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Welcome one and welcome all! As we approach the New Year of 2019 (or in some cases, you have already crossed over into the new year) I your fellow Seibertronian would like to take this opportunity to start the Top 10 Transformers Finds of 2018.
The rules for this are very simple. This list is a Top 10 list of figures I, and by extend when you make your list you, purchased this year. This list is open to any Transformer from any generation or release year, so long as it arrived at your house between January 1 and December 31 of 2018. The figure doesn't even need to be a good one or a collectible one or even a big or little one; it's all about your opinion and attraction to the figure. 3rd party figures are allowed for the list, it's all on you!
So with that, let's get started!
10) Generation 1 Jetfire
This one is exciting because I found this complete in wonderful condition in person. I could not believe my eyes when I was in a Collector store and there was a guy taking pictures of it. I went over, could not believe it was complete and so perfect, and asked if it was for sale. A half out and several more G1 figures later, I had a holy grail. I could not be any happier with my fortune that day.
9) Animated Safeguard
This is a figure I did not get originally despite how much I love Animated. It took until earlier this year, but it was worth it. It was yet another grail of mine to find, except this time I was looking for it and have consistently wanted to find it.
8) Masterpiece MP-41 Dinobot
Little else needs said about this figure. They could not have done Dinobot any better. He is perfection. It is a figure long overdue, finally giving Dinobot a perfect appearance. This is a character deserving of a Masterpiece, and it is fantastic and well worth the wait.
7) Studio Series Grimlock
This was the Studio Series figure I was the most excited for, and it did not disappoint. It is a really fun figure and holy crap is it detailed. I love a figure with a great amount of detail, and Grimlock shows how vast he is with the amount of detailing he has. Not to mention how clean the robot mode is and how well painted he is. He is gorgeous, and he is fun.
6) Transformers 2007 Dropkick
This was one I did not expect to want or get, and it's even funnier considering Dropkick himself ended up in the Bumblebee movie this year. This guy, along with 8 other movie bots and 2 G1 guys, came from my buddy and Forum Admin Burn, and he is so much fun. He's a good figure, but far and away he is really fun. This is a unique looking robot that can blend into many different spots in the collection. And that con symbol is huge!
5) Takara Legends Greatshot
This one was a special one to me. I was super excited for Sixshot, and then somewhat let down. Then came Quickswitch, who was better but was harder to get. And then came this gorgeous retool. In just over a year, I went from 0 to 3 6-Changers, and they got better as they went. The retooling done to Greatshot is fantastic, and it is such a great looking unique figure. Winged space Rhino for the win and Eagle chest for the win!
4) Generation 1 Grotusque
This was another figure I got at the same time as Jetfire. And this guy has been a ton of fun for a G1 figure. It is so ugly but adorable at the same time. The spark gimmick is ridiculously fun! And I just got the updated Titans Return one too, so it's awesome to have 2 different Grotusque toys 30 years apart. And it was also cool because it only took a few reprolabels to perfect this old gem. i wish more people liked these late G1 figures like the Monsterbots and Pretenders like I do.
3) Beast Wars Tigerhawk
After watching the show, this guy was an expensive must have. But then, I found this guy pretty much mint in package for a great deal, and wow is he great. The paintwork, the sculpt, the size, the bulk, the near perfect fusion of Eagle and Arctic Tiger. It is so great! A really fun figure, I love this big bulky guy. And the fact that Tigerhawk was one of my favorite characters in the show, even if he wasn't around much, also helps. Him being the fusion of Airazor and Tigatron was also really cool.
2) Studio Series Jazz
Simply put, this guy is the definition of fun. I was not impressed when I first saw him, but in hand, Jazz is fun personified. He is small, but that's part of the charm. He is perfectly painted, fun, nice to transform, solid, and the silver color means he can go anywhere and be perfectly photogenic. He is fun, fun FUN! I love this little guy, he is near the top of my collection in terms of favorites.
Before I get to #1, a few quick Honorable Mentions. I bring these ones up because it was hard to but the list down to 10 and these ones were strong contenders:
-Beast Wars Fuzor Silverbolt - Great figure, lots of fun, one of my favorites from the show!
-Generation 1 Abominus - My first G1 combiner, pretty fun!
-Beast Wars Depthcharge - This one is huge and painted so well and also really fun! I only wish his backpack was a bit smaller, but I still love it.
-Beast Wars Dinobot II - Transmetals, I and II, are really fun, and this guy is so fierce looking I love it.
-G1 Icepick - A fun little find, I found the inner robot in a bin for a Quarter, and picked up the shell. I never thought I would find a G1 Pretender Monster!
-Hunt for the Decepticons Bludgeon - this figure is fantastic, that is all that needs said
And now, on to my Top Transformer find of the year, and the honor goes to:
1) Beast Wars Transmetal Tarantulas
The character of Tarantulas was so brilliant in Beast Wars, I needed his figure. I found him and got him right before I moved to my new apartment and job, and I have loved him since. The colors work, the chrome works, the Tarantula mode is really big and impressive, the robot mode kills, and he is so screen accurate. He is the perfect encapsulation of his amazing TV show counterpart, and I love him. And with how cool the character is, and the fact that it translated perfectly to toy form, he is my #1 Transformer find of the year.
So there is my list! With the topic now laid out in front of you, let us know you Top 10 Transformer finds of 2018!
Anyone reading message boards online or social media comments may think Transformers fans are some of the hardest fans to please but that is just because these are great places to vent frustration and those annoyed and unhappy are always louder than those content with their toys. So I wanted to look back on this year and write the positives that came out of it, especially since there was some massive change in how Transformers toys were handled retail wise. Plus, from the onset, 2018 looked to be a really rough year with Toysrus now out of the picture in the US and Hasbro pushing for 4 different Transformers mainline to occupy the shelves at the same time (Generations, Studio Series, Bumblebee and Cyberverse). It makes it even more miraculous that, thanks to some management/distribution choices, 2018 has been the best year for collecting in a very long time.
