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Review of Transformers #50 from IDW

Date: Wednesday, February 24th 2016 11:19am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 46,546

Synopsis
ALL HAIL OPTIMUS—PART 1! Backed by an army of zealous followers, OPTIMUS PRIME declares Earth to be a part of CYBERTRON’S Council of Worlds—and the DECEPTICONS and the people of Earth don’t won’t take it laying down! The story starts here, but the repercussions will last forever.



Story

Fifty issues. Think about that. Fifty. That's over half the original Marvel US run. And this is but one part of the wider TF universe running over at IDW. What John Barber, with the other creators, have done, is impressive. And what he brings to the table this month, even after the weirdly disappointing issue last time, is equally impressive, and a testament to the world-building that has taken place up to this point.



Overall, I really enjoyed the issue. While we may have seen a lot of Optimus' introspection of recent (and since DOOP, to be honest) the new turn in the story allows for that to be externalised in such a way that it actually affects the wider universe - and perhaps most importantly, the characters who inhabit it. Things are changing, and changing drastically and swiftly, by the looks of it.



I will get the 'negative' thoughts about the issue out of the way, too, as it mostly has to do with the latter part of the issue and the overall length - and I'm taking cues from fellow staffer ScottyP here, too: the pacing is something to behold, until we hit the Spike Witwicky bump. Again. We do not like Spike, we are not supposed to, but he's made to be some sort of necessary prick evil for the series and human-Cybertronian relations (not always in the most diplomatic of ways). I like how much I dislike him, but.. I still dislike him, and his arc throws a lot of things off.



That said, the human (more or less, in some cases) factor in the issue is well developed, and coming in as late as it does, plus the afterstory, it helps to show the at least two sides of where the story might go from here. Humans are no longer just that, just as Cybertronians are no longer just aliens - and the ramifications, from a socio-political and narrative perspective, are fascinating.

Art

The art side of things is really interesting, with Andrew Griffith, the first artist, taking on the majority of the book and its weightier, meatier (metal-ier?) substance. I am still really quite impressed at his take on some of character designs, and the collaboration with Josh Burcham, Josh Perez and JP Bove on the colours brings out the sinister side of some of the action taking place, and helps locate the controversial position of Optimus' decision: practically everyone is weary, worn out, and exhausted. You can feel it.



The coda, of sorts, that Casey Coller offers, is a wonderful addition (with the above proviso about pacing, perhaps) for the human side of things, and a refreshing look with Joana Lafuente's colour work - though maybe with some overly heavy inks by Jamie Snell in places, given Coller's really quite fine pencilwork - at the multiple Cybertronian repercussions of the events on Earth.



All that, as well as Sara Pitre-Durocher's brief stint in what has led up to this point, in the Previously section of the book, wonderfully crisp in its recap. As crisp, of course, as the work that the two letterers bring to the exasperation, adrenaline, frustration, anger, and force of the voices in the book - the effort that Tom B. Long and Chris Mowry put into this is not to be underestimated.



With the landmark status of the book, we were bound to get a slew of covers, from the main Griffith/Thomas Deer annexation, to the Coller/Bove Optimus triumphant variant, via big shots Jonathan Hickman and Mike Choi's interpretations of the AHO concept - plus, of course, a special Comicave variant by Livio Ramondelli, with a twist on a familiar theme (thumbnailed), and another piece of the Alex Milne/Perez mural.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

There are so many very things I have chosen not to talk about in the review, to allow readers to enjoy the experience of one of the most fast-paced, action packed, politically charged, arc-tying, positively tiring, visually enticing pieces of Transformers fiction. As arcs go, the beginning of All Hail Optimus promises very very well, and has managed to bring the conflict and Earth back together in a rather poignant and significant manner. Applause all round for the team, truly.



A lot of the things I was thinking about as I read the issue, and as I was writing the review, are pretty much covered in Barber's lovely words at the end of the book. I really do recommend taking some time to look at that afterword - but in case you don't, this part stands out in particular: a comment from Michael Kelly, from Hasbro, as AHO was pitched. 'Make sure these characters are people, and you guys have done it. You wouldn't be able to do a story like this if you hadn't.' Even with all the slips, the stumbled events, the jarring moments in the series, The Transformers have undoubtedly conquered Earth once more - here's to a peaceful coexistence, and productive dialogue with us as readers.

Top 10 Worst Transformers Toys of All Time

Date: Saturday, February 20th 2016 8:41am CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88 | Credit(s): william-james88

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Views: 154,400

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 10 worst transformers toys of all time

This list is simple, it is made up of toys that wouldn't be recomended to anyone ever. While I wrote this list, this was actually chosen by the community in a thread I had made called "Transformers that are absolute garbage", which people responded to. I kept the ones that weren't unanimous (but which I greatly dislike) for honourable mentions. Now, let's get to this!

