Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Prowl and Barricade: Good Cop and Bad Cop

As with tradition, whenever one of a large handful of characters gets a new toy, there are bound to be repaints of the characters that share their original look. But, every now and then, there are curveballs that for better or worse, give a version of a character never seen before. While Prowl will always have the Bluestreak and Smokescreen variants in time (in this case, locked behind more exclusives), a curveball no one saw coming was Barricade, a G1 Micromaster F1 car nobody, given Holywood star power for being one of the few Decepticons people actually recognize, given a Generations toy based on a fan concept by Transformers Artist Guido Guidi. Combined with the fact that he's the better of the two general retail releases of the mould, and 2019's been a good year for Barricade.

I'm jumping ahead here, but it should be said that even taking out Decepticon bias, Barricade is a more interesting take on the mould in terms of deco. Due to Prowl's mostly white colours, and "sparing" paint applications like the headlights, it comes off as extremely dull when compared to the striking, yet blending colours of Barricade. Most of it coming from the purple windows with the silver paint underneath it. Barricade makes more of a statement compared to other Siege toys, especially compared to Prowl. If you can only get one version of the mould, between the two, I highly recommend Barricade. As for if you should get the mould at all though, that's another question.

The mould itself is fine for a deluxe class carformer, but due to the simple nature of the robot mode, and the habit of not making things move that doesn't need to move, I can't help but feel this is a bit too basic when compared to something like the Universe 08 toy and the Masterpiece version of the Fairlady Autobot moulds (at least based on pictures). Simplicity has its merits, but just by looking at pictures, you can tell how this transformation process is going to work. There's no exciting part of the transformation, nothing interesting, nothing that encourages me to keep bouncing between the two modes. Even something like the ability to hinge the door wings up a bit would at least help with that process, and give the robot something resembling an interesting look. A part of that though comes from how repetitive this general look feels for Carformers. Back windows become the legs, the hood becomes the chest, the doors become kibble wings, and the roof becomes the back. How many characters does that describe in the 35 years of Transformers? Gear wise, neither of the two feel complete, thanks to the Fairlady mould known for having a handgun, and two shoulder guns. While Smokescreen and Bluestreak have the set, Prowl gets the handgun, and Barricade gets the two shoulder guns (that I personally prefer to plug together and use as arm blasters thanks to the C.O.M.B.A.T weapon port requirements. Especially on Prowl, this makes a forgettable looking character look even more forgettable.

While Barricade has the paint, paint can only help so much with a mould. I don't think the toy is bad, just uneventful, not very exciting, especially when compared to other Deluxe Class toys in Siege like Spinister, the Weaponizers, even other Autobot cars. While it's a great representation of the character for a cheap price, in a line full of fun and interesting transformations, this mould just seems underdone, basic, like it's a part of a combiner (but that might just be the fact that Jazz was in Power of the Primes).

Transformers War for Cybertron (Siege) Deluxe Class Spinister: "Arrive at the 80's obnoxiously neon whirlbird!"

It should be no surprise at this point, but for the most part, I have a soft spot for the Season 3/4/ post cartoon G1 characters and designs, when Hasbro and Takara were throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. It was creativity I don't think we've seen much of since the Beast Era. That's not to say I don't like post Beast Era designs, far from it, there are many I like (have you not heard my issues on G1 Red Alert compared to the Unicron Trilogy one?). But, this was a time when the bankable characters weren't as bankable yet, so the bigger focus was on new characters, rather then reskinning old characters into new gimmicks... although I struggle to call Spinister's trick a gimmick, as all he was originally was a pretty bad helicopter toy, that came bundled with two really bad looking Targetmasters, adopting the still true philosophy of "the more stuff included, the worse everything else gets". The bar is set low for this Siege remake, as the last two Double Targetmasters in the Generations like was Quake (an alright repaint of Hardhead), and Scoop, a pretty forgettable toy from Thrilling 30 that did come with two solid Targetmaster moulds at least. Nowhere to go but up at least.

Starting in helicopter mode, and it is an obnoxious, brightly coloured, completely useless for stealth missions attack helicopter, which is why I love it. While the helicopter is very well proportioned for the most part, the biggest problem comes from a bit of underside kibble. See, the original toy had the legs formed by splitting the cockpit into two, whereas here, a fake cockpit exists for the second leg, to make the legs look better in robot mode, but it makes the helicopter mode look bad from a lot of angles. The exposed hands and hollow tail are also pretty blatant, but far more forgivable due to being easier to ignore most of the time. It would have been nice if there was a way to stick two Battlemasters on the wings (I think that's what they're called... I don't know helicopters), mostly because if you get Skywarp and the standalone Singe, you get both of Spinister's Targetmasters. A minor complaint, but it would have been a nice bit of detail.

