Seibertron.com Site News

Twincast / Podcast Episode #159 "Imperfect Specks"

Date: Sunday, November 13th 2016 8:52pm CST
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: megatronus

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Views: 52,895

Welcome to the latest episode of the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast! This episode features your host ScottyP, plus Megatronus, Counterpunch, and xRotorstomx - listen in as we discuss the latest news, toys, and more.

Episode #159 “Imperfect Specks" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

After a moment of solemnity, we kick off episode 159 in earnest with a special Black Friday topic: what would the Twincast crew like to see on sale this Black Friday? Our answers vary - and we're sure yours do too. Please post your own Black Friday aspirations in the forum thread below, and visit Seibertron.com for roundups of all the best Black Friday deals.



Things then move on to Robots in Disguise - Season 3 of the popular RID cartoon has hit the airwaves. We embark on a robust discussion of the first 3 episodes, which hark back to TF:Prime in a big way. What does the podcast think of the relic hunters theme, and its recycling of older character models?



Time for an RID listener question from Seibertron.com member and all around great guy, Sabrblade. To paraphrase his words: any thoughts on the notion of RID season 3's old-fashioned route of "toys first, then media appearances" for the new characters instead of the more recent trend of "media first, then toys?"



We use Sabrblade's question to segue into the recently revealed RID deluxe and legion, including Soundwave, Blurr, Twinferno, and many more. Yes, yes, we know - ScottyP was right about that new RID deluxe Starscream. Do these reveals keep the crew in anticipation, or are they a let down? There's only one way to find out.



Stop! Comics time. TAAO is on the docket, and we continue to enjoy the crossover potential of this series. Between Windblade, Metrotitan, and the revelation that Micronus Prime is responsible for Micro Space (this guy is really getting around the fiction these days), there's a lot to talk about. Revolution 4 has also hit the stands, and gets a rare ultra beatdown of criticism from the Twincast team. Listen in to learn why the awful art, weak villains, and overall poor story have us ready for this force-fed, unnatural crossover of pop culture properties to just end already.



MP Megatron is back in the news - as more images proliferate and we learn more about this figure, the more we (or at least, predictably, Megatronus) salivate. ScottyP has an interesting theory: might the upcoming Masterpiece Megatron be a remold of MP Shockwave? Wild speculation ensues.



After a false start earlier in the episode, we're back to MP32 Optimus Primal. Counterpunch walks us through the joys of this figure, which heightens our expectations for the upcoming Masterpiece Cheetor. Have you gotten your Primal yet? Let us know your thoughts in the thread below. "Make bananas great again."



Bragging Rights. Pure and simple. As we gear up for a good old fashioned Black Friday smackdown, what have we gotten to sate our appetite for converting robots in the meantime?

New Galleries: Takara Beast Wars C-7 Rhinox and VS-7 Rhinox

Date: Wednesday, November 9th 2016 1:34pm CST
Categories: Site News, Toy News
Posted by: Va'al

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Views: 64,402

In a sudden plot twist, that has nothing to do with international political scenarios, we bring you another instalment on Seibertron.com's Beast Wars Tuesdays... on a Wednesday!

Join us this week as we keep fleshing out the Maximal ranks with not one but two galleries from the loveable but deadly mechanical expert and spiritual core to the team: Rhinox. The rhinoceros alt-mode equipped character comes in two versions for the Japanese Takara Tomy Transformers release, both from 1996 - with C-7 as a standalone packaged toy, and V-7 as part of a two-pack with Predacon Shadow Panther. Both identical in their paint changes, which added black eyes and a grey coat to the Deluxe Hasbro release (check it out here). Click on any image below for the full galleries, and check out more Beast Wars Tuesdays news stories here!