10. Movie legends Jazz



This is when you know the designer just wasn't trying. A robot having the front of the vehicle as his chest is the most basic Trasformers design of all time. How badly can you mess that up? Well, this badly. All this toy had to do was have the car front as the robot chest and I guess that's what we got, even if it meant having a fake chest that is just right there on the car's roof. The first movie's Legends Class toys were not great and this is a great example of just how bad things could get. The deluxe Jazz that came out was not great toy either, but at least the car mode didnt look this bad.


9. Beast Machines Silverbolt



I just want to put some "sick" emoticons and just call it a day. It would be as much effort as this toy designer put into the toy. I think what is truly terrible about this toy is how Hasbro knew full well how terrible it was and still sold it to us. The reason we suspect they know it's bad (rather to them simply not caring if it is or not) is because this is one of the only toys from the beast era (if not the only toy) to be packaged in Robot Mode instead of Beast Mode. The robot mode is not bad actually and looks like the show model. Though you do wonder how it can possibly transform since it doesnt seem to have any kbble aside from the weapon that partforms to make wings. Well that's because the alt mode doesn't look like much, at all. It's the robot doing a hand stand, with his head right there between his arms (the beast legs). This looks nothing like the show model (which while it's subbosed to be a condor, reminds me more of a turkey without the big tail) and that's even besides the point that the colours are all wrong. This toy is just a mess really and as bad as they get for the usually phenominal beast era.


8. AOE Leader Prime First Edition





Luckily, this toy did not set the tone for what Transformers would become. I remember quite clearly when it was the first toy available of the Age of Extinction line, a toyline which promised simplified transformations to appeal to youger age groups. This toy was looming over making all our fears a reality. A big expensive toy that was made simpler and unlike the other one steps and such, it was not marketted for kids (who would need amazon accounts to purchase it in the states). Turns out this was just a fluke. Transformers remained just as traditionally complex after with some simpler toys aimed at the correct audience (which is nothing new for the line). But you still have this guy as the odd outlier, the mother of all shellformers in a time when you'd think Hasbro had grown out of that outdated engineering concept. In great shellformer fashion, you could even have it so that you could just detach the figure from the shell and have a perfectly fine truck mode that excluded the robot. This toy symbolizes a scary time and while I am glad we are all passed that, it doesnt make this abomination any less terrible.


7. Prime Deluxe Airachnid



The phrase "feels like a KO" gets thrown around a lot when fans express their distaste for a toy's quality but it's most often hyperbolic and is more of an insult towards the toy than an actual fact. I have bought dollar store KOs in the past (guilty as charged) out of curiosity and they are far far worse than all official toys out there. The plastic is usually very supbar, frail, and lacks a bunch of sculpting detail. They also lack paint apps and you usually just end up with blotchy paint in limited areas while the rest of the toy is just made up of the undistrubed monochrome cheap coloured plastic. The only toy in the history of the brand that this description would also apply to is Robots in Disguise Prime Airachnid.


6. Energon Hotshot



This toy sacrifices a lot for the gimmick of being able to form the top or bottom half of a combined bot. The biggest sacrifice is the articulation. After Beast Wars and RID and some of Armada, it looked like G1 articulation was a thing of the past never to be seen again. But this guy brings it back. He's a brick with heavy disproportions, tiny arms which can't be positioned more than straight ahead, a head that can't even rotate, and legs that don't do much more than split. Any articulation included is wasted and can't be used. He may not be junk to some but amongst the entire Energon line (looking only at original molds here), I can't think of anyone worse. His lack of meaningful leg articulation makes him even worse than his Armada self, which is mind boggling. He simply sacrifices far too much for his gimmick.


5. Transformers G1 1987 Wideload



Just look at it. Sure, it's a simple toy, but so are Topspin and Twintwist and they look like decent 80s robots. This little guy just looks like he should be holding a "kill me" sign. Every single one of this throttlebot brethren have a better alt mode and a MUCH nicer robot mode. The only thing he has going for himself is the decent pullback gimmick but it works just as well on any of the other far superior throttlebots. The lack of any articulation is already bad enough with this line but this guy even gives you these overall terrible proportions, making this probably the worst G1 toy.


4. PCC Doubleclutch



Speaking of the worst proportions possible, I give you PCC Double Clutch! The Power Core Combiner (PCC) line is already not a fan favourite so you know this guy is bad when even the most devoted PCC fan says this guy is one of the worst. Aesthetically this is an ugly figure with terrible proportions, but beyond that it is really sad how the way the combiner arms connect make it so that the arms always pop off. The last thing you want in a combiner is for it to just keep falling apart. So he fails at both an aesthetic and functional level. That's like both Siskel and Ebert giving you a thumbs down.


3. Titanium Megatron



Yes, this being in third place means Titanium Megatron is not the worst Transformers toy of all time, but that is by no means a compliment. It just means that we live in a sad world where there are 2 Transformers out there which are worse (not by much though). Although the figure looks somewhat impressive, it notably has the tendency to fall apart during transformation. Along with its loose joints, it was relatively difficult to pose in robot mode without it falling over, something that was entirely par for the course when it came to Titanium figures. It was also known for being a shelfwarmer thanks to people knowing how poor it was.


