaped holes. Plus the Takara paint job just makes him such a standout. To me, the only need for an MP Blurr is for the scale, but I am really curious as to how it could have a better look or transformation.
Photo: Counterpunch
Counterpunch - In a world where so many great figures are coming on line week after week, I have to acknowledge the one that I expected to be my biggest disappointment when he turned out to be one of my simplest joys: Hot Rod is excellent. Transformation, detailing, cherry red candy color, weaponry… he’s the total package for $15.99 or whatever. I love getting surprises like this and lately, they’ve felt few and far between with the predictability of the Combiner Wars line. Hot Rod may not have been a classic Headmaster, but this toy leaves me thinking… maybe he should have been.
Favorite 2016 Transformers: Robots in Disguise/Adventure
Cobotron - Ahhhhh RID. The little line that could. Battle Packs were a hoot. Love that size class. It seems to be unanimous though, that the Warrior Class Decepticons were where it was at in 2016. I'm in. Heck, even Ratchet was better than I had expected, but the clear winner for me is Warrior Thunderhoof. In my book, he could have scrapped by on character design alone, but with everything else this figure has to offer added, he is the clear favorite.
D-Maximus_Prime - Warrior Thunderhoof. That guy is so awesome. He perfectly reflects his show model, which I love, and how many farm-formers have there ever been? Plus, he has antlers and hooves. His Transformation is fun and intuitive, and his robot mode is perfect looks-wise. Yes, he lacks some beef on his back, but he is literally awesome, so it matters not.
Va'al - I'll let this image speak for itself. And never talk to him or his son ever again.
ScottyP - You're making me choose? From all this awesome stuff? Hrm. Warrior Thunderhoof by a nose. In fact, probably by a very small nose, like a reindeer nose. Now I'm disappointed that there was no special Holiday Edition Thunderhoof again, but I digress. 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.
william-james88 - This line kicked so much ass this year. It was easily the most fun I had in terms of looking at each figure individually. Hasbro told us we wold get Decepticons in 2016 and they delivered. Probably more than either of us would have expected with Megatronus, Quillfire, Thunderhoof, Fracture, Bisk, Scorponok and Starscream. All of them were winners, truly. All are very good toys, with fun designs and new tansformations. Picking my favourite is insanely hard so it will be a tie between Hasbro’s Warrior Fracture and Takara’s Warrior Thunderhoof. Both are ingenious designs and very satisfying. They also look amazing in both modes.
Bronzewolf - The minicons. I know, I know, but hear me out. These collectible little guys are super cool, and one of the closest things the US has to Arms Micron. There's a great array of different characters that take different forms, from beasts to bots and everything in between.
Kurona - Uhhhh, Dragonus. He's kinda cute but I don't like him that much BUT he's the only RiD figure I have. congrats u win
Photo: Counterpunch
Counterpunch - I mention TAV Windblade here because of the stark contrast in detail and care that Takara is taking with their version of Robots in Disguise. The mold itself is adequate and is in many ways just not as interesting as some of the Decepticon troops who have been 2016's star performers for RiD. What is special though is how Windblade looks like she stepped of the screen. Takara remains the go-to source for those of us who like our figures to actually look like their fictional depictions.
Favorite 2016 Transformers: None of the Above Figure
megatronus - Botcon Predacus. I love this set, and not just because of the cartoon homaging headsculpts/deco or the expertly executed paint job. Nor just because that combined mode is a beast to behold. And certainly, it's not because of the shortcomings of basically all of the individual members. Rather, Tripredacus was my first Beast Wars toy (or set) I ever got (from my parents; Happy Hanukkah!). It's amazing to have a vicious-looking modern rendition on my shelf that can hark back to watching episodes of Beast Wars while holding my Tripredacus. Nearly everything about him harks back to either the original toy or Beast Wars cartoon while adding that modern, Generations-style twist with a combiner face that is spot on 90s ridiculousness. Love at first reveal.
D-Maximus_Prime - Botcon Magnaboss. Yes, he may be mostly stickers with 3 figures that already came out, but I managed to snag the stickers and he is awesome. Yeah, I customized him the other 2 limbs instead of finding Unit-3 and Tigatron, but those 2 figures use the same molds, so it is a good representation. He looks so awesome, and the stickers do some wonderful work. Really awesome addition to my collection!
Bronzewolf - Club exclusive Bluestreak! It might be another CW redeco, but I really appreciate the paint and Tampos, plus it's one of my favorite characters of all time. (Going for the Blue bluestreak deco gets bonus points, too.)
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ScottyP - Takara Legends Skids. The extra paint detail makes this figure look like it just escaped an exploding shuttle, magnetized a car, then blew it up after throwing it at a Legislator. Sleep tight, soldier.
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william-james88 - Kabaya Fortress Maximus. This was my first time with Kabaya and it was quite enjoyable. This is a great set which actually has paint. And there is no parts forming during transformation from city to bot. Plus it comes with the most adorable little Powerglide ever.
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Cobotron - A pop fly to left field! Takara's Diaclone Reboot Dia-Battles V2. I know, I know, it's not a Transformer, but here me out. He is Transformer's Grandpa, and you wouldn't not invite Grandpa to the family New Year's Eve party, would you?
This figure is amazing. If you are a fan of Transformers, a fan of the art of Japanese robot toys, and more specifically a fan of the art of Takara, I can't recommend this toy enough. Over the years Takara has done some really wonderful work rebooting some of their older lines and Dia-Battles follows suit. This toy is impeccably engineered with off the charts articulation and functionality, has beautiful detailing and paint,and is just an absolute joy to behold.
The thing about this figure is the modularity. Out of the box it can be configured into 12 different modes, but with the connection system they've employed Takara has also left it open to improvisation for hours of endless play. It's this modular play pattern that makes this toy so much fun. A great call back to old play patterns of the Diaclone and Microman toy lines. Maybe you need a breather from Transformers but still in the form of a robot toy. Please, give this guy a try. Besides, like I said, he's family. And BTW, he and his Dia-nauts roll tight right along side the Titan Masters.
Counterpunch - Victorion. Here's the thing, Victorion was kind of a flat release. What I mean by that is, for something that should have been more hyped and celebrated, her set kind of came and went without much notice. Victorion is really the first Combiner Wars gift set to offer something truly new and unique. She helps plan the seeds of new thought and characters in the franchise. In a way I wish it had been a more general release and that the whole Torchbearer set was priced cheaper to get more people into the idea. I really look forward to the day when we're adding more characters and ideas to the mythos in a more routine way.
Favorite 2016 Transformers Masterpiece Figure (Hasbro or Takara)
ScottyP - I'm saving MP-32 for a later topic, so I'm going to write about my second favorite Masterpiece figure for 2016 and beg to the good Dr. Va'al that this doesn't get cut. If it does, at least leave this sentence and let me feel the sting of having words murdered by a technicality.
This is an unbelievably tough choice to make, and might even vary depending on mood, but I'm going to stick with MP-29 Shockwave here just in case the MP-33 Inferno feelings I'm having are because of his novelty. In other words, logic dictates this choice. Shockwave is an expressive and gorgeous piece in both form and function. The robot and gun modes are slick and clean. The total package of the figure, accessories (including a clever double-use for the gun stand where it helps hide the gun's back kibble in robot mode), and even some alternate stickers made the long wait for an updated version of G1 Shockwave worth it.
Also, as someone nearly thirty years behind the curve on one corner of Transformers fiction, this Decepticon's heroics/antics in Time Wars were "new to me" this year and made me love this cold purple evildoer even more.
megatronus - MP29 Shockwave. Besides for marking the shift to slavish cartoon accuracy - a key inflection point in the history of this line - Shockwave is simply an amazing specimen. Have you see that light piping? That hose? The parts integration? The smaller gun of himself - that he can hold! More than his features, which more or less speaks for themselves, the release of Shockwave marks the completion of Megatron's lieutenants in MP form - leading up to the big bad himself in 2017.
Burn - This one surprised me. While I was looking forward to him, I was looking forward to Inferno more. But as great as Inferno is, he just doesn't quite reach the level of awesomeness that is Ironhide.
I had my reservations about him from the pictures. But once I had him in hand, I was quickly won over. A boxy little van twists, turns, and folds into a stocky damn good looking robot. While Inferno gave us "ladder magic", I feel it was Ironhide that helped lead the engineering that gave us "ladder magic". Unfortunately his mold brother Ratchet just didn't match up due to his primarily white look.
william-james88 - Masterpiece Ironhide. I am so impressed with how they were able to incorporate the cartoon vibe in robot mode while also delivering a very realistic alt-mode. Ironhide is one of those character that never had a good figure (even the movie versions had trouble getting it right and giving us good toys). And for such an iconic character, that is just so odd but it makes this release that much sweeter. Takara went all out. Gorgeous alt-mode (well, for what it is), great robot mode which has the alt-mode disappear away aside from the perfect alt-mode integration (from the front). this is probably the purchase I was most hesitant of this year that surprised me most.
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Counterpunch - Optimus Primal: 1. He's not made of boxes. 2. He's not strictly G1, though that's kind of the same thing as #1. 3. MP Optimus Primal is one of the best designed, best decoed toys in recent history. We should all be excited for what may come to pass with engineering like this for Beast Wars characters. I am eagerly anticipating a BW Megatron just on my experience with this. It shows that the MP line is more than a one trick monkey.
D-Maximus_Prime - Masterpiece Shattered Glass Optimus Prime. He is my first masterpiece, and as a result wins by default, though I'm not sure anyone could top him. He is a joy to behold, with marvelous paint work, a great evil feel to him, and a black badass trailer! The green Energon axe does it for me too, and the amount of detail put into him shows the love that he got. For even more articulated thoughts, you can see my review with plenty of pictures and all the love I can give this guy there.
Cobotron - The Masterpiece toy I had the most fun with this year was Loudpedal. YA! I know! He's a stinkin' repaint, AND of a figure that's maybe not the best in the line. I'm a huge sucker to call backs to ye olden days of pre-TF history. The deco is phenomenal, and I've always loved that almost knight's helmet head sculpt. He re-energized my MP Decepticon ranks in a way I didn't see coming. He and Exhaust are a terrible twosome of trouble making turds who's misadventures have been a treat to watch unfold on my Masterpiece shelves.
...and now: Figure of the Year
Burn - You know what? I'm not falling into this trap Va'al. This has been a fantastic year for figures. I'm not picking one that stands above all for the year. Far too many to choose from!
Va'al - Everyone else fell for it...
Counterpunch - Fort Max was a really significant part of my childhood and one of my best Christmas memories. I remember seeing him on the shelf as a child and being shocked by the size of such a toy. Well, I had intended to wait for the Takara version on Max, but seeing one for myself in Toys R Us changed my mind. Some may gripe (at great length, while no one cares to listen) about how this is a Metroplex re-tool, but to me, this is the figure of the year because it is a really high quality piece and it did a great job of reminding me of the simple joy of spending $115 after coupons and discounts.
megatronus - Titan Fortress Maximus. He's a headmaster with a headmaster - inception in a nutshell. Fort Max borrows just enough tooling from Metroplex to be familiar, but shakes it up enough to effectively differentiate itself from the first 2 foot Titan and, more importantly, to be exciting. Now that he's gone on sale practically everywhere, you owe it to yourself to own a Transformer that could convincingly stand in for your toddler.
Bronzewolf - Since I didn't buy any MP's this year, I'll have to stick with mainline figures, and, with that in mind, Walgreen's Brainstorm would be my pick. I can write a book about how perfect he is in my opinion, and I'm sure others that were lucky enough to find him can, too. His stance and proportions are just amazing, he reminds me of a simpler Generations Springer in a way, where he feels and looks like a premium figure, but for a regular retail price. Just great.
Oh, and also Fort Max. He's cool too.
D-Maximus_Prime - Eesh, toughy right there. We had several really good ones this year. But, I'm gonna have to go out on a limb here and probably differentiate from all the others here: Titans Return Alpha Trion.
Despite its shortcomings, this toy finally gave us all a retail release of the wise old sage from Transformers lore, and to me, there was a lot of love put into him. The 2 alt modes, despite not being completely perfect, homaged so much of this guys past it's crazy. I love the lion mode. It is to die for, the spaceship isn't that bad either guys, come on!
