This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.
We return to YouTube toy vlogger Kevin Liu - who already brought us the majority of the video reviews for this line, in fact - and the Transformers Power of the Primes toyline from Hasbro, to take a look at another Leader class figure in the first waves - and the one which has had a bit more buzz than others, on average: Rodimus Prime.
The figure includes a smaller, deluxe-ish Hot Rod figure, which then interacts with the armor for the Evolution gimmick, including some partsforming for the arms; we also see this figure's Matrix and the compatibility with Prime Masters (and potentially Titan Masters, if so inclined). Check out the Chinese language review of this latest incarnation of everyone's favourite space winnebago below, and join the discussion in the Energon Pub!
Courtesy of a fellow Seibertron.com fan, we have news of a video review of the recently spotted (in the US) Robots in Disguise Combiner Force Legion class Twinferno! The tiny terror was reviewed by YouTuber 84jruss, and can be viewed in the short clip embedded below.
As we wrote in our previous story about this toy 'the US release of these remaining figures is indeed different from the rest of the world where Hasbro distributed, since everywhere else, the next wave should have had legion class Cyclonus and Heatseeker instead with Twinferno coming after that particular wave.' So they may appear with more irregularity - make sure to use our Sightings Database section to help out other collectors if you come across one, and check it on there for your own hunt!
Chefatron has posted a video review of the entire set of the 4.5" figures part of a new generic line simply labeled "Transformers". This video features Megatron, Optimus Prime, Starscream and Bumblebee. Each of these transform in 3-4 steps but have a very different range of articulation from one figure to the next, as we find out in the video. Megatron and Starscream, for instance have ball jointed elbows which both Bumblebee and Optimus Prime lack. The size between the toys is also slightly different though in general they are all around 4.5", which means between a current day legends and deluxe class toy. Due to their simplicity, they are however at a price point lower than even a legion class toy (a toy half its size).
Another very interesting fact from this video is where it was found, Toysrus. This means that while this line may have been leaked as being for value chains, it can also be found in big box retailers, at least in the Philippines, which is the only place these toys have been found so far. We already posted a pictorial review for Optimus Prime here which includes more comparison images to other toy classes but the video below gives us our best look yet at all these toys and their level of complexity. We have also included screenshots of the video. Let us know what you think!
Coming to us once again from our good friend, fellow Seibertronian chuckdawg1999, we have a review of the One-Step-Changer Soundwave for the Robots in Disguise Combiner Force subline! As the final One-Step Changer in said line, the figure seems to be a positive note to close out on, featuring a good-looking vehicle mode, effective transformation and a robot mode remarkably accurate to the character's in-show appearance (albeit with some significant kibble on its back).
Check out Chuck's review and thoughts below, and let us know what you think too, by telling us in the Energon Pub Forums!
All things must come to an end, so to Transformer lines. One-Step Soundwave is the last One-Step changer from the RID Combiner Force subline. While not as flashy or involved as other simplified figures, it does make for a fun desk toy and a positive period to the line.
Bronzewolf in review 4 wrote:That's right! Somehow we're already half way through the second Machinima Transformers series,
Hate to burst your bubble there Bronzewolf, but there are 10 episodes to this series, your pain is going to have to endure a little longer, were not quite half way there yet.
...what?
westjames/notirish. wrote:There are 11 episodes... 4 is not the halfway point, 5 is.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
...
...
...
Machinima Transformers Titans Return Episode 5. Let's get it over with.
We open again on the Metroplex/Trypticon fight, as the giant robot Kaiju charges the City Titan. Windblade checks in on the fighting as Hot Rod arrives and we get something new in the series. Something completely revolutionary... Diagonal split frames!
The dialogue in this scene is especially badly paced. It doesn't flow like a normal conversation, and it's so apparent you can't ignore it. Hot Rod and Windblade join the battle, and Hot Rod actually gets a couple cool shots here that flow really nicely thanks to some pretty good animation! Like this! This was awesome! I know, I didn't expect it from this series either.