The Generations Subline only lasting one calendar year
The first two line in the Prime Wars trilogy lasted for a year and a half and had 6 waves each (one per quarter) so some fans were upset that it was not followed through with Power of the Primes. However this was the biggest move Hasbro has ever done to help the distribution woes and it actually worked. With the line only having 4 quarters, and them coinciding with the calendar year (meaning begging of the line is beginning of the year and end of the line is end of the year), this helped retailers manage their inventory better. By making it shorter, there was less of a chance for there to be a pile up of unsold toys from the same line, and thus every toy from Power of the Primes would be ordered. So no more skipping the last wave. This also assures that the toys for the next calendar year are put up for grabs as soon as Hasbro would allow it since it's seen as fully new product as opposed to a continuation of the same line (instead of say, wave 5 of the last year's line). And, more importantly, that means that the retailer is now certain that whatever stock they receive of that line during the year is of the current year (as opposed to them confusing it with remainder stock of last year). The result is that this year no mainline toy from any line was skipped by retailers in the US. I won't have to write one of these articles next week.
Pic of US Target 3rd quarter
Pic of Canadian Toysrus 4th quarter
Exclusives were far more attainable
I can't tell you how much I hated the Transformers Collector's Club. Not that I didn't like their product, but being an international fan (aka, not US based), buying from them was a huge pain. The extra costs to get these overpriced toys made them practically unattainable if you have any semblance of a budget. And of course going to conventions to get their exclusives wouldn't be possible. But with Hasbro doing away with the Club, and taking matters into their own hands, getting most exclusives has been relatively doable. They were very smart to have most of their exclusives be Amazon, Entertainment Earth, or Hasbro Toy Shop exclusives which removed any American's dependence of having a brick and mortar location near by. Also, by having these exclusives made by them, and using their economies of scale, redecos like Nemesis Prime were very reasonably priced (that would have been an easy $100 price tag if it came from the club, probably more due to the exclusive accessories). And for international buyers, Amazon.com having surprisingly fair shipping rates helped.
Another HUGE helping factor was the brand unification. So for instance take any Movie Masterpiece toy, which are all exclusives in one way or another. Takara released the exact same toy at comparative prices. So if you could not get it through whatever channel Hasbro was using, you could get the Takara release off Amazon Japan, which recently decided to ship toys internationally (this might be their first full year of doing so). Same goes with other exclusives like the Throne of the Primes, which was integral to fans completing their Prime Master collection. If you couldn't get it from Hasbro Toy Shop, you could just get it off Amazon Japan, which currently even comes out cheaper than having bought it off HTS (but that's because American's wont get taxed when purchasing from Japan). And as for Walmart exclusives, this was the first year in a long time that Walmart had a Transformer toy over $50 on the shelves (their exclusive G1 Devastator reissue). Needless to say, all these G1 exclusives fared far better than the Last Knight Walmart exclusives where a few were never even released by Walmart.
No more missing out on Takara versions
The brand unification discussed above had another major impact on collectors this year, and our community as a whole. We don't talk about it much, but there has been some pretty intense elitism in this hobby in the past. A lot of it is based on the fact that there have usually been two different versions of the same Transformers toy with the one from Japan being an import and thus costing westerners more. That higher cost coinciding with differences from the Hasbro releases could make it seem like those only buying what they find in stores locally might be missing out. But 2018 marked an end to all of that with the exact same toy being released by both companies and the realization that the higher prices had nothing to do with the products actually being different (in the cases where only the deco differed).
This helped in a lot of ways. This gave us another outlet for toys that may be exclusive in one company but not the other, it removed any possible feeling of false superiority or inferiority in terms of either the products being purchased or the fans themselves, and best of all it meant that now all that amazing Japanese product promotion was applicable to everyone. Every month, for years, we get these magazine pages showcasing all the upcoming toys from Takara and most of us just look at all the toys we won't be getting (at least not looking exactly like that or with those accessories). But now, we can relish in this joyous advertising, and it is proof that Takara is just as proud of their releases as ever before. And now we can all easily own these beautiful toys with no need to import. Plus, that means that reveals for toys we will find locally can come from both Hasbro and Takara. Meaning that reveals in Japan concern us just as much as reveals at SDCC, for instance. The unification works both ways too, with Hasbro releasing all Takara MP products in the US as well. Plus, completionists will be getting a break, especially with 4 mainlines on the shelves.
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So in the end, 2018 was amazing because in a year where we had more product than ever before (4 mainlines!), the final toys/waves in the toylines were not skipped, exclusives were more readily available (and affordable) and we no longer have to worry about which version of a toy we should get. Oh, and it also happens to be the year where we got a Masterpiece Beast Wars Dinobot, here is hoping 2019 treats us just as well.
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 Stories from IDW Transformers Comics Era (2005-2018)
The IDW timeline/universe/story that started in 2005 has ended and I personally believe it includes the best Transformers fiction involving our favourite G1 characters. Of course comics can be daunting to get into and I won't pretend every single story was a gem. But there was some stellar storytelling here, the best these characters ever got and I will go through the 5 best stories from this 13 year run that any Transformers fan should check out asap. The titles link to the comics on comixology in case you want to check them out.
Note: At the day this is published, there is a major sale on all these comics at comixology.
