Toys R' Us Flagship Store | End of an Era

There’s a saying, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” and that rings true when the only constant is change. With that, Toys R’ Us’ original flagship store is now downsizing to a smaller shop at the same location where it opened its first store in the country exactly twenty years ago. Originally, Today, the glory days of big-box toy stores in the Philippines are coming to an end as the original flagship store is winding down due to economic struggles, and it’s downsizing to a smaller store after so many years of being known as “The World’s Greatest Toys Store,” which in the US closed down in 2017, filing for bankruptcy.

Transformers #37 | Burderns & Responsibilities

Transformers' latest issue is a new jumping-on point for new readers with issue 37. Sure, you can say you missed the first 36 issues, but fear not; Skybound is reprinting them if you need to backtrack to certain issues to catch up to the current storyline, or you can pick up the compiled editions at your comic shop, or have them reordered if they don’t have them in stock. This issue comes to the story of what happened on planet Cybertron. It picks up after the rest of the Autobots follow Elita-1 back to their home planet from issue 30, with some stories revealing the cost of war, the burden of Autobot leadership, and the weight of bearing the Matrix of Leadership. Elita-1 in the Energon Universe certainly has several rich backstories in past comic lore, but this one certainly reveals her flaws as the new Autobot Leader. This issue focuses solely on the Cybertron side of the story, showing the war that continues to rage on the Transformers' home world, where Shockwave is still alive, with a dangling light bulb, “which is nuts,” according to Bulkhead. If that wasn’t a shock (no pun intended), turning the first few pages, you’ll be wondering what other nefarious plans the robot with a light bulb has in mind.

Transformers #25 | A New Era of Uncertainty

After a successful twenty-four-issue run, Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Jimenez have moved on to their own respective projects. With that, the Transformers series produced by Skybound Entertainment and published by Image Comics came with uncertainty. There was no immediate announcement, but a subtle marketing style that the studio is known for. Transformers' twenty-fifth issue came out with an uncertain future, and at the same time a positive outlook for the direction the series is headed. The post-DWJ still has a few pages wrapping up in this issue, and Robert Kirkman has taken over the series, along with Dan Mora taking the artist reins for the first story arc. The aftermath of the past issue was quickly phased out, and new characters were introduced in the Energon Universe. It’s something to take in when you go through the pages for the first time without reading every panel. There’s optimism and ‘feel-good’ moments that make this issue feel like the first, but with a different writer. With respect to Kirkman and Mora, they’re like taking this as a new series, and it would feel like the consistent energy each issue brought for the first twenty-four issues looks entirely different. It's indeed a beginning of a new era for this series...

TK Toy Expo 2024 | Hasbro, Jada & YoloPark

The last day of the Toy Kingdom Toy Expo was quite a busy spectacle for those who have been in the event for the last four days. Of course, there have been surprising reveals and other major activities happening around the event. But here’s a round-up of product tie-ins and some new ones to look forward to on local retail For Hasbro, the mainline Legacy United and Studio Series and sub-series continue to expand what the “Generation” flagship range of assortments is all about. In the past months, the roll-out availability has been slowed down due to the local distributor’s financial struggles emerging from the pandemic has been quite a challenge.

TK Toy Expo 2024 | Transformers Legacy United

It’s been almost six years, and the return of the Toy Kingdom Toy Expo after six years of hiatus was a welcome event for hobbyists and toy enthusiasts. The event has been around as far back as 2012 and it is a biennial event happening every other year until the pandemic happened four years ago cancelled this said event. Now, the return for the much-adored Toy Expo is not the same as you have experienced since 2018. But that did not stop the Toy Kingdom from presenting every product they had in their store this year’s participation, which includes the Transformers brand by Hasbro distributed in the Philippines by Playkit Inc.

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.

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.

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.