Beast Wars Rhinox (168 images) - Deluxe Beasts














Beast Wars Rhinox (134 images) - Deluxe Beasts

IDW Revolution Issue #4 (of 5) Review

Date: Thursday, November 3rd 2016 7:35pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Comic Book News, Reviews
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): IDW, D-Maximus_Prime

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Views: 50,597

Synopsis
SILENT INTERLUDE! One human has the skill to break into AUTOBOT CITY—but what is SNAKE EYES going to do when he finds himself face-to-knee with OPTIMUS PRIME? And outside, MILES MAYHEM and the M.A.S.K. team wait to see who walks out alive…



Story

Well, we've reached the next to last issue, the one where we generally get the majority of the major reveals of the whole storyline. The one where the ending will leave you wanting more, with the heroes on the ropes and the bad guys all standing tall in place for their final victory. And, in the case of crossovers, the place where everything generally all comes together.

In some of those respects, Revolution #4 did not disappoint.

The entirety of the Crossover is finally revealed, with everyone falling into place and everyone's adventures finally crossing their final paths, set for the big-named characters conclusion (well, save one that only appeared very briefly so far). At least with regards to bringing everyone together for that big ending, the story has worked out and is good. And the ending of the issue does make you want issue #5 to be here soon.

So, why am I not in love with this comic? Let's take a closer look...



I can understand the difficulties of bringing together multiple big-name characters and making them all coexist alongside one another. I've seen it done well, and I've seen it fall flat. There is a very specific rhythm you need to set, a very precise way to make the gel that holds it altogether. Unfortunately, this crossover has just not done that. Getting everyone into the comic feels too forced, too clunky, and it is throwing in way too much to handle within the pages of the book itself. It feels rushed at times, underdeveloped at others, and overall just a bit too crazy for my liking. The ordering of the releases is not helping matters either, considering some important expositions have been revealed after they were needed and in some cases entire releases being spoiled by stuff coming out first. It's just not working for the Revolution storyline as a whole.

Art

Art duties have been taken up by Fico Ossio, and there are some places in the book where the art really works and it looks pretty nice. The Micronauts benefit from Ossio's style of art, and ROM and Snake Eyes are not bad either, and considering both do get a fair bit of exposure in the comic, there are some good highlights.

But then there are other parts that just don't work at all. I'm not sure why, but most of the Cybertronians in this issue feel too far removed from their regular designs. Victorion, Arcee, and Windblade in particular feel off this issue, with Arcee being a recurring art difficulty throughout the crossover. It just feels too organic and too stylized for me to like. And the faces are not turning out too well either. Some of the Joes - mainly Scarlett - also suffer a bit in the artistic department, which is strange considering how well the Micronauts have come across.



Sebastian Cheng joins in on coloring duty, and he does a pretty good job of adding some extra spice to the pages, so to speak. His backgrounds do work well, such as the starry night seen below, and the big double-spread battle sequence is helped out by his colors setting parts of the action apart. I particularly liked his work with the Dire Wraiths, despite how bland they are supposed to be.



Tom B. Long takes up lettering duty, and does not fail to keep the story moving as well as it can with his speech bubbles. The conversations from the viewpoints of the Micronauts are particularly good, seeing as how they give us some good perspective on not being able to understand a single noise others are saying.



You can also check out a full database that shows off all the covers for this issue (as there were many) as well as a list of all the others who helped contribute to Revolution #4, art and otherwise!

Final Thoughts



As I said before, there is some stuff to like about Revolution, and let's face it: a large crossover with big names does sound like a cool idea. And there are some things that are coming out of the event well (I'm still trying to decide if Action man is better off for not being in this, considering how well his Revolution comic went and I do like him). But as has been said for a couple reviews now, it is just not working out as well as it should have and could have been. This should have been the Avengers of the Hasbro properties world. It could have been a big thing that jumpstarted a comic, continued another excellent comic, and given life to some new comics. Instead, it feels clunky, off, and more like a chore to read than an enjoyment.

I will finish off reading Revolution, but I cannot wait to get back to regular comics. I just wish I could have gotten the enjoyment out of the crossover it truly did deserve, like I did with Transformers: Revolution and Action Man: Revolution.

Review of IDW Transformers: Till All Are One - Revolution (One-Shot)

Date: Wednesday, November 2nd 2016 4:11pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Comic Book News, Reviews
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 38,870

Synopsis
WINDBLADE ON EARTH! The mysterious link between METROTITAN and MICROSPACE threatens to tear two universes apart, and only WINDBLADE has a chance to heal the Titan… and there she learns a terrifying secret that changes the stakes of the REVOLUTION.