2. Transformers Armada Side Swipe (Stepper)



This toy is such garbage, it's unbelievable. While Energon Hotshot was pretty bad, he doesn't hold a candle to the atrocity of this toy which easily claims the title as both the worst toy of the Cybertron Trilogy and the toy which sacrifices the most for a gimmick. Look at the proportions! The forearms are enormous, the legs are an afterthough (they are just what's left of the car). G1 may not have had articulation but at least it had style. This has nothing. The whole robot mode aesthetic is sacrificed for the minicon gimmick and that would be bad enough but have you seen what the minicon looks like? Is this a face you would sacrifice so much for?



So, not only does Sideswipe have the worst robot mode I have ever seen but he is paired with Nightbeat, the worst and laziest looking minicon of all time. That's right, that makes this toy double garbage. The only good thing is that this means both atrocities can be avoided at once. For everyone out there, this might be the worst, and I would understand them, but what I hate more than hot garbage toys is paying more money for them, and hence...


1. Transformers Voyager Animated Megatron







Let me list the reasons for him being a piece of junk:

1.Lazy alt mode simply made up of rearranged robot mode parts which looks like a mess.
2. They couldn't even get that right, because the show model shows his fusion cannon mounted differently. So he's a pile of Junk that isnt even show accurate.

3. The gun is too heavy for him and can't stay attached if his life depended on it. You have to mod his fusion cannon to get it to sit properly on his arm.
4. His deluxe and more affordable version gets the paintjob right but this voyager doesnt?!
5. His hands have no articulation of any kind and are posed as if he's constantly shaking hands.
6. When I first bought him (he came free with a lot I bought, give me a break!), the person told me he was missing his back piece. That made sense to me since his back looks like what you'd uncover if you opened up a Transformer. Turns out, he was referring to his long skirt piece in the back, which means his back is a mess that looks like a Piet Modrian painting naturally. Even the Cyberverse commander Prime Megatron, for all its lazy alt mode glory doesn't mess that part up.
8. Both automorph gimmicks do not work well and the one on his chest ends up making his robot mode very annoying to pose properly or play with. Which brings me to my final point...

You would think a toy with an inaccurate alt mode made up of a mess of robot mode parts would at least have a structurally sound robot mode (take Prime Megatron for instance or the first movie Megatron toys) but this one doesn't. And unlike his "better" deluxe version (better coloured at least), he's at the second highest price point. The only worse thing than paying a little bit of money for a pile of junk is paying more money for it.

So, it pretty much fails on all accounts I can think of. When comparing to the rest of the phenomenal Transformers Animated toyline, he becomes a sin for simply existing. If you want more hating on him, there is a whole thread I found on this site dating from 2008, when he was first released.

Honourable mentions: BW Optimus Minor, Cybertron Thunderblast, ROTF Demolishor, Cybertron Backstop, Armada Scavenger, G1 Wheelie, G1 Flamefeather, Beast Machines Nightscream, Beast Machines Supreme Cheetor, 2007 Legends Megatron, ROTF Blazemaster and many many more.

IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #49 Review

Date: Wednesday, February 10th 2016 3:05am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 34,023

Synopsis
SHUTDOWN! A vengeful god stalks the corridors of the Lost Light, murdering everyone who makes eye contact. The crew must answer two questions: Why have they been singled out for punishment? And how do you stop someone who can kill you just by thinking about it?



Story

We have reached the second part of the final arc before the 50th milestone, and the last chance to see what is going in some of the Lost Light's crew members' heads. Quite literally, with James Roberts' newfound torture instrument for our regular space-opera-meets-horror-meets-sitcom-meets: the Transformers god of death, Mortilus, and its vessel, the biggest mnemosurgeon around, Sunder.



With the horror side of the story (more on the other side below), Roberts actually brings us a lot closer to the initial arcs of this particular ongoing. A lot of the issue, in fact, feeds back into an older vibe for the book, also given Skids' first introduction to MTMTE as an outsider to the situation, and his clearly pivotal role in the grand scheme of things.



The problems I had with the issue, and I find myself repeating a previous thought, are with the pacing - and with the fact that this is another conclusion that feels rushed, even actually cut short. I understand that the length of the comic can only allow so much. But still, some things feel like they're lacking a part to them, or that more could be said and told.



That is not to say that I don't realise and understand that there are, obviously other developments to be expected, especially with the preview and covers being what they are and featuring who they do. We will be seeing how a lot of what happens in here will affect the rest of the crew, of the series, and probably of the TFverse, without too many doubts on that last part, either.

