Hasbro has released their annual pre-Toy Fair press release. Click the jump to read it in full. » Read more..
Toy Review: Transformers Prime – Cyberverse Vehicon
VEHICON is the name given to the drone-esque Decepticons in the “Transformers: Prime” cartoon. They are vehicle based robots who don’t question Megatron or Starscream. It’s a fear thing, really, not a respect thing. This Cyberverse toy makes for one li’l cute Vehicon, but is the toy any good? » Read more..
Official Word from Hasbro regarding Transformers: Prime First Edition Figures
Hey, ASM fans! We just got this E-mail from Hasbro/Hunter PR regarding the status of Transformers: Prime “First Edition” figures.
TRANSFORMERS fans,
As we greatly value our TRANSFORMERS fans and consumers, we appreciate the opportunity to clarify and explain the current situation with TRANSFORMERS PRIME First Edition figure availability in the U.S.
We very much apologize for the miscommunication with our great retailers in the U.S. Regrettably, as a result, the TRANSFORMERS PRIME First Edition Wave 2 Deluxe, Wave 1 Voyager and Entertainment Pack figures were posted for pre-sale in error. Final product was not produced for these figures to ship within the U.S. As such, any consumer who placed a pre-sale order with Big Bad Toy Store or Entertainment Earth in the U.S. received a note that their order had been cancelled and these orders will not be fulfilled. While it is common for Hasbro to cancel production and/or shipment of collectible figures prior to being listed for pre-sale, this particular situation was unique. We deeply regret this circumstance and understand your frustration.
We would also like to express that we hear the fan community in the U.S. loud and clear – you want these specific TRANSFORMERS PRIME First Edition figures. While we can’t confirm anything at this time, and the format in which these figures are packaged and distributed may change, the team is looking into ways to make these available at a later date in the U.S. and will keep the fan community and our retailers posted as opportunities develop. We want to make this right, and making these figures available to the U.S. fans is a top priority for the team. We greatly appreciate your understanding and ongoing enthusiasm for the brand and hope in the mean time, you enjoy the TRANSFORMERS PRIME figures that are hitting shelves now and in the coming weeks.
Regards,
The TRANSFORMERS Team
So, there you have it. With the new “Robots in Disguise” Prime figures hitting stores now/soonish, will that satiate your need for Prime toys? Or are you hoping for a rerelease of the First Edition figures?
Comic Review: Transformers: Autocracy #2
The Geek Bits
Title: Transformers: Autocracy
Issue #: 2
Title: Chapter 2: Parasites
Price: $0.99 US – Digital Only
Release Date: February 1, 2012
Publisher: IDW Publishing via ComiXology.com
Written by: Chris Metzen & Flint Dille
Art by: Livio Ramondelli
Letters by: Robbie Robbins
Editor: John Barber & Carlos Guzman
Worth the price? Once again, it’s worth your $0.99 and more.
IDW’s digital-only Transformers: Autocracy enters its second chapter. After a strong opening issue, we need to delve more into the actual storyline this time around. Do Chris Metzen and Flint Dille succeed? » Read more..
Comic Review: Transformers: Robots in Disguise #1
Image via IDW Publishing
The Geek Bits
Title: Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Issue #: 1
Title: The Autonomy Lesson
Price: $3.99 US
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Written by: John Barber
Art by: Andrew Griffith
Color by: Josh Perez
Letters by: Shawn Lee
Editor: Carlos Guzman
Worth the price? Yes. Not as good as More than Meets the Eye #1, but still it’s a good starting point for those who have shied away from IDW’s offerings for quite sometime.
“Spiraling out of the literally world-changing events of the “Chaos” storyline, Transformers: Robots in Disguise (hereafter referred to as RID) is the first issue in a brand new storyline that will change the Transformers forever!”
I used that made-up line in my review for MTMTE #1, but it could have been used for RID #1 as well. However, I didn’t find RID #1 as compelling as the other series. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but MTMTE is just slightly superior. » Read more..
Press Release: The Transformers Collector’s Club 2012 Exclusives Up for Pre-Order This Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EXCLUSIVE Over-Run and Shattered Glass Drift available for Pre-order early this week!
Fort Worth, TX – January 30, 2012 – Fun Publications, Inc., licensee for Hasbro’s official Transformers Collectors’ Club, The TCC, is thrilled to show off the final images of this years two member exclusives… Over-Run (AKA Runabout) and Shattered Glass Drift!