Story

We return the world of Till All Are One - which is pretty much the whole universe, given the presence of the Council of Worlds - for this one-shot of IDW's Revolution crossover, only to find out that while the universe out there is much bigger than it seems, it is also much smaller too - and may hold bigger revelations than we thought.



Some of the lines in this issue, storywise, were vaguely spoiled by the release order of Revolution being off - and we had the Micronus/Microverse reveal in the Micronauts books. And yet, despite knowing where things will end up, Mairghread Scott brings a well-rounded exploration of Windblade's character as a refraction of the universe she inhabits.



As a diplomat, City Speaker, ambassador, and tentative believer, Windblade has been placed in a number of fairly heated debates since her introduction - but here, we finally see once more act as intermediary between powerful, and potentially dangerous, factions, interacting with the Microverse's facets and the events happening in her own space.



There is some very good material being offered, in terms of dialogue, characterisation (not just for Windblade, but also Shazraella, Micronus Prime, and even Optimus to an extent), and a penchant for darker twists to a story of diplomacy and compromise for greater goods. And I have one extra thought on that last point, below.

Art

Artist Naoto Tsushima, infamous in the Transformers art community for his NSFW work, has reigned in enough of his potentially unsavoury skills - especially for this type of book and narrative - resulting in a seriously stunning and craftily creepy series of pages, including a wonderful deconstruction splash page for Windblade herself.



On the colouring side, DAI-XT coordination with the artwork adds an extra dollop of creepy vibes, with a choice of fairly cold palettes, even in the red/pink accents and the excellent grey scales that make up that splash page - which I realise now is also a really interesting parallel with the explosion in the original Windblade run.



While there is nothing overly fancy with the lettering, it is its usual crisp, clean, good fonted work by Tom B. Long, which is always a pleasure to see alongside nice art. We've shown all the covers - Pitre Durocher and Deer's, and Tsushima and DAI-XT's - with the different previews, and you can check them out again in our database entry for the issue, except for the Ken Christiansen one in the thumbnail. And they're all stunning, actually.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

The whole team involved does an excellent job at conveying the delicate balance that Windblade is trying to achieve between four realities (at least) while also still coming to terms with her own place in relation to them - and her identity. The splash page on that point is marvelous.



While there is a good line of enquiry to follow - at some point about - Scott's penchant to place Windblade in ..well, inquisitive contexts, with Starscream-esque parallels in the questioners (literally, in this book, too), there is also a definite dark streak to compromises, deals and greater good. I'm calling Madoka Magica, here, for the record.

TFNation 2016 Image Gallery: Exclusives, Displays, Alpha Bravo

Date: Wednesday, November 2nd 2016 1:36pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Event News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Va'al

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Views: 33,822

With TFNation rolling its dates out for 2017, as reported here, we were also finally able to get round to uploading a small album of images from the 2016 event, including some that were seen on the boards, some that were reported during the Toys Alliance reveal, and some that are definitely blurry - Va'al's camera is to blame for that. Or Va'al directly. Check out a preview below, including rare toy displays, fan area The Forge, James Roberts, Alex Milne, Simon Furman, Jim Sorenson, Richard Newman, Paul Eiding, backstage shots, and more, and click on any of the images to check out the full gallery!

New Gallery: Takara Beast Wars C-5 Rattle (Rattrap)

Date: Wednesday, November 2nd 2016 12:37am CDT
Categories: Site News, Toy News
Posted by: Bronzewolf

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Views: 68,365

It's time again to celebrate Seibertron's Beast Wars Tuesdays! Tis on this day we bring you new, fresh galleries of all your favorite classic Beast Wars and Machines toys, plus some really far-out variants. We might have one of the latter today as we take a look at the Takara Beast Wars C-5 Rattle (Or as you might know him, Rattrap!) That green sticker signifies and certifies him a variant, so he's fair game for Beast Wars Tuesdays! As with all other Seibertron galleries, a selection of photos has been presented below, and you can view the full gallery by clicking on any of them! Find all the Beast Wars Tuesdays galleries here!