But what wins this one for me is the robot mode. It is beautifully detailed and painted, possibly with more paint then I have ever seen on a Hasbro figure. He has a majestic sword and literally no kibble. Plus, his warrior styled armor is so awesome and it makes him stand out. He is a figure that cannot disappear from your vision no matter how far back on the shelf he is. He is my favorite figure of 2016.
Cobotron - Transformers for me has never been about adhering to any one story line or fiction, but more about cherry picking bits and pieces to build my own imaginary world of robots at war. And the figures that really do it for me are the ones that most inspire me to play out my own stories. This past year the one figure that did that, and did it hard, was Titans Return Alpha Trion. The character design that went into his robot mode is absolutely fantastic! He pushed so many of my fantasy buttons, Transformers or other. The moment I laid eyes and mitts on this ancient, time tested, magic sword wielding, lion adorned, mustachioed robotic mystical knight, triangulated with his mythical beast and mighty battle cruiser alt modes, my head was reeling with ideas of magnificent adventure. And if that wasn't enough, he has the Headmasters gimmick thrown in the mix.
For me Alpha Trion was pure rocket fuel for my imaginary play time. He and Vector Prime have been drumming up some heavy adventures across my shelves for some time now, and those old goats show no signs of stopping until every last Con is made to pay!
william-james88 - While I am not a hardcore G1 fan (I was born in 88 and only learnt in 2014 that the G1 Ironhide toy had no head), I have become something of a purist in my adult life. As a kid, I actually did have a few Transformers toys (G2 Dreadwing) and I had Beast Wars toys and not only did I see them as different lines, but different things entirely. So while I generally do not care if a toy is its own thing and not show accurate, holding that Masterpiece Optimus Primal in my hand in beast mode brought a very new feeling in me as a collector. And the conversion is phenomenal. He truly morphs, the entire shape of the figure is redefined. It's genius, especially how it does it in so little space. Instead of having a vehicle turn into a mechanical robot, you have what is essentially an action figure morphing entirely from one form to the next. To finally have a toy that looks like the Optimus on the show (especially in beast mode) and to have him on the 20th anniversary of said show is truly magical and I cannot think of any other toy that should warrant the title of Figure of the Year.
ScottyP - MP-32 Optimus Primal transforms from gorilla to Maximal Commander, evolving the Masterpiece line in a way where both truck and monkey feel like they belong. This toy is as close as it gets to perfection for a beloved and iconic Transformers character. It was easy to imagine a Masterpiece Beast Wars figure falling flat in form and execution. Toys based on mid-90s CG models that would be impossible to scale to Generation One based MP figures in any practical sense, that also must have beast modes that show as little robot kibble as possible? The recipe for disaster was there, and yet factored in so minutely that it makes me wonder why I was ever worried in the first place. A slick transformation, shockingly clean design, clever accessories, superbly expressive pose-ability, and a genuinely cool light up gimmick make this the clear cut Transformers toy of the year. While picking a runner-up or two would be extraordinarily difficult, the top of the mountain is ruled by a gorilla. Send all complaints to the banana box for disposal.
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Made it so far? Here's a break for you all, featuring a relatively recent discovery round these parts!
And now, back to the list, as we move away from toy talk; starting with...
Favorite 2016 Transformers Comics-moment
ScottyP - In a total cop-out to prevent me from making a choice (again) between Sins of the Wreckers and Dying of the Light, which I waffle between on the hour every seven to eight hours, here's a short personal anecdote instead.
I flew to New Orleans last month and took my recently acquired trade paperback of Dying of the Light along with me. As readers of the book will know (hopefully, that's all of you), as the issues progress time edges ever closer to sunset on Necroworld. For anyone not following, that refers to a literal sunset used as a narrative device and not a purely figurative one. Anyhow, as the second leg of my flight took off, sunset was a bit more than 30 minutes away so the skies were still mostly blue in Charlotte and I settled in to take the chance to relax and read. Geography will tell you that when flying west at sunset, you are chasing said sunset.
Despite having a window seat with a perfect view of the extra long and slow sunset, I didn't really grasp this until looking at this panel:
At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me and/or there had been some unknown drop in cabin pressure and a lack of oxygen was driving my brain to view the page as much larger than it should be, but this was thankfully incorrect. What was really going on was that the color of the sky on the page more or less matched the exact color of the sky out the window. I had to keep reading, and did so at a slow, thoughtful pace (it was a re-read, after all) to find that the look of the world outside kept closely matching the world depicted on the page, getting gradually darker as the journey and the story progressed. The flight landed around twilight, with the book only marginally outpacing reality by the end. The last page I got to during that step of the journey? 'Thanks for traveling with me.'
Kurona - Dying of the Light. ALL of it. This probably shouldn't be surprising; if you know my Transformers opinions at all you'd know I adore MTMTE and consider it leagues above every other Transformers fiction (though a lot of the stuff filed under 'everything else' is still great, gimme Beast Wars and Animated any day)... and for that reason I don't actually want to say anything specific about it. I don't want to spoil what I consider to be top-notch fiction. I'll just say that Dying of the Light was an absolute thrillride from start to finish with everything I could want out of a series. except Nightbeat. Needed more Nightbeat
william-james88 - Definitely the end of More Than Meets the Eye. I liked seeing Megatron take down the DJD and how a lot of threads were wrapped up. I also really enjoyed Overlord’s reaction to the idea of finally taking down Megatron which shows how much the character has matured (I also finally read Last Stand of the Wreckers this year for the first time so the contrast was interesting). I am very curious of what is happening next. I love Blaster and can’t believe he would be such a $%!* to cooperate with Getaway. Something’s up.
Va'al has serious thoughts he has already expressed regarding that last point. More for the discussion, perhaps?
D-Maximus_Prime - More Than Meets The Eye #54, when Megatron walks onto the field of battle and silently blasts his enemies away, saving his comrades and sending them to safety. That page gives me goosebumps it's so beautiful. Alex Milne has never given us bad art, but that page alone is a masterpiece in its own right.
Shout out goes to the raising of Metrotitan by Optimus in Transformers #54.
Counterpunch - All Hail Optimus and the reaction panels: The reactions of the major story players in the face of Optimus' annexation of Earth was my favorite moment. I loved having a progressively heroic Megatron in one book with a progressively authoritarian Prime in another. The script was flipped, so to speak, for a time. I hope that these two characters slide further into a morally questionable gray zone.
Cobotron - With what little time adulthood/parenthood allows for the hobby these days I don't get around to reading many comics. Most my time is spent with the toys. But, for my birthday this year my brother gave me the full run in trades of Transformers VS G.I. Joe, and I have to say it was one of the most strange and wonderful comic book experiences I've ever had. The art is so out there and, the story telling is tongue-in-cheek. It blew my mind. I told my bro I loved that the art looks like a Funkadelic album cover, and he replied with a laugh, "Yeah! Prison art!".
At first glance the art looks so amateur, but the more I pored over every detail, I came to understand the genius of Tom Scioli. I felt like present day me was standing in eleven-year-old me's childhood bedroom doorway watching myself play one of my many TF/Joe mash ups. Or was I standing in the doorway of Scioli's childhood? Either way it was a great ride, and reminded me of the innocence and intricacies of a child's imagination. This series is not for for everyone, and I understand why. If you get it, GREAT! If you don't, you probably won't. And, that's OK. I would recommend these books to anyone, as long as they come at them with an open mind.
Va'al - Issue #5 of the slow-burning gem that is Till All Are One. This book has gone through so many repolishes, renamings, rebrandings, and even though Windblade is still mostly the titular character, the latest iteration is the best fitting to the ensemble, in terms of cast, story, scope and repercussions. May follow Transformers/ex RID/Optimus Prime for the core mythos and politics, several follow More Than Meets the Eye/Lost Light for the sad gay robots (get over it, it's a compliment) and the inevitable feelings and convoluted plots. I stick with TAAO, like the two Windblades before it, as it brings cosmic action, cosmic mythos, post-colonial themes, religious vs secular debates, still one of the best Starscreams around - visually and in writing. And the best collection of biting one-liners not reliant on continuity nerdery.
Va'al splurted out tea while reading this line, and had to take a break from editing.
Favorite 2016 Transformers Show-moment
Kurona - A few things to get out of the way first. I don't watch Rescue Bots but from what I've seen, it's a pretty neat show. And while I've been enjoying RiD, I haven't found anything about it that I really like and really thrills me. So I can't point to any one thing about it and say "that's amazing" or "this is easily my favourite part". It's just kinda decent and meh.
And while it is arguably the worst Transformers show since Energon - I actually liked it less than Energon - yes, my favourite Show thing this year is from Machinima's Combiner Wars. Though if you've taken part in that board discussion, I think you all know what it is - it's Megs. It's friggin' Megs. It feels like every single amount of effort, originality and unique ideas went into this single solitary character because he is great. Maybe it's because CW was such a bad show that the one good thing seemed so much better, maybe it's because I haven't enjoyed a lot of cartoon Megatrons (aside from BW who is arguably a different archetype), but this guy freaking rocks. He's always enjoyable to watch, he's always got a quick quip, he has some character resolution... oh, yeah, and he turns into a super space gun in addition to having an actual vehicle mode. If you have to watch CW, just wait until you get to Megatron. He's the one good part, I swear.
william-james88 - This was a weak spot for Transformers this year. I really liked the interpretation of Megatron in Machinima’s Combiner Wars. He was so jovial, daring, untouchable and yet relentless all at once it was a joy to watch. It also showed me that the fandom was not bitter about change in the least. We will always be up for something new if it is done well.
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D-Maximus_Prime - Bumblebee v. Bisk from "Bumblebee's Night Off" in Robots in Disguise. That is now ranked up there as my favorite fight scene from RiD, and second in the aligned continuity behind only the Predaking/Magnus/Wheeljack fight from Prime. The music, the lights, the whole thing was a great fight scene. I loved every second of it and I constantly rewatch that scene.
Shout out to the return of Starscream though. When he walks through that Space Bridge... Ooooooooooh maaaaaaaaaaan
Bronzewolf - Ratchet returning to the Aligned continuity. It's been a long time coming for the doc, and I'm glad to see him back on the screen. One piece of what made Prime such a great show has made a comeback to maybe make RID a bit better.
ScottyP - Steeljaw's first stroll through Glowstrike and Saberhorn's ship full of Decepticons in Robots in Disguise Season 2 Episode 3. Crazy colored Vehicons, Chompazoids, and even Crystal Widow!? It was a short but really fun scene that began to inform the ultimate direction Steeljaw took during the season. Honorable mention here to Grimlock making pretzels.
Counterpunch - My 2 year old decided that watching RiD with me was the way to spend good quality time. I particularly enjoyed when he told me definitively that Optimus was "red and black." I almost corrected him when I looked up at the screen to realize that he was right.
megatronus - Anytime Grimlock gets screen-time on RID. Grimlock has gone from one of the most annoying/perplexing characters on the show to one of the most entertaining. Pretzel, anyone?
Favorite Transformers Game-moment
Va'al - Cheating a little again here, but... Being part of the actual Earth Wars consultant/contributor/influencer group, my thoughts and face and voice and all! (My body will only and forever belong to Burn - though he never takes me up on the offer. ScottyP might...) I got to chat to the developers, finally meet Seibertron himself, and bring Alpha Bravo along for the ride to Space Ape Games.
megatronus - As a lifelong Transformers fan and long-term collector, I've struggled to share my hobby with those I love, particularly my wife. Well - love finds a way. Ever since I started playing Earth Wars beta back in February, I've been hooked. Once the game hit wide release in June, my wife decided to see what all the fuss is about - and now she's hooked. Say what you will about Earth Wars and mobile gaming, but I'm grateful to have found a channel through which to share this hobby.
D-Maximus_Prime - I only got the Earth Wars game recently, but I love using Vortex. His attack is fun and can be used so many times in one battle. Plus, he looks really cool in the game. He may be on my C-team, but he does not lose fights.
Kurona - Hm. Earth Wars can be very frustrating, and really stretches the limits of the free-to-play genre... but the one upside this brings is that it makes it VERY nice when you get a particular unit you want. I just got a 3-star Soundwave over a weekend, that was wicked.