Art

We've seen what Hayato Sakamoto can do in previous issues, and in his work on the TFCC and Takara Legends comics - what we get here is a shift further into the latter style, and something which feels more his, with some significant manga traits, and some definite horrorific, twisted, Junji Ito/Neon Genesis Evangelion-esque moments that add to the already present early feel of the MTMTE run streaming through this particular issue.



Even with the usual vibrancy of colours that Joana Lafuente brings to the palette, the choice of darker reds, blues, purples and oranges (interesting combination there...) really does add to the space horror elements this time round - though at times perhaps too bright for a ship that is supposedly in dim light to avoid eye contact.



There are oodles of lettering scattered around the book, with Sunder's voice bubbles and the multiple ...noises. And Tom B. Long has the arduous, but surely satisfying given the result, task of capturing them all, each and every time. The two main variant covers are as fitting as you would expect, with Tailgate and Thunderclash taking main stage for Alex Milne and Josh Perez, Rung staring down Sunder in the Nick Roche/Josh Burcham one - and then we have another piece of the gigantically glorious Milne/Perez puzzle in the retailer incentive variant (thumbnailed).


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

The not entirely new, but slightly modified/shifted visuals in the book are very fitting to the overall themes present in the issue, and offer a good background to the major narrative trajectories for Tarn, Skids, and their enabling link through Sunder - though, obviously, no resolution yet. This is still Roberts we're talking about.



On that note... Much like everything else, from solicits to coverage, surrounding this issue, I have steered clear of any of the major turns taking place in the story, other than Skids' own tale, above. I'll take this last paragraph to just point out one little aspect that will lead to very interesting paths, if kept consistent, for The Dying of the Light and everything after issue #50 - Megatron's development, Tailgate's direction. Very interesting paths indeed.

Top 5 Best Shockwave Transformers Toys

Date: Saturday, February 6th 2016 7:22am CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 93,814

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 Shockwave Transformers Toys

Full disclosure, this list actually started as "Top 5 great robot modes with subpar alt modes". However, I realized I was mostly coming up with Shockwave figures. I mean after G1, when he could not be a gun, all the attention of that toy was towards its robot mode with the alt mode being secondary. While that is too bad for a toy that started out having quite the legendary alt mode (a laser gun with lights and sound) at least the robot modes have been worth it. While I do not believe we have had a perfect Shockwave figure yet, the Masterpiece figure is coming soon. So while waiting, let us go through the best Shockwaves we have so far.

5. Beast Hunter Shockwave (Both Voyager and Cyberverse)

This is a solid and great feeling toy. He has a hulking robot mode with the widest chest/shoulders found on any Shockwave design. Unlike most versions, this mad scientist seems to be as strong as he is intelligent. I included both the voyager and cyberverse figure because they transform just about the same way. While that makes for a great smaller figure, that means that the transformation is a bit lackluster for a voyager class figure. The alt mode is thus not much to go on but as stated in the intro, Shockwave toys are usually more about the robot mode and this one works well. I especially like how they hide the hose as a tank thread in the voyager, as well as the working wheels found under the feet that only touch the ground in alt mode, it’s very well done. Speaking of things that were well done, the cyberverse version of the mold was surprisingly well served as Bludgeon.





A big reason why this toy is relegated to 5th place even if the robot mode is perfectly fine is due to there being a problem with the cannon arm in alt mode. For some reason, certain batches of this figure couldn’t plug the cannon so that it could be straight. You would have to disassemble his cannon arm and attach the cannon separately for it to look good from the front. That is quite a misstep in engineering. Also, this toy does pale in comparison to the other toys found in the Prime line (which is slowly starting to gain the legitimacy it deserves).




4. Transformers Energon Shockblast (Laser Wave)

Now this is a fun figure and a nice new take on Shockwave. He has all that you would expect from a Shockwave figure such as a gun arm (the biggest he has ever had!), a perfect headsculpt, and a hexagonal chest. This is a solid figure where everything perfectly clicks and fits together just fine. What I really love is how his cybertronian cannon mode has his head and chest visible (since as with most Shockwaves, the alt modes are rearranged robot parts with no new alt mode detail) but the angle of his head is flush with his shoulder making a smooth uninterrupted surface, hiding the head in plain sight. The robot chest also blends well by being mirrored on the back, adding a nice sense of symmetry and integrating the chest as the alt mode’s body. This figure is an interesting study of contrast between symmetry in the alt mode and asymmetry in the robot mode. It’s like Shockwave himself, perfectly logical, but dark and twisted.
Speaking of no new alt mode detail, that isn’t entirely the case with this toy. He includes a third mode which is just as serviceable as his cannon mode with 8 solar panels flipping from all over the place turning him into a satellite that fares just as well (in my book) as movie Soundwave.









And for fun, he also has a 4th fan mode that works ok.