And, as always, stay tuned to Seibertron.com for all the latest Transformers news!


New Gallery: Takara Beast Wars C-5 Rattle (Rattrap)

Beast Wars Rattrap (111 images) - Basic Beasts

Twincast / Podcast Episode #158 "Altered Image"

Date: Sunday, October 30th 2016 8:07pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: megatronus

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Views: 51,042

Welcome to the latest episode of the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast! This episode features your host ScottyP, Megatronus, RodimusConvoy13, and xRotorstomx - listen in as we discuss the latest news, toys, and more.

Episode #158 “Altered Image" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

We start with the Elephant - or should I say Walther P38 - in the room. That's right, MP36 Megatron has been revealed, and the crew is pretty freaking excited. Listen in as we compare this update to its MP-5 precursor, and discuss what we find most exciting about this toy.



While we're on the topic of Masterpiece toys - what Decepticons will be getting the MP treatment next? How closely do our wants match the cold possibilities of reality? We all have our hopes and aspirations, none too realistic - heck, a new Masterpiece Optimus seems more likely.



Continuing on the Masterpiece train, we tackle part of a listener question from Skullcrunchberries. Can there ever be a perfect toy representation of a character? What are some examples we could think of, and what makes them so? This segment attempts to answer these questions and more, and don't forget that your questions could get answered too if you use the Ask The Twincast thread.



The long layoff of comics talk ends as we take a look at both Transformers #57 and More Than Meets The Eye #57, which end the Titans Return arc leading in to Revolution. Plot points, reading orders, production, and more come up, and even the not-so-obvious backstory of one particular Decepticon. Plus, find out why in this particular universe, there's no debating that the Space Chicken's name is indeed Deathsaurus!



The Revolution is here - and we're excited to see Hasbro's interconnected comics universe take flight. Or at least, we were. Is this crossover event coming at the expense of some of the things that have made TF comics great the last few years? Yes, actually, it's pretty forgettable. Dire Wraiths just aren't interesting, but at least Josh Boyfriend might help the Revolution: Transformers one-shot title temporarily lift us up.



Now for something completely different: what makes the definitive version of a character from the fictional standpoint, and how does the idea of a character transform (pun intended!) over multiple iterations? The crew digs deep into Sparkler Mini-bots, and of course, our favorite despotic Decepticon leader once more.



Folks have been chomping at the bit for Titans Returns Brainstorm, a Walgreens exclusive. The crew dispenses tips of the hunting trade to increase your chances of finding this sought after figure. Or you can order online. On the fence? Check out Seibertron's pictorial review.



We finish up the Twincast with some bragging rights. What did everyone get since the last recording? There might even be beasts involved, especially those that have something to do with possibility, but this particular beast probably isn't the one you're trying to connect to Transformers. Don't worry though, plenty of on-topic, Transformers related acquisitions are discussed within!

New Galleries: Beast Wars II X-3 Tripledacus with DJ, Gimlet and Motorarm

Date: Monday, October 24th 2016 4:36pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Toy News
Posted by: Va'al

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Views: 72,746

Beast Wars Tuesdays continues! We return to the Seibertron.com series of galleries showcasing the products of the 90s that had to do with Beast Wars, Beast Wars II, Beast Wars Neo - given the anniversary of the first series this year - with the three amigos from Beast Wars II: DJ, Gimlet and Motorarm, and their combined form, Tripledacus.

The Jointron brothers are the Japanese counterparts to the Hasbro Tripredacus set (Ram Horn, Sea Clamp and Cicadacon), and feature cicada/torso DJ, legs/lobster Gimlet, and arms/beetle Motorarm, each with a new deco and available as both a gift set and as single figures - probably for the best, given their obnoxious characterisation in the animated series. Check out the full galleries by clicking on any of the images below!