I love Ironhide, he is one of my favourite G1 characters and a great archetype: the bad ass old timer soldier who will get the job done. And this book makes great use of that archetype. Plus, for any new readers, the fact that art of the story is Ironhide not remembering a lot means you and him are both unaware of what came before and it serves as a nice introduction to the IDW G1 universe. The biggest selling point though will be the art. As good as the writing is, this book's greatest strength is the gorgeous art from Casey Coller, which to me always felt like the best Dream Wave but done right (so clean and heroic but without odd proportions or angles). - William-James88
Out of the three "solo-character" books (the other two being Bumblebee and Drift), this was the best one. Mystery, suspense, and four full issues of Casey Coller being awesome. - Scotty P
Casey Coller killed, there was a lot of mystery, there was a lot of Ironhide coming to terms with not remembering 4 million years, and it started his unique relationship to Alpha Trion that shaped most of his future. - D-Max
We always guessed a Starscream lead story would be fun, and this book shows us just how great that can be. While anyone who likes combiners will get their money's worth here, the part I liked most was the later half with Windblade. We get to see just how much that character can add to a story. And, lest we forget, this is the story of Starscream actually being ruler of Cybertron, something the character always wanted and we get to see it play out in full rather than him being instantly killed by Galvatron. - William-James 88
TAAO had some great moments, and I think issue 4 with Bruticus was the best look we've had at a Combiner mind in story and visuals. But 9-12 with Starscream truly changing and then the battle of the minds was truly awesome. - D-Max
If anyone is interested in Pre War Cybertron starring Orion Pax as a super cop, then this story is for you. Expertly written and just plain fun to read, with lots of twists (that final page is a bigger twist than anything M Night Shyamalan ever did). While it takes place within the More Than Meets Your Eye comic, this story is very much self contained since it deals with the crew looking back on a conspiracy themed story from Pre War Cybertron and how they interacted with Orion Pax (Optimus Prime before the war) as he searches for answers. This gives us the best look at Cybertron before the war and how society was, and is a very fun mashup of Transformers in different narrative situations, like a police procedural, a political thriller and a heist story (where Orion organizes to steal the Matrix of Leadership!). As I said, just plain fun and it's great to see all the storytelling potential with these beloved characters achieved. - William-James88
Simply put, Last Stand of the Wreckers, is the pinnacle IDW story, this is the one that had people screaming at how awesome, fresh, and cool it was. That series helped put Roberts on the map and really helped define Roche's career. It's still an all time favorite of mine. The content, the simple message of people dying in stupid, pointless, preventable ways during war is so dense and so tight. If IDW had a perfect story, that one would be it, for sure.
As for Sins of the Wreckers, it is such a visual story. In the same way I and others have criticized Roberts for way too many words and not a lot of visuals in several cases, this one was the exact opposite, you got more from the story by looking at it then reading it. That book is probably the perfect visual story book from IDW. - D-Max
Sins of the Wreckers was a deeply personal story with a raw emotion and style not really seen elsewhere in Transformers. Might be the top of the full 13 year run when it comes to the use of visual storytelling.- Scotty P
1. Chaos Theory from Transformers 22 and 23 by James Roberts and Alex Milne
If you could only read one comic (well two in this case), this is what I would recommend. While these are brief chapters written at about the half way point of this IDW universe, they serve as its true beginning tieing in what came before and becoming a basis for the future. Optimus Prime and Megatron are the main characters of the Transformers franchise and yet after all these years, this is where we finally get the best look at them. We see what makes them tick, what they stand for. This is a humanizing portrayal of both characters and yet at the same time, we see them for the leaders that they are, these giants that no other character before or after can compare to. And it's written so well. My favourite scene, if I had to pick one, is when both of them just chat about their past battles against one another and compare how much they suffered at each other's hands, both laughing it off. You also get to see how a 4 million year war happens, what it entails and how war strategies for these immortal beings are different than how we would imagine it. There is a great line about how they would plan a battle for centuries only for it to be finished over night. This is just an example of how we get a more detailed look at these characters, at the Transformers lore itself, than ever before.
While it takes place at the very end of the war, we also see both of these characters before the war and how they come to be while also setting up all the lore the IDW Universe has now contributed. Like how Transformers are made (forged or constructed cold) or where the word and symbol for Decepticons comes from and the societal environment where such a clan could rise (we even learn what the "Megatron" name implies). And as I mention this, you would think there would just be loads of text describing things like an encyclopedia, but no it just flows smoothly as a confrontation between the two commanders as they get a sense of where they are at in the war. And the fact that it sets up the lore means you won't feel lost reading it at all, it is a stepping stone for many stories to come (like Shadowplay, mentioned above). I could talk about this endlessly, I didn't even mention the immaculate art by Alex Milne (who has since become THE Transformers artist). It's only two issues, do yourself a favour and read it. - William-James88
Honourable Mention:
Transformers Escalation - A super entertaining part of Furman's arcs that often gets overlooked. This story is peak Furman with him paying off some built-up storylines, seeding others, and doing innovative things. Plus, the Optimus vs Megatron fight in issue 5 is both one of their few one on one battles in IDW and also one of the best ever crafted. - Scotty P
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. 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 Most Disappointing Transformers Toys
Don't mean to be a downer, but this week I wanted to look back on times we were quite disappointed with toys. Most lists that don't have to do with a particular line or time frame usually have a wide range of years. However, this list is mostly recent toys (past 10 years) and there is a reason for that. It's not recency bias, it's simply that as the years pass, patterns develop. We know what to expect and not getting it leads to disappointment. The better the main line, the bigger the disappointment when a figure comes out being sub par. And with the added elements of interaction between companies and fans as well as social media, we are more aware of what is to come and if something is promised and not fulfilled, you know you are in for disappointment. So let's get to it!
This is a perfect example of overhype. She isn't a bad toy, she just isn't as great as we all expected her to be. This was the first TF where Hasbro asked fans for help in its design. It was a fembot, it was a new character, everyone wanted it. Bigbadtoystore even charged more for it than the other components of the toy's wave just to cover the cost of all the cases they bought in anticipation of the demand. And... Dissappointed!
Whoever took those official pictures was super sketchy because there is no way to predict that the actual jet has a big gap in the middle of it. I wouldn't mind her visible legs and feet if at least it had a convincing jet body. I have issue with the plastic too. It still had a hint of that FOC el-cheapo plastic which really didn't help in two notable areas: the heels and the wing tabs. Firstly, her heel pieces are always swinging back so you have to constantly adjust them when attempting to make her stand. They will also detach in the process sometimes. These definitely should be tighter to help stability.
