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.

Titans Return | Apeface

07.14.2018 – There are a few interesting Transformers characters from the vintage toyline that was overlooked that had small screen time in the cartoon. Rarely, most are into the characters that had vehicle alternate forms. But when Titans Return was released it was more of nostalgic throwback to what was the best with Headmasters. Few would remember Decepticons that stand out from its subline and Apeface is one of those interesting toys that came out from the Headmasters that was mostly didn’t get that kind of fandom attention. But this Decepticon gets a second chance as part of the second wave release of the Titan Masters.

Titans Return | Sergeant Kup & Flintlock

05.20.2018 – Kup is a War Hero who is an old microchip of the block. If you’re turbo-revvin’ punk he doesn’t want anything with that. The veteran war hero likes telling tall tale stories, and Grimlock’s favourite Petro-rabbits are some of the interesting things about Kup as the character. Now, as a toy that had very few versions is worth the second look. Introduced as part of the fourth wave of Deluxe Class assortment, Sergeant Kup comes with Flintlock (formerly Recoil, Trademark issues?), which transforms into his head, a Titan Master that can “drive” Kup in vehicle mode or man the two guns that form the rear turret of the Cybertronian vehicle mode, the latest rendition of a retro picKUP truck.

TF Prime Beast Hunters: Shockwave!

12.01.2014 – Shockwave, the Military Operations Commander was left on planet Cybertron in the original cartoon. The one-eyed diabolical Decepticon’s only true loyalty will always be logic. The cold calculating scientist is one of the interesting characters in the classic Transformers series. His introduction in Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters is something more of a mad scientist that experiment on a lot of things. Just the previous version Shockwave don’t take sides, but only through logic is his true path just way his toy form does the same.

Enemy Mine: Windblade # 3!

THE good news is that our new female Autobot protagonist Windblade will be returning in another mini-series from IDW Publishing in 2015, a series called—what else—“Windblade Returns.” That revelation does give away that fact that Windblade will be surviving her current series, “Transformers: Windblade,” but then again, it would have been a real shame if this intriguing new fan-favorite creation met her demise at the end of her first four-issue solo run. That doesn’t mean writer Mairghread Scott and artist Sarah Stone won’t be putting Windblade in dangerous situations because it can be argued that Windblade is dangerous situations throughout the entirety of “Transformers: Windblade” # 3. At the end of “Windblade” # 2, Windblade had rallied some Autobot back-up (and Swindle) to dive deep into the bowels of Metroplex’s filtration system in order to stop Strascream from mining a powerful ore. Unfortunately, the motley group of heroes (and Swindle and Waspinator) get pinned down by the Terrorcons. While they put up a pretty good fight, the heroes are captured when Starscream himself shows up to do the dirty work.

Big Bot Books: The Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection HC

This is the first installment of Big Bot Books, a series of pretty comprehensive articles which will look at the very specialized books related to the Transformers toy line and comic book continuity, but are not new individual issues belonging to ongoing series. We begin with the 2013 “The Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection!” While 2014 represents the grand 30th anniversary of Hasbro’s Transformers toyline, it also represents the epic 30th anniversary of the Transformers Generation 1 comic book continuity, which began in 1984 with Marvel Comics and continues today with IDW Publishing. What better way to commemorate those three decades of graphic adventures than with a hardcover highlighting that entire progression of transformative panel sequences?