But the real good thing is how good it feels to co-operate. Oh, sure, it's just contributing points towards an event or a war, but it feels good to have all that build up and feel like you're really helping out everyone else in addition to just yourself. That's what I love about this game. Co-operation.
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Bronzewolf - That RID Augmented Reality game that I reviewed! I know it's random and not really a "game" perse, but man, it's a fun little thing to mess with for a bit. Check it out, it went underrated. (The game, not my review. Well, you can check that out too if you want. )
Favourite 2016 fan creation: art, custom, video, comic, fiction
Kurona - Thew. Just... just Thew. His reviews are just the most fun out there. I love him.
D-Maximus_Prime - Thew's Knockoff Beatdown: Ruination. I always enjoy his reviews, but I love a good beatdown of knockoffs. The fact that this one focused almost solely on Bruticus/Ruination KO's made it lots of fun, as well as the fact you can see how poorly made some of those guys are. Plus, I love a good pun or 50.
Bronzewolf - Cobotron's Bluestreak. Man, I'm a sucker for Streak, and when getting a combiner wars version was a pipe dream (which it still kind of is, if you don't count the club version), one herobro rose from the ashes: Cobotron. His Bluestreak is just great, very clean, and well-executed.
Image: Cyberpath
Cobotron - There is so much good fun stuff out there. Even in our own Transtopia. So I'm going to keep this one here in the Seibertron family. The wonderful photos of our friend and forum mate, Cyberpath. If you haven't seen his pics, you haven't been to the 'Awesome Pictures And Poses Thread'. His pictures are amazing, and I always look forward to seeing what eye candy he will post next.
I've poked and prodded him to start his own thread to showcase his work, but I've now become accustomed to seeing his pics scattered across the many threads that weave the tapestry of our Seibertron.com forums. Thanks for sprucing up the joint CP!
ScottyP - With apologies to the amazing effort and creativity shown during October's #LostLightFest on the same platform - My pick goes to something from the amazing Twitter account of Inkybauds, longtime Transformers fan known for his involvement in the (now becoming legendary if I daresay) Transmasters fan club in the UK. Earlier this year, he created this series of three tweets (one, two, three) containing a list of fake, but hilarious and timely "Modern Transformers Names". Go laugh, then come back. This Kroktease article will be here when you get back.
Va'al - Not because I was behind the initial input of a couple of them - Burn was there with me at least all the times, just quiet about it - but I really enjoy the terrible threads that we create on Seibertron, from Civil War to Braingate, to the acronyms one, even my one-person campaign for Alpha Bravo to become the New Prime of Cybertron. Alpha Prime - It Just Sounds Right.
...and now: Moment of the Year
Toys
Image: Cyberpath
D-Maximus_Prime - Hard one to pin down... but I gotta say pre-ordering my first Masterpiece. I have yet to attend a Transformers convention but nothing felt quite like when TFSource opened their MP SG Prime pre-order. As soon as he was even teased, I wanted him, and as he is my first Masterpiece, he is incredibly special. First Masterpiece, and it is one of my favorite comics characters. Shattered Glass was an amazing comic, and I want more Shattered Glass stuff. I like it when the good guy is suddenly the bad and viceversa. Probably why I love Autobot Megatron in IDW so much...
ScottyP - Keeping it short: Masterpiece Ironhide was the first toy I got after having to cut Transformers purchasing off completely for six weeks towards the start of this year for reasons dictated by life. For some of you, this immediately has no impact, but please bear with me. For a serial buyer such as myself, who's bought literally hundreds of Transformers each year for the past 12 years, six weeks is an eternity. Getting Ironhide in and getting to experience a really great toy of a character I've always loved in a truly meaningful, focused way was one of several events in that stretch that helped me reflect on the reasons I collect these toys and follow these unconventional characters. Steady, brave, and shining in that beautiful red, Ironhide showed up in the mail one afternoon in late February and had to be savored. Would the impact have been the same if it had been, say, Black Tracks? Why did the character of Ironhide mean so much in that moment? Finding the answers to those questions led to a few new and exciting paths down untread trails of the hobby. Life can beat you up or threaten to destroy Autobot City in your own shuttle by slipping by the early warning system, sure. But when you feel like giving up, think about what Ironhide would do. Maybe second guess it a little because of the potential consequences. Ultimately, the answer remains the same - when life asks you to give up, look down that fusion cannon pointed at you and say 'No'.
Cobotron - Oh! You mean like the time I was 100% ready to just slagging hate Masterpiece Hot Rod for his cursed cartoon accuracy, then I got him, transformed him, and he held me in is arms sweetly, and showed me the error of my ways? 'Cause that was an awesome moment! (cont'd)
william-james88 - It was that week of those slow reveals from Takara of all the components for Computron. This was the Combiner with the biggest question mark throughout the first year of the line and it is so crazy how much of an adventure it turned out with Hasbro and Takara going in completely different paths. Takara knew theirs was a big deal and they let us savour it. First by slowly showing each figure in grey scale and then showing them to us in colour. I remember marveling at each one, especially when there was a time I thought I either would not get Computron or have him be made the cheapest way possible. I was so damn happy when I saw that giant drill in the silhouette. It turned out to be one of the best toys of the year and what I like was the fanfare that came with his reveal. It was a fun adventure from the Takara announcement to getting him in my hands.
megatronus - Back to Earth Wars - one of the things my wife loved about the game was the inclusion of the Torch Bearers on the Autobot side. That's right, the component members of Victorion, Pyra Magna and the rest, have representation in the game. Well, when Amazon had the Victorion box set on sale for $40 a few weeks back, I pounced. Now my wife has her very first Transformers - a lady combiner, no less!
People
Cobotron - (cont'd) Or the time the Wife not only agreed that I should go to BotCon, but said "you need to go to BotCon". It was my very first, and very sadly the last. I've never seen a dealer room dedicated to just Transformers, and I took full advantage of Candyland. Knocking out a few grails along the way. The whole thing was really great though. Just the vibe and camaraderie of the whole community. It was a real treat getting to meet folks, make friends, and talk the talk during a whole weekend dedicated to the thing we like. And, Va'al even swam all the way from France! That was AMAZING!
Counterpunch - A few people will acknowledge Botcon's closing hours as their moment of the year, but I think for me, it was arriving at Botcon 2016 and watching everything fall into place one last time. We were so chill and well behaved. There were only three of us in a room, instead of twelve. No one puked. No one got stuck in a tire swing at the hotel's fake beach. No one passed out in a hallway. We've come a long way baby.
Va'al - You kidding? I loved arriving at the second day of BotCon, with only a couple of people I'd actually already met, and finally get to see everyone in the flesh! From carytheone to Cobotron, to Sabrblade to the entire Twincast crew, the Audio Knights crew, some of the COMPETITION, the artists, the Hasbro team again... and just roll the entire weekend trolling the event with custom Alpha Bravo fanboi tshirts.
Bronzewolf - Joining Seibertron.com. Seriously, I've been reading this site religiously for at least 5 years now (it became part of my daily routine) and I wouldn't trade the opportunity to write for it for anything. Love it, love the people, love the subject matter. Can't get better. Va'al: Awww.
Comics
Kurona - Dying of the Light for all reasons mentioned above. Again, don't want to spoil anything; but it's got everything I could want and just keeps going without ever hitting the brakes. An absolute Masterpiece.
Here comes the finale!
What are you looking forward to in 2017 for Transformers? With no real order...
megatronus
-Titan Trypticon: more kaiju, please!
-More Titans Returns: my quantity of fun is directly correlated to my quantity of headmasters.
-Next Gimmick: Powermasters? Pretenders? Beast Wars? I'm excited to see what's in store for Transformers.
-HasCon: As a Marvel Legends and Star Wars collector, I hope HasCon is a success.
-MP36 Megatron: No words. Just silent tears of joy.
Burn
The continuation of Titans Return figures, Trypticon is coming. Will be interesting to see how he turns out. Oh and then there's the movie. I won't be getting my hopes up for it, so here's hoping it surprises me, and here's hoping some of our readers surprise me and tone down the anti-Bay rhetoric that generates so many reported posts!
william-james88
The reveal of the next Beast Wars Masterpiece toy. I am hoping it is Megatron. Well, I wish it to be Dinobot but I really cannot imagine how that toy would ever work. How can he be such a slim dinosaur and turn into such a tall dark and handsome bot. The full reveal of Titan Class Trypticon is also something I look forward to but the fact that we can all picture how it will look like roughly and knowing that available space for more toys in my home is quickly diminishing kind of dampens my anticipation for the reveal, in comparison to my hopes for the next Masterpiece Beast Wars announcement.
Counterpunch
The possibility that the next line of Transformers may give us toys of the original 13 Primes.
ScottyP
Classics UK Volume 6, and dare I dream Classics UK Volume 7 might also come out? I'm also looking forward to basically everyone being wrong about Power of the Primes, including me.
Oh, and finally finding out if that note Mr. Roberts left me at the end of MTMTE #38's script was a joke or a scolding (and no, I won't tell you what it said ) Va'al knows. Va'al was there. Va'al was kinda responsible for it.
Kurona
Titans Return and Lost Light. Quite possibly the most generic response I could have given... but can't really think of much else. MTMTE is my favourite Transformers fiction (and overall fiction at the moment), while Titans Return has really hit the ground running. The rest of IDW too, actually - TAAO is REALLY getting good, and Optimus Prime... looks decent.
D-Maximus_Prime
I gotta say hopefully going to my first convention. Botcon may be no more, but I will still get out there go someplace. I gotta get to one of these and live it out. There is so much potential there that I need to experience.
Figure wise, I'm really looking forward to the Titans Return Leader Decepticons. The 2 we have revealed so far look amazing, and I really look forward to some lesser known guys getting some great attention from this line. (Please Nautica!!!)
Cobotron
Toys, toys, toys, and more toys. Titans, Powery Primes, Liony Convoys, MP Artfire, RID's Combiner Pants Force. I'm sure 2017 will be a breakneck switchback mountain road of reveals, that will make for a great ride. I also always look forward to the hunt, and swapping campfire stories with all here in Seibertown. To a better year than the last!
Bronzewolf
Perceptor. Bring it on, man. I've been kicking around grabbing a fanstoys Tesla, but waited because of the rumors of a mainline release. I'm so glad I did. I could not be happier with how he looks, and can't wait to pick him up.
I'm also looking forward to Trypticon's reveal and potential release, and The Last Knight. I'm being cautiously optimistic (perhaps more optimistic than I should be) about it. I'm very optimistic about the toys, though. Some of my favorite real-life cars finally embodied as transformers. I'm stoked, and I'm waiting with baited breath until they get revealed.
I'm also looking forward to continuing involvement with this great community and writing for Seibertron. I know it's sappy but talking transformers with you all is the highlight of my day, and always enjoyable. To 2017 and beyond!
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On those words, we come to a close on a retrospective glimpse at a busy year in Transformers, Seibertronians, toys, comics, community and more... Now it's up to you! What made your 2016 special in Transformers? What do you hope our Gracious Robots Overlords [there's more than one?!] will bring in 2017, the next Movie Year? The Energon Pub is open at all hours - just grab a seat, and let it out.
May we all surrender our Intellectual Property, and achieve Total Brand Awareness.
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 Personal Weapons
This is actually a list inspired by a request from Seibertron's own Rodimus Prime, the first request I ever got. What I tried my best to do with this list was have a strong link between how special the weapon is in toy form and in the fiction and how it's associated to the character. It was tricky but I am very satisfied with this list, even though I didn't include Optimus Prime's Ion Blaster. So of course, there will be a lot of varying opinions.
Armada Starscream was a major update from the G1 character and a very different interpretation. One of the biggest changes was making him more of a master swordsman and this was reflected in his sleeker look and the need to incorporate the sword theme in his toy. One of his wings could actually become a sword!
The sword motif became such an important component of the character at the time that the first Masterpiece Starscream toy took influence from this change in the character by integrating sword sheaths in the design. When a new version of the character was released in toy form for the generations line, the swords were also the biggest change and update between the toys. Instead of having his wing become a sword, Hasbro found a way of storing not one but two swords under his wings for a more complete swordsman look in robot mode.