Secondly, you have those thin tab clips on the sections that are supposed to attach to the base of the nosecone section. They don't hold well at all. This is where this transformers becomes the fiddliest thing since MP 05. While they can tab into the designed area, they always pop out making it very annoying and quite cheap.
So we have these main defects on a figure that was supposed to come out of Hasbro's efforts to get closer to its fans. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather get a good quality figure than take part in a poll regarding a new figure's alt mode. But that's just me.
This one is simple, the individual components did not transform into robots. Granted they didn't in the film either, but that doesn't mean there were no robot modes. Plus, this was a big expensive toy, not having robot modes made it very simplistic and what you basically got was an ugly Power Ranger Megazord. I know Michael Bay designs varied greatly from the source material but this one to me was probably the biggest downgrade and the worst example of how someone can interpret an iconic G1 character for a new generation. But that's subjective, if we remain objective, we can simply look at the legion class version where each component had robot modes of their own, I mean come on!
Masterpiece Tracks and his retool Roadrage were the most discounted MPs (worldwide) since 2009, and probably the most discounted Masterpiece toys of all time in Japan. Word of mouth was simply not good and this was really the first big disappointment from the line since it was rejuvenated with MP 10. The toy was simply not on par with how solid and smart I expect MPs to be, with a very gappy robot mode. Plus, it was a QC nightmare with Roadrage's head not even locking in place and the back half of the figure not connecting securely (at least they eventually got it right on Hot Rodimus). And with all the pose-ability potential of a Masterpiece figure, the back becoming undone easily does not entice you to handle it and pose it much.
This was so easy not to screw up, and that is where the massive disappointment comes from. After all these years we finally had a nice voyager Galvatron, who looked great for the most part and had the giant canon alt mode from the film. You could feel the excitement in the air. It did have a Titan Master / Headmaster gimmick, but that didn't seem like it would make much of a difference. RIGHT?! Well, we got the toy and yeah, that gimmick really messed things up. His small headmaster head needed a flip up mask gimmick to actually look like Galvatron. But since the mask is flat, it didn't give him a crown around his head, just the facade of one at the front and it isn't close enough to his face so it looks like crap. Plus, he can't turn his head around enough with it. To add insult to injury, the hole in his chest seemed big enough to house a whole head so we can only imagine how better it would be if he didn't have to work in the head master gimmick (or at least go the full helmet way like the leaders, he has the space for it). We were THIS close to a great Galvatron!
A titan class figure's release and reveal is always one of the bigger events of the year, for obvious reasons. We only get 1 and it's always of a character that we haven't had in a decent form since the 80s. Metroplex and Devastator were well liked and seemed to answer the hype even though they were simpler than anticipated (as bigger toys usually are). But with Fort Max, the fandom was unsure of what to feel from his fist reveal. I don't know about you but when I think of Fort Max, I think of 2 things: Turns into a Fortress and has a crap ton of firepower. And then we get this toy, a retool of Metroplex with far less play options than the original.
I greatly respect the G1 toy era but we can all agree that objectively toys since then have offered more simply due to added articulation and complexity. However, Titans Return Fortress Maximus is the exception. The G1 toy is more complex, has a more impressive city mode (it actually looks like towers in downtown Iacon), more play features (like a legit jail door) and so many accessories. A fortress should be a place to hunker down and fight the invading enemy right? So where are all the damn weapons? And that's all aside from him being far less of an extensive retool than it appeared at first. The carrier like appendages on his arms are the same Metroplex had instead of having actual ramps, and there is not one but two vestigial features: the legs that still open and the giant arm hinge. When looking at the entire franchise history, I would say that G1 Fortress Maximus is one of the top 10 must own Transformers toys, this one doesn't hold a candle to it and if any new fan is interested in him, I truly suggest you spend that money on the Encore G1 Fortress Maximus release we got a few years back. Should still be available at a decent price and you will get much more value out of it. I spent $115 USD on the Titans Return toy and still feel underwhelmed.
Unless you have been living under a rock recently, you probably know that Masterpiece MP-44 Optimus Prime is the highest priced Transformer of all time, with an MSRP of 50,000 Yen, which is around the $450 USD mark depending on currency conversion.
Now, while that is the official price from Takara, not everyone will or has to pay that price. The MSRP, as in the US, is just a guide and a price point to extract other prices from (like the cost per unit to sellers). It is not necessarily the price on shelves and, in Japan, the retail market for Transformers usually has them at 15%-30% off the MSRP. So the actual retail price is consistently lower than the MSRP for non exclusive toys in Japan.
That is no different for this Optimus Prime. His current price on Japan's biggest toy retailer, Amazon Japan, is about 35,000 Yen, which is closer to the $300 USD mark and indeed 70% of the MSRP.
So then why are all the preorders we saw last week more like $450 USD? Well, the thing is that Takara can only sell Transformers toys in Japan. Hasbro owns that trademark for every other market on the planet and thus only Japanese vendors can buy directly from Takara. That means the price is as cheap as it gets but if someone outside Japan purchases from a Japanese seller, they will have to pay any shipping and import charges from Japan to their own country. I have an example below of an order placed for MP 44 Optimus Prime and you can see that while I as a Canadian can get him from a good price from a Japanese seller, Amazon Japan in this case, I still have to pay shipping (about $10) and import fees (about $50!!!!). Of course these fees can differ from country to country but the point is they are YOUR responsibility. In my example from Amazon Japan, importing this toy myself would come out to $360 USD.
And if your toy breaks, well you have to deal with the Japanese seller you got it from. Takara's customer service is useless to foreigners since they only support Japanese residents (since they only sell to the Japanese). My Takara MP Dinobot's head broke off and I had to deal with a Japanese seller for 3 months until I got a replacement. FUN!