Back to Earth: Robots in Disguise # 28

I’ll be honest with you, I’m a bit of a Cybertron snob. I have always been fascinated by the Transformers’ adventures in space. Even when I watched the first episodes of the classic Sunbow “Transformers” show, I was enthralled by the out-of-this world forms of Wheeljack, Bumblebee and those Seekers. The result was that I was always kind of bored with the adventures on Earth. The on-planet escapades always felt too melodramatic and contrived, save for the destructive shuffle that was “Transformers: The Movie.” I mean, I was OK with the Earth tales, but the Cybertron stories were more diverting. My favorite issue of the original Marvel Comics G1 series was “The Transformers” # 17, also known as “The Smelting Pool!,” where, after so many issues set on Earth, it swtiches to a Cybertron running out of Energon, where Blaster—and the rest of Perceptor’s Autobot cohorts—battle Straxus’ Decepticons while a space bridge is being built. It was so different, so refreshing to see that setting with those characters. The comics have a somewhat of a mixed attitude about the Earth-against-Cybertron setting. The IDW continuity began with a weighty, spy-like feel on Earth, then later kind of grew space wings up to the “Dark Cybertron” crossover. By the time “Dark Cybertron” ended, readers had been away from Earth for months.

You Go Girl: Windblade # 1!

It’s safe to say you have never seen a Transformers comic book like “Transformers: Windblade” # 1. No one has. The first issue is immediately provocative and inspired, one certain to be divisive. I’ve always been a little confused by the big deal about Arcee, especially since she first appeared in “The Transformers: The Movie” in 1986. I just assumed she was simply designed differently. What, we can have a jive-talking Autobot (my optics are on you, Jazz) but we can’t have a curvy Autobot? Anyway, Arcee eventually managed to get toys made and was sort of part of the wirework already when Prowl turned her into, literally, his personal assassin in the IDW continuity. Then the “Transfomers: The Covenant of Primus” hardcover hinted at the possible origins of bots like Arcee and basically got the fandom all ruffled up (The book has nice art and a nifty case, though). But IDW’s “Dark Cybertron” arc really pushed buttons when it introduced three more female Autobots, Chromia, Nautica and their leader, the sword-wielding Windblade, who now gets her own limited series written by Mairghread Scott and illustrated by Sarah Stone. Significantly and fittingly, this is the first time ever that a TF comic book is being written and illustrated by an all-female tandem. Interestingly, the new “Dawn of the Autobots” arc begins with the dawn of the newest Autobot’s limited series.

Beyond Dark Cybertron: The Comics Transformed

This is an epic time to be a Generation 1 Transformers fan—if you read the comic books.

The 30^th anniversary year for the Transformers, 2014 has already seen one important run end. The original Marvel Comics continuity, begun in 1984 by writer Bud Budiansky, originally finished in 1991 with issue # 80—not bad for what began as a four-issue limited series.  That run was picked up by IDW Publishing in 2012, written by the last writer on the Marvel run, Simon Furman, and ran from # 81 to # 100, finishing the series as Furman had originally envisioned it more than two decades before.  The Marvel UK run, which existed in its own continuity, ended in 1992.

There are various other splinter continuities that either continues very slowly or abruptly ended, the most obvious one is the eye candy but overly dense plotting of the Dreamwave comics. (We have of course left out things like the movie universe, the animated universe and the Prime reality).

Generations: "Thrilling 30" Sandstorm!

11.20.2013 – Sandstorm is one of those second or third tier characters that were introduced in the 3rd season of the original Generations One cartoon. This was after the 1986 animated movie set in the year 2010. In the cartoons Sandstorm has rare screen time unlike the main Autobots that was introduced in the movie. Sandstorm is known as a member of the Wreckers an Autobot subgroup revealed more back story in the comic books published by Marvel in the 1980s.

Knock Off Comparison with TFC-18 Soundblaster!

06.16.2012 – Takara Tomy has announced the next Masterpiece would be Soundwave designated at MP-13 and currently the prototype which also featured the would-be final product on display at The International Tokyo Show. The announcement circulated just like the infamous Decepticon Communications Officer delivering the signal of his arrival to local toy shelves as well as specialty shops in Japan. The news gives a look at his next evolution known as Soundblaster in Japan’s Headmaster series which aired in 1987 where the US series ceased its airing.

Transformers Bot Shots: Jetfire!