For the robot mode, and though the Helicopter had issues, this is an almost flawless robot mode. At the cost of hollow legs, and a rotor that I wish stayed in place a little better, you have a kibble free robot mode (other then what was from the original toy) with all the siege articulation (and a bit extra in the arms and ankles for the sake of transformation) making him a lot of fun to pose. Even the battle damage paint works well, as the placement feels more like faded paint rather then actual battle damage/ cyber mud. Although it is a shame that the helicopter had to be sacrificed so much for it, it was worth it because I honestly think this is one of the best figures in the line, when it had no reason, nor a need to be.

In a size class dominated by Autobots, and a line with a larger focus on legacy characters rather then niche nobodies, it's shocking how well Spinister turned out. While a part of that might be that Spinister's toy catalogue consists of a really bad original toy, then repaints of any decent chopper mould they could use for niche exclusives (or Nemesis Prime's Targetmaster?), anything was going to be better than the past. I'd even go so far as to say that this is one of the best toys of the year, based on what I've been able to experience. Definitely worth picking up

Transformers Titans Return (And Takara Legends) Monsterbots: A few days after Halloween is still ok, right?

On the subject of Monsterbots, following on from that G.I Joe review, we actually have a recent set of the Monsterbots thanks to Titans Return... though the release of them did not help, due to most of the team being locked behind exclusives. Because of that, the version of Twinferno (be quiet purists, like it or not, Twinferno is a cooler name then Doublecross) I will be reviewing is the Titans Return release, while the version of Repugnus and Grotusque are the Takara Legends release. Does it change much? No, mostly just more paint on the Titan Masters themselves. So let us look at some of the creepiest Transformers to exist before Beast Wars came around with attempts at realism.

Starting with the Monster modes, and one thing that I find interesting with them is that once their original Cold Spark gimmick was removed, these guys do not a very cohesive team, with the only thing connecting them together (other than shared engineering) is that they're all monsters of questionable design. You have Twinferno that turns into a two-headed dragon, Grotusque that turns into... a purple and grey naked mole rat with wings and a dragon tail... and Repugnus that turns into one of the stupidest looking bugs that I have ever seen. I honestly love Repugnus' alternate mode the most because of how undeniably stupid it is, while still being sincere about it, like the other two are trying to be scary monsters, while he's just happy to be along for the ride. Twinferno's problems can be identified here already, as I wish the dragon necks had more movement in them. While they are ok in dragon mode, robot mode becomes more of an issue. I am honestly surprised no one has made an upgrade kit to give this thing better dragon necks. As what was standard in the line, all of them come with a Titan Master to act as their robot mode heads, and the robot mode weapons can become seats for the Titan Masters. However, a problem I had with the line, something that became worse the further along the line went, was that the deluxe class guns do not have somewhere to mount onto the bases in a nice way, a central post that could plug into the bases to act as the turret. Repugnus' swords are actually the worst offender of this as there is nothing to do with them once they are in Titan Master Seat mode.

Onto the robot modes, and while they all look ok, they rather loose their appeal here, and look generic save for the odd bits of kibble. I think these three best describe my views on the G1 beastformers, because while they could have great alternate modes, a lot of them especially in the post movie characters, loose much of what made them interesting when in robot mode. I think the worst of them is probably Twinferno, mostly because of those arms. I hate Transformers that make me have to choose between holding the guns in the right way (cannot really say hands cause here the dragon heads are the hands), and having an elbow joint, and all that would have been needed is a small swivel at the dragonheads. Grotusque, though more generic, is the clear standout between the two, but not for being anything exciting, more so just not doing the basics worse. Repugnus is the worst when it comes to the generic look, because with the exception of the bug arms becoming noticeable robot pecks, he is extremely basic. If you got the Titan Master version of Repugnus, you can replace the titan master with it, giving him larger, more noticeable eyes (which I personally think looks better.

The Monsterbots are kind of like the Autobot and Decepticon clones in terms of relevance now, but they also have the added issue of no longer having the gimmick they were known for. While it is nice to have representations of them now, the modern age, is not kind to them, due to them falling into the generic category, existing for a gimmick, and nothing more? What do you do with them now? They are a good novelty piece, but until someone does something interesting with them, that is all they will be, a novelty.

