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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 where Hasbro version better than Takara's
With the new trend for Takara and Hasbro to release the very same toys, I am looking back on the times in the past when the toys were quite different from one another. The reason the unified designs have alarmed several fans is because Takara has been known to have better paint applications and offer a better looking toy. Well, to show that it is not always the case and that Hasbro can definitely deliver on some good looking toys, I have written this list showing five instances where the Hasbro version was the one to get. Come back in two weeks for a list looking at the flip side!
This is everyone's go to whipping boy and he certainly deserves to be here. For some reason, Takara decided from the mid 2000s to 2010 that their decos would be shinier than Hasbro's. While that worked wonders on some (I LOVE the use of chrome on the seekers for instance), it kind of played against them when fans wanted show accurate colours (like the Animated line). Their version of Generations Wheeljack is that backfire. Sure, more paint apps and a nice shine is great but it should compliment the mold and not take anything away. By going all sparkly the show accurate green became a more of the shiny pine green you would expect to see on toothpaste or breath mint packages. The toy is still fine but it just doesn't look like the Wheeljack we know anymore. You would expect Takara to be the more screen accurate deco and for such a beloved original character, it just doesn't resemble him as we'd expect, definitely not compared to Hasbro's version.
This one is easy to explain. Yes, from a glance Takara might seem better due to more paint apps, especially on Shrapnel's antennas and Bombshell's legs. But then you look at the torso and notice a giant white sticker on there. It's for a mobile app in Japan. Hasbro did this as well on some toys, but only the ones related to the Robots in Disguise show/app, not toys that are supposed to be updates of toys of old like the insecticons. Sure, you could take that sticker off, but then you see the horror: to have the sticker applied, Takara had to remold the chest to give a circular indentation to hold the sticker. So yes, either you keep that sticker there or you are reminded that it is supposed to be there, every time you look at them.
You know, if Takara had not given us the beauty that is Masterpiece Wheeljack, I would have thought they had it in for this guy. How else would you explain how they keep messing up this character's releases. First it was a sparkly minty fresh deco that didn't reference anything and strayed from show accuracy, and now its no paint at all. That's right, the company who we pair with the hope of better paint apps had a whole line where their toys had way less paint apps than Hasbro. Waaaaay less. It's not to say there was no colour. Instead of paint, the toys came with stickers, like old times (yay?). That means that the toys looked as good as your dexterity permitted. The stickers themselves didn't work as well as the paint apps anyway because it was very obvious what was paint and what was a sticker and the stickers had a metallic finish that clashed with the remaining paint apps and the coloured plastic. They looked far more like little kid toys that way. But that was the whole line, so why does Wheeljack get the blunt of it again? Well, the Takara's counterpart came with a little model kit that you would detach from sprues and connect to make a little transformer targetmaster companion. That too needed stickers (and they were very very small). And for vehicle mode interaction, they remolded Wheeljack's vehicle mode to have a bunch of protruding 5 mm holes across what would have been sexy smoother areas. So it looked like your wheeljack had been shot up a bunch.
Who are you and what did you do to Takara?
And let's say you don't want to put the stickers, well...
Here is the Hasbro version with no stickers needed
While more paint apps are usually appreciated, it has to make some sense. Takara's voyager Bulkhead (who they call Ironhide) is covered in paint but looks NOTHING like he does in the show. Takara's fuller and shiny paint jobs were hit and miss on this line (Armorhide looks great, for instance) but none had it as bad as Bulkhead/Ironhide. He looks like an egyptian scarab.
This is such an easy number 1 pick and I doubt anyone would argue. Let me paint a picture of the situation all those years ago. Fans had finally gotten a Masterpiece Optimus Prime, who was incredible for the time. He was the most show accurate transformable Optimus back then and really looked like he just jumped off the screen. Then you had Ultra Magnus who was just a white prime repaint. He didn't hurt anybody since it was just a redeco of an incredible mold and it did reference a big part of the toy lore, where the Ultra Magnus toy is at the core a white Prime inside an armoured body. And then you had the second original Masterpiece mold and it was to be used for Starscream, one of the most iconic characters of the brand ever. And it looked like this:
Really, that is what Starscream looks like? What show did you watch?! I can give merit to wanting to make the most accurate jet made mode ever, where at least you could call the alt mode a masterpeice, but the colour scheme references nothing. It sure doesn't even resemble the actual colour of the jet it's based on (which ironically, is more in line with the grey traditionally seen on Starscream). So what is this?! Anyways, I will make it short. The mold was released by Hasbro, who gave it deco far closer to his look in the cartoon and the figure sold like hotcakes at Walmart (who had him exclusively). He sold so well that Walmart stocked up big time on the following seeker redeco (only to eventually sell it at a deep discount since they didn't realize that Starscream is a far more popular character).
Honourable mentons: MP Soundwave and MP 10 Optimus Prime
These are very subjective and not as obvious as the other above, and would never make this list, but still important to mention for you to see that Hasbro does have some solid offerings sometimes, even for the Masterpiece line. For Soundwave, what was really great about the Hasbro version wasn't the deco (he didn't have the show accurate eyes) but instead the fact that he came with all his cassettes (issued at the time) and they weren't sold separately, which was the case with Takara. It was a phenomenal deal when it came out. As for Optimus, while I prefer how Takara paints the inside of the trailer, I much prefer his sky blue eyes and the red on the chest of the Hasbro version. It was Hasbro who was more cartoon accurate, but then again, the Hasbro Roller was blue and not grey so it's a mishmash really and a toss up as to which version is preferred by people.