This is just a really fun weapon that is perfectly associated with the character. He's a flying dog and thus has feathered wings. And in robot mode his largest feathers become swords, or batons, and they still look like feathers. And that effect is perfectly recreated in the toy. It's such a unique weapon for this big softy!
The G1 Springer toy was pretty smart to not only have the helicopter transform into a car and a robot but to have its propeller transform into a sword for the robot. Not only did it simultaneously reduce kibble in robot mode while being able to store the weapon in alt mode by being part of the transformation, but it also made for a pretty cool weapon. Since then, Springer has been linked to that sword. The triple changer generations update of Springer kept that very same motif and the propeller sword looked even better than ever. It's a little engineering marvel on that toy. The Springer release that really seals the deal in terms of his association with his sword is the GDO retool of Hunt For The Decepticons Tomahawk. That's because unlike a standard retool of changing the colour and the head, but they also added a sword to the package, made just for him.
I don't know if anyone predicted this would be first but when this topic was brought up by fellow board member Rodimus Prime, my first thought was this entry, the number one spot: The Chainguns of Doom. The Beast Wars toys were made before the show and thus the character model was based off the toy with some changes, and his personality was totally different than the brutish beast depicted in the toy's bio and tech specs. Instead, Beast Wars Rhinox was a calm and gentle giant, as well as the backbone of the team. However, the toy did come with a pretty cool weapon that was assembled using four components hidden all throughout the beast mode such as chains, a saw blade and a motor. While this badass weapon may have conflicted with the kind of character he was initially portrayed to be, it made for a greater impact when the showrunners had Rhinox use not one but two of these weapons on the show as part of his main artillery. He may be calm and strategic but he would not stand for tyranny and understood that you needed to cover your friends sometimes, by using giant machine guns with chains and spiked balls attached to them. Not only did he have a big brain but he had the firepower to go with it, helping him protect his friends and all he held dear. The Generations figure updated him to finally be the right size, as well as making him more accurate to how he looked like on the show including, you guessed it, giving him TWO chainguns of doom!
You know, I didn't think of this at first. All these other weapons could be wielded by others and usually have 5 mm pegs. But with Megatron, that fusion cannon is just fused to the guy. It's an extension of his body and what he unleashes his immense firepower from. It is probably the most powerful weapon (bar the Matrix) and definitely the most personal one. Also far more iconic than Optimus' black rifle, personal opinion of course. And now, here is a showcase of the many interpretations, enjoy!
If anyone cares, I was going to put Optimus' Ion Blaster here but I changed my mind. Even though I have my fair share of Optimus toys, which include his blaster, I never really liked it with Optimus. It feels so impersonal and partly uncharacteristic, and it was never a great looking or distinctive gun. It's just a big black gun that this wise and honourable emissary of peace (which is what he's been portrayed as in recent attempts to carry on G1 fiction) carries around with him. Would he really use a big gun to just blast someone's head off?
Well, the third Bay movie answered that quite well. BUT though his actions are hard to debate (there isn't much subtlety to Optimus murdering a defeated Sentinel Prime), I found it really interesting how he did it using Megatron's gun. You see, that giant impersonal gun is something Megatron would have lieing around and suits him far more than Optimus. My favourite part of all this is how this whole scenario played out in the toyline. This big shotgun in the pictures below did not come with the Megatron toy in the Dark of the Moon toyline (for the film this scene comes from). It didn't come with Optimus either. It actually came from the next movie's toyline (Age of Extinction), three years later, even though it was never featured in that film. And it came as Optimus' gun without any mention of Megatron, even though it is compatible with the old Megatron toy (see the pictures). So not only was that murder scene fans were up in arms about reinforced by cementing Optimus' connection with this giant shotgun, but it could also now be reenacted three years later with official Hasbro merchansidise. This gets the number 5 spot because it's just such an odd choice to go the extra mile in adding to Optimus' connection with this weapon and this attitude of his, even though it's uncharacteristic of the character to begin with. In the end, it's pretty awesome how this all played out.
Will you look at that? 2015 went. Gone. Poof. No Transformers live-action movie either. The festivities have officially come to a close in most festivity-celebrating areas too. So what did happen this past year? How many changes to the fandom, to the franchise, to the robots? How did the year look compared to our hopes and dreams from the end of 2014?
Join us for our annual roundtable discussion in...
Transformers 2015 - A Year in Review
Who will brave the past and bring thoughts to the present? Take a look right here:
Burn - SHIZZLESNIT
william-james88 - Top 5er
megatronus - The New Yorker
ScottyP - Definitely Sober
Counterpunch - Definitely Serious
Cobotron - More like CoBROtron
xRotorstormx - ..wait, what comics?
mooncake623 - Sorry guys, I'm on vacation
LOST Cybertronian - Aaaaallways watching
carytheone - Rookie 1
Hellscream9999 - Rookie 2
and
Va'al - whodat?
How are we doing it this year? Well, not too different from usual, though we have rejigged the categories a little, and expanded: we look at everything Transformers from the past 365 days. Each and every one who contributed to this piece has something different to bring to the table, so buckle up, tuck yourselves in, and get ready to hit overdrive - it's gonna be a long one.
Categories
Transformers Figure of the Year 2015
Favorite 2015 Transformers: Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors
Favorite 2015 Transformers: Robots in Disguise/Adventure
Favorite 2015 Transformers: None of the Above Figure
Favorite 2015 Transformers Masterpiece Figure (Hasbro or Takara)
Favorite 2015 Transformers Exclusive Figure
Favorite 2015 Transformers Comics-moment
Favorite 2015 Transformers TV/Film-moment
Favorite 2015 Transformers Game
Favorite 2015 Transformers Moment Overall
What you're looking forward to in 2016 for Transformers
Ready? Set... Go!
Transformers Figure of the Year 2015 Other than Alpha Bravo, of course
WJ88 - This was an AMAZING year for Transformers toys. Both Takara and Hasbro felt like they complimented eachother well and fans were ultimately rewarded for their loyalty to the brand with the two companies working together to give the best toys possible with today's restrictions and engineering. Out of the many that I adored, Legends Arcee and Combiner Wars Blackjack were really close to the top but they get the bronze and silver medal respectively with the gold going to: Takara's Unite Warriors Devastator.
What a behemoth of a toy. I just love how Hasbro let Takara design this particular toy for a change, and Takara gave those duties to Shogo Hasui, the designer of all those Masterpiece figures we love so dearly. He did not disappoint. What fascinates me is how this toy can both look perfect and also be really fun to simply play with. For a giant detailed combiner such as this one, you wouldn't expect it to be so easy to take him apart and build him back up and yet every mode looks good. Of course, I can only speak for the Takara version which I opted for since this was the end result the designer was going for. With a toy so fun to assemble and disassemble, having the individual robot modes be their best adds to the enjoyment. The individual toys feel really good, with a nice balance between light and durable, and while the transformation is sometimes simple (not for all of them), it takes nothing away from either mode and just makes it take less time to alternate between the modes. There is also exceptional articulation all around and the combiner technology implemented here to give us a solid Devastator is on a level that has never been reached before. Definitely, this year's best toy!
megatronus - Only one figure got me to play at the Thanksgiving table with parents and in-laws awkwardly looking on like Jane Goodall with a chimp: Titan Devastator.
Devastator's massive, stable, intuitive, and FUN. This Titan specifically (and Combiner Wars figures generally) strikes the perfect balance between toy and collectible. Are there comprises? Yes. Areas that can be improved upon? Sure. But as someone who had Devastator as a kid, this toy perfectly blends nostalgia, modernity, and playability - that's an amazing thing.
xRotorstormx - Oh goodness, this is really a tough one to answer. I think in previous years it would have been a lot easier for me to choose a favorite figure but 2015 seemed to be on fire. I really enjoyed everything that was coming out and it was the first time in a while that I had really started to open the figures I was buying instead of just throwing them into a storage bin when I got home from the store. It seemed like Hasbro had finally gotten on the right path to bring the fun back to Transformers.
For 2015, I would have to say my favorite has been Devastator. It’s super impressive, especially in a display case and the nostalgic factor is wonderful. Hasbro did a great job paying homage to the the G1 Constructicons and its things like that, that really rekindle my love for this franchise.
carytheone - 2015 is the year I jumped into the Transformer collecting game feet first and I still haven't touched the bottom. This year has been a whirlwind of figure acquisition. Combiner Wars has taken a hold of me and doesn't show any sigh of letting go. While I have enjoyed all the combining and non combining figures that have been released; there is one toy that has filled me with wonder and joy like no other. One toy that literally stands above the rest. Combiner Wars Devastator.
No matter which flavor of Devastator you own (Hasbro or Takara), forming the big green guy is pure construction bliss. With the scramble combiners I always start with the torso and work my way around. With Devastator I start from the ground and slowly build my way up until I have a tower of devastation. The individual bots are a little sketchy here and there and the debate over elbows will rage on for some time, the real show however is Devastator himself.
Burn - 2015 was a fantastic year for Transformers, previous years have been rather "meh" for me as evidenced by previous year reviews. But this year? This year was GOOD! There was a lot to look forward to.
One figure most of all though. Move over! Fanboy coming through! Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus (Hasbro version).
This is how a modern take on a classic character should be done. While we don't have an individual cab transforming into its own robot before combining with the car carrier like the original G1 figure, instead, we have IDW's twist on the old "smaller robot in bigger armour".
Minimus Ambus, the plucky little robot that could. Little whit robot in a bigger robot shell. Put them together and that is one damn fine impressive looking robot mode. My one gripe is the hammer "gimmick". Seriously, who puts rockets as the head of a hammer? ugh.
mooncake623 - Figure of the year for me, goes to Takara legends Ultra Magnus. The Hasbro version is really nice too and I do like the Minimus Ambus it comes with over the Alpha Trion, but the extra Paint apps on the Takara version takes it for me. This Ultra Magnus is everything I ever wanted in a classics Ultra Magnus and I've wanted a great classics Ultra Magnus for a very long time. Every since 2010 when I first started collecting I've had place holder and when this guy was announced they all went up for sale and I couldn't be happier with that decision.
What I also liked about this release is that it is IDW Magnus! which means I needed two one for my classics shelf one for my IDW shelf and I'm very happy to buy all the Magnussssss!
Counterpunch - Masterpiece Ultra Magnus [allowed because it came out after the 2014 review - Va'al] - Magnus walked so hard off the G1 cartoon screen that he proved people wrong and embarrassed them in their lack of attention to detail. Was his bumper really red? You're damn right it was. Thought his gun was white? No sir.
In addition to giving fans what they only thought they wanted in cartoon accuracy, Magnus is the height of Masterpiece engineering and design. Complex and fun, his transformation is especially notable amidst the sea of unofficial MP figures. While there isn't a little white Prime hiding inside a suit of armor, Magnus is faithful to the source material and shows just how well engineering can be done even when confronted with challenges such as Magnus' various appearances, toys, and expectations.
Cobotron - It's been an intense year of collecting for me. Like no other I can recall. I have gotten a ton of amazing toys, old and new. It's hard to pick just one, so I'll pick two. The loophole being, they are the same character.
The year started with a gigantic bang in the form of MP-22 Ultra Magnus. Masterpiece? Like a Da Vinci in plastic perfection. He sports a phenomenal and fully functional vehicle mode, and an even more impressive robot mode. The way he feels in hand is like no other. But the thing that brings it all together is his amazing transformation. I am usually in a hurry to get anybot into robot mode, so the battle can begin. It's rare for me to stop and enjoy the "puzzle", but with this Magnus, I truly love the process.
My other favorite, Takara Legends Ultra Magnus. For years there has been a gaping glaring hole in my Classics collection. It has finally been filled. Much simpler than his MP brother, but no less elegant. Vehicle mode is outstanding, especially crammed with all the Legends scale cars I can muster, and his robot mode is an awesome action figure. Big and imposing. I like the IDW character design route they chose, making him a refreshing modern update. Some have remarked that the hammer gimmick was poorly executed, but I'm so glad his Energon Gavel of Justice has become a mainstay.
ScottyP - MP-24 Masterpiece Star Saber. Victory's iconic Supreme Commander in a nearly perfect form.