Hot Rod realizes the spirit of Starscream is within Trypticon as he and Windblade try to assist Metroplex. The city robot is taken down eventually by Trypticon, however, and Trypticon finishes him off with the most ridiculous scene in the series. Hey, guys? Yeah, Godzilla Vs. Gigan called. They want their campiness back.
It appears that Metroplex is defeated as Emissary ejects himself from the Titan's body. As he runs from the battle, Trypticon spots him and eats him, absorbing his Laserblast power. Hot Rod realizes that he must free Emissary as the laser beams fired by the Combiners in the previous episode finally arrive at their target and start falling from the sky. It doesn't phase Trypticon, as he continues to terrorize the city. Yep, singlehandedly destroying the city more than Trypicon and Metroplex combined. Good job, guys.
We cut away from the action for a moment to a tank entering the Mistress of Flame's prayer chamber. It's revealed to be Megatron, who discovers the Mistress' body on the floor. She uses the last of the power in her spark to ask him if the combiners were successful in reactivating Fortress Maximus. He says he doesn't know anything about that. She tells him Overlord has returned, and dies. Finally, the sarcasm of Megatron has come to save us all.
Back in the battle, Hot Rod makes it inside of Trypticon to save Emissary, and launches back out through Trypticon's eye. He throws Emissary to Windblade as Trypticon bats him across the city. Windblade rushes to his aid and promises she'll send Ratchet to help him. Ratchet?? Why can't he be in the show? But...but..
She transforms and takes Emissary away, mentioning that they haven't been properly introduced. Emissary already knows who she is, however, as she's well known amongst the Titan Masters. Windblade laughs and says that she's "Quite the fan favorite".
Yeah. HAHAHA HASBRO YOU'RE VERY FUNNY WE GET IT
Overlord arrives on the scene, and starts threatening the injured Hot Rod. As he talks, he makes the most bizarre movements in both Combiner Wars or Titans Return. He flails around like something out of Food Fight. I shouldn't be reminded of Food Fight when watching your TV show/Movie. Just as kind of a general rule. Can someone put Disco music over this? Please?
Eventually Hot Rod tries to shoot Overlord, but yet again it does nothing. Overlord then says he has something for Hot Rod, bestowing upon him what appears to be an evil matrix, turning him into what is assumed to be Rodimus Unicronus, although we never see that. It's certainly a twist that I didn't see coming, and is actually pretty intriguing. With that, episode 5 is over.
It's certainly one of the more action-packed, interesting episodes out of the lot so far, but I'm not certain that makes it good. There are severe issues with the pacing of the dialogue, but we've come to expect that by now. There are times when Windblade and Hot Rod are talking where you can tell the two voice overs were recorded at separate times, and there's a lot of emotional disconnect because of it. The animation at times, though, is actually really good. It shows how much of an improvement it's had over the previous series. The mouth movements are tighter, closer to the words actually being spoken, and characters are far less jerky. It's so much better that Combiner Wars, and the series is so much more enjoyable because of it.
Well, that's episode 5! Wanna watch it for yourself? You can find it over on Go90. Please share your thoughts below in the Energon Pub forums! Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? I want to hear it! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next week! Mmm, yeah. Now THAT'S finger-licking good.
As the Takara Tomy Transformers Legends line continues to release figures for the Japanese market that Hasbro released elsewhere, and under different names, we have a video review of their latest offering in LG-51 Targetmaster Doublecross (previous seen as Titans Return Twinferno) courtesy of fellow Seibertronian chuckdawg1999!
You can see comparisons and differences between the two figures, including the slight remolds and pain changes, and the differences in the Titan Master / Headmaster figure too, plus Targetmaster Haywire. Check it out below!
Doublecross is a nice repaint but I'll be honest, I only picked the figure up for Haywire, Blurr's Targetmaster. Haywire looks really cool and is my favorite Targetmaster mold to date. Since Twinferno, the Titans Return release of Doublecross is warming shelves, I really can't justify paying the premium unless you really want Haywire.
