Chris surprises everyone with Power of the Primes Battletrap, imported from Singapore before Wave 2 Legends reached anywhere else. A press release gives the Bumblebee movie’s plot, set in 1987 with a teenager named Charlie. Don is furious that the latest Titans Return episode hides Trypticon’s transformation behind smoke, while Diecast thinks it was a good episode. Plus Toys Alliance’s Mega Action Soundwave, Wizards of the Coast’s Transformers trading card game and a Kuro Kara Kuri Drift at $300.

Toy Fair 2018 Live Stream

Toy Fair is a little over a month away. Hasbro’s presentation and the live stream fall on Saturday, February 17.

This Week in History

In 1992, Marvel’s UK Transformers comic ended with issue #332. The crew remembers the UK run as a wealth of original stories, and Don has US issues #79 and #80 signed by Simon Furman and Andrew Wildman. In 2000, the Beast Wars Metals clip-show episode “Where Is the Banana?” premiered in Japan, filling the gap left by the theatrical Beast Wars movie.

News

Titans Return Hides Trypticon in Smoke

Don is angry that the latest episode cuts away from Trypticon’s transformation, as it did with Fortress Maximus, hiding a $150 toy behind smoke. He argues Hasbro should insist the toy be shown. Diecast thinks it was a good episode with better balance and a real cliffhanger, though he wishes it would return to Overlord. One host suspects Overlord and Rodimus Unicronus are setup for Power of the Primes. Brian asks what the series is for, and one host points to the views it draws as the main goal.

Bumblebee: The Movie Official Photo and Plot Synopsis Press Release

Bumblebee finds refuge in a California junkyard in 1987, where Charlie, about to turn 18, finds him battle-scarred and broken. Brian is fine with a basic premise and loves the 1987 setting. One host says he would like a Transformers movie he can enjoy without qualifiers. [Source: TFormers]

Soundwave Mega Action Series Image Reveals G1 Design From Toys Alliance

Brian, who owns the Optimus Prime and plans to buy the Megatron, finds the Soundwave design not very G1 and a little Dreamwave. At around $200 it is out of one host’s price range, though he is glad it exists. [Source: TFormers]

First Look: Power of the Primes Roadtrap, Battleslash, Tailgate Legends Wave 2

Chris’s in-hand photos of Roadtrap and Battleslash are up in three galleries on TFormers. Battleslash’s helicopter is a stack of boxes with a gap in the nose. [Source: TFormers]

Peace Through Tyranny! Megatron Statue First Look From Imaginarium Art

Brian needs to see Megatron’s legs and feet before he decides, though the upper torso looks fine. The crew notes there are more Transformers statues now than in the Hard Hero days. [Source: TFormers]

First Looks at Wizards of the Coast Transformers G1 Trading Card Game

Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast is making a physical Transformers trading card game, with a digital version possible if it succeeds. The crew discusses whether the collectible card market is shrinking. [Source: TFormers]

Alien Attack Toys El Cid Unofficial Movie-Style Optimus Prime New Photos

One host finds it a little cross-eyed and off in its proportions, and says an official version would get more slack. Another is getting it and will review it. [Source: TFormers]

Alien Attack Toys STF-01 Firage: Not-Mirage Movie Figure New Photo Gallery

Firage is an unofficial movie Mirage, a character whose only official toys never matched his film look. Chris calls it a well-made toy of a design that is not for him. At about $60 and outside Masterpiece scale, it is something Chris could see buying at a con. [Source: TFormers]

Flame Toys Kuro Kara Kuri Drift Licensed Figure In-Hand Photos

It costs about $300 and has lights. One host is not buying, and one host jokes it looks enough like a Gundam to build from master grade kits. [Source: TFormers]

What’s on TFormers

Rob counted down his five favorite Transformers figures of 2017, and Chris shared his most memorable Transformers moments of the year. Rob reviewed Transformers vs. Visionaries #1, which he calls more Visionaries than Transformers. Exvee shot galleries of Legends LG-51 Doublecross and LG-52 Misfire, and Rob is surprised how much he likes Doublecross.

What We Got This Week

Chris

Chris got Legends Slugslinger and Octone. His big reveal is Power of the Primes Battletrap, Roadtrap and Battleslash, picked up from Singapore. The combined mode is poseable, though Roadtrap’s loose neck makes the waist floppy. Roadtrap has the better vehicle mode and Battleslash the better robot mode. He sees a Throttlebot in Roadtrap’s future.

Brian

Brian got Masterpiece MP-39 Sunstreaker for about $80 shipped from Amazon Japan. He transformed it without instructions and finds it much nicer than Sunsurge, and well ahead of Masterpiece Lambor.

Don

Don made an impulse buy of Prowl at Walgreens, the hardest one there to find. He also got Power of the Primes Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime. He likes Optimus and says it gives more toy for the Leader price than Titans Return Optimus. He also picked up Voyager Grimlock with Toys R Us rewards dollars.

Diecast

A friend on Twitter sent Diecast a small Bisk and Clampdown. He recommends Rick Alvarez’s new guide to vintage Transformers to every fan. He also got Legends LG-54 Bumblebee with Exosuit Spike, whose clear head is a little disturbing. From HLJ came the cartoon-accurate Lambor with an Octone, and Amazon Japan sent another Octone.

Matt

Matt got Iron Factory’s Cannon Chariot, a not-Onslaught, from Ages Three and Up. It has a great robot mode, and a combiner-hunter-painted Arcee was hidden under the tray. From Captured Prey he got Voyager Grimlock, the Wave 1 Deluxes and Prime Masters Metalhawk, Cloudburst and Skullgrin. He had found Dreadwind on a weekend toy hunt. A holiday bonus brought surplus Fans Project pieces and Toyhax labels.

Rob

Rob skipped Tailgate for now. He found Titans Return Broadside for $17.50, which he likes in aircraft carrier and robot modes despite the jet. At Aldi he got Titan Master Overboard for $2, completing his single-carded Titan Masters.

John

John got Grotusk through a connection and Power of the Primes Grimlock and Starscream. Starscream has great stickers but puffy, friendly limbs that remind the crew of a Dreamwave marshmallow robot. He gives both toys a thumbs up.

Giveaways

Brian found Valvatrons at an antique store for $3.50 each and will give one away on Twitter, along with a duplicate Titans Return Arcee. Follow @tfradio for details before January 10.

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