Slightly more wordy explanation follows.
It took me a bit to warm up to this figure. My out of the box reaction was that of disappointment. Thankfully, opinions and feelings can evolve over time - I know this may shock some of you, it's cool. Saber's Transtector is really perfection, and maybe the Brainmaster himself could be or do a little more but I'm ok with what's included. Great poseability, scuplting, and colors. The interaction with the yet bigger Transtector, the V-Star, is also dead on point. The use of extra parts such as the shield to create a flight stand is pretty genius.
The combined Star Saber robot has a presence about it that screams "I am important". Sure, it's a bit tricky to get Saber locked in there, and the sword grip isn't the best thing, but not a lot of poses are truly hindered and it's a blast to transform this guy back and forth once you get used to all the tolerances. I hate picky tolerances, but I don't find these so much picky anymore as I do "I had to take two attempts to learn it rather than one". On the whole, this may not be my personal favorite figure of the year, but if I had to say what The Figure of the Year is, I can think of nothing better to represent the global year in the Transformers brand. Let's 整合!
LOST Cybertronian - Hands down this category belongs to MP-24 Star Saber. The original Star Saber was my introduction to the Japanese G1 family and also my first experience with the Brainmaster gimmick. Let's be honest, the original toy was so spot on that really the only thing they could possibly do to make the Masterpiece better was add articulation. They even went so far as to tweak the Brainmaster gimmick to allow for head rotation.
Outliers:
Hellscream9999 - Considering how much of the CW line that I've collected thus far, no moment has yet to top my initial assembly of Superion.
I have always loved combiners, and the scramble-city figures seemed to really epitomize the idea of what combiners could actually be. I was never able to complete RID Ruination as a child, nor did I get many of the Energon combiners. So, when pictures first arose of a new line featuring an extensive use of scramble-city style figures, I was cautiously overjoyed (as Hasbro's last attempt was still fresh on my mind) - this was what I had always wanted, and I swore I would not miss out on this opportunity; and happily enough, Superion delivers on all fronts.
Utilizing an intuitive robot-torso mode transformation, and sleek, well proportioned limbs, we got the best scramble-city combiner ever made. Not only did it manage to capture the look of the G1 Superion, but it also managed to be a sturdy, well built, and enjoyable toy that really captured the essence of what the line was aiming to achieve. No other combiner has surpassed it, regardless of the version - Superion is perfect.
Va'al - Guess. Go on. Guess. It can't be hard to figure out what me, Va'al, will nominate in this category. Uh-huh. Yep. Our Lord and Saviour, His Helicopter Orangeness: Alpha Bravo. Putting aside the ridiculous campaign I've been single-handedly conducting on the boards (I was never really serious, still am not, but it was so much fun!), I love this little 'copterbot. It's a new character, with pretty much no backstory in the comics, but a fun toy, good modes, a wonderful personality for a piece of plastic, willing to travel over the world with me, and being a thorn in the side of purist fans everywhere - I could not ask for more .
Favorite 2015 Transformers: Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors Will we ever agree? Apparently not
Va'al - Yeah, this kind of builds on the above, really, but Superion as a combiner was a truly excellent piece of work. The single robots were good, there was coordination in paint schemes and enough difference between each mold. It was an entirely new way of looking at combiners since PCC (who still hold a dear place in my heart), a good update to a character, and a massive presence in the comics (heh). Shame it decided to jump off its shelf at the beginning of December, and broke. I am now Superion-less.
WJ88 - I wanted to pick a combiner for this category and my pick goes to Unite Warriors Superion. This Combiner is far superior (ha!) to the others that came out with how well proportioned it is. It stands tall with a lot of shoulder clearance to pose in any way you want and unlike other attempts at combiners, this one stays well together thanks to the phenomenal port system developed. Mix and matching these quadruple changer limbs is some of the most fun I ever had in this hobby. As for my choice with Takara, well aside from getting all the correct Aerialbots in one go, the slight deco changes in the Takara version mean a great deal to me. This is by far the combiner with the best transformation from voyager figure to torso and the deco takes advantage of that smart transformation by having the chest be different colours. It matches really well with the G1 show (unlike Hasbro which puts red everywhere making it look more like the G1 toy which didn't benefit from such a smart torso transformation). There are also other subtle details Takara weaves in, like extending the paint on the wings beyond the wing hinge to make the wings of the smaller jets longer. This is easily the best combiner of the best scramble city port system ever done in the brand.
mooncake623 - I believe the best Combiner from these lines is Superion. It is all basically the same jet but they all work as a team beautifully. As the first combiner wars team we got I also felt the magic of this line before all the repaints took that away. So I believe it is technically the best one we got and the timing of its release (being the first one) helped it.
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Cobotron - Again, it's so hard to pick just one, so I won't. This whole iteration has been one of the more exciting things to happen to the Generations line in a long while. Combiner - As much flack as old Uncle Hasby got for this decision, there was one fanman out here waiting the better part of his life for this... Ultra Prime and the '84 Ark bots. I have been dreaming of a combiner made from the classic characters since I was boy. Proof that dreams CAN come true. Voyager - I already loved Silverbolt's robot mode, but once I had Cyclonus in hand there was no doubt. Great vehicle mode, fabulous bot mode with that great head sculpt and facial expression, and all that PURPLE. And the out-of-left-field Galvatronus torso mode is an absolute feast for my hungry head canon. Deluxe - Originally I had thought Rook. He kind of stole the show with those boxing gloves. I also really dig Off Road. But straight out of the gate it was Drag Strip who stabbed me in the heart. The alt mode is slick. I love his proportions in robot mode, and that head sculpt exudes "evil jerk". He makes a great appendage, top or bottom. Probably my favorite arm. And the Mirage version kicked me right in the nostalgenitals. Hurt so good! Legends - It's hard not to say Powerglide, but the title goes to Huffer. For me he is the best use of this mold. He may not have been rocking his signature "hoodie" but in those colors, and with that neat little head sculpt, I find him packed with personality.
Hellscream9999 - Despite my all of my gushing, Cyclonus/Galvatronus was easily the figure I was most anxious to get this year. When images first came out, I immediately took notice of Cyclonus and his mysterious Galvaron-esque designs on what would eventually become the combiners torso. I thought "This was it, this was the torso that would unite my wayward Stunticons after the slight fiasco that was Menasor". I searched hungrily for pictures of the combined mode - that would one day become my first news credit - until he was mine.
Though completing his combined mode lacked the magic that Superion's had, I have enjoyed Galvatronus far more than I have Superion. He takes everything that was amazing on Silverbolt/Superion and ramps them up a notch by being evil - an important point in my books...
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Leaders
Burn - Can I say Ultra Magnus again? HA! Okay just for a bit of variety, and to do something different I'm NOT going to nominate a combiner or any of the teams, instead I'm going to go with Thundercracker. When I first saw the figure I was impressed. Jetfire? Not so much. But the retooling done to produce Thundercracker (and then Starscream and soon to be Skywarp) made a very fine figure.
Like Ultra Magnus, I consider CW Thundercracker to be a great take on a modern figure.
But Burn, what about the Constructicons?
What about them? They're great figures (I don't care about the articulation) and Devastator is damn impressive, but to me they're only good for posing. They're not something I can sit in the lounge chair and tinker with like I've done with many of the figures this year.
xRotorstormx - It has to be the Armada Megatron /Megatron figures… I mean, come on! Who could say no to working tank treads? Talk about the only figure to come out in recent years that turns me into a little kid again driving him all over the house (ha-ha).
LOST Cybertronian - It's kind of funny that in a line where the main gimmick is combining that my pick in this category would go to one who doesn't combine. I am looking at you CW Ultra Magnus. IDW came up with a unique take on Ultra Magnus with Minimus Ambus and this toy pulls it off. I get why G1 purists hate the idea of Minimus Ambus and the Magnus armor but not everything has to be G1 (there is the MP for that). He pulls off both modes nicely. The only real draw back is that Minimus has nowhere to go in alt mode.
Combiners
carytheone - I could just be lazy and slot Devy in here, but I won't. I feel that Combiner Wars is a really solid line and has cemented my interest in the franchise. While there is a lot of samey sameness and repaints I've enjoyed the line as a whole. Each team has their own strengths and weaknesses, but to my surprise the team that has become my favorite is the one with the most repaints, a limb with a busted waist and is the new kid on the block: Bruticus.
I just love this set. The colors just work for me, the mold choices for each bot make sense, and the subtle changes from Hot Spot to Onslaught define a new figure. Bruticus is just a tightly knit combiner: Shoulders lock-in rock solid, the wide thighs fit the wide leg bots, the arms are sleek and that Bruticus head sculpt is spot on. And don't forget his purple lil pew pew buddy that likes to ride piggy back!
ScottyP - Titan Class Devastator. Big, fun, and more intuitively engineered than expected. Holds together satisfyingly. Head sculpts are completely on point. Pick your favorite variation here, they're all fun. This was a pleasant surprise and well worth the money.
megatronus - Individual: Motormaster. I love this voyager mold as the Stunticon leader. The hulking visage fits the character perfectly, with to-die-for detailing. Torso mode falls short, but Motormaster competes for best robot and vehicle modes in all of CW. Really, he just does it for me.
Team: Protectobots. Defensor is less elegant than Superion, but - and this is the key - Defensor collects the 4 best CW deluxe molds in a single combiner. Where the Aerialbots are variations on the same theme, the Protectobots are visually dynamic and differentiated. Then there's Hot Spot, whose wrap-around ladder gimmick might be the best thing ever.
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Outliers:
Counterpunch - Alpha Bravo - Aside from rescuing G1, Alpha Bravo is one of the most important characters in Transformers History. A founding member of the Aerialbots, his contributions to the development of Superion and...
Seriously. The uproar over Alpha Bravo and the way that fans owned the strange way in which he was inserted into the mythos makes him the defining toy of the line for me. Is Alpha Bravo a great toy? Not especially. Has he been well treated in the corresponding fiction? No. But he's ours and now and forever, when fan rage threatens to tear us apart, when history is being re-written, when we just can't understand far-fetched corporate mandates backed by half-assed marketing, we have an option.
We can always get to the 'choppa and Alpha Bravo will take us away.
(Va'al approves of this choice.)
Favorite 2015 Transformers: Robots in Disguise/Adventure THE DINOPILE
Credit: Cobotron
WJ88 - The TAV line was very good to us this year with Takara using it as a catch all line helpîng fans get rereleased figures (animated Dinobots and United Frenzy/Rumble) as well as giving us new toys fans wanted (voyager Grimlock and leader Prime). However, none of this awesomeness compares to their Drift. 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!
Cobotron - Back to basics for this little line. So much simple = so much fun.
I've had fun with all the Warrior Class toys. Crushed on Strongarm enough to even customize her paint, but Drift is the real winner. A lot of things in that figure take me back to my fondness for the Cybertron line, but with better articulation. That Tron-esque alt mode is a joy to look at, and he's just a fun figure to play with.
Then you have Takara over here, doin' their "thang". Optimus Prime taco Supreme Mode is pure win. The interactivity with the other size classes is a hook I will bite on anytime. He brings a unity to the entire line, and with that sword, and that sweet sweet deco, he does it with style.
With Battle Grimlock, Takara is the first to prove to the world that, yes, indeed a turd CAN be polished!
LOST Cybertronian - Takara pulled out the surprise of the year with the heavily retooled Battle Grimlock. Despite the hollowness of the base figure, this is one sexy RID Grimlock. Thank you Takara for going the extra mile to bring us a voyager sized RID Grimlock that takes more than 3 steps to transform.
Va'al - Despite the size, despite the scary marks created by the odd elbow joints, despite the loitering arms in robot mode: Warrior Grimlock. It's a fun little fidgety figure, with a good paint scheme, great character in the series and comics, and enough to make me want to sneak it in to any photos I take of the flat (or beyond). DINOPILE AHOY!
