Official images show Generations Legends Megatron with Chop Shop and Starscream with Waspinator, pairing Decepticons with insect partners. A Metroplex teaser reveals a Legends-size Scamper, and Toyworld shows a not-Brainstorm, an IDW-style Orion Pax and another not-Throttlebot. A third-party Blitzwing kit that removes his faces gets roasted. Rob and Exvee review ReGeneration One #91 live, Aimee Morgan reviews Monstrosity #4 and #5, and Aimee and Nicole cover the Prime episode “Predatory.”
News
Generations Legends Megatron with Chop Shop and Starscream with Waspinator
Brian calls this the week’s big story. One host jokes that Waspinator as a gun will explode whenever the trigger is pulled. The crew is surprised by Chop Shop, who has had only one toy before. They compare the insect partners to Arms Micron, where Decepticon partners become animals. Starscream is based on an unused IDW design and looks like a cross between an F-15 and an F-22. One host would rather have had Megatron as Starscream’s gun. Another notes the partners have 5mm handles, so they could arm other figures. One host already has Legends Optimus Prime and Bumblebee shipping thanks to an early preorder. [Source: Seibertron]
Hub Executive Promises Comic-Con News on the Next Series
The Hub’s Mike Vogel says there will be big news at San Diego Comic-Con, which the crew assumes is the next animated series. A rumored China-exclusive series turned out to be false. The crew expects CG again, and one host would happily take Flash animation. Don hopes the Prime kids carry over. Another host prefers a fresh start, though many fans want a series based on the IDW comics. [Source: TFormers]
Metroplex Teaser Shows a Legends-Size Scamper
Takara’s latest Metroplex teaser shows Scamper in black with a red head. The crew jokes about a G2 Sideswipe Scamper for the SDCC version. Rob admits he forgot who Scamper was and lost his original’s arms. The crew guesses Metroplex arrives around September as a holiday showpiece. [Source: TFormers]
Toyworld Not-Brainstorm, IDW Orion Pax and Not-Chase
Toyworld’s not-Brainstorm has a more accurate head with a mouth plate, but its jet mode looks like a bent X-Wing. One host compares it to Fansproject’s version, which may hide a retractable faceplate. Toyworld’s IDW-style Orion Pax has a neat split chest. Its latest not-Throttlebot is supposed to be Chase, but the crew sees little resemblance beyond the color. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party Blitzwing Upgrade Kit Removes His Faces
A control-art kit replaces Generations Blitzwing’s head with a fixed one, removing his Animated-style faces. It also adds missiles and a more accurate gun. The crew calls it the most useless upgrade ever and trades jokes about downgrade kits. They say a kit to replace his soft nose cone, which is deforming for some owners, would actually sell. [Source: not found]
Third-Party Fall of Cybertron Optimus and Ultra Magnus Kit
Trailers for a third-party kit show swappable shoulders, giving either Ultra Magnus’s shoulder extensions or Optimus Prime’s smokestacks. The crew calls it the kind of upgrade kit Hasbro probably approves of, since it sells more toys. They note it could stand in for fans who cannot afford a City Commander set. [Source: not found]
Transformers Prime Retro Review: Predatory
Aimee and Nicole review the horror-tinged episode that introduces Airachnid. Arcee and Jack find a crashed ship, and black-and-white flashbacks show Airachnid capturing Arcee and torturing her partner Tailgate. Both hosts love Airachnid’s dark design and Gina Torres’s performance. They share commentary trivia: Arcee’s actress was genuinely scared of Gina Torres in the booth, and the episode was rewritten from an earlier script. They find it among the darkest Prime episodes for a show aimed at kids. One of them calls it her favorite of the season after the Scraplets episode.
Rob Springer Answers a Listener Question
Henry Pham asks how long it will take Takara to release every season one and two character as a Masterpiece. Rob’s answer is “forever.” He thinks Takara is chasing big names and easy repaints rather than the full cast. He doubts Masterpiece combiners or Reflector would justify the cost. He would love a Masterpiece Alpha Trion, more season three characters and Masterpiece Beast Wars, and he is excited about Acid Storm.
Comic News with Aimee Morgan
ReGeneration One #91 has been bumped to May 15, Monstrosity #6 is out digitally, and ReGeneration One Volume 2 is now available. The Last Stand of the Wreckers limited editions are still available and may appear at BotCon. Andrew Griffith will attend Philadelphia Comic Con, and Nick Roche will attend Auto Assembly in August.
Comic Review: Monstrosity #4 and #5
Aimee reveals that the exile Megatron enslaved on Junkion is a Quintesson. In issue #4, Optimus Prime nearly talks Grimlock down at the Tauraxis refinery before Scorponok triggers a meltdown. Megatron is dragged into the Acid Sea by a Sharkticon. Issue #5 opens with the fallout: thousands dead and one of Cybertron’s last Energon sources gone. Optimus delivers a eulogy, Dai Atlas leaves, and Megatron vows to dominate Cybertron. Aimee loves Livio Ramondelli’s art, especially the Acid Sea and the memorial scene. She gives both issues a 4 and likes the series more than Autocracy.
Comic Review: ReGeneration One #91
Rob and Exvee review the issue live and call it the most boring ReGeneration One yet, since nothing happens. Bludgeon is still talking about his plot, and the Autobots panic over being capable of evil. Hot Rod heads underground to reunite with an ancient proto-Cybertronian species. Galvatron is still on his way, and the G2 Cybertronians and Jhiaxus appear at the end. They note the series now has as many issues as Marvel’s G2 with little to show for it. They call Simon Furman a stylistic writer in the Stan Lee mold and look forward to Guido Guidi’s art. The crew agrees to make the ReGeneration One review a monthly live segment.
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