We have some sweet MPM 05 Transformers Movie Masterpiece Barricade news to share with you. Bruce Dong, a Transformers fan, has posted a video of him unpacking Masterpiece Barricade as well as transforming him from car to robot and then back to car again. The video is on Facebook but can be viewed below.
Here we learn a few tidbits that were previously unknown. Firstly, unlike with the similarly scaled Human Alliance version, the saw blade is not integrated within the toy. It is a separate piece that must be attached, in a very similar fashion to Masterpiece Hot Rodimus' saw blade weapon. The toy also comes with a clear stand for the weapon. Also, the weapon does not freely spin. It can rotate but only as long as you are pushing it.
The transformation does not seem as complex as MPM Optimus Prime and seems more akin in complexity to the Human Alliance version.
Below you will find screenshots which include him scaled with the other MPM Movie Masterpiece toys, along with the Chinese language video and additional facts, provided by Hasbro, regarding this product.
Features Barricade’s iconic Rotor Blade Wheel weapon from the TRANSFORMERS film
First Movie Masterpiece figure with a Movable Faceplate, allowing fans to play out their favorite scenes from the TRANSFORMERS film
Figure built with Die Cast Parts & features 170 Deco Ops with 30 Points of Articulation!
Vehicle-mode features Barricade’s accurate, licensed vehicle from the TRANSFORMERS film: Saleen S281 Extreme Ford Mustang Police Car
Product was designed with ILM Movie CAD Files from the Blockbuster film TRANSFORMERS
Figure features most film-accurate conversion to-date!
Item is the 1st Movie Masterpiece Decepticon to hit the market in over 8 years!
Our ol' pal Chuck has reviewed Takara's Transformers Legends LG52 Targetmaster Misfire with comparisons to the Hasbro version. The biggest difference of ourse is the inclusion of a targetmaster component but there are a lot of differences in the deco as well, as you can see in the video below. For instance, the pink/fuchsia plastic he is molded in is a far more vibrant shade. Let us know which shade you find more suiting to the toy and if you find the higher cost (due to both importing and the extra Targetmaster) is worthwhile for this particular release.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:Legends Misfire continues the trend of Takara adding the classic Targetmaster partner to the classic Targetmasters. Misfire, features a lighter lavender deco than the Titans Return version as well as a fully painted headmaster. Aimless is a fun little figure that transforms into a cool looking blaster.
After the initial looks we got in the reviews for both Swoop and Slug from the new Transformers: Power of the Primes toyline, YouTube user Kevin Liu has finally uploaded a video review of the last of the currently available figures from the first wave - though the Leader class Optimus Prime was also reviews, here: Voyager class Grimlock!
The Dinobot leader is shown off in the embedded video below in both robot and dinosaur mode, including a lot of junk in the trunk department - or tail, if you will - and the new addition for the line in the torso mode for Dinobot combiner Volcanicus. Also shown are the the other dino-buddies, Slash included, the Prime Master armor and compatibility, and some size comparisons. Check it out!
Oh, To Be Young and (Star)Driven (Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
Bumblebee vs. Rom vs. Starscream vs. the Dire Wraiths! All alliances are off—this is a fight for survival! Torn between her Cybertronian heritage and her Solstar Knight upbringing, Stardrive takes control of her fate!
Rom reference
Story
We reach, with issue five, the last part of this mini-series uniting both Transformers and the Solstar Order of Rom and the other Knights. And I'll admit, I'm both glad the conclusion was as satisfying as it was, and a little saddened that the story is entirely over as far as we're concerned in the current IDWverse. Though it's true, repercussions retroactively are felt through Revolution and First Strike, and we have some continuations elsewhere too, Stardrive's story is currently done with.