ScottyP - TAV-33 Optimus Prime Supreme Mode. There's so much playability in this mold - "just complex enough" transformation, a library of sounds and phrases so extensive you'll think you're learning Japanese, tons of accessories, can haul other toys in the trailer, other toys can have a tailgate party in the trailer, Mini-con compatibility, and this version gets the nod for the slick deco.
xRotorstormx - While none of the Robots in Disguise figures really stood out for me, I thought that the Minicons were the best. It was a nice idea for Hasbro to bring back the concept of removing parts from spurs!
carytheone - Well this is a line that completely caught me off guard. At first glance I thought they looked a little too Playskool to me. Compared to the Combiner Wars line the Robots in Disguise figures all looked like they had weird chunky smooth plastic. I picked up Bee on a random sale to test the waters and with each figure I got more and more hooked. After spending so much time drenched in Combiner Wars, it was refreshing to have a unique transformation for each figure. Crazy as it may sound the stand out from this line is Mini-con madness.
Mini-cons; who knew those little simple figures with no articulation would grab so much of my attention. Gotta catch em all fever maybe? I find their simple auto-morph transformation fun to fiddle with and they compliment the warrior figures perfectly.
mooncake623 - I'm going to go with legion class fixit. It's a cute little toy, and fun to mess around with. It's also the only RID figure I brought but it's a fun one.
Burn - To be honest, I've only collected the Autobots. The Decepticon characters in the cartoon have been an embarrassing joke (not that the Autobots have been much better) and I've just never liked them. So instead, I stuck with the Autobots and only the Deluxe class. With one exception.
Fixit
He's a fun little figure. There's no need for him to be overly complex, and he is far from that. A one-step Legion class figure suits him perfectly! Plus he's probably the best character on the show.
Hellscream9999 - I honestly don't know if this is breaking the rules of the list, but as I got Fracture at the beginning of December, I think that qualifies him to be on this list
Having enjoyed all of the new s that RID brought to us, I was disheartened when only one of them made it to normal retail release... So, needless to say, when the opportunity arose to nab this new Lockdown, I pounced - and received what could only be described as an exceptional figure.
Beyond being yet another successful motorcycle Transformer (an excellent trend of late), he has incredible poseability, an awesome multi-purpose weapon, and absolutely oozes character - as if he had just jumped out of the show to collect a bounty on my head. He's an amazing Transformers character, and an even better toy, what more do you want?
Outliers:
megatronus - Transformers Adventure is definitely an island of misfit toys as well as a line of hidden gems and second chances. That said, one really stands out: TAV29 Grand Vehicon General.
I'm not an Arms Microns fan, and passed on that Vehicon General, so I jumped on TAVs. PRID Vehicon is a modern classic, and TAV reprises this all-star with a winning deco that (bonus!) hides the ugly, terrible, no-good faction sticker in robot mode. I've been waiting for this figure a long time, and it's satisfying to have him, especially since it brings back the best of TF:Prime.
Counterpunch - TAV Ultra Magnus - An unexpected and incredibly welcome update to the TF Prime Beast Hunters Ultra Magnus, this is my favorite figure from the line. Beast Hunters Magnus was a well intentioned reuse of the TF Prime RiD Optimus. Yet in a line where the show and toys so closely follow one another, you really had to squint to accept the old G1 toy colors on this figure as he sat amidst your other TF Prime figures.
This simple redeco offers show accurate coloring and a more accurate and detailed Forge of Solus Prime accessory. Sometimes plastic color and a few dabs of paint application make all the difference. This is one of those times. I fully expect this figure to be lost amidst the shuffle of Combiner Wars excitement and in a few years to be going for 2-3 times its currently (very) affordable price.
Favorite 2015 Transformers: None of the Above Figure or, Go Platinum
LOST Cybertronian - How do you get me to buy a new release of G1 toys I already own? By releasing them in a new deco. That's right I am talking about the delicious Platinum Edition Blitzwing and Astrotrain set. I feel for those that wanted a straight reissue of the original figures but those wouldn't get a second look from me. Hasbro took a chance on these guys and they look deliciously gaudy.
Cobotron - The absurdly outrageous Platinum Triple Changers Astrotrain and Blitzwing, or Bomb Pop and Cherry Danish as I like to call them. But why Cobs? Because they are pure ridiculous whimsy.
mooncake623 - Platinum edition Trypticon! I've always wanted a G1 Trypticon and the fact that I can get a brand new minty one from Amazon for around $100 bucks was amazing! I also can't believe they kept those loud electronics in there. Having him set up next to my G1 Metroplex in City mode was something I've always wanted to do.
ScottyP - Platinum Edition Seeker Squadron. A woefully under-appreciated set. First reissues of Ramjet and Thrust in the US ever, really nice touches on the decos that are subtle enough to not mess with the aesthetics of the toys, and sharp looking metallic sticker sets that actually stick unlike the Commemorative Series decals.
WJ88 - I feel so lucky that the Transformers brand keeps rereleasing older products (like Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers does). As I extend my knowledge on the brand (I grew up on Beast Wars thinking there was nothing before that), I get the need to get acquainted with what came before. With the Platinum line, I get to have band new minty fresh G1 toys without having to break the bank (and without feeling guilty to take them out of their packaging). I got most of the G1 reissues this year and my favourite is the Platinum Perceptor and Blaster set, especially Perceptor. It is an amazing toy to own to get a taste of the brand's history, seeing how this was supposed to be a vehicle/mech for Microman toys which would pose as a normal sized microscope not to arouse suspicion on earth. I love how that disguise extends to it being a working microscope (which Hasbro took full advantage of in this release) and how you can still use all its Microman features which were not included in the instructions (either now or back in 1985), like turning him into a tank, that rolls beautifully, for toys to sit on.
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Counterpunch - Takara Legends Windblade - I feel the need to point out this figure. With the growing ties between media and figures, especially figures who are prominent in the fiction and our collective discussions, it strikes me how frequently careless Hasbro is. I don't know or understand the reasons why the Hasbro version of Windblade could not get her basic color scheme or deco correct, but once again I am looking to Takara to correct it.
Legends Windblade gets the overall color palette for Windblade correct and dramatically improves her face deco. The Windblade mold is full of engineering issues, but she's an important character and she deserved better. When every bit of fiction she's in has her very clearly appearing one way, it would be nice for the majorative audience of that fiction to not have to import at twice the price in order to get an accurate figure.
I know. I know that's how it's always been, but it needs to improve.
Va'al - You know, I had almost forgotten that Windblade is part of 2015. I had pre-ordered it so long ago, and it was all before I moved flats, it just always existed on my shelf/box/desk. As many on the boards know, she's part of my trinity along with Grimlock and Alpha Bravo - so it's only fitting really that she'd show up here too. The Takara version is soooo nice, and a lot more accurate to the IDW design, face in particular.
Hellscream9999 - This was a top contender for figure of the year, but Nightbird Shadow wins this category hands down. No matter how I tried, I could never reconcile Generations Arcee running around with all of those weapons while wearing that smile on her face; Nightbird Shadow takes that irreconcilable image and runs with it - and then slits your throat when you're not looking.
Nightbird is a stunningly realized re-tooling of Gen. Arcee, based on a bit character in one episode of the G1 cartoon, and I couldn't love her more than I already do. Sporting the no-nonsense femme-fatale ethos of Arcee, but in a much more appropriate ninja guise, Nightbird is just an incredible figure that I knew I had to have. She sports a pair of newly-tooled sai and head that just capture a magic for me that I never got with Arcee, plus, her sai remind me of one of my favorite Dynasty Warrior's 8 characters: Wang Yi, so there's that too.
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megatronus - AoE Black Knight Optimus Prime. This overseas TRU exclusive Scourge-style redeco of the AD31 Armor Knight Optimus Prime is a double whammy. The best transformable version of Age of Extinction Optimus, with a sexy black, teal, and red premium paint job? Yes, please.
Burn - Like every year, because this is about the only chance I really have to pimp them to the masses, is Kabaya. This years "big" release were the Seacons. Fun little figures that combine into a much larger King Poseidon, sure the articulation is lacking, but they're different and a fresh change from all those fancy articulated RID and CW figures you kids have these days.
xRotorstormx - Prices aside, I really like the new waves of Loyal Subjects figures. They seem to be a bit more durable, way more posable and the colors are bright and look amazing on the shelf compared to older waves.
carytheone - This one was hard, I had to peer around my collection looking for something that was released in 2015 that wasn't CW or RID related. After a couple disappointed google searches showing the release dates were 2014 I spotted TAV15 Lockdown. An old mold I know, but it was a new experience to me and possible the gateway into collecting Animated figures. So by default Lockdown gets it, but that's not to say he isn't a good figure. I had a lot of fun transforming, posing, photographing and just letting him get into trouble on my shelves. The deco is superb and I just love the matte paint. Lockdown is a tall, slender and menacing bounty hunter.
Favorite 2015 Transformers Masterpiece Figure
(Hasbro or Takara) Smoke, mirrors, drama - Hasbro vs Takara!
ScottyP - MP-18B Bluestreak, because it's about time this deco happened again.
Cobotron - The MP release I was most excited for, post Magnus was MP-18B. Bluestreak is my guy. Has been for 31 years. It was the toy accuracy of 18S that pulled me into the Masterpiece line hard. With my adoration for the Takara SF Land diaspora, and it being my absolute favorite character, blue Bluestreak and his nod to pre-Transformers history made him a must have. I hold a funny resentment towards Prowl for always stealing the spotlight from Streak, so the even more toy accurate details his mold carries were a surprise treat for me.
I'm gonna catch heat from Billy Jim for this, but Exhaust smoked Wheeljack. I can't nail it down, but there is powerfully evil and habit forming magic inside that collectible. Plus the fact that I bagged him in the wild, in the U.S. of A., made for my most thrilling hunt of the year!
WJ88 - I greatly disliked the first attempt at Masterpiece Starscream (MP 03) and thus was never enamored by the idea that the new Masterpiece Starscream was a retool of that same mold. So I stayed away with no regrets. This year however, Hasbro gave me an offer I couldn't refuse with the Masterpiece toy being just about the same price as the Leader Seekers that were on the shelves at the same time (which were just simple Jetfire retools/redecos). I gave it a shot and loved it. There are problems it can never fix unless they make a new mold from the ground up but that doesn't stop it from being the best ever effort by Hasbro to have an MP in North America. Let me run by some quick points of why this one was awesome:
- Trilingual box, making it available all over North America (FINALLY!)
- A price which made it worth waiting for the Hasbro version
- Improvements over the Takara version like more paint (silver on the sigils), nicer colours (personal opinion) and mostl importantly, a tighter connection between the pelvis and torso.
mooncake623 - Tracks was great, StarSaber cool but surprisingly simplistic, but the winner has to be It has to be Toys R Us Starscream for the simple reason that you can get a $200 Takara figure in the States for $60 bucks. That is just amazing value.
carytheone - This is another category where the figure wins by default. I only grabbed one MP this year and I feel it was a pretty good one. None other than the master plotter and wannabe usurper himself, Starscream. Another old mold that I don't really need to elaborate on. I will share my experience with him though. He shipped in alt mode and that was a nerve-racking transformation into a bot. MP Starscream is dead sexy as a plane and poses great in bot mode. Bonus, he comes with a exhaust stained booger pilot!
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megatronus - I was tempted to pick MP11-SW Skywarp because completing an MP11 Seeker trio was such an exultant moment. Still, MP of the year has to be MP23 Exhaust.
The hype and drama surrounding Exhaust's glorious release was unparalleled; I'm thankful we got this figure at all, even if in a somewhat abridged form. It's amazing how a white, red, and green redeco of white, red, and green Wheeljack could be so different than, well, Wheeljack. Plus, in my head-canon, Exhaust is basically an MP Vehicon who can help fill the Decepticon ranks with multiples. Good thing they've gotten so cheap.
LOST Cybertronian - Takara made a ballsy move by announcing the legal shitstorm that is MP Marlboor Wheeljack Exhaust complete with Marlboro trademarked markings. No other Transformers toy in my memory has caused this much trouble. That alone makes Exhaust Masterpiece Transformer of the year. Even though in the end Takara relented on the deco but this is still one sweet figure with a beautiful head sculpt and new accessories that make it stand out from Wheeljack.
xRotorstormx - Wheeljack of course! Not only has wheeljack been my favorite character since the G2 cartoon sucked me in to Transformers, the paint scheme and mold was exactly what I had envisioned a masterpiece version to look like.