So to help with all this importing business, domestic companies like Big Bad Toy Store or TF Source, will do all this importing for you. They cannot buy directly from Takara as they do not reside in Japan, so they have to get a middleman to buy from Takara at wholesale prices and then sell to them. And they have to deal with any import fees and above all shipping a crate of these from Japan to the US. These costs (middleman, duty, shipping) add up and a toy that would have been $300 locally becomes $450 elsewhere because the company offering this service to you (i.e. TF Source) needs to make some money. If you think it all sounds inneficient, well it is. That is the cost of market exclusive IP and region based contracts and it results in all these workarounds to get the toys we love, where money must be spent at every step.
But at least you dont have to bother with importing and if a piece is missing or something is wrong, you can speak to someone locally, who speaks english, and they will deal with the problem themselves.
Of course Hasbro can import and release the product themselves in the US, which they do in China through Hasbro Asia (we have an example below from Robot Kingdom), but as we have seen with the likes of Masterpiece Beast Wars Megatron, it usually comes out to the exact same amount as other local importers like TF Source.
Below is a breakdown of the different price points available for this toy depending on its location of purchase.
High end price, already imported for Americans at $450 USD
This is of course a very simplified look at the different markets for MP-44 Optimus Prime and certain details may have been glossed over but hopefully it helps you understand what the options are and why the price range can be so vast.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. 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 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time
The title says it all. In light of one of the most significant eras of Transformers comics ending last wednesday, I thought of concentrating on the comics side of the brand and looking at all the beauty that adorned them throughout the years.
For those who do not know, issues in the US were split up in the UK. For instance, issue 75, which dealt with the autobots vs Unicron was split up into 4 issues. And all those issues get their own cover. the finale, issue 322, has this wonderful shot of us inside Unicron looking at Optimus about to enter it's mouth using the Matrix to light their darkest hour. It makes for a truly awesome shot that I find much more impressive and evoking than most of the more recent Unicron themed covers we have gotten.
When looking at classic Transformers covers, you will come across a lot from José Delbo, who I truly believe is on of the best of that era. And of course, there is Jim Lee, who I don't think needs an introduction. I had a hard time choosing between both these shots since I love them for the exact same reason: both use perspective to show the Decepticon threat. With Galvatron, you feel the hopelessness that all is lost while with Bludgeon you can feel the dread of the autobots where the fight seems already pretedermined even if they are higher in number (and include Grimlock!!).
Jae Lee is an incredible artist and as someone who has seen him draw live, it is truly mind boggling that the lifelike quality he brings to drawings can be done with no reference and no digital effects. That's why even the smallest of Transformers (Ravage in this case) can look so nightmarish and immense. While he has drawn characters who may be more popular in higher profile books he is very proud of his work on this book to this day and it is hard not to see why.
While Sara Pitre Durocher is a fine monthly artist, her cover work is just on another level as you can see above. She is like the Transformers' equivalent of Alex Ross and Marko Djurdjevic. While the cover above is my favourite of the lot, the whole arc run is a very good lesson in composition and the effect of symmetry.
We have the best Transformers artist we have ever had on the books right now. However when it comes to covers, many put just too much. While that amount of detail on any Alex Milne Unicron cover is astounding, a simpler composition can be more striking and eye catching, as we saw in the fist Unicron cover mentioned on this list. Nick Roche, another all star, defied the conventional standard by giving us as much if not more detail than any modern day cover artist but in a clean and smart composition, making this one of the most eye catching and awe inspiring covers of all time. It is a great companion piece to the Stewart Johnson shot from above by focusing on a different angle, making this as epic as possible.
This was one of the favourite covers of my mentor on this site and I will leave you with his succint review:
This one will always hold a place in my spark casing. - Va'al
Not only does this cover show us of Megatron's new allegiance (WHAAAAAAT????) it did it in the most playful and fun way. That cover is an homage to Roche homaging Maguire (DC's Justice League), as Milne signed it.
Which was then subsequently re-homaged by Roche (homaging Milne homaging Roche homaging Maguire) and then by Jack Lawrence.
Its a great cover layout too, giving you a sense of all the main players in the team.
3. All Hail Megatron #1 by Trevor Hutchison as well as Casey Coller and Josh Burcham.
This storyline has its fair share of dislike from the community, deserving so, but you have to give credit where credit's due, it had incredible covers. Two of the all time most eye catching covers in the history of the brand were used for the first issue. I adore the standard propaganda-esque poster which just sums up perfectly what the series aspired to be: the story where Megatron finally wins. Peace through Tyranny never looked so good.
For those not in the know, one of the greatest comic book covers of all time (if not THE best) is Brian Bolland's cover for Batman: The Killing Joke and it perfectly recreated with Megatron and Reflector. Both Brian Bolland and Casey Coller hold a very special place in my heart in terms of their art so seeing the product of both truly is a treat. It's crazy to think that both awesome Transformers covers described here happen to be for the same issue, that means I can cover two entries in one go!
Marvel US issue #80's Andrew Wildman cover is just about as perfect as it gets. It represents all the hopelessness of knowing it's the end, but despite another hero being in the foreground about to get cut down by Bludgeon, there's that shadow of Prime in the background that always feels like it arrived just at the right moment. To this day, this cover gives me chills. Circumstances have been just plain bad for months in the comic for the Autobots and our other heroes, including you because for the last year only very few shops were sporadically getting in new issues. Despite being a little bit lost about the totality of events, among all that darkness and ruin you see that shadow back there. In some form, in some way, Optimus Prime is going to show up and save the day. It all might be about to end, but the bad guys are finally going to get what's coming to them. - Scotty P
More than three decades later and this comic cover still stands unrivaled and has only kept growing more iconic. With only one character on the cover, we can gather what happened (or what will happen). Just the smoke coming from Shockwave's cannon tells us that all hope is lost. The fact that the artist replicates many mechanical details from the toy but in a pose impossible for said toy to be in adds a great sense of realism to this image which is enhanced by the textured feel of the cover thanks to the mixture of light and shadow. This gave us the best sense of what Shockwave would look like in the real world, where we would have no chance of defeating him. I can keep talking but I fail to see the point when all you need to do to see that this is the greatest cover of all time is just to give it a glance.