Or is it
I had my concerns earlier in the series - issue two specifically, as you can read again here - but since then, both John Barber and Christos Gage have been able to diverge from the potentially platitude-filled plot, into a cosmic cluster-truck of a comic, and a truly enjoyable mini-series that attempts to introduce new characters to old stories, and new stories with established characters.
Bonus: added Star Wars reference
The best part of the combination of the two styles, for me at least, was the amount of fun that they clearly had in filling in the stories. The interactions between the Decepticon team, Starscream included, are some of the best examples of robot-banter that come to mind in recent books, and play entirely into good fanservice and references. And best of all, they don't cause tonal whiplash that can be common in this type of story, as we switch to other scenes in the book.
Astrotrain: the new Waspinator
If there is one major critique I have about the issue, and perhaps the series as a whole, it's its supposedly titular character: Stardrive does have a lot of moments, and she does appear a lot more after the initial qualms I had earlier in the series, but there is still a lingering sense of not having had enough about her, with a not entirely satisfying resolution by the end of it all. Which is a shame, given the potential of her story, and I do want to see more of it.
Art
Alex Milne really gives in - as we started seeing in the past numbers - to his technorganic leniencies, as Vekktral!Magnus is pretty much centre-stage for the entire issue, and the reason around the rest of the cast to rally and find their own resolution to their respective plots, with some really exciting choices in the Magnus side of the story, and some fantastic action sequences all the way through.
Borders literally bleeding into panel
The colouring, perhaps, is what is the newest addition to the visual style, and what sets the recognisable Milne hand from other Transformers titles so far - in the best way possible, of course! Josh Perez has been amazing for the entire series, and the gradual sunset in this issue just proves it - plus the addition of Priscilla Tramontano's work to cap it all off towards the end, and I am one visually satisfied reader.
The choom is back!
Tom B. Long on the side of production and lettering has some truly excellent moments too, balancing the work of the artists in such a way that the fonts chosen and the words placed do never cover what the focus should be, and instead draw attention to them. In terms of covers, the one in the thumbnail is the splendid Nick Roche / Josh Burcham action portrait, while the other two (previously seen in news stories) can be found as always in the Database entry for the issue here.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
The new approach, for this side of IDW comics at least, of going plot-first was an interesting one - especially given the position that this series would occupy as a generic prequel to a lot of current galactic politics in the Hasbroverse - but it turned out to be an excellent one too. Milne's detail-oriented artwork provided a playground in which Barber and Gage could easily work their stories once the framework was established, without burdening the art with too much exposition.
FURMANISM KLAXON
And as a result, with the effort of the entire visual team, we get a comic that is extremely enjoyable as a piece of art (read: it's pretty to look at), and successful in doing what it had to do: establish the links in the universe that had to be established after the universe had already been set years ago. Barber's contribution was perhaps the most valued in keeping the threads tidy, but Gage had no small feat either, and they synchronised very well.
There are some flaws, such as the second issue's slump, and the trade will undoubtedly prove a much smoother reading overall - and what is perhaps the best outcome of the series is that both target readerships probably got enough page-time each to satisfy being 'lumped together' feelings that inevitable rose at the start. We do find out a lot more about the Order, and the Dire Wraiths are better established as antagonists throughout, and even through the humour - at times almost surreal - there are some really touching moments. Do yourself a favour, and give this series a read!
. ½ out of
Goto Page: <<1, 2, 3, ... 22, 23, 24>> 235 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/news/small/0430057407ad5238bba507b3c6610960.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/comics/uploads/1511976887-r1.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/comics/uploads/1511976887-r2.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/comics/uploads/1511976887-r3.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/comics/uploads/1511976887-r4.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/comics/uploads/1511976887-r5.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/comics/uploads/1511976887-r6.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]](https://static.seibertron.com/images/comics/uploads/1511976887-r7.jpg "Transformers News: Review of IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #5 [Final Issue]")
![[Valid RSS]](/images/rss/valid-rss.png "Validate Seibertron.com's RSS feed"){kind=small}
/t-DSC07048.jpg)