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.
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 Giant Transformers Toys
Remember that scene in the Transformers movie where Unicron transformed? The whole time you just saw a big planet that destroyed other planets ala Death star. But then it Transformed and our notions of the limit to Transformers flew out the window. This was the instance where we all gazed at the wonder of this brand and saw that it was boundless. Since then, there have been many giant Transformers in the fiction and better yet, we eventually got their toys.
And this is what this list is all about. This is about those awe inspiring towering Transformers from the fiction and their wonderful toys. A quick note, this post was started January 2015. But with Hasbro announcing a yearly Titan class toy, I figured I should wait. Turns out nothing really changed from my initial thoughts of over 3 years ago.
One of the largest G1 Decepticon toy ever, he pulls off his three modes pretty well despite how simple he is and has loads of fun play features. His robot mode is huge and menacing, his scorpion mode looks very much like a giant mechanical scorpion, with moving legs and ratcheted pincers, and his base mode looks as good as any other base mode of the era with fun ramps for your cars to climb and exit from.
It is still crazy to think that we actually got a Unicron toy in the end. Not getting G1 Arcee was nonsensical since it was all about business and not getting any female transformer toys. But we all knew that a Unicron toy was unfeasible on a whole other level. And yet we got one, a HUGE one, and he was quite accurate (though not perfect) with a bunch of action features, a nice beard, and an actual planet mode that had pincers and a mouth. My personal favourite aspect is how they were able to give the planet rings and have them transform into his wings. He is also the most complex toy of his (supreme) size class.
I just love everything about this toy. It is an excellent homage to Omega Supreme while also being a totally new take. The transformation is simple, as is the case for many of these bigger bots, and yet feel dynamic. It brings back the element of parts-forming the original had but tones it down. The alt modes which serve double duty as weapon platforms can also fuse together to get you a really long armoured train which looks kinda crazy but in a fun way. Plus you have a headmaster unit which can interact with the two combining alt modes and its modeled after the Omega Supreme G1 Action Master. So this is homaging all interpretations of the past (at the time). While headmasters have come back in a big way since, it was a real treat to see a bot like this back in the day. This mold has also been very successful in different decos with Omega Sentinel and War for Cybertron Omega Supreme (which is still the de facto G1 Omega Supreme for CHUG enthusiasts).
Can you believe it, there is actually a Primus toy out there for any Transformers fan to own! And he doesnt disappoint. He is the best planet former out there with really cool details in that mode (including the city of Iacon and Kaon) and it is pretty incredible to get such a traditional looking robot mode from a spherical alt mode, with much less kibble than Unicron. The transformation is neat and uses the key gimmick well, you really feel you are unlocking the secrets to Cybertron with the Omega Lock. And as a true defender of the Cybertronian race, he is loaded with cannons and missile launchers (definitely puts Titans Return Fortress Maximus to shame in that department). And I cannot get over just how cool the robot detail is with the designers going out of their way to show you that he is made of Cybertron's inner workings. On the shoulders, for instance you can see beams, tubes and vents along with Cybertronian writing. The headsculpt is one of the best conveying hints to both Optimus Prime (with the antenna) and Rodimus (with the V shape crest), which ties into the very first appearance of Primus having callbacks to Rodimus. This toy is one for the ages.
I didn't think a G1 toys would be number one on this list. You would think that after all these years, Hasbro and Takara could outdo themselves with a nice new city transformer but Fort Max is still the undisputed champion of that category. Unlike the other G1 city formers, he is truly massive and also looks like an actual city, or at least the small downtown section of one (he actually reminds me of a level from Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner). Just put him next to Metroplex or Trypticon and they just pale in comparison. Plus, this city transformers into a battle station, filled with an insane amount of weaponry and hidden guns, making him really a fortress. He also comes with smaller bots and fiddly bits which make him as much a playset as a figure. And not just any figure, but a headmaster. And not just any headmaster but a double headmaster. Which means the head of the big city robot transforms into a robot who's head also transforms into a smaller figure. And since an Encore version exists, a complete FortMax is now more a possibility to have than ever before. Also, to those who like to go one step beyond, feel free to substitute this number 1 pick with Grand Maximus.
Honourable mentions: Quite a few actually. Even though there are fewer giant Transformers than any other size class, the few that get approved are usually very good. As you can see, none of the Metroplexes are there and that is simply because I do not find that any of them have had a decent alt mode thus far that doesn't just look like them in some odd pose. Tidal Wave is pretty awesome but rather small compared to other bots that are supposed to be giant and while I like Trypticon fine, there was nothing truly mind blowing about him. His base mode has always been, at best, as good as Scorponok's to me. Yet that is his main alt mode, while Scorponok has a whole robot mode and beast mode as well.
Welcome back to the tentatively monthly series of exploration of the Transformers fandom, from a variety of perspectives and a number of voices, now with its own punny title: The Fandom Menace!