The Cruel Cy-Kill Begins A Seibertron.com Review of IDW Go-Bots #1
Synopsis
Go-Bots have changed our way of life. Leader-1 is a self-aware fighter jet on a hostage rescue mission with his partner, Commander Nick Burns. Scooter is the personal transport and best friend to undergrad A.J. Foster. Turbo is Matt Hunter's transforming race car in the hottest sport in America, Go-Bot Racing. Cy-Kill is the champion of the illegal, underground Go-Bot Fighting League. A sophisticated sci-fi epic from the visionary creator that brought you Transformers vs. G.I. JOE. They say they're here to help us, but are they here to replace us?
They see me rollin'
I will be up front and honest with all of you right now: I know practically nothing of Go-Bots. This is an entirely new experience for me with characters I know absolutely nothing about. If this comic series is not true to the Go-Bots lore, I don't know it. This is my introduction to the world of Go-Bots, so lets see how the premiere issue turned out.
I didn't know what to expect from the series. Tom Scioli did some fantastic stuff with Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, albeit some very strange and unique stuff. So coming into a series about Go-Bots, and basically reinventing the franchise, there were a lot of different ways this could play out, good and bad.
And having read issue 1, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that Scioli really seems to have hit something good.
Do your thing Leader-1
The issue itself was not lacking in character introductions that flowed well and action outlining this world of Go-Bots that will last for 5 issues. We start right off with action missions starring Leader-1, Go-Bot world building with Scooter that also provides us some necessary background, a pretty cool introduction to Turbo (who became a favorite of mine in the course of this issue), and a totally metal introduction to Cy-Kill, who certainly lives up to his name and reputation.
A short little history lesson!
The Go-Bots world is built up so fast in just 1 issue, and not in a rushed way. It flows, it feels natural, it gives someone like me who knows nothing of the franchise some background into this strange world. We get to see the line between partners and superiors/inferiors, and how it sets up the big conflict the story is set to tell. Cy-Kill is awesome too, I loved his intro and his characterization so far.
METAL (in context)
As was the case with TF vs G.I. Joe, Scioli does his own art and lettering, and he keeps up the same art styles that he did with the previous series. And it works really well with the Go-Bots universe. The art has an old-fashioned look to it that really lends itself to packing in action in each page with some pretty spectacular coloring. The scenes that are from Leader-1's view are really cool to see, and the human characters are drawn pretty well too. I appreciate how plain yet still so full the art on the pages can be. And the opening introduction to Cy-Kill was masterfully done as well. Everything about that section of the book was amazing.
This too is awesome in context
So for an introduction to the Go-Bots, this series was pretty spectacular. The writing was pretty tight and packed with information that doesn't feel rushed in any particular way and gives a lot of necessary information to understand this Go-Bot land. The writing of the characters was convincing and the Go-Bots themselves were pretty fun in their varying personalities. The art was a pretty neat retro style that made me feel like I was reading an 80's era comic and enjoying it for the fun that it is meant to be.
So good job to Tom Scioli, you gave us a great introduction, and I'm really looking forward to what you have to give us next.
I Need a Hero (to Save Me Now) A Seibertron.com semi-spoilerish review of IDW Tranformers: Unicron #6
EARTH WAR! With Unicron's ultimate goal revealed, the shaky alliance of Autobots and Decepticons is all that stands between Earth and the planet-eater. Heroes will rise-and fall-as Optimus Prime journeys into the dark heart of Unicron for the final confrontation with evil. At stake: the soul of a universe.
I'm just a step away
I'm just a breath away
Losin' my faith today
Fallin' off the edge today
And so the story ends. The finale comes, and the universe shakes, rocks, rattles, and rolls. But the question is, did the conclusion finally bring the show to justice?
Well, let's discuss this shall we?
I am just a man
Not superhuman
For starters, let's talk about our main cast. Aileron is here, and she does her part, but there is nothing really spectacular. Arcee is her typical badass self, but really doesn't need to do much to be a part of the action. She's there, and she does what she does best. Windblade and Bumblebee are also sort of just here, not really doing too much to the overall story despite previous prominence. Which is OK, all of the named characters have had some moments to shine, so their lack of doing much is forgivable.
Especially when you consider our big 3: Soundwave, Starscream, and Optimus Prime. To me, this story finally got Starscream back in line with what Till All Are One had set him up to be, and finally seems to shake loose from the later Barber runs and revert back to what IDW appears to have wanted him to be, and that is a good thing. He and his seekers got some really nice moments together and individually, so I appreciate this. Soundwave continues to pull the heart apart, and I love his part in the conclusion of this story, very well done. And Optimus is not quite Optimus. His retraction of the faceplate and the fact that he never wears it again after he gets ready to go to orbit to fight Unicron is very telling, as is the (near) conclusion of his storyline. He is Orion once more, the masks, as he puts it, are gone. He is who is he is, and he helps smooth a few of his bumpy points.
It's just another war
Just another family torn
Just a step from the edge
Just another day in the world we live
We also had some other nice character moments, from all corners of the Transformers and the Hasbro Universe in general. Action Man gets in a good shot, the seekers are great, the Dinobots do a nice part, the return of a fan favorite character by Mount Rushmore was awesome to see, Prowl, Stardrive, and Rhinox with their moments of light, and even some Sharkticons and Junkions. The wind down pages in particular, with several important character interactions, was done very nicely as well, a good bookend to the series.
Who's gonna fight for what's right
Who's gonna help us survive
We're in the fight of our lives
And we're not ready to die
But for every good moment we had, there seemed to be a dim bulb preventing the light from fully shining. Slide is without a doubt the worst part of the book, and the worst part of IDW's Optimus Prime run if I'm honest. She ended up as such an unlikable character that I feel didn't deserve the storyline she ended up getting. The continued random cameos of Maximals that don't really do anything and don't really get any development besides Rhinox in any way was disappointing. Unicron himself and how he relates to his creator, and indeed his creator in general were lacking. The way Bludgeon, Monstructor, and the Dinobots resolved felt like a bit of a mess.