06.15.2012 – The Bot Shots action figure-based game with an auto-transforming mechanism as one of the product’s gimmick is getting quite an attention in North America. So far we have not seen these products on Philippine toy shelves. With the simple rule of “rock, paper, and scissors” game platform makes these super-deformed versions of your favorite Transformers characters definitely will surely hit up with the younger generations who have started interest when the first live action movie became a blockbuster hit in 2007.

Then & Now: Beachcomber!

09.05.2011 - Beachcomber’s bio card states he’s a geologist with a hippie attitude. A pacifist of war tries to reconcile his love of peace and freedom for all creatures. It’s hard to accept this as it sickens him down to his very spark regarding the conflicts which there’s always a price for casualty and destruction. He appeared in the second season of the original G1 cartoon with a cool surfer dude attitude. Skilled in combat but not very fast or strong Beachcomber knows how to fight. He is an explorer who tends to lose himself in the jungle just to calm and cleanse his soul.

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Reveal The Shield: Legends Class Trailcutter!

09.01.2011 - Trailbreaker was one of the original Autobots aboard the Ark when it crashed planet Earth 4 million years ago. He was introduced in the pilot episode More Than Meets The Eye. This slow and cheery Autobot transforms into a Toyota 4WD Hi-Lux camper truck when it was released under the first wave of G1 toys in 1984. The original Diaclone "4WD Hi-Lux" from Takara came in three colors prior to rebranding into Transformers. For most part of the first season Trailbreaker was one of the supporting characters, but by season 2 we see less screen time from him.

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Then & Now: Bumblebee to Goldbug!

08.29.2011 - Bumblebee has been a companion to humans mostly close related to Spike Witwicky from the original G1 cartoon. Bumblebee is reliable and the hero everyone thinks. He’s come a long way and has gone through a lot of changes but still remain the Autobot we know and loved. In the original cartoon he’s with friend with Spike Witwicky the recurring human character in the series along with his father Sparkplug. For anyone who grew up with the original cartoon Bumblebee is a yellow Volkswagen Beetle.

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TF War for Cyberton: Optimus Prime!

Read the complete review after the cut...

TF Generations: Autobot Drift

Drift is an awesome figure from the Generation toyline. Read the full review after the cut...

Transformers RPMs: Decepticon Barricade

06.13.2010 – The height of the Transformers live-action films have spawned more merchandise outside the core brand’s usual action figure line. Hasbro took advantage of the brand’s popularity and is also keeping up with the competition with other toy manufacturer’s brands with slight similarities that would capture their market for it. That being said, Hasbro is exploring other ways to expand the Transformers brand entering a familiar space that they don’t have, namely the 1:64 die-cast car collecting with their “Transformers R.P.M.s” which stands for “Robot Powered Machines” sounding like a unique product on their part, but they’re almost similar to the die-cast 1:64 scale.

Galaxy Force: GC-17 Autovolt!

01.16.2006 – If you haven’t caught up with the ‘Transformers Cybertron’ line this might be a right time to take a look at the list of characters being presented in the series. Most of them are unfamiliar to the classic Generation One versions, but some have something to offer from the old school bots that we know and love. Autovolt (US Name: Crosswise) is one of the latest characters to join the ranks of the Autobots in search of the Cyber keys. In the US English translated series he’s a ‘Monster Hunter’ a protector of the planet Earth and Takara has finally released its Deluxe Class figure introducing this legendary character to the series.

Pepsi + Transformers: Pepsi Convoy!

01.02.2006 – There have been several iterations of Optimus Prime (Known in Japan as ‘Convoy’), but there’s one version that is not part of fiction which is being brought back to be reintroduced in this era. This is one of those licensed collaboration with Pepsi Co. in the US that is getting a reissue. But this time Takara is making Optimus Prime not only have the Pepsi colors they also made an actual trailer to hold either a 500ml drink or two cans of soda just to give you an idea how immensely popular the Autobot Leader as ‘Pepsi Convoy’ and this not even released by Hasbro for the US market.