This second editorial piece springs, after some deliberation, from a point raised by Twincast Podcaster ScottyP - also one of my fellow administrators on Seibertron.com - about the nature of the fandom more in general. Where last month I looked at how people participate as people in various aspects of Transformers, this month we'll be looking at which part of the franchise is The Hook.
And it really just comes down to two major areas: toys and fiction.
Hypothesis: There is a substantial and distinct divide between those invested in Transformers as toy collectors and those invested in Transformers as a fictional property, and the Venn diagram has an uneven overlap with blurred edges.
This was ScottyP's point, and something that was raised by another point of his on Twitter a while back:
We've seen through the years differing approaches between how the fiction and related toys cross over, merge, find themselves completely out of sync and back again, either with toys supporting the release of a movie or a cartoon series, or the two never really working together at all for a number of logistical reasons (distribution, lack of sales, series cancellation, etc).
it really just comes down to two major areas: toys and fiction.
Most recently, however, Hasbro themselves have been laying down heavily their new Story First approach to the various brands they have control over, Transformers included. Whether this is actually true in practice is not my aim for the piece, but rather the shift from 'stories written to sell toys' to 'toys that fit a story being told'. And there is that potential divide again.
We've seen in the Transformers fandom a lot of focus on toy collecting, since pretty much the start. Anecdotes tend to talk about seeing a cartoon episode or a movie or a comic, and then 'wanting to go buy a toy of the character(s)'. Given my own approach to this 'collecting' business, the whole conversation piqued my interest even more, and I decided for a totally scientifically accurate exploration of it: ask Transformers Twitter about where they stand. Four options to choose from, and the results are below.
Hey #Transformers Twitter! A question for an upcoming piece: are you in the fandom for mostly...
35% ..toys first, then story.
46% ..story first, then toys.
08% ..just the toys.
11% ..just the stories.
369 votes
Ignoring how the grammar doesn't actually work in the poll, and that only asking this on social media will not give a full picture of the fandom, it's interesting to note that in this part of the conversation, story still comes first - and only very very few people are in it for the toys or the stories alone.
Of course, by story and fiction here I mean a variety of media: comics, old and new; live action movies; animated series, old and new; personal fiction that has been 'officialised' somewhat (accepted or widely known fanon, for example).
in this part of the conversation, story still comes first
The option I did not include, which is perhaps where I place myself even more in line with - along with some impressively dedicated readers of comics (within and outside of the Transformers community) - is artwork. You can see this in the collection of Dutch fan Sprite Anansi, artists such as Andrew Turnbull, TFNation's boss Tori O'Regan, and their different facets of art collecting, from commissions to doujinshi, to original art used in official media and fan commissions.
Moving back to the fiction first faction, though, Marian Hilditch touches on this in her TFSource collector interview, too. New media, especially IDW comics and the live-action movies, have seemingly brought back this new approach of only wanting a limited selection of characters to be immortalised in their plastic forms, be it the Wreckers or the Lost Light crew or Team Bee.
This does speak back to points raised multiple times throughout podcasts, discussion on boards and elsewhere, and something at the foundation of toy collecting in general. As we saw on the Netflix documentary The Toys that Made Us, in the words of sociologist John Tenuto, many of us feel the need to need to touch or hold something physical that represents something intangible. Becka also mentions this point in her blog post at Refined Robo Co, discussing similar topics to this series of articles - though we might engage with fiction, we need that physical presence as a supplement (something not necessary, but that adds value if present) to the experience.
repeated incarnations meant to evoke more-or-less the same source material can and does lead to fatigue
To bring it back to a toy-first approach, from a company perspective, might even result counterproductive, as well as counterintuitive - on this,
ScottyP raises a good point.
ScottyP wrote:I think the "Classics" re-tread toy releases drove me more towards the fiction but not because of anything Hasbro did on purpose - or was it possibly on purpose? G1 provided beloved characters limited in toy form by their era and genesis. Many "needed" new toys, and that they have received them has been great for the hobby. But then you get to the 6th-ish "new" Optimus Prime, 3rd Bumblebee, 2nd Jetfire, 2nd Grimlock, 2nd Mirage, 2nd Megatron, 3rd Starscream, 2nd Skywarp, 2nd Ultra Magnus, and... oh dammit Ramjet I can't finish this joke but regardless, when the re-treads have almost all been re-tread it has led me to want something more out of these things than just the play experience. While that can lead to a feeling of fresh new adventure, repeated incarnations meant to evoke more-or-less the same source material can and does lead to fatigue.
When I think back on the history of Transformers, the most successful times for the franchise outside of G1's early years have been when the cycle of reinvention yields fun toys of new characters supported by good fiction. Beast Wars, Armada, and the 2007 Movie were as successful as they were for a reason, and that was the well timed (or at least sensibly timed, mostly. Usually.) release of new or new-ish characters while a compelling tale about them was still fresh.
We've seen droves of established toy collectors who had taken a break return to the Transformers precisely because of the new fiction rekindling that spark of the hobby - but also, where the lack of adequate fiction was felt, creative fandom rose to its own challenge. And not too long after, those same milestones in the stories told about giant transforming robots (not quite), along with the later addition of IDW's presence too, has brought a whole new story-first set of fans to the experience, and Hasbro seems to have noticed.
