Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Legacy United | First Look: Sandstorm

The Forty Years of Transformers started rolling for today’s ‘Transformers Tuesday” in the US reveals for upcoming figures that would be released for the summer season. Although the highlight for the release centered on two iconic characters getting a re-release in a comic book-inspired iteration.

This one is for the upcoming second wave of the Legacy United toyline that some longtimne fans have been clamoring since the last one came out in the thirtiesth anniversary year.

Monday, January 29, 2024

TF Sightings | SS86 Ratchet and Frenzy (Red)

Despite not having many new products in retail, the Toys R’ Us flagship store in Robinsons Galleria still manages to get a pinch of an update to their glass display shelf whenever the local distributor has for select stores have foot traffic that has caused some controversy for some local collectors not having them nearby theirs.

Not even its store rival Toy Kingdom flagship store in SM Megamall, which was a few blocks away with a similar glass display, even gets a decent update with all the silent word of mouth going around that the local distributor is tightening their belts due to the rise of interest rate and price point hike going up TRU still gets new stock.


Saturday, January 20, 2024

Cobra Commander #1 | Rise of Cobra

The word “Game Changer” is getting thrown around too much it has become a common term for what’s been something new and different.

Some may not agree with the way things have been brewing the past months with Skybound Entertainment acquiring the rights to produce comic books for G.I. Joe and Transformers, but the overall reception is a welcome thought for the first-timers who have started reading the series that began with Void Rivals.

With Cobra Commander, this mini-series has been teased several times as a four-page backup to the titles that are part of the Energon Universe.

For those wondering if this and the Duke Mini-series have any connection to the main G.I. Joe ARAH series, the answer is a big NO as that series is still within the confines of its original universe that was first published by Marvel back in 1983 when IDW rebooted with G.I. Joe issue no. 155 ½ published as an FCBD title in May 2010 is already running with the current issue continuation that began with issue no. 301 which is still written by the legendary Larry Hama. This take on Cobra Commander existing in the "Energon Universe" is unique from its original universe and it is something to look forward to.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Transformers #4 | Human Connection

The first few pages of the fourth issue continue, whereas the action-packed third issue has left readers reeling from the brutal action that Daniel Warren Johnson has brought to the Transformers comics. This is the best time to be a true Transformers fan catching up on Skybound Entertainment’s take on the franchise. The consistency of the narrative clearly shows that this series is one episodic tapestry that keeps on moving and gets ratcheted up (No Pun Intended) in every issue.

Losing an arm and being chased by a deranged Decepticon is not all exciting when your beloved human companion is losing blood from a gunshot wound while evading everything that is being thrown shows the action is not over. This is not like in the original cartoon when Prime was damaged in the previous episode he comes back in this issue brand new. This series is so grounded that Starscream was either being beaten up or being run over by a semi-truck.

The motion and action on how Cliffjumper in his vehicle mode screeched into the scene with Carly behind the wheel and kicking the Decepticon Air Commander like taking inspiration from the chase scenes from Japanese anime like Initial-D. There was plenty of high-stakes action to go around the few pages and the details with inks have been phenomenal with every issue getting released is impressive.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

TF Sightings | TRU Robinsons Galleria

There’s not many new sightings nearby Makati area, but suddenly in some places where not most people thread to visit you find that some of the retail stores get their new wave of Legacy unnoticed. It’s not that the global market is changing after the pandemic it’s all about market strategy for most stores like Toy Kingdom.

And just that, The Wave 2 Deluxe and Commander Class has a subtle appearance in a place, where rarely is an off-grid place. But for those passionate enough they won’t let any stone unturned and this new world is certainly a challenging one to find these on display are most of the time do not make it to the display since TK has already shopping for their customers on Viber.


Tuesday, August 8, 2023

TF RPMs | Autobot Rachet

Transformers have been universally a favourite brand, because of transforming mass-shifting robots battling out fighting for “Good versus Evil” Hasbro making it so popular that the brand needs to expand trying to capture a different market that they don’t even have a reach.

Back in 2009, Transformers was already at its peak with a second film “Revenge of the Fallen” a follow-up to Michael Bay’s blockbuster phenomenon two years earlier that made Transformers explode in mass appeal, and with that, the products need to “go beyond” from just transforming toys into other markets that Hasbro doesn’t, and that’s is where the “Robot Powered Machines” came to be.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Void Rivals #1 | The Beginning

Void Rivals sounded like a science fiction series that does not sound like Transformers because it was being kept as a secret project for almost a year “disguised as” an original (which is the idea) of a world-building concept from Robert Kirman, the founder of Skybound Entertainment and creator of The Walking Dead was a huge Transformers fan.

After IDW Publication lost the rights for G.I. Joe and Transformers there was rumours that Skybound Entertainment had acquired the license. But everything was kept low key to the point Void Rivals was sort of a Trojan Horse.

But there was never any indication, which is Kirkman’s way of marketing the books published extra special. This guy published the last issue of the Walking Dead comic book series and didn’t announce that it was the final issue. A week before the first issue's release leaked pages revealing a certain Cybertronian Scientist making an appearance in this series that would eventually happen.

Local retailers didn’t order that many books and there were no details or even descriptions of what Void Rivals is all about other than it takes inspiration from two warring societies in a conflict similar to another popular graphic novel series titled Saga minus the romance.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

TF Sightings | Legacy DLX W2 & Motormaster

There’s not much new sightings nearby Makati area, but suddenly in some places where not most people thread to visit you find that some of the retail stores gets their new wave of Legacy unnoticed. It’s not that the global market is changing after the pandemic it’s all about market strategy for most stores like Toy Kingdom.

And just that, The Wave 2 Deluxe and Commander Class has subtle appearance in a place, where rarely is an off-grid place. But for those passionate enough they won’t let any stone unturned and this new world is certainly a challenging one to find these on display are most of the times do not make it to the display since TK has already shopping it to their customers on Viber.