The Transformers Collectors’ Club features a bi-monthly magazine, discounts on product from the TCC store and packages to the official Transformers Collectors’ Convention BotCon, Prizes from Club contests, Members Only Forum, Free Membership to the online auction site MCAX.com, ability to purchase Members Only exclusives and T-shirts and of course, the FREE Membership Incentive Figure shipped to members in a white mailer box! This year’s FREE figure is the hotly anticipated Runamuck!
Now, the BIG news! The Over-Run package will come with a slot in the foam for members to store their Runamuck figure. These two “RUN” partners will never be far apart when chaos comes calling! Also, as previously announced, Drift will come with both his swords AND two guns. The first time this mold has been offered with a mix of both!
For more information on The TCC, please visit http://www.transformersclub.com/
About Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company’s world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Hub, Hasbro’s multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.
About Fun Publications, Inc.
For over 15 years, Fun Publications, Inc. has been a Hasbro licensee offering fans and collectors of pop culture memorabilia news, exclusive product and family events through different print offerings, websites, collector clubs and brand specific conventions such as GIJoeCon and BotCon. Located in Fort Worth Texas, Fun Publications reaches a large audience, serving the United States and many other countries such as Japan, Great Britain, Brazil, Australia and Canada. For more information visit TransformersClub.com, GIJoeClub.com, GIJoeCon.com, and BotCon.com. BotCon is a registered trademark of Fun Publications, Inc. (C) 2011 Fun Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
GIJoeClub.com, GIJoeCon.com, and BotCon.com. BotCon is a registered trademark of Fun Publications, Inc. (C) Fun Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
BotCon 2012 Toy Reveal – Autobot Pretender Metalhawk
The sixth and final toy of BotCon 2012‘s box set has been revealed. We’ve known for some time that it was Metalhawk. We saw a blurry picture of him on the registration page. We saw control art for the toy. But BotCon has finally revealed the toy in full.
Metalhawk was a Japanese-only Pretender released in 1988, and for the longest time he was one of Transformers fandom’s Holy Grails. He was unlike other Pretenders as Metalhawk had a removable helmet, had a full face, and most importantly, he was made of die-cast metal. But now he’s been reborn as a Transformers Timeline exclusive.
Image via BotCon.com
Let’s look at the jet mode. As a blue jet with red and white highlights, it re-imagines the deco of the original jet toy extremely well. It’s not a direct copy of the deco, and it uses white instead of grey, but on the whole it looks good and brings to mind the original toy. Some yellow on the jet might have been a good complementary color as well as bring to mind the gold undercarriage of the original toy, but as it stands, it’s got the blue and the red, a good look.
Image via BotCon.com
As for the robot mode… this is where it gets weird. This obviously attempts to recreate the Pretender shell and not the original robot toy. And it does it quite well. The chest especially gets the deco right — red with yellow. Blue shoulders, white and blue legs — check and check. It’s when we examine the head that things are a bit… off.
Image via BotCon.com
First off, I think my own design aesthetics would prefer a bit of a sunken face to make the helmet portion stand out better. Plus, a bit of red on the crest would do wonders as well. But the thing that gets me the most is how small the head seems in comparison to the rest of the body. Transformers fan awa64 commented that because it’s a human face, perhaps we expect human proportions, and a robot face can get away with different proportions. I think he’s right. It’s not that the head on this Metalhawk is bad. It just looks off by a bit.
Is this the homerun I was hoping for? No, not quite. A bigger head — or even a bigger helmet — might have made the toy a four-bagger. As it is, though, it’s still a solid toy. Some might say the colors are bright and garish, but so was the 1988 version.
Comic Review – Transformers: Autocracy #1
Image via IDWPublishing.com
The Geek Bits
Title: Transformers: Autocracy
Issue #: 1
Title: Chapter 1: Law and Disorder
Price: $0.99 US – Digital Only
Release Date: January 18, 2012
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Written by: Chris Metzen & Flint Dille
Art by: Livio Ramondelli
Letters by: Robbie Robbins
Editor: John Barber & Carlos Guzman
Worth the price? Hey, it’s only $0.99, so it’s hard NOT to recommend it. For those who yearn for more of pre-war Cybertron history, it’s worth picking up this book
Transformers: Autocracy is IDW’s first entry into the digital-only realm of comics publishing. While their Transformers comics have been released digitally for months now, this is the first Transformers comic you won’t see on the shelves. It’s a bold experiment, and I’m the right guy to try it. » Read more..