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So what about your story? Was it the fiction that first shaped your interest in Transformers? Are the toys your primary way of engaging with Cybertronians? Is it an equal split, or do neither attract you as much as other parts, and you don't see yourself as a collector at all?
This is our space to share these tales, I hope you'll join me.
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 Optimus Prime Super Mode Toys
No adversary is too great for Optimus Prime / Convoy. When everything seems bleak or when the challenge seems to tough, you can always count on him rising up to the occasion, often times in a super mode. These temporary evolved forms have been part of the franchise since the very beginning and are a mainstay of Japanese pop culture. It is always fun to see just how glorious that super mode will look like and the best part of this fiction being used to sell toys is that we do get the toys of these super modes. We even have super modes that don't even have fiction attributed to them like our first pick...
This is overkill in the best way possible. I love how the trailer adds those wings flaring all about. This really looks like the very last thing you will see before being blown to bits. My only problem with this toy is how the combined form is rather immobile and how the armor is very tricky to bring back to trailer mode. Still, its super cool to see Optimus integrate with his trailer in such a symbiotic way.
This is a combination of Robots in Disguise (2001) Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime (known as God Magnus and Fire Convoy in Japan). The only issue with this toy is stability. Aside from that, awesome! The chrome just shines and that unique head sculpt is killer. I will admit that he is not simple to combine but the result is well worth it and it definitely makes up for how lackluster the Ultra Magnus component is in robot mode.
I love how solid the connection of the added pieces are. The rearranging of the legs is very clever and the literal backpack is just so much fun. I love how you can have two ways to arrange the weapons as either shoulder cannons or underarm mini-guns. And he just looks so good. Of course, if you wish, this can extend to the other configurations using this mold though I much prefer the Sonic Wing mode (with Wing Saber) over the Savage Claw mode (with Leobreaker).
Thanks to reissues, both the Japan and US versions are as affordable and attainable so I am making this a general entry for this true staple of later G1 toys. For many, this was even their first Optimus and what a great way to go about it. What is truly fun about this set is the added level of just how much you want to add to Prime in both his modes. For vehicle mode, when linking his trailer you can mount his guns like you want, arming him to the teeth. You could the add and his canon. In robot mode, you do get a very small transforming Prime and his small stature just adds to the impact of how big you can make him. Not only can he become Power Master Optimus but you can also bring in his friend Godbomber for the power up to end all power ups. He just looks magnificent. While the articulation isn't there, going from a small cab into his Power Master form is a feat the newer Generations Powermaster Optimus does not do, technically removing the notion of being a super mode for Optimus. But that doesn't matter, we have the original (which stands better). And lest we forget the Fire Guts Ginrai re deco which references his ultimate super mode in the show.
Yup an Energon Autobot toy gets to be number 1 on a list, doesn't happen every day. But this is because this combination is the only thing that makes up for how lackluster both of these toys are on their own. Wingsaber (an awesome looking Star Saber homage!) doesnt even have any head articulation since it splits in half for the combined form! But what a combined for it is. It has solid latching on points and greatly improves on both articulation, which lacked for Wingsaber, and proportions, which lacked greatly for Optimus. Plus, you can actually switch the boots for the gauntlets to have two totally different looking super modes and both are as fun and bring out a different deco element while always remaining very red and blue which is so fitting to this awesome Optimus Prime Super mode. This brings back the idea of the deluxe and mega Autobots who can act as both pants and shirts for a super robot, but with better results than anything else in this line. Wingsaber was so expensive that it was actually cheaper to hunt down the Takara version but I found it well worth it in the end simply because the combination was so much better than a sum of its parts.
Honourable mentions: I wouldn't have picked any of these in a top 5 but in case you were wondering what else was out there, well you had the Arms Micron Unicron super mode toy that worked with First Edition Optimus Prime from the Prime toy line. You also had the Powerlinx Prime which used the drones that came with Energon Prime in a Voltron fashion, and you also had the multiple Armada Prime configurations, along with the Movie Jetfire combination, just to name a few. Oh and of course, Ultra Prime from Combiner Wars.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. This week, I am joined by Cobotron. These are our opinions 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 Ultra Magnus Transformers Toys
From day one, Ultra Magnus toys were always closely related to Optimus Prime toys, with his first toy being a redeco with a different trailer which turned into a powersuit giving him a totally different look from Prime. Toy designs and ideas evolved from this giving a wide variety to Ultra Magnus toys where some are Prime redecos, others more extensive retools and others being fully original. We will explore the rich history of this autobot's toys by looking at the best ones to have come out so far.