Transformers; War for Cybertron; Siege Seeker Mold (Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp... plus some Battlemasters too I guess)

So... after last week's takedown of the Classics toy and it's many, many, many, many repaints, I figured it might be a solid idea to look at the Siege release of Starscream, and the repaints that came from him... is what I would say if most of them weren't a pain to get, either due to price (in the case of Red Wing), or because a company that licences the name and look of another company can't get the exclusives of that company so no Rainmakers for me without booking a holiday trying to track the set down. (insert sad face emoji here). Skywarp would have also been in that camp, but Amazon is far less strict about where it sends it's packaging too (and you people wonder why physical stores are dying out, other than the fact that it's getting harder and harder to find the items you're looking for and not just more Fortnite figures and motion-sensing ninjas that fart... I wish I was kidding about that last one, it's actually really obnoxious). With the core three though, many like myself are at least satisfied, and there's enough to do a review (though I do wish I could get those Rainmakers...).

Before going to the Seekers though, I'll quickly cover the three included Battlemasters that came with Skywarp. Because it wasn't enough to lock Skywarp away behind an exclusive, he had to come with three other repaints for the sake of marketing it as the "Decepticon Phantomstrike Squadron". As such, he comes with Fracas (a repaint of the wave 1 Battlemaster Firedrive), a Targetmaster normally associated with Scourge, however, unlike Hotrod and Firedrive, I'm waiting for a better Scourge to give this guy too because mine suffered a lot from loose joints. Another repaint is Shrute, a repaint of the Wave 2 Aimless (that you can still buy here in bulk, please do so we can get rid of that stock for the wave 3 weapons!), who'll go with Spinister when that gets released, and Terror-Daxtyl, a repaint of the other wave 2 weapon, Pteraxadon, who unlike the other two, turns from a Pterodactyl to an axe, and kinda has a third mode as a gun. All three come with repaints of their effects parts, and on the whole, they're solid. In terms of quality control, I wish Fracas' backpack gun was a bit tighter, and Shrute's was a bit looser, but on the whole, they're fine.

Going to the main event though, starting in jet mode, and considering the designs they were trying to replicate, these look great. Not flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but still great recreations of the Generation 1 Tetrajets. For context, the Tetrajets are the designs the Seekers had at the start of the G1 cartoon, which could be summed up as flying triangular pyramids. It's stupid, but it conveys the space jet motief very well all things considered. I'll focus on Starscream for the deco, because while all of them share the same paint applications, including the battle damage spots of paint, Starscream's grey plastic helps with some of the darker paint applications, particularly the Decepticon logos on the wings, which are hard to see on Thundercracker, and especially on Skywarp. But the trade-off is that Starscream looks very bland when compared to the other Seekers, mostly because of the prominence of grey in his colours. It's hard to call that a problem though because Grey, Red and Blue are the colours Starscream is most known for. It would have looked nicer in white though. One big issue the mould has though is undercarriage. While not quite Robot under a Jet syndrome, the legs and arms are blatantly visible, yet look like they belong there thanks to it being a space jet. They look like heavy-duty booster rockets and intakes, which kinda works for me.

For the robot mode, these are nice representations of the Generation 1 designs. With Siege, I think it's at its best when it goes for a futuristic alternate mode, with a G1 robot mode. Don't get me wrong, they have some kibble issues, but the only kibble that is a problem on them is the jet boosters on their backs. The wings are a lot bigger, but look really impressive, imposing, especially when the three of them are together. The backs are hollow, and depending on the angle, you can look through them, but it's an angle you have to work hard to get at least. Quality control has been an issue for this mould, Starscream's chest panel is very easy to pop off to the point where it's almost easier to remove it for the sake of transformation, and none of the ones I have can have their Null Rays securely connect to the shoulder ports "they're supposed to go into". While I could make them tighter if I wanted too, I like them on the lower arms anyway, so I don't mind. Those, however, are case by case depending on the individual quality control at the time it was made. Articulation is standard for the line through arm movement can be somewhat hindered by the wings. One problem Starscream had was the face sculpt, though the release of Thundercracker gives you a smirk face more fitting of him (or you can splurge for Red Wing, your choice).

Though not completely flawless, I'd have been happy making a Seeker Squad with this mould. The only problem is that the way they've been released has made that plan extremely difficult. They're not masterpieces by any stretch of the imagination, but they're fun to play with, to move from mode to mode. Could they have done Coneheads with this? No. But it would have been nice to see a Slipstream... Just saying. It's a toy worth looking into, but if you want a squad, you may as well just wait for the new one.