But most importantly, several moments in the book that were supposed to be huge just didn't ring. They sort of thudded. Starscream, the Maximal's victims, and Unicron's creator fall heavy in this category. They needed some more oomph. And the climatic finale itself needed some extra bits in the final resolution, as I feel the true climatic moment was with Soundwave, not with Unicron or Orion.
Who's gonna fight for the weak
Who's gonna make 'em believe
I've got a hero (I've got a hero)
Livin' in me
Art duties were very heavily scattered with this book, bringing in artists from almost all the main IDW ongoings over the past few years, including Alex Milne, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Kei Zama, and Andrew Griffith. While there were noticeable shifts between most of the artist changes, with Zama using her more monstrous features, Milne his pointy-ness and detailings, and Griffith's and Pitre-Durocher's smoother and less complicated look, there was never a feeling of real disconnect, thanks to the efforts of David Garcia Cruz and Joana Lafuente. While they did give some coloring liberties to pages with certain artists, calling back to said artist's previous books and color stylings, such as Zama's pages having a more dark, metal look while Pitre-Durocher's was more clean, smooth, and bright, They did a pretty good job of keeping the look and feel of the book consistent while still giving each artist that special spice of uniqueness. Tom B. Long also continues his work of letting the art be enjoyed to its fullest extent while giving us the important dialogue needed for the story.
A hero's not afraid to give his life
A hero's gonna save me just in time
I need a hero to save me now
I need a hero, save me now
I need a hero to save my life
A hero'll save me just in time
So in conclusion, this story fell somewhere in the middle ground. The story wasn't particularly bad overall, but it certainly felt like it lacked the excitement factor, the big push, that big wow moment that it really needed to be spectacular. The characters in the book and their screen time were handled pretty well, we just needed some characters to shine more in their moments (Starscream) and others who really needed to be given fewer pages and didn't feel like they got more than they deserved (Slide). Soundwave for me was the shining point of the book, which says a lot seeing as what role others played in the grand scheme of things. We also needed more of that expanded universe, the little shots were nice, but I feel we could have used a bit more of the Hasbro Universe itself, especially seeing as how ROM has played such a small role in this issue considering he started out the book as one of the seemingly more important characters.
But most importantly, we got a new take on Unicron, but it didn't quite live up to expectations. The destruction he caused and the look were impressive, but what he ended up being was a bit disappointing. I feel like we could have gotten a lot more from this badass villain who was the end. I feel like the moments inside him would have done very well for a personality of his own to shine through, but we did not get that. And considering how big of a deal he was, I wish we could have gotten a bit more from him.
And the series itself feels like that overall. It had potential, but for some reason, the big moments just never got quite the flare they needed. It needed something more, a bit more life to it, and maybe a bit less of the Main Cast and a bit more of the small moments, like Blurr's moment, but for others. It also needed a bit more of Unicron, and maybe a bit better executed finale. But overall, again not bad, just not quite up where I wish this book could overall have been.
1/2 out of
This final Review of Unicron #6 features the Skillet song Hero, a personal favorite of mine, and the fitting end to this book.
As I tried but ended up not being able to work it into a single issue review, I decided to make my personal favorite song of all time the theme song for the series itself, and I feel this song in a way encapsulates how several characters felt in the series, never giving up in spite of overwhelming odds, and keep their faith. The theme song for the Unicron series is: Feel Invincible, also by Skillet. As it is the theme, I have also linked the video below for listening without leaving this page:
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by a Seibertron staff member, in this case me, Tyrannacon. 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.
This figure is a hit for me simply for the voice clip alone, which I feel bad saying because the entire figure is not that accurate to his big screen incarnation in both modes. The Vehicle mode is where that likeness isn't even captured at all in the slightest though. Unfortunately that is the only plus I can think of for this figure would be that voice clip. Frankly it massively helped it and made it a definably Megatron figure for me as he proclaims loudly that he is Megatron and basically here to destroy stuff. The mold was later repainted into numerous TakaraTomy exclusives and even Hasbro did the hard-to-find Shadow Command version. That one exchanged the audio clip from "I am Megatron!" to "There is no command, but mine!" which is also awesome as well. Sure you can buy some add-ons to help the figure have better arms, but for the purposes of this list I am not comparing those add-ons for it and I am only comparing the figures as they are released to be. This Megatron is quite the Frankenstein monster and while I said the voice clip helps immensely, you may not find it all that satisfying in the end.
I have a very love/hate relationship with this figure. Let me explain why here and that reason is the scaling here. I know, I know. Scaling is one of the things we Transformer fans have to pretend doesn't exist and not talk about, but I am more annoyed with the tiny proportions for the figure altogether. Take the tiny head here, it's the tiniest Megatron head around unless you snag a Legends/Legion scale figure. The cape is also cumbersome at times and don't even get me started on the lack of his "Fusion Shotgun" that is instead subbed by a part of his tanker that extends with a mech-tech gimmick. Frankly I feel that tanker piece works better like a jet pack. I mean Megatron retained a flight mode when it came to his tank mode in the second film from his original jet mode in the first film. Why couldn't that tanker piece work as some sort of jet pack for our Decepticon lord and master? I mean he'd have to go into robot mode to fly around, but it would still be a more appropriate use of it instead of a gun that it looks nothing like whatsoever. So that's what I use mine for in this case even though it doesn't leave him with a gun to use.
Okay I got to be honest here, in 2007 when this figure came out I was ecstatic and the nostalgia reason alone is because it was my first TF figure for the first time since Beast Machines. It was at the time I was starting my Megatron collection up and adding to it piece by piece very slowly. Now if you're going to go with this figure I have to recommend the Movie Premium figure not just because the colors are BETTER than the initial release, but the sound clip for transformation uses that lovable G1 transformation we are so familiar with in place of the metallic screeching of the initial release.