This is the grand pappy of all Ultra Magnus toys and probably the most important Ultra Magnus toy out there. Unlike even the Masterpiece toy, this toy includes an extra level of playability by having the trailer become the armour for the transforming cab. This gave everyone the option to form their own stories and ideas about this character. Is he a white optimus with armour? Or is the that simply the transformation process for his one and only form being that big armoured fellow? It was and still is ultimately up to you to choose. This legitimizes every future attempt at having Ultra Magnus be simultaneously a redeco/retool of Optimus Prime as well as his own mold. - william-james88
Speaking of being an offshoot of Optimus, this is by far the best version of that (well, maybe tied with the commander class version which is a gorgeous G1 homage and a perfect retool). So much love went into this retool, making him look just two smokestacks away from his show model, and making him own this mold even more so than Optimus. It almost feels like this is who the mold was made for all along especially when comparing to the show models.The added shoulder cannons work great and let you position them as you wish, giving you extra fire power in a sweet G1 homage (while the earlier PRID Magnus only gave you one shoulder cannon, why?!). You even get a nice hammer and a pair of wings, just for added playability. While simply having Ultra Magnus be a redeco/retool of Prime always felt a bit lazy, this is one instance shows us how that can sometimes work, and work wonders. - william-james88
This is THE titular leader class Ultra Magnus toy. This is the best Ultra Magnus toy from the golden age of Transformers toys where it seemed no expenses were spared. This toy is beefy, the plastic is solid, the transformation is complex yet intuitive, he has a bunch of pop out weapon gimmicks, none of which are intrusive, along with electronics. This toy happens to also be a perfect rendition of the cartoon model which was a fresh new take on the character where he, and not Optimus, was the leader of the Autobots. You can feel that magnitude in your hands as you play with this toy or when you see him on your shelf. All of the top three toys on this list are amazing and the only reason why this toy is not higher is simply because his alt mode is a little underwhelming, especially in the back area, and his hip ratchets are quite restrictive. - william-james88
Like all Masterpiece figures, 22 is a work of art. On heft alone this figure is awe inspiring. While I was always a fan of the idea that Ultra Magnus was a smaller bot in a suit of armor, I can't deny that the feat of engineering it took to get the character to be all-in-one is amazing. For me, the fact that I made it through his intense transformation without instructions was a huge relief. I can't say that for every Masterpiece.That meant I could enjoy this highly detailed representation of one of my favorite characters without the burden or fear of being bogged down by the process. It's involved, but it's intuitive. Which equals fun.
While I would have prefered a little more painted/tampoed detail and color, he is till an amazing design. In robot mode he retains all the design elements I loved about the original, but is presented (obviously) in a much more contemporary package. 22 has great articulation for the hoops he has to jump through to transform. He has that "mighty leader" posture no matter how you pose him. And he is a huge and intimidating presence on your shelf.
The carrier mode is perfection. Everything you would want it to be. It's hard to believe it's NOT a white MP-10 pulling that trailer, and of course it can fit any of the Autobot cars. The Fun-O-Meter shoots straight through the roof when you have the ability to roll out an entire team on some perilous adventure all contained in the mighty Magnus in MP scope and scale! - Cobotron
An overly involved puzzle of a transformation is one kind of fun, but it can get in the way of another kind of fun. When I'm imagining my way through an intense adventure situation on my coffee table, I can't be bothered with overly difficult transformations. I lose steam. The adventure losses momentum. And that's why Combiner Wars Leader Ultra Magnus beats his Masterpiece counterpart out of 1st place. Playability!
While his transformation is really kind of a truncated version of the MP's, it's simplified enough to be fast and efficient. With enough twists and turns to be fun and you get really close to the MP version, but for a fraction of the cost of the MP.
Another merit is his aesthetic design. He sports a fresh modern updated design in both modes that pulls from some great sources, but maintains his iconic stature. I was absolutely thrilled with the inclusion of the hammer. For me, with this figure,it declares that that is Magnus's weapon now and it's here to stay. And with Minimus Ambus we still get the smaller bot in a suit of armor mythos we expect from the character.
In a world of wonky scale his size class puts his robot mode right in the sweet spot among Voyagers and Deluxes. He's got good articulation where he needs it, and is a joy to pose.
Would I have prefered that his carrier mode could tote Deluxe class cars? Sure, but I'll take what I can get. He can hold a fare amount of Legends class figures and he looks good doing it.
When I walk into my collection and get that Magnus hankering, he is now the one I reach for first. He is fun to transform, fun to play with, and looks great. In the race for best Ultra Magnus figure, he is a hard bot to beat. - Cobotron
Now I know William James likes to keep the lists to main line releases, and I agree. It's the broadest stroke and allows the lists and the conversation to reach the largest audience. But I would be remiss if, on a list of possibly my 2nd favorite heroic Autobot character of all time, we didn't include one of my most favorite versions. I talked it over with Will, and he said he'd let it slide. This one time.
I'm honestly not a huge fan of a lot of the TFCC toys, but I think Ultra Mammoth is one of the smartest repaints they ever did. Before I ever saw the Beast Wars cartoon, I assumed that Beast Wars was just a new iteration on a classic theme, and that the Transformers had rescanned their alt modes to fit some new scenario. I like where the cartoon took us, but I still revert to my original interpretation for fun and play sometimes. When I saw Ultra Mammoth I think I fell over. I had to add him to my Beast Wars collection. The mold fits the character really well. Those tuskes as a new take on Magnus's iconic shoulder pylons is just brilliant. And instead of just painting this Prime white, they went the extra mile and designed his color scheme to emulate Magnus's complete form. He's the appropriate size, and an appropriately powerful beast to use as this large and in charge character for the Beast Wars world. -Cobotron
This piece is happening due to a conversation I've had with my partner, on at least three separate occasions, and following several attempts at 'fitting in' with a number of Transformers fan groups you might encounter across the internet. It's also, in some ways, an organic step in a longer conversation being had in the fandom since collecting was a thing, as shown by forum threads like those by Rodimus Prime, Burn, and myself among many others, or articles such as Maz's piece on burnout. Those, however, tend to revolve predominantly around toys.