Beast Wars II Tripledacus (124 images) - Combiners, Jointrons














Beast Wars II DJ (123 images) - Combiners, Jointrons








Beast Wars II Motorarm (108 images) - Combiners, Jointrons








Beast Wars II Gimlet (118 images) - Combiners, Jointrons

New Galleries: Age of Extinction Movie Advanced AD32 Stinger, Lost Age LA12 Stinger, & One-Step Stinger

Date: Friday, October 14th 2016 2:49am CDT
Categories: Site News, Movie Related News, Toy News
Posted by: Va'al

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Views: 46,750

You may have spotted the recent Seibertron.com article on live-action Transformers movie toys that never made it or were never even planned at all (you can read it here and join in with your thoughts). To accompany that, we also have a new addition to the Transformers: Age of Extinction toy galleries, featuring not one but three versions of the character created to oppose Bumblebee: Stinger!

In his Takara Tomy Movie Advanced line AD32 body, using the same mold as Bumblebee, but with the new battlemask headsculpt; the slightly simpler Lost Age LA12 Stinger, with the quick transformation for younger fans, and a darker colour palette than our third gallery - the Hasbro one, in the One-Step changer sub-line, with plenty of comparison images to keep your Friday busy. Check them all out by clicking on any of the images below!

Takara Tomy: Movie Advanced Stinger (188 images) - Deluxe Class














Takara Tomy: Lost Age Stinger (93 images) - One-Step










Age of Extinction: Robots In Disguise One-Step Stinger (87 images) - One-Step

Twincast / Podcast Episode #157 "NYCC 2016"

Date: Monday, October 10th 2016 6:13pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: ScottyP

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Views: 66,075

Welcome to the latest episode of the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast! This episode features your actually-in-mortal-danger host ScottyP, overseas adventurer xRotorstormx, and Generations junkie Megatronus - listen in as we discuss the latest news, toys, and more.

Episode #157 "NYCC 2016" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

As you may have figured out, this show is all about New York Comic Con 2016, and as such, we're all bout dem toys. Seibertron himself and faithful sidekick Megatronus were at the scene, and you can check out all of Seibertron's NYCC 2016 galleries here.

We jump into things with the one, the only, the kaiju Decepticon: Trypticon. Hasbro's brand team was at NYCC on Thursday showing off a tantalizing leg of the upcoming fan vote Titan Class figure, and boy, do we like that leg. Listen in as we discuss the sheer scale of this figure as related to our favorite Titan Masters.



Next order of business: Leader Class Sixshot. This mean 6-changer was out in full force, with all modes on display. Between the sweet helmet and submarine-that-is-definitely-not-a-gun-turned-upside-down mode, there's a whole lot to love with this Leader Class figure.



There's another phase-sixer on our list: Black Shadow. This tank + jet combination turned heads, if only because he's not Overlord... yet. The crew excitedly explores the mundane subject of release ordering, and delves into Black Shadow's Pretender history, his relationship to Thunderwing, and the relatively recent Generations version of the character. Excelsior!



On to triple-changers: we get to Broadside, and his wonderful miniaturized Aerialbots, and Optimus Prime, who is, well, Optimus Prime. We have high hopes for both of these molds, albeit as other characters *cough*Octane*cough*, but hey, you never know when you'll need an Optimus around the holidays.



Have you noticed a scale progression here? Well, if you have, you know it's time for Generations Titans Return to continue on with Deluxe Class and Legends Class. The main reveal here was Deluxe Perceptor, with his G1 + IDW infused appearance, and Brawn and Kickback - but do they belong? Listen in as ScottyP puts forward his theory that these figures were holdovers from another era entirely.



Yes, we are dedicating a paragraph to Repugnus, who is adorable, and whom many on the Twincast are troop building!?



Robots in Disguise isn't completely forgotten, with new reveals from Combiner Force and the Warrior Class taking center stage. The possibilities are endless, with throwbacks to Armada, Energon, Victory, and even M.A.S.K. showing up through the upcoming products for Robots in Disguise.




After the NYCC talk with some Movie discussion - namely, Takara's upcoming line to celebrate the 10th Anniversary since the live action Transformers Movie in 2007. Besides the obvious question of 'Why?', the Twincast gets into the nitty gritty of premium decos, and which figures they're most excited to see reissued. Time to get pumped for TF5!



We finish up the Twincast with some bragging rights. What did everyone get since the last recording - or since xRotorstormx returned from Japan?