Sculpt and details are about what you would expect from a 2007 figure given how things in the post-Generations era when it comes to the Prime Wars lines look. I really would love to see a more streamlined version of this figure released eventually, but the problem is hiding the jet parts appropriately enough. To be honest it would probably be more of a partsformer in that sense if that approach was taken now. While I love how the initial jet mode looks and really, I love how the robot mode looks, It's just...well... too bulky for the figure. Megatron in the film is a bit more lithe and sleek, and while this figure holds onto those alien design elements it is weighed down by it not transferring well enough to the figure itself. I would say it paved the way for better figures though. It definitely is an under-appreciated figure.
I held off writing this list until I got my hands on this figure and honestly, the reason I rate it so highly is because of the fact it is a direct 1:1 of the likeness of the robot mode for the figure. It kicks the original RotF Voyager Megatron out of this spot. The thing I dislike most though is the hollow torso and how easily some of the pieces come off. Thankfully to me that really doesn’t diminish my liking of this figure too much. I am happy with the sculpt of the figure and I think the transformation is not only intuitive but satisfying to do once you figure it all out and how to do it. Though this figure needs a lot of work and I know there are some 3rd party add-ons for it on the way to hopefully enhance it. I think in this case the 3rd party stuff is almost a mandatory at this point to help it.
1. Transformers: The Last Knight Leader Megatron
I rated this as number one because of the fact the scale is impressive and the features are nice. I know with mine I had to loosen the screw in the back of the head to make the mask easier to close and open. If I didn’t do that it wouldn’t stay open unfortunately. I think everything about this figure screams Megatron, much like the RotF Studio Series Megatron in a lot of ways. The sculpts of the figure in ‘bot and vehicle mode is great, transformation is satisfying and intuitive. The flame effects are kind of a little nice add-on for displaying the figure in a cool pose. I don’t mind these and often it’s like a little extra thing they (Hasbro and co) tossed in to compliment the figure. It really doesn’t need them one way or another though. I think this one is one of the best of capturing his likeness.
Honorable Mentions: Age of Extinction Galvatron is an insane shell-former and not really that good in my personal opinion, it is getting mentioned because Age of Extinction is the one movie with no representation on the list. It’s not a great figure, but it’s not a completely horrible figure. The biggest issue aside from being a shellformer is the fact the paint apps pretty much are minimal. Also the TLK Voyager Megatron is appropriately a nice, smaller scale as well to mess with too. I personally find the TLK Voyager Megatron to be easier to transform than his Leader version.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. 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 Transformers Toys Japan Never Got at Retail: Characters/Decos
Last time, we looked at molds which never got released in Japan. This time, we are looking at specific decos/redecos that never saw a release there. I am not talking about instances where the Hasbro deco is better than the Takara deco, we already have a list on that. I'm referring to a release that never made it there, like when they redeco a toy to sell it as a different character (which is mainly the case for most of these). It will make more sense as we go through the list, enjoy!
This may not be the best mold from the Prime line but it is still an original mold for a new toy only character, with one hell of an original Pirate design. Well only in the Hasbro toyline. While the mold was released in Japan, it was not released as its intended new character but instead as not one but two Primes (Lio Prime and Go Prime). The decos are nice, but they aren’t that of the original character this mold is supposed to be and that head really does not work for Leo Prime.
This list wasn't easy for some reason. I really had to think it through. There are lots of redecos only Hasbro has but which ones actually made sense, which ones mattered? Prime Kup? No, that mold wasn’t even made with him in mind. Titans Return Krok? Eh, he seems to really love warming those shelves. But a Guardian robot redeco of Energon Omega Supreme ? Hell yes! It of course works with the idea that these drone type robots share the same body as Omega Supreme in blue, and here we have a new Omega Supreme toy so why not give it that colour scheme. And for those who have space, this is a far more affordable army builder than the one based on the G1 mold (and isn't this mold better? Come on, you know it's true).
3. Stalker
Japan got most of the G1 (or G1.5) Predators but not this one. Which is a pity because it is the most fun of them all. Most of the Predators are jets and then you get this awesome missile tank that can do more damage than all the others combined. He is a great design and while Japan got the mold through its later redecos, it never got the original which was for an original character (and not Soundwave). It is to this day the only rendition of Stalker we have.
2. Generations G2 Combiners
Japan never got the original G2 combiners back in the day. That might have been a blessing in disguise and avoided a lot of young Japanese tears. However, that did not mean there was no excitement from this part of the world when the G2 redecos of the Combiner Wars combiners were announced. Everyone was excited, Hasbro really went all out on the redecos making them as slavish as possible. It was a beautiful love letter to an era that is often ignored (and even looked down upon sometimes by some very uncool dudes). Sadly, those were never released by Takara so Japanese fans had to go to their local import shops and pay double. And they sold out very quickly even at those high prices. This really put a lot of my collecting woes into perspective.
It seems obvious now, but the idea of Jetfre did not come to me immediately. Macross is deeply associated to Japan so to think that they would not have access to Jetfire was almost unthinkable. But it's true. Because Macross is Japanese, the classic Valkyrie mold could only be released as a Macross toy in Japan. Hasbro, on the other hand, was able to import that figure and incorporate it within the Transformers line as Jetfire, one of the best toys of the entire G1 toyline. Japan never saw that Macross toy in the glorious red and white deco as Jetfire, and most likely never will.
Honourable Mentions:
For all you fangirls/boys out there, I will give him a mention here: Alpha Bravo. Though designed by Takara Tomy, it never made it onto the Japanese market directly.
And man, this list was HARD to write. Unlike Hasbro, Takara released most redecos thought to be exclusive through E-Hobby or other toy initiatives. And here is a great one that I thought Japan never got, but indeed they did.
This toy has always been a fan favourite and I ca see why. That G1 Optimus colour scheme works really well with it, and they go all out with it too. It's not just red and blue paint, you have parts that are translucent, chromed and some cool gradient effect on the chest and feet. Just take a look at the images below, they speak for themselves.
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