Before we get into the meatier part of the piece, a quick background check: I grew up with Beast Wars (Biocombat, as it was known in Italy) though only really season one. I lost sight of most Transformers anything - bar some Italian-dubbed Car Robots episodes, and including Battimus Primal and Megalligator, under a bed during a holiday - until the 2007 live action Paramount movie. I slowly got back into the franchise from there, exploring Animated, picking up old toys I had in boxes and storage, but it was 2009 that fully sucked me in again, and due to other interests of mine, I eventually gravitated towards the comics.
Here's the 'confessional' part: I have yet to fully watch all of G1, and probably never will. I have seen the 1986 Transformers movie a handful of times, but have no real attachment to it. I am, to all intents and purposes and despite there being no such thing, a Fake Geek. And I am a Fake Geek for most of the fandoms I'm a part of, Transformers as much as Star Wars, comic books as much as sci-fi literature, contemporary poetry as much as roleplaying. I've dabbled in all of them; I have immersed myself, truly, in none.
Yet I stumbled into a number of online communities that were more than welcoming at the time, and have changed shape, some radically, some less so, since then. Seibertron.com is one of them, of course, for which I later became news staff, and have been for the best part of the past five years (holy shit). Twitter, Facebook groups, convention crews, are examples of others.
I have since become News Administrator, have met and keep in touch with professionals in the toy and comics industries, work behind the scenes at a number of Transformers-based events, and spend a lot more of the time I don't really have on something I find myself not always fully invested in.
I've dabbled in all of them; I have immersed myself, truly, in none.
If you've been active online in talks surrounding general science fiction material in the past year (from comic book movies to Star Wars to Transformers, too, though not as much) you might have encountered people discussing the difference between curative and creative fandom, denoting two different ways to enjoy and - dare I say it? - consume media which is part of a franchise. Curative fandom is the part more easily associated with 'wiki' style attention, curating an interest for information, references, knowledge seen as a collection of facts and trivia, assimilating the media offered by creators (official or not) of the franchise. Creative fandom is, on the other hand, the more hands-on interaction with a franchise: expressing your interest not necessarily through knowledge but generating new content, often unofficial, such as custom work, fan art, fan fiction, fan events, videos, shorts, even sh**posting, why not. Neither is the better way, of course, and neither is wrong, though both receive scorn from the other side despite a lot of fans finding themselves somewhere in between the two.
Myself, I'm squarely in neither. I don't consider myself creative in this sense, as I have never invested time in generating anything new except the handful of photocomics or paintjobs, and do not have any intention to develop drawing or writing or customising skills. I'm happy, really, with admiring other people's work. I'm also, for the reasons pointed out at the start, not a curator-type: I simply do not have the knowledge, or the interest, to be so. I thought I initially did, for the early IDW material, but have long since lost interest for that type of investment. I'm also, as many know, not really a toy collector any longer, at least not in the usually perceived sense of the word in toy fandoms.
If anything, then, I side more with an emotive stand, as Temple Phoenix suggested during the same discussion on Twitter. I cannot bring myself to call myself a 'critic', though that is technically what I do, through reviews and readings of media that I work with - be it Transformers, other comics, or any other medium I discuss - and while I do apply critical reasoning to my approaches to things, the emotive side is fortunately never far. (If anyone believes that the two are separate, that's fine. You're wrong, but it's fine.)
I'm happy, really, with admiring other people's work.
I do get invested in narratives, in stories, in interactions, dynamics, relations, spools, knots and unravelling, fictional or otherwise. It may be fleeting, or it may be lasting. I may drop something if I get tired with it, without seeing it to its end. I may pick something up halfway, or just sample it and never go back to it again. And that applies equally to media and physical objects, such as figures or artwork.
I spoke briefly to someone else on staff about this, and they replied - quite straightforward - with:
I think it's mainly about joy. Does it make you happier to have the figure than not? Or do you find more joy in talking to people in the fandom? Or creating things? Or writing? Or taking photos? Or comics?
You can enjoy bits and pieces of a fandom without having to make yourself enjoy all of it.
And at this stage, my honest answer is: I don't know. If I were not where I am with Seibertron.com, TFNation, and the comics world more in general, would I still be participating in fandom, in any way? And if not - why am I where I am?
This is the first part of a potentially monthly series exploring contemporary Transformers fandom through the perspective of a number of members of the community, starting with myself. If you'd like to contribute a post, please get in touch! And, as always, do join the discussion in the Energon Pub!
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Most Confusing Vestigial Parts/Features in Transformers Toys
These are all parts on Transformers that initially confused me when I got them. They serve no purpose as per the instructions and yet have a functional aspect to them, or appear to. I had fun writing this list and I hope you have fun reading it! Make sure to share other unused parts on Transformers that confused you.