3. Transformers Dark of the Moon Voyager Shockwave

Say what you want about the Bay movies, the design for Shockwave was pretty spot on for that world. He fared far better than most in his transfer to the silver screen since his cybertronian appearance worked well for the aesthetic combination of realism and alien life forms. Pretty much, he looked like a badass sci fi robot. The portrayal is another story, but the movie design translated perfectly well into the toy, who looked a bit smoother than the usual movie figures up to that point. I especially like his hands and feet and how they fold onto themselves in the alt mode. It is simple but quite ingenious (especially with the feet). It’s too bad his signature cannon couldn’t be placed in the middle of his alt mode, making it look a bit odd, but at least it brought back the hose idea which is always a nice touch to go with Shockwave. Along with Leader Sentinel Prime and Voyager Skyhammer, this is one of the best of the Dark of the Moon line.






2. Transformers Animated Shockwave

This toy is unlike any other Transformer ever designed by Hasbro. Spoilers for the Transformers Animated series abound. The idea behind this toy is for it to be Shockwave disguised as an Autobot who looks completely different with a different alt mode. While the alt modes are not much to run home about (shocker!) the real fun is converting him from small stocky Autobot Longarm into the Decepticon Shockwave.
Shockwave is at his most evil and conniving in this show and the toy brings that out in spades. The little hands turn into claws, the normal looking autobot face loses his mouth, nose and eyes for only the red cyclops eye to remain and the stocky limbs lengthen to reveal a tall and lean creepy silhouette. Speaking of height, this is a tall voyager figure, just look at that picture of him next to Megatron. I can’t think of that many Transformers which had as much value as this one which turns from Shockwave (who transforms into a tank) to Longarm (who transforms into a crane). Definitely one of the best Transformer toy designs of all time.










1. Transformers G1 1985 Shockwave (Laserwave)

The G1 toy is still an amazing toy and the fact that all the upcoming MP does is incorporate the partsforming and add some articulation speaks wonder to how much this 80s toy still holds up. He is so different from the rest of his brethren and for a reason. You see, this was not done by the same company (Takara) who brought us Optimus, Soundwave and almost everyone else. This was a lazer gun that could then transform into a cyclopean robot (who has a lazer gun hand) and was first a Radio Shack toy in the west (the rights to this toy are somewhere in the ether, as well as in some copyright lawyer’s nightmares). So yeah, definitely in a different league of the rest. Any lack in articulation is offset by the playability factor and heft. It's an awesome space gun that turns into a cool looking robot, the argument stops right there!






Honourable Mentions: While the Combiner Wars Legends Shockwave is a perfectly fine Legends class toy, the size just doesn't cut it for a top 5 list of this imposing master of doom. I still wanted to mention him here though since he does deserve some praise. The toy I had a hard time not including though was Cloud Shockwave, who instead is a perfect size, but I stay away from exclusive redecos since they are not as easy to come by for most people reading these lists. And plus, these lists are to generate discussion and if I write about a super exclusive/expensive toy that fewer people own, there isn't really a point. This is why I have this section where I can write whatever I want and for now, I want to write about Cloud Shockwave. What impresses me so much about this figure is how it is a straight redeco (all the parts are the same) and yet he totally owns that Whirl mold he is from. Shockwave always had this cold creepy mad scientist vibe to him and the tall lanky bot mode just works so well for him. He ends up with the same perfect headsculpt which is very reminiscent of Energon Shockblast and the claw hands (reminiscent of Animated Shockwave) lend themselves perfectly to this bot who is always known for having odd appendages. Oh and him being a redeco of Whirl means that for this rare occasion, his alt mode is better than sub par. He is currently the best scale and style for a collection of updated toys from the G1 era, at least in my opinion.



Here are a few pics to see how well he fits in a collection as compared to the others, let me know what you guys think!

Transformers Photo Challenge # 11: Planes, Trains and Alt-Modes

Date: Monday, February 1st 2016 11:04pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Transtopia, Contests
Posted by: no-one | Credit(s): Va'al's Beautiful Brain

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Views: 50,635

Howdy fellow Seibertronians and welcome to the Transformers Photo Challenge.

Each challenge will have a theme and a description of any guidelines that need to be followed. If you want to participate, then all you have to do is setup some figures, snap some pictures and post the images in the discussion below. The Transformers Photo Challenge is for all skill levels and is just about having fun. Previous challenges can be found here.

Have camera, will travel. Grab your favorite Transformers, head out into the great outdoors and find some form of transportation. Or maybe just bring a Transformer along for your morning commute and see what happens. Travel by land or by sea, sky's the limit for this challenge; it's all about packing up our little robobuddies and taking a roboroadtrip - the real challenge is in showing them (and us) the wide, wild world!


Setup your bots and show us what you got!

Remember to keep your browsers pointed to Seibertron.com for the latest Transformer news, the largest Transformers galleries and the most Transformers fun you can have this side of a space bridge.