First Impressions: Transformers War for Cybertron: Earthrise

With the current news coming from New York Comic Con coming out a few days ago, I figure I might as well cover it as a lot of the Transformers news relates to the 2020 line, Earthrise. The second chapter in the War for Cybertron trilogy. My thoughts, views, and opinions based on what we've seen. If you care about that, read on.

Lego Batman 76119; Batmobile Persuit of The Joker: I thought the dead face was meant to be Joker's thing

No joke, there was a point in time when Joker had his face removed, and hung onto him loosely.

Though I have not covered a lot of DC content on the two sites, it is not something I ignore (unlike some people in the whole "Marvel vs DC" battle). The truth is that I enjoy a lot of DC's animated content, from the animated movies of the old DCAU, to the silly one offs like Batman verses the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (yes that is a thing), to the shows on both extremes of the argument. Though I haven't seen a lot of Teen Titans, I'll admit I've gotten a lot of laughs from the Justice League Action clips I've seen, though some of the designs are questionable. In regards to the Lego side of DC, a lot of the DC sets fall into the same category as the Star Wars sets lately, in that it feels like I'm seeing the same sets over, and over, and over again, due to the reliance on Batman.

Objectively, this is not a surprise. He is the most popular superhero DC has, and thanks to the fact that his powers are all about equipment he makes, including vehicles, it only makes sense that he gets the lion’s share, to the point where the DC superhero brand started life as just a Batman line. Unlike a line like Star Wars, there is not a lot that could be done outside of what they are doing. Are there things I would still like to see? Of course, show me Batman Beyond sets and you have my money immediately, but even then, options are limited. A set like Queen Watevanabi (I think that is how you say that name), but it is full of translucent pieces themed around Lantern Constructs? The Fortress of Solitude? Invasion of Apokolips that gives an excuse to make minifigs based on characters that have not been done in Lego form yet, though the DC Supervillains teases, such as the Young Justice crew? ...Ok that last one might be cool, but I digress. With the focus on Batman though, every now and then you get something aimed at older audiences, such as today's subject, the new Batmobile.

Starting with the Minifigures, and the two we have are really the only two needed, Batman and The Joker. While The Joker Minifigure is well done, giving off a mix of the Tim Burton and DCAU designs, with the only big complaint I have with it being the green sleeves, it would have been great if they were in purple, Batman has some problems... Like with the Captain America Minifigure from the Avengers Endgame sets, and the Mercy from Overwatch, Batman's face suffers from a bad paint application. What helps hide it though is Batman's Cowl, as the eyes are still painted well. While it is avoidable, it is hard to deny that it is bad, especially because we have seen better prints done for this Minifigure before. I have heard reports that Mercy had four coats of paint, and it would be safe to assume that the same could be said for Cap and Batman; it leads me to believe that the paint quality went down this year, and I cannot help but wonder why.

As for the build itself, this is very reminiscent of the Batmobile from the Tim Burton movies. Not one for one, but within the ballpark that many are willing to look at it as such. The two big differences are the front, where the jet engine on the Batmobile from the movies are hidden by one of the new bat Sigel pieces, and the bat wings are completely off, due to the nature of the pieces used. That being said, I would not be surprised if people have already made modifications to make it more accurate to the movie. What I do like about the shaping of the Batmobile is that it is not much wider than normal Lego cars. I've heard that a lot of people stick to a 6-8 stud wide limit when designing Lego Cities, and this is roughly 8 studs wide (give or take two thanks to the rim covers on the wheels). The appeal is definitely in the shaping and not in the functions though, because while the shape and styling look great, especially with the silver details on the side, there are not a lot of functions. You can put a single minifig into the driver’s seat without needing to remove parts, there are two stud shooters, and the fire on the back spins as you drive. Nothing exciting, but there is not a lot of room to add more features without compromising the build. Maybe a steering system without the need of "Hand of God steering"? However, that would probably need new parts. The underside of the car is messy though, with large gaps that could have easily been filled in. The only other minor complaint I really have is that I would have liked somewhere to store Batman's Batterang. It is a small thing, but I really appreciate it when Lego vehicles have dedicated storage for Minifig gear, rather than just "try to fit it in the cockpit". None of these is deal breakers for me, just things to note. It should be said that this is meant to have some playability with the other sets in the wave, such as being able to drive through the Bat Cave, but I only have this set so I can't vouch for that feature.

There is not much more to say, this is a solid car, and a good price considering what you get. What issues I have with the build itself are minor, with the only big issue being Batman's head. This is something I hope is sorted out soon, because this should be inexcusable. How it keeps happening without official comments is beyond me. I hope that it is addressed in the future, because this comes off as cheap, lazy, and honestly, the kind of quality I would expect in a knock off.