5. Optimus Minor's Four Arms
What was up with that? No seriously, his arms splitting into two is not featured on any art, or
the instructions and has nothing to do with the transformation. We know that one of the most expensive parts of producing toys is doing the molds and yet this odd feature that is never used meant that we needed to have more molds so that each arm (and hand ) could split into two. It's just ridiculous from a product making standpoint, regardless of how fans feel about it.
4. Seats in G1 Dinobots
I am well aware that these flaps in the G1 dinobots are a leftover of the functionality of having pilots ride in these dino mechs in the Diaclone line. But in the Transformers line where the robots are sentient and autonomous, these seats serve no purpose and were sure to confuse kids back in the day. Even though no Transformers came with plot figures, it made perfect sense to see seats in the transforming cars and jets. But not on Dinosaurs.
3. Tank Legs on Universe Galvatron
Anyone transforming Universe Galvatron without looking at the instructions will come across a rather stupefying moment when they pull out these extra legs from the tanks that serve no purpose anywhere. These pieces were actually part of a dropped third mode where you could have a four legged tank (where the other two legs would simply be the robot feet reused).
2. Spark Cockpits in Transmetal 2 Ultra Figures
This one confused me to no end as a child. I got Transmetal 2 Megatron at a comunity yard sale in a church's basement when I was much younger and remember being overjoyed. I also remember by puzzlement at seeing that small seat constantly swiveling inside an orange orb. This wasn't on the show and most toys since season two were quite show accurate so what was going on here? Well, I learnt years later that this was another dropped feature where Megatron and Optimal Optimus had detailed cockpits to house small figures which were anthropomorphic versions of their sparks. It really seems Hasbro is much opposed to any type of piloting so that never saw the light of day... in the west. The Takara version of Cryotek (which has "USA Edition" written on the box, leading to lots of confusion) does have a small figure riding in that sphere and it is made to look like Beast Wars Megatron in his original form (before he took on a beast alt mode).
This is my number one because it is a real shame and unlike everything else on this list, does not need to be dropped. It could easily have been used and to wondrous effect. Notice how G1 perceptor has wheels in his "mobile laboratory mode" (what is commonly referred to as his "tank" mode) ? Well one of them, the one on his back, does not reach the ground. Instead it just stays up in the air. But if you were to just bring down the giant scope/lens/cannon/long cylinder to be parallel to the floor, the wheel would touch and you would end up with a really good looking tank mode that rolls super well. This was one of the 4 modes the original Micrchange toy had and or some nonsense reason (it cant be to tone down violence, they brought the transforming gun over), Hasbro chose to ignore the awesome tank mode and instead give us instructions for the mobile laboratory, which makes no use of that wheel and just looks odd. It was easily the most useless of the 4 modes that were advertised in the toy's original Micrchange release so why did they not drop that mode in favour of the tank? If that would have been the case G1 Perceptor could have easily been the best official G1 triple changer. Instead that tank mode is technically a "fan mode" in Transformers lore and that's pretty nuts. But at least the toy can still pull off the real tank mode and we can all still have fun with it. I only wish it was official and featured in the instructions.
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 Transformers Triplechanger Toys
Now a toy that changes from one form to the next is pretty awesome, as you can all attest to. But what about a toy that can change into 3 different forms? Transformers Triplechangers have been around since the G1 era and still thrive today. They are extremely tricky toys to pull off and thus there are very few amazing ones out there. Below are the ones that I feel pulled it off best across different eras and though they all have flaws, they are still pretty remarkable when you think of all the designing and engineering involved. Now all I required for something to be considered a triple changer to me were 3 distinct modes with 3 distinct play patterns.
As you can tell from my #5 pick, I am looking at all robots that have three different modes, not just the classically labelled triple changers. Also, it's by looking beyond those that I realized Energon Shockblast does have three distinct forms and they work pretty well. Firstly, it is a gorgeous homage to G1 Shockwave and a much better placeholder in a Classics collection than the Generations figure we eventually got. His heft and size are perfect to represent this imposing robot. His tank mode works fine with a giant cannon that is very indicative of the character. It's also a rather sleek vehicle which hints as having as much speed and maneuverability as power. However, the real standout is the satellite mode. This is a very detailed and intricate third mode that will take anyone by surprise. The tank just splits into a myriad of ends with unfolding panels that give a beautiful sci fi look. The robot mode is very solid while also being sleek and with little kibble so you wouldn't think that he has so much hidden in him and that is why him having two other distinct forms is really surprising and gets him on this list.
Titans Return is the reason this list which was started back in 2014 took so long. Just as I was going to publish it, in comes a line which will include several triple changers per wave. So I waited for that one triple changer which really stood out. And it never came. Nothing was earth shattering or groundbreaking, especially when it came to the leaders with base modes which were also labelled as triplechangers. The voyagers had pros and cons all across which al made them about as good from one to the next. The ones with the best robot modes had poor alt modes (Alpha Trion) while there were some toys I found really great once you ignore their plane modes (Optimus and Braodside) which totally defeats the purpose of a triple changer. The one triple changer from all of Titans Return that I did think had redeeming qualities in all three modes was Astrotrain. I love the fluidity of the Transformation which tied back to the Stormbringer design. It is super cool to see older concepts brought to life and finally given a chance (come on Transtech Depthcharge!). Definitely a step up from previous attempts at this transformation scheme. I just find it a very elegant design which gives you an excellent G1 inspired robot mode whos deco rocked no matter which version you got. Plus, while heavily criticized, I think it was pretty cool to see an armoured train concept brought to life in the Transformers brand.