Seibertron.com Creative Round-Up - January 31st, 2016

Date: Sunday, January 31st 2016 11:33am CST
Categories: Site Articles, Transtopia
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Transtopia

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Views: 59,633

Hey loose bolts and assorted nuts - as Sunday rolls round for us all, it's time to take a look at what is going on in the Transtopia section of Seibertron.com. From customs to artwork, from fiction to comics, from paintjobs to modifications, we bring all of it together in one handy spot, for all of you to read, view, and comment as soon as you like it. Read on!


CUSTOMIZATIONS

Tom_Servo - Final Battle MP Megatron




Chronchitisbot - Generations Decepticon Starfire




Klejpull - MTMTE Nautica Replica




Noideaforaname - Shockwave 40K




Mykltron - Tutorial: MP Bumblebee




BUILDING BOTS

Mythic_Gears - Lego Transformers Models




FAN ART

M3Gr1ml0ck - Wrath of Ages #6




Verno - TransWarp Csirac #4




Bryan Sevilla - Abominus




SillySpringer - TF Art




IamRoaM - Fan Art Randoms





FAN-FICTION

Stormtalon - Scramble City Blues


PHOTO BLITZ

OptimalOptimus2 - Transjoining




MadeusPrime - Invasion of the Daleks




Shauyaun - Photos and Comics

IDW Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers #3 Review

Date: Wednesday, January 27th 2016 6:08am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Va'al, IDW

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Views: 34,375

Synopsis
SECRETS AND SINS! PROWL’s past—shrouded in mystery—begins to come to light… and the revelations aren’t pretty. But to get ahold of the missing AUTOBOT, the WRECKERS will have to face… the NOISEMAZE.



Story

Issue three, and we're still untangling a gigantic knot of garbled vines (and lumps in throats, after reading). Surprising no one really, but still executed really well, we find out who and what Mesothulas Tarantulas is - he even gets a catch phrase - what his goal might be, and just about what the Wreckers may have to do with any of this series to start with.



I can see the problem with that last part, of course, as other readers have pointed out: if anything, this book so far is more about Prowl and his past than the Wreckers. And Prowl and the Wreckers haven't really had stellar relations in that past, either. This issue, however, may be leading towards the meeting point of the two pasts.



There is one particular piece of dialogue, shown in the preview, which illustrates just how well Roche can work with words and visuals - as it's a layout within the panel that will show up a number of times in the issue - and speaks to his strengths as a grey-moral-area-lover-of-ambiguity. As we have seen several times before now.



Roche takes a quick dip in established Transformers history, from the IDWverse anyway, as he brings us up to speed with what happened to Mesontulas, which will please some readers. He also unearths some not-yet-established historical connections, as we catch up with what the Wreckers might know about it all, which will intrigue readers. Either way, he's still spinning threads, over halfway in.


Art

What I have said for the verbal part of Roche's appraisal, I have to reiterate in the visual - though with not as many reservations on the complexity of what he's doing. Yes, he is a storyteller, and working with both tracks in sync allows his art and words to bounce off each other, but the art has a smidge over the words at times, especially in character design.



What Josh Burcham brings to the page, in his colouring, is truly remarkable. The emotional side of the story and its characters is played out with tonal contrasts, juxtaposition of bright and positively (negatively?) dark colours, and sprinkled with some seriously heebie-jeebie vibes throughout. Plus, we get the trippy swirl effects of the Noisemaze.



Tom B. Long has a field day with the number of font variations: each faction, plus Taranmesothulalala, and juiced up Guzzle, the Noisemaze - there is so much going on in the different voices, and he claims them all, pointing them out brilliantly. The covers are pretty much as dark as you would expect, with multi-layered Roche/Burcham main Impactor and Kup art, heart-scrunching incentive variant by Priscilla Tramontano (seen here), and an ominous Pri-- Prowl by guest artists Andy MacDonald and John-Paul Bove (thumbnailed).


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

Even with the caveats mentioned above, I found a solid balance in Roche's writing: we may get some exposition in spots, but it allows for character fleshing out too; if on one hand there is a lot of Prowl and Tarantulas, on the other there is a big build-up of expectations. And both allow for some excellent visuals, in both layouts and creepiness, and surprising emotional turns. And Obtenteum (really?).



We get some additional background and character work, though very brief, on Hubcap, Verity, Carnivac, Stakeout - and some of it will hurt, some of it will enrage, most of it will leave readers wanting for more, that's for sure. Whatever happens at the end, with its 'mild' cliffhanger, will have to wait quite a while for a resolve, unfortunately. So strap in to your spider, and let it crawl.

Top 5 Best Helicopter Transformers Toys

Date: Saturday, January 23rd 2016 9:05am CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 137,523

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 Helicopter Transformers Toys

I am going by the best molds. Simple title, simple list, let's get to it.