Honorable mention: MP23 Exhaust – for the love of drama!
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Burn - You'd think after the fanboy rant above the answer would be obvious wouldn't it? Well no. As good as MP Ultra Magnus was, I was left a little disappointed. Overall, I found this year to NOT be a year for Masterpiece figures.
Favorite 2015 Transformers Exclusive Figure In (and outta) da Club
megatronus - Club Subscription Krok and Gatoraider. It's pleasing to finally see a character that does this mold justice - Megatron and Dreadwing deserve larger figures, but it's like this mold was made for Krok. The head sculpt is perfect, the colors pop, and the way Gatoraider combines with Krok's stock weapon to form a full-fledged rail gun is magnificent. 10s across the board.
As a side note, I'm a fan of the way the Club has been handling Action Masters generally - just look at Sherbert, I mean Circuit, for an example of another job well done.
ScottyP - Transformers Collectors' Club Figure Subscription Service 3.0 Krok with Gatoraider. Cool mold, absolutely fantastic new head sculpt, stunning paint job, and an Arms Micron partner that's appropriate and helps it correctly homage the source material. A+ execution.
xRotorstormx - Honestly, I was pretty impressed with this year’s TFCC Subscription Service. The choices they made were unique and that is what keeps things interesting for me. Out of all of them, I loved Serpent-OR. I was never a G.I Joe collector but loved the cartoon and Serpentor was always a favorite of mine. I have an original Serpentor figure siting on my desk and it was amazing, when that figure arrived, how cool they looked standing next to each other.
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Counterpunch - eHobby Grand Scourge - This figure is everything that an exclusive should be. It is tempting to those who are unaware of the backstory by virtue of its appearance and it is a welcome and happy call back to a figure that always should have been but never was.
Grand Scourge was a planned or at least optioned redeco of Energon Optimus Prime. Unfortunately, it was only ever available in a small model kit format that most collectors have no real knowledge of. More than ten years later, we have a viable Grand Scourge who can reside with our modern collections or who can go back and haunt your Energon shelves with equal parts glory.
The real challenge thrown down by this bad boy, is putting together a team of bots to make up his combined form...
mooncake623 - All the Black Optimusssss. Transformers Legends LG-EX G2 Black Convoy (Nemesis Prime) Tokyo Toy Show 2015 Exclusive, Transformers: The Lost Age Black Knight Exclusive - Optimus Prime, Transformer Unite Warriors Decepticon Grand Scourge. Just love adding new ones to the collection.
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LOST Cybertronian - BotCon 2015 Oilmaster: Whether you love them or hate them, FunPub has done some extraordinary retools in the last couple of BotCons (see also 2014 Scorponok). This year they went above and beyond the call of duty by taking an unreleased G1 Double Pretender concept and giving it a modern update. The fact that they had a newly sculpted Pretender Shell created is beyond awesome and cements Oilmaster for Transformers Exclusive of the year.
WJ88 - I don't get many exclusives since I am more about the engineering of the toy and exclusives are usually just redecos but I did get Cloud Shockwave and he is pretty awesome. It is so strange how a difference in deco alone can turn an ok toy great. The Whirl mold looks amazing in purple and it totally works for a classics Shockwave with the creepy claws and single eye.
Let's take a break, shall we? Have a video that has made many a fan send submissions to the news staff, but never actually made it to the front page.
Favorite 2015 Transformers Comics-moment More than Meets the Knowing
ScottyP - More Than Meets The Eye #44: The Not Knowing. See my review/gushing fest for why. Honorable mention to Sins of the Wreckers #1 which was also really damn good.
Counterpunch - MtMtE #44 - Megatron seeing a symbolic representation of the death and chaos he has wrought. The potential for Megatron to grow as a character and to play a new role in upcoming conflict is ripe. I hope it bears fruit.
WJ88 - The final shot of MTMTE 44 when Megatron gets a clear picture of how many deaths he has caused. It had no lines, just the excellent art and that was all that was needed for this perfect character moment.
carytheone - Well I started late on this one, I've been binge reading in-between long breaks and now I'm about 5 or 6 issues behind. It's hard for me to pin down just one of the crazy antics that happen in More Than Meets the Eye. It's all the little interpersonal relationships that really stand out to me. If Rodders and crew are heading out, sign me up. I love a good quest.
Burn - At the start of the year, More than Meets The Eye ... not so much now. It's good, but the humour has been replaced with "everyone has to be in a relationship", and I could watch Days of Our Lives for that.
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megatronus - This is undeniably the age of the antihero, and so I clearly choose the most Mad Max-esque Transformers comic to date: Redemption #1.
War is ugly. War is sin. And absolution isn't at the bottom of an Engex bottle. This issue finds the Dinobots taking on an odd job: transporting something deep into the Sea of Rust for the Camien Torchbearers. In the process, Slug reflects, does the antihero thing, and otherwise kicks ass. We meet some surprising adversaries, with a twist.
So, yes - standard. But the gritty, atmospheric art by Livio Ramondelli and the equally gritty Dinobots set this series apart from the cleaner lines and themes of the other ongoings/mini-events. I'm excited to see where this one goes.
Va'al - The dark horse that is Minimus Ambus. Proof below.
Favorite 2015 Transformers TV/Film-moment Rescuers in Disguise
WJ88 - Robots in Disguise is a fun show. While it is a bit young for me, I do love the design for the Decepticons. It is fun to see the show creators be this original in the Transfomers brand again.
xRotorstormx - I never enjoyed sitting at my computer watching shows so unfortunately I was only able to see 2-3 episodes of RID (come on ... 6:30am on a Saturday??) . Even though I was not the target audience of the show, it was entertaining.
carytheone - Getting up before daylight to catch Robots in Disguise. RID came aired Saturday morning at 5:30 AM in my neck of the woods. I set an alarm and would drag my groggy butt out of bed, fix a bowl of cereal and plop down in front of the TV in my jammies. I did that for a couple weeks until I found out I could binge watch all the episodes on the internet. While it lasted I chased that dragon and enjoyed the ride.
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Burn - I wanted to enjoy Robots in Disguise, and it was good. But honestly, for another year, Rescue Bots was easily the most enjoyable series on TV.
megatronus - Rescue Bots! Season 3 hit Netflix a few months ago, and I binge watched like none other. It's been a long time since we've gotten a show that's human-centric, with the Transformers an interesting part of the scenery in an immersive, convincing world. Season 3 was a slight change, as we saw a huge number of Transformers-centric stories in this human-centric show - and it made for great viewing.
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ScottyP - Q-Transformers. I have no idea what's going on. I love it.
Favorite 2015 Transformers Game Go Big or Go Bust
LOST Cybertronian - Transformers: Devastation is button pounding excitement. The game looks gorgeous with its cell shaded G1 aesthetic and is very fun to play.
xRotorstormx - Devastation, hands down! Seeing that Japan has gotten a few G1 inspired games over the years, it was nice to finally have one released stateside. I didn’t get it right when it came out, only got it only a few weeks ago, but the game play is really fun and keeps me entertained (which is REALLY hard to do now a days!). I thought the character selection was really neat and refreshing instead of seeing just the same old popular characters. Looking forward to more games like this!
Counterpunch - Transformers Devastation - How is this even a question? It could have only been better if it was longer or included Bayonetta.
ScottyP - Transformers: Devastation. Partly by default, but there were mobile titles to choose from. Oozes the G1 cartoon in the best way, and fun too! Please, someone, officially release the soundtrack.
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Worth mentioning: ScottyP's round-up before the Devastation release here!
carytheone - I didn't play the mobile, browser or the one console/PC release this year. As a gamer I hang my head in shame. I did however pick up a bunch of older Transformer games this year. Even though I've already played/finished War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, I found them on clearance and decided to pick up a copy. I played these games years ago before I was back in the TF fold.
It was a fun experience to play the story again with a different perspective.I picked up a couple TF games for my 3DS as well. TF: Prime and TF: Rise of the Dark Spark. TF: Prime is just WfC and FoC lite, but Rise of the Dark Spark is a completely different beast on 3DS. It's a turn based strategy game with 2D sprite graphics and a little 3D battling bots thrown in for flavor. TF: RotDS on 3DS is my TF game of the year. It's a fun and surprisingly hard game, definitely worth the $5 spent.
megatronus - I don't have a game console at the moment ( ), so I can't speak to this one too much. I hear great things about Devastation... do the Fan Votes count? Honestly, that's as much of a game as anything I've seen, and not just because many fans suspect Hasbro is 'gaming' the process (see what I did there?).
Favorite 2015 Transformers Moment Overall Bunch a' soppy bots
WJ88 - There are two elements of the year that really made it amazing:
I just loved seeing Takara in action all year. I like Hasbro but Takara just has this secret formula with the fans since we are its dedicated market. Everything we could ask for they gave. I wanted an updated Beast Wars Blackarachnia and got it. I wanted elbows on my Devastator and got it. I wanted more size classes in the Robots in Disguise line (like for Grimlock and Optimus) and better paint apps (since some were appaling) and got that too. Also, quite randomly, I wanted the Rumble and Frenzy tanks along with Animated Swoop and they rereleased them as well. The week-end of Botcon 2015, while Hasbro was showing some good stuff, in a totally different show at the other end of the world Takara brings out their improved Devastator along with MP Optimus Primal, MP Ironhide, their new trio of female robots and their Leader Optimus for robots in Disguise/TAV. In that Botcon week-end, my thoughts were just about Takara, I would have never expected that.
The other cool stuff of the year was discovering all these affordable reissues. As a newer collector (longtime fan though) who was born in 88, G1 doesnt come easy. Especially in nice condition with all accessories. But this year with the platinum line, I got a bunch of beautiful fresh and minty G1 toys for a price that gives me no guilt in opening the box and playing with them. Speaking of reissues, it is this year that I discovered the Sonokong releases of many Takara products. Korean company Sonokong distributed a bunch of Japan exclusive toys in their local market and those releases (which comes in amazing boxes) are really cheap. So I was able to get a bunch of figures I would have never thought of owning for the price of retail or less (like Big Convoy, Sky Garry and a bunch of others). This was really a year of finding affordable ways of getting brand new vintage toys and I couldn't be happier.
Hellscream9999 - Putting 3/5 of Superion together after hunting for his components all of January. Though I only had enough limb-bots to give him a pair of arms, all I could do was sit at my desk and swap his limbs around all day - after longing for a nice update to the scramble-city combiners for so long, sitting there, holding the realization of my dreams was absolutely magical.
megatronus - I got to join the Podcast in early 2015 after a lengthy trial at the end of 2014, and it's been a blast. The job is harder than it sounds, but hopefully I'm getting better! That's just a lead up to my actual favorite moment: TFcon Charlotte. I got to go to my first Transformers convention, with mooncake623, and met most of the folks I record with. I'm thankful for the opportunity & experience, and look forward to more shows & conventions!
mooncake623 - TFcon Charlotte was pretty awesome, it was great meeting everyone and spending time talking and drinking and buying toys.
xRotorstormx - Botcon, is always a highlight of my year. In the beginning it was all about the special guests and toys but over the years it has become a family gathering. I love being able to travel around to different locations each year but walk in the door and see all my friends. No matter what happens leading up to the convention, we always make the best of it and have a blast. It is always nice to be around people that share similar interests and you can have conversations about what you are really passionate about.
Counterpunch - I have 100% enjoyed the bizarre and fun nature of the Takara Legends comics. In terms of parody, these have made me smile and kicked my imagination into high gear more than anything else. The remainder of my response will now be pictures I find to be amusing:
ScottyP - I'm going to edit my earlier longer answer here and just pick one. So I'm in the parking lot of Toys R Us and this dude in a shirt, tie, and black slacks wearing a back-pack while carrying a book in one hand and MMC Feral Rex in the other walks up and asks if I'd seen the light and heard about our lord and savior, Third Party. I punched him in his face and he burst into a pile of coins. I used them to walk in and buy a Masterpiece Starscream. It was a fun time. I think a car ran over the Feral Rex, then it disappeared and got sent back to a spawn point.
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Burn - I'm going to throw this in here much to Va'als chagrin as it's not really a "Transformers moment", but hear me out. The Seibertron.com forums.