Kids must have had a blast with Scorponok in the 80s as he is as fun a toy now, even with everything else that has come out since. Firstly, as a scorpion, his feet move as you roll him across the floor and the pincers have strong ratchets that lets you pick up any pesky autobot. Secondly,he is extremely imposing with his gigantic stature. He was actually the largest Decepticon toy in the G1 era and you can't conceptualize his girth until you see him in front of you, especially in robot mode. He's bigger than Trypticon, and that guy would go up against Metroplex, the CITY! Finally, speaking of cities, he also has a third playset/base mode that is pulled off surprisingly well, better than many of the Return of Convoy toys which also had a base mode as a third mode (especially this guy here). There are ramps for your little cars to roll off of or onto and the middle ramps even has a pushing mechanism so that your car can be pushed off the ramp. Also, the fact that he is a headmaster give you an extra little robot to interact with the base and it's many little interactive areas (like an elevator).
These are the best G1 triple changers due to the very accomplished alt modes which do not clash with one another. Let's start with Astrotrain. The train is my personal favourite since it looks like an oldschool steam engine and pulls the look off elegantly, if you ignore the boosters in the back. Also, this toy's genius may not be as evident now as it was then but there are two remarkable aspects about this toy that may be forgotten. Firstly, it is the very first Transformer toy to have ball joints (for his arms), and thus extra articulation. Secondly, this toy is from 1985, just three years after the first operational flights of the space shuttle, so it was a very up to date alt mode at the time and a pretty accomplished one despite the more angular middlesection.
Blitzwing on the other hand has so much win since his two alt modes actually look more realized than Astrotrain's. They don't look odd and each of them don't seem to transform into something else aside of a robot. This is the only toy of the character where there is nothing off about the jet mode, unlike the Animated or Generations version. I especially love the simple and elegant folding mechanism that hides away the thread design for the tank. I really couldn't pick between these two and the fact that I find those alt mode combinations more accomplished than their classic updates really means something. They are both great examples of the potential for triple changers and have been so for 30 years.
What can be said that hasn't been said before. The Springer toy has been voted the best Transformers toy since the brand began back in 1984, and for good reason. All three modes work. The car is beefy while the helicopter is sleek and best of all, nothing obstructs or brings unnecessary kibble to the robot mode which is one of the sleekest designs ever found for a robot. This is undoubtedly the best articulated robot mode on this list, and he is a joy to pose. His robot mode is the best of the three since both alt modes have some flaws. However, it is the fact that all three modes are distinct while finally accomplishing a faithful interpretation of the character, especially the on spot look of Nick Roache's design, with a kickass robot mode that makes this the very best Triple Changer of all time. The Sandstorm figure takes a few more liberties from the character's roots but it all works just as well. While I am not the biggest fan of those giant wheels and how they add kibble to the robot mode, it does give him some nice bulk and I love how they both look like wheels on one side and VTOL propellers on the other. He tabs in even tighter than Springer! In short, these are both fantastic examples of a triple changer and it is a mold everyone should experience.
Honourable mentions: G1 Broadside, ha! Just messing. There is another toy I wanted to talk about but I don't know if he's a triple changer, so I will only mention him here:
Energon Tidal Wave (Shock Wave)
The reason he is an honourable metion and not on the list is because I didn't see Tidal Wave as a triple changer but instead a robot made up of smaller non transforming toys, like Magmatron or ROTF Devastator. However I realized that unlike those toys, these smaller vehicles do not combine to form a robot, they combine to form the robot's alt mode, which is a whole different ball game (of awesome). This makes this an amazing, intricate and unique Transformer with three distinct forms. Let's go through this. Firstly, there are three very different vehicles, and each of them have their own fun gimmick. The aircraft carrier is actually in scale with the actual airplane it comes with and features an elevator for the plane (which also transforms into a little robot). There is also a shuttle (well supposedly it is a troop landing craft) which has one of the cutest gimmicks ever. You open it up and you get an open area with benches for little robots (minicons) to sit. You then have a cosmic battleship with activated turrets once a minicon is plugged, triggering the action feature. These three ships then combine together to form a big warship, that strikes me more as a bigger version of the lego spaceships from the 80s (SPACESHIPS!). And then, this warship (SPACESHIPS!) formed from three seemingly non transforming vehicles actually transforms into a giant robot. It is really impressive, and totally surreal in a way, how you transform the alt mode as if it was one vehicle and not something made up of smaller vehicles. This means that you do not have to disconnect the separate vehicles to form the robot. Everything is in place for you to transform him from one mode to the next, with the combined warship mode serving as an intermediary between the robot mode and the three separate ships. So he is a triple altmode triple transformer (what would Thew call that?)
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.
Till All Are One
Goto Page: <<1, 2, 3, 4 40 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.
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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. 
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