5. Transformers G1 1985 Whirl

This was a tough call between Generations Springer (30th) and G1 Whirl but deep down, this is a helicopter list and Whirl has one of the best helicopters ever put out there. Probably second best to the number one on this list. He is a gorgeous and well thought out toy. You couldn't tell that he turns into a robot from looking at the helicopter since everything seems to serve only that mode. That turns out to mostly be true since aside from his head and claws, the entire robot is made from repurposed helicopter parts. That works so well for him though, since it gives him a very sleek form with minimal extraneous kibble. You get this tall mean lean killing machine of a robot which clashes so interestingly with the choice of having this toy repurposed as an Autobot rather than a Decepticon. Of course, him being from the 80s means that he is the toy with the least amount of articulation on this list but his perfect look in both modes gives him more than enough cred to stand alongside any of his brethren below.









4. Transformers Animated Megatron

What is amazing about this toy is also what is great about the animated line as a whole: they actually found a way to recreate the angular show designs into toys. Remember, the designs were made for the cartoon first and the toys second (that didn’t happen before) so it is a real feat for the designers to have reverse engineered those designs into toys that look like the show models. Megatron himself does this pretty brilliantly by also boasting a very simple transformation. It’s interesting how his legs and feet are there naked in vehicle mode but they blend in perfectly as part of the helicopter. The rotors become the swords and while the arm canon can be considered part forming, it is very effective at both concealing the robot parts in alt mode and conveying a G1 look in robot mode.








3. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Blades/ Alpha Bravo/ Vortex

This mold surprised me. I was worried it would be too simple but it works pretty well. This is by far the most streamlined and sleek helicopter we have ever gotten. There is no undercarriage and it is very simple in design which is refreshing compared to all the attack helicopters we see. This is mainly because the arms are outside the helicopter body, not contributing to added bulk. While this could have been done terribly, the guns mask the arms perfectly to the point that they are fully disguised and don't look out of place (as arms, but the jury is still out on a rescue helicopter having guns). The robot mode is neat, and this mold also becomes an arm and a leg (and costs far from that). I like it better as a leg personally but what matters is that this sleek helicopter mold is the most versatile one around.








2. Transformers Cybertron Evac (Live Convoy)

Like all Cybertron toys, Evac is a nice solid and fun toy. His design is very unique due to his large feet made of the lower half of the rescue helicopter as well as his asymmetrical arms. His headsculpt is great with a central crest to go with the theme of him being a Convoy (a Prime) in the Japanese cartoon. The helicopter mode itself is lots of fun with several points of interactivity:
-His rotor blades spin when pushing a button, and they become a spinning-blade weapon mounted on his robot mode's left arm.
-He has an adjustable and retractable tow-hook on a string, which ends up mounted on his right arm.
-His engine exhausts become two missile launchers which spring forward when inserting the cyber key.
So yeah, lots of fun with this massive toy.








1. Transformers Dark of the Moon Skyhammer

This toy probably has the most unique way to deal with his rotors in robot mode. With his chest area being the central body of the helicopter, his chest is the top where the rotors are and they wrap around him in robot mode resulting in no extraneous kibble. This is by far the most complex helicopter transformer but every step makes sense and is a joy to watch unfold (especially the forearms). For a movie toy, Skyhammer has some gorgeous alt mode integration like his rotors wrapping around his chest, his legs being the tail and the cockpit splitting to form shoulder armour. While he has the more realistic look from the films, he does have some smooth surfaces and looks far more robotic than alien. He is number one because of all helicopter Transformers, he has the best helicopter mode (where you see none of the robot), the best robot mode (completely kibble free) and the best transformation while being a perfect marriage of the movie and classic Transformers aesthetic.












Honourable Mentions: There is actually a ton of good helicopter molds out there, I was tempted of turning it into a top 10 list. However, those five are really a cut above the rest, with the exception of Transformers Generations Springer. The best triple changer mold by far. However, it being a triple changer, a few sacrifices were made, stopping it from being the best helicopter mode in the business. The landing gears are a bit awkward around the back and it's really too bad they didn’t try to add some detailing to give the idea of some tail rotors in the back (the G1 toy did).








Along with him, here are the others that crossed my mind when thinking of this list:

Rescue bot Blades, probably the best toy of that line simply for the style and how it actually works as a simpler toy while trying to achieve the desired aesthetics.


Transformers Rescue Bots Blades the Copter-bot Gallery

Great things come in small packages sometimes. Legion Airachnid, Minicon Jolt and Legion Windshear deserve a mention for accomplishing great helicopters at such a small scale. Airachnid herself is amazing simply for being better than her deluxe class version and sporting some really nice paint apps for this class (in robot mode).


Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Cyberverse Airachnid Gallery


Transformers Cybertron Jolt (Hop) Gallery


Transformers Generations Windshear Gallery

HFTD Tomahawk is another movie design done right. His legs are not the best but it's a solid deluxe class helicopter.


Transformers Hunt For The Decepticons Tomahawk Gallery
 

IDW The Transformers #49 Review

Date: Wednesday, January 20th 2016 1:30pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 52,700

Synopsis
CONQUERORS: CONCLUSION! The most dramatic action ever taken by an AUTOBOT sets the stage for next month’s mammoth issue 50. Earth and CYBERTRON. OPTIMUS PRIME and GALVATRON. SOUNDWAVE and COSMOS. It all comes together at four billion miles an hour.