Yes there's been a few problem members, but in all honesty, there's been a batch of new members come through who have gone absolutely ballistic and really defined what a "discussion board" is suppose to be about! So much so I've found myself at times barely able to join in the conversations because by the time I wake up or get home from work, any where from 2+ pages have been added, and that's a lot to catch up on!
So that's my moment for the year. The great discussions that have taken place on the forums. Don't think I'm going soft though, check your signature sizes and bloody stay on topic!
carytheone - My favorite TF moment of the year is all the time spent on Seiberton making new friends and becoming a news staff member. It's been a blast getting to know everyone and goofing off on the various boards. Even though I've learned a lot about my new favorite hobby, I still feel like a complete noob when the heavy hitters come around. It's been an amazing experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Cobotron - This whole damn year has been one giant Transformers moment for me. I joined Seibertron in September of 2014. In 20 years of collecting I've never really had anyone to share/talk about the hobby with. I do now! The past year has been a real thrill cutting it up with the peeps in here. I've been inspired to build an Ark diorama, try a custom paint job, create some TF-centric art, and learned to digibash. I've completely overhauled my displays and for the first time ever have all my Transformers, and other Takara goodies on display in the Collect-O-Tron (where I push my secret Microman agenda ). I've made some really great friends via the forums over the past year and am elated to be a part of this awesome community. I must have been drunk on Transformers fun when I said yes to Burn's recruitment to be a Forum Moderator.
So like the Chief said, play nice, check your sig size, and for Primus's sake, stay on topic!
Va'al - This, after not too much thought, would have to be the secret mission that myself and Seibertron went on, as we met for the first time in London in November! There was much nerd talk, a lot of robots, several moments of fond memories, a meeting with Simon Furman, the SUPER SECRET STUFFS we can't talk about, and a little more nerding out. It was a good couple of days, with some good people, in a very surreal but pleasing situation. 10/10, would do again!
(Note to the photo: I then proceeded to eat Simon Furman, as Burn suggested, of course.)
What you're looking forward to in 2016 for Transformers DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS
Va'al - Nah-hah, this one is a ponderous question. My interest in the toys has been waning for a loooooong time now, and I keep chipping away at the collection in one way or another. I am, however, intrigued by what the anniversary of Beast Wars might bring to the table, other than what we have already seen.
I am even a lot more interested in Victorion, after the wonderful work done with her by John Barber, Mairghread Scott, and Sara Pitre-Durocher in the comics - plus I have a combiner-less shelf now! That, and the continuation of the IDW multiverse with Till All Are One.
Burn - Titan Masters and Titans Return have me wary. I want Powermaster Optimus Prime, and of course, I want Fortress Maximus. But others...not so sure about.
What I am looking forward to a lot though is what Takara will be doing in regards to their version of the Combaticons. Will we be getting a new Blast Off? Here's hoping ...
xRotorstormx - Titans Return! If Hasbro can continue down this path of bringing us fan favorites, I think this will definitely keep the spark alive in fans young and old.
LOST Cybertronian - I am excited for Masterpiece Shockwave and Powermaster Optimus Prime. Both look like great contenders to be on this list next year.
WJ88 - This year wasn't so hot on MPs and I didn't buy a single one from Takara since none appealed to me particularly. Next year however, looks to be amazing with MP Primal and Shockwave. Also, Hasbro has commented that they will be doing more G1 reissues and I can't wait to see what they pick. I have so few G1 toys that this is very exciting to me. It's like having another line full of new toys to buy and experience.
megatronus - MP Shockwave. Shockwave!!!!! I've been waiting for this robotic cyclops for aeons, so needless to say, I plan on acquiring him immediately. Beyond my irrational desire and compulsion, he's important for 3 reasons:
(1) Shockwave himself: he'll fill out Decepticon ranks (my 'Exhaust = MP Vehicon' head-canon can only go so far), and will look amazing doing so. I'm sure the wait will be worth it.
(2) Like Titan Devastator, Shockwave represents something in terms of Hasbro and Takara's battle with 3rd Parties. Or not. But the comparisons are inevitable.
(3) By the time of Shockwave's release, all 3 of Megatron's main lieutenants will have assumed modern MP form. That's either a lead up to the Decepticon Leader himself, or a mega-letdown.
Counterpunch - Masterpiece Shockwave. I should have a more complex answer, but I don't. Titans Return will carry on as any mainline does. The movies will do their thing. A new show will probably get started, but MP Shockwave...
I'm eager to get a hold of it and get some official leadership on my Decepticon shelves. I also hope that it inspires a viable Voyager Class Generations Shockwave. Someone needs to keep their glowing yellow eye on that ball...
Cobotron - All of it? I'm really excited for the coming Masterpiece releases like Shockwave and Ironhide/Rachet. All of Titan Returns and its play-packed gimmicks. I'm a sucker for little dudes riding/piloting bigger dudes, populating even bigger dudes. I am really looking forward to Takara's Grand Galvatron. He is just such an interesting and entertaining concept.
Speaking of little dudes driving big dudes, I am super excited for Takara's Diaclone reboot, Dia Battles. This plays into my love for all things pre-Transformers Takara history. I'm also very interested to see how Hasbro's Micronauts/Transformers crossover plays out.
Hellscream9999 - Well, if anyone knows me at the most basic level, it should be a little obvious (like Va'al + Alpha Bravo) it's...
. SKY REIGN
Yes! The big, bad dino-bird-shuttle-thing is back in all his glory, except instead of being some sort of duo-con/combiner, he's packing a torso mode for a combiner that has the visage of an angry Egyptian god for a head, how can you not love that?
mooncake623 - Toy fair I always look forward to Toy fair.
carytheone - With all the fun I've had with Combiner Wars, I'm very excited to see how Titan Returns plays out. HeadTitan Masters really don't do much for me, but base mode sounds interesting. The most exciting part of Titan Returns is that the figures don't combine, so here's to bots with unique transformations.
But what has me the most intrigued is the Transformers Machinima series. Very little is know at the moment, so it's easy to hang positive exceptions on the series. I put toys above the media it's based on, so hopefully the art style will be there and spawn some cool figures.
Last but not least; what I'm looking forward to most in 2016 is hanging out here with all my new robrobuddies!
ScottyP - The same thing I look forward to every year - having fun. That's what it's all about.
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Very much so, ScottyP, very much so. There are other thoughts to be thunk on 2015, and you can find the Twincast Podcast episodes doing so here and here - for your auricular pleasure. But that's pretty much it from us, we want to know what made your 2015 the Transformersest there is! Was it a toy, a line, a comic, a book, an episode, a grail achieved, any at all robot-related? Pull up a chair in the Energon Pub, ignore the two Tankors at the back, and let us know what you thought. Feel free to use the categories, or just spill out your inner cogs - we're all robuddies here.
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 Worst Shellformers Transformers Toys
As Beast Wars fan, I grew up on shellformers. Since an animal is not metallic in nature (they soon found a way around that)it always made sense to me that part of the animal couldn't integrate completely into the robot mode. I only realized later that they got a bad rap and I understand why now: it can yield to very lazy and unattractive designs. Shelformers are a sad sight when you know it's possible for the robot to have some alt mode integration or, even worse, when the character model shows alt mode integration. In that scenario, a fake piece of kibble is made to make up for the shell kibble that they couldn't bother integrating. That's DOUBLE KIBBLE!!!! Before I pull an aneurysm, let's just get to the list...
The extent of how poor a shellformer this is, is entirely due to the contrast against the leader size mold of this character that actually uses the shell in a far more interesting way. For one, this toy doesn't incorporate the shell into the figure in any way. While the leader version uses the front of the firetruck as his chest, this one resorts to leaving the front of the truck to fold on it's back and relies on a fake kibble piece to make up the chest. Also, while the leader figure uses the shell of the truck to create a stylish cape or celestial garment of sorts, the voyager just has the entire truck shell just stay unfolded in it's back making it look like a robot just skinned a truck to wear it like a tortoise shell. It also makes a horrible backpack that is placed far from the figure as if neither modes want anything to do with one another.
What did I write above again? Oh, right: Using a shell can result in a very lazy looking and unattractive design. It is made worse when the excess shell kibble results in a massive backpack, which detracts from the sleek robot. Man, Sideswipe here must be studying for all his courses tonight because look at the big backpack he needs to carry all his books!
3. Beast Wars Neo Break
While the Beast Wars Neo line took the idea of a shellformer to a whole other level, the results were usually very intriguing, and sometimes pretty bad ass, making its use of kibble endearing to the line as a whole. But Beast Wars Neo's Break is just too much to bear. While animals disguised as robots may get more of a pass over being a shellformer, due to necessity, this guy just pushes it too far. He looks like a giant kinder surprise egg that someone smash opened to find a robot inside. Without hyperbole, this is the equivalent of a G1 Pretender who's robot mode had pieces of the outer pretender shell glued all over it. That penguin head just sitting there among the debris right in the open is the icing on this terribly tasting cake.
You would think that by 2014, robots entirely covered by a shell and just brought to the back would be a thing of the past. But no, they were (are) still alive and well and that year even gave us one of the biggest shellformer offenders. There are even photos all over the internet showing both the robot and truck mode of First Editions AOE Optimus side by side, WHILE USING THE SAME TOY!
This is an extremely inefficient transformer whose body length shell serves as the main disguise to a robot that doesn’t pose at all. It also has barely no alt mode integration (only her feet). The joke of having a robot surprise in a shell that is usually done to poor Break above is brought to the extreme here. The shell is so big and overwhelming that she can’t stand on her own and it limits any motion she might have. If anyone cares, this mini review was quite easy as I simply used something I had written for Beast Wars Cybershark and just wrote the opposite of every positive aspect about that figure. And Thunderblast came out 10 years after that figure! I really could not think of a better toy to show how bad shellforming could be.
Honourable mentions: I didn't want to fill this list entirely with Beast Wars Neo figures for several reasons. Firstly, as mentioned in the intro, the use of a shell for robots disguised as animals makes sense. If you went for total alt mode integration, Long Rack would look like a buffoon (more so). However, as you saw I couldn't resist but include the biggest shellformer offender that line had to offer. I would say Beast Wars Ironhide is probably the most intense shellformer ever but it works for the awesome combined form of Magnaboss and I didn't find it fair to fault him on that.
I would like to thank Cobotron for the image.
In two weeks, the BEST Shellformers. Talk to you then!
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), Maighread Scott, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Joana Lafuente and Tom Long created a masterpiece of a series that I couldn't wait to read every month. From shining a light on more obscure characters (Greenlight, Lancer, Lightbright) and bringing Prime characters (Knock Out and his husband-in-universe Breakdown, Airachnid) in so organically, I just devoured the series. And the unexpected moments that just knocked the breath out of you: Starscream's true self being revealed, his confession in the annual and seeing his face literally and figuratively light up with Windblade's gift to him in the final panels of the series (Mairghread Scott GETS Starscream when she writes him, and makes him such a compelling figure); Sara Pitre-Durocher's depiction of the merging of the Combaticons' minds into Bruticus'... that is an AMAZING piece of art that not only tells a story, but gives the best depiction of a combiner's mind we've gotten in Transformers fiction, ever; Liege Maximo's return and Elita One and Strika's unsuccesful attempts to stop him and Vigilem......I really cannot say enough about how well and seamlessly this team worked together to tell the stories that they did. I just wish IDW could have left well enough alone and let Scott, Pitre-Durocher and team keep going. Instead, we have the travesty that Lost Light is turning into, but that's another thread for another day.
. That aside however, I also like the look of the Studio Series toyline, and the Cyberverse cartoon has me cautiously optimistic too! Of course, anything Transformers is a good thing for me, so all I can say is: bring on 2018! I may not be ready, but you can be sure I'm excited for it. 
s that RID brought to us, I was disheartened when only one of them made it to normal retail release... So, needless to say, when the opportunity arose to nab this new Lockdown, I pounced - and received what could only be described as an exceptional figure.
), so I can't speak to this one too much. I hear great things about Devastation... do the Fan Votes count? Honestly, that's as much of a game as anything I've seen, and not just because many fans suspect Hasbro is 'gaming' the process (see what I did there?).
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