Story

Here we are, at the end of the big build up everything after Dark Cybertron, through Combiner Wars, across the Transformers universe as we know it, with old gods, fake gods, heroes, villains and conquerors converging into one single spot, one moment in time: Earth, Now.



And to be entirely honest, it falls short of ..well, everything. All of the build up, all of the hype. It feels rushed, glossed over, reasons and motivations don't hold up, the major arcs created for however many past issues are just half-resolved without much else to go on. The various settings and scenes are just glomped together.



I am not sure what John Barber did with this issue, as his big landmarks usually pan out much better. It is likely that issue #50 will develop those shortcomings into something that sticks better together as the piece of a wider, universal puzzle. As it stands, however, the pieces are all mismatched and a little scattered.



The characters do, to an extent, still work, of course - but some of them just feel like they're going along with whatever Optimus has decided to do, for whatever reason. Galvatron's side of the story may be the most interesting here, and the repercussions it has among the Decepticon idealists hit hard - but everything else is just - there.


Art

On the other hand, I have no complaints whatsoever with the art. Sara Pitre-Durocher's style is a delight to follow through the various scenes, with some peaks in Skywarp's moments to shine (heh) and there is heavy emotion felt by the various characters - and the readers. The moments with Soundwave and Cosmos carry some serious weight, in light of the events taking place.



The colours are also magnificent, blending fantastically well with Pitre-Durocher's lighter linework. Josh Perez and Josh Burcham are a wonderful team, and bounce off each other's style easily and seamlessly, bringing one of the crispest issues I've noticed in a while.



Tom B. Long has a lot of playground space in the lettering sandbox, too, to work his own stuff, filling in the various silent spaces with good-looking sounds. Why do letterers never get enough praise? With all that action, we are still able to see what is being said. The covers are also great, with Alex Milne/Perez continuing the massive mural (thumbnailed), Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente dabbling with Victorion's hefty presence, and Andrew Griffith emulating Klaus Scherwinski.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

If I sound disappointed, it's because I am. I had been seriously looking forward to the development, and preliminary conclusion, to this arc - to see what Galvatron was to do, to see how the Autobots would respond, how Soundwave in particular would respond, how the various characters would play out against each other and together, depending on their circumstances. I don't feel we got any of that, unfortunately.



A less coherent, more Soundwave/Cosmos/Skybyte response: Seriously? Windblade and crew are just going along with Optimus' decision? Sideswipe, Alpha Trion and Arcee in a shuttle forever, just to get punked by Brawl and Needlenose? I do hope that the next issue, and All Hail Optimus in general, has more time, and space, to start straightening the puzzle out. I really do.

IDW Transformers: Robots in Disguise #6 Review

Date: Wednesday, January 20th 2016 10:50am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): IDW comics

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Views: 34,834

Synopsis
VEHICONS AMOK! When the DECEPTICON called STEELJAW stumbles upon three lost VEHICONS, he convinces them he’s on a mission from MEGATRON—a deception that puts them on a collision course with BUMBLEBEE and company!



Story
Well here we are, end of the road for the RiD IDW comic. And let's just say things did not go quietly. Ever wanted some of your old plot threads from Prime answered? Well this seemingly answers a few, and in a way that I am cool with. And I am very appreciative of the answers that it gave. The biggest thing being we finally have some canonical ending to some old threads!



And then there was the final battle, which really was short unfortunately, but with this story arc clearly intended to last at least 2 more issues, they had no choice. And they did a good job for what they were given. I give a well done to the team for that. I wish there would have been those extra issues, but I still enjoyed the ride.



Art

Artwork and colors are as always done by the marvelous Priscilla Tramontano, and she does not disappoint in the finale. Beautiful lines and awesome scenery make up this issue as we travel through a scrap yard, several caves, and a mine. I have come to love this art, and I will miss it. The art perfectly fits the comic that you hold in your hands.



Lettering is done by our old friend Tom B. Long, and he delivers great lettering that matches up with the artwork and with the action within. He never fails to disappoint and I for one am very happy to have him around.



Thoughts (spoilerish ahead)



Well here we are, and there it goes. End of the road, and for such a fun loving not overly serious comic, I am sad to see it go. In Transformers, it felt like that Sunday comic page you would read, where you got some life lessons and a lot of laughs. And I am a lover of Sunday comics. This was enjoyable and a great run, and I wish all of you would take the time to read through the stories. They may only be 7 in number (there is issue 0!) but they are a fun time. And they show that you can have a goofy cast in a fun comic that makes for some great stories.

I recommend reading this and its predecessors, and while I cannot give it a full score simply due to trying to do too much in too little space, I can tell you this is awesome and go find it.