Marvel Universe: Luke Cage

QUICK INFO:

Name: Luke Cage

Line: Marvel Universe
Year: 2010

Price: $7.99

Bio:
It's been a long time since Luke Cage went by the name Power Man, and a lot has changed. He's gone from being an independent operator, making money with his powers, to a leadership role in the Avengers. There was a time when his bulletproof skin and super strength made him impulsive and short-tempered, but his recent responsibilities force him to think of others first before he acts.

Ah yes, a new Marvel Universe figure to add to the collection FINALLY! I'm not sure what is wrong with Hasbro's distribution of this line, but finding new figures is harder than finding a virgin in college. Today we'll take a look at the new leader of Marvel's Thunderbolts, Luke Cage.

I gotta hand it to Marvel's graphic design team as they have hit a home run with the packaging of this line. As much as I enjoyed Frank Cho's art on Series 1's packaging Mike Deodato's artwork is just fantastic. The switch over from S.H.I.E.L.D. to H.A.M.M.E.R. is a nice touch as well...even though in comics this switch is outdated. You may notice Luke's packaging has been tweaked a little as he was the runner up in the Fan's Choice contest Marvel held online.

On the back of the blister card you can immediately tell the other transition from Series 1 to Series 2. Replacing Frank Cho's Nick Fury is now Deodato's Tommy Lee Jones look alike Norman Osborn! The bio does a good job giving you a quick summarized history of the character. It is still prompting the buyer to go to Furyfiles.com to enter the code that is included inside the packaging, but upon entering my code it doesn't appear to unlock any new content. Not sure if Hasbro is planning on updating the website to reflect these new changes in Series 2 or not.

Here you have a good look at what is included inside the packaging. With Series 2 the figures now come with figure stands. This I like very much. In addition to Luke Cage himself you get a knit hat and his gold chain necklace I believe was made famous in his Marvel Comics MAX series. You also get a bent up girder he can wield. It's lame, but more on that later. The construction of the figure is really no different than with previous male characters in this line. My figure does seem really solid though with the joints holding most poses really well. There is a lot of articulation - head, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and the feet to some degree. I like the washed look on the jeans, but the washed look was extended to the arms & head and it looks really odd. The brown plastic that is exposed in the center of the figure (neck area around the straps of his shirt) don't have this washed look and look so much better. There were only 2 figures in the store when I purchased mine and both had this same look. His shirt is simply painted onto the body which at first I thought looked somewhat odd, but after having the figure out of the packaging for a bit now it doesn't bother me at all. My only gripe with this figure is the stupid girder he comes with. I had a hard time fitting it into his hand so I can snap a few pictures first off. After I got the weapon in place it seemed to weaken the wrist joint since it's fairly long and somewhat heavy. Luke's other hand is a closed fist (which normally I hate), but seeing how Luke is a man from the streets of Harlem I guess it makes sense.

"All geared up"

I like the overall look of the figure, especially the head. The black sunglasses and the gotee are perfect. I remember in the first several issues of the comic New Avengers David Finch drew Cage wearing the knitted styled hat. I could personally do with both the hat and the necklace, but they are nice additions for those who may enjoy them.

I'm a sucker for trading cards so I love how Series 2 continued the inclusion of the Superhuman Registration Act cards. On the front side we get a full body shot of Deodato's artwork used on the front of the packaging.

The back side of the cards is very nicely laid out. You see his real name is Luke Cage, legally changed from Carl Lucas. In the bottom right corner you have a classification for each character, with Luke being a Enhanced Human.

Hair: Bald Eyes: Brown Height: 6'6" Weight: 425 lbs. Sex: M

Powers: Superhumanly strong, able to lift (press) 25 tons. Steel-hard skin, self-taught hand to hand combatant, and extensive street fighting experience.

As with Series 1 you still get a Top Secret case file only this time the "letters" are addressed to Norman Osborne.

Director Osborne,

You asked Contingencies Division to work on some options for taking down the renegade vigilante Luke Cage. As you know, his strength and impenetrable skin present serious difficulties. We believe explosives of sufficient strength could take him out, but obviously that would result in serious collateral damage.

However, I found a protocol prepared by my predecessor for sanctioning Wolverine. I think with a few modifications, it could be adapted to capturing Cage. It would require some heavy ordnance, and shackles made from Vibranium, which will incur significant costs.

I have secured a source for the Vibranium. If you will authorize the 7.1 million dollar expenditure, I will begin work on fabricating the shackles.

Sincerely,
Col. Paul Colburn

This is one of my favorite Marvel Universe figures to date. I was thrilled to find it at the local Heroes Convention a few weeks back, but I'm glad I resisted paying the inflated price and waited to find him at retail. The other figure in this wave I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on is Thor as he is massive - even when compared to the bulked up Cage. If you are a fan on this line of action figures or just a fan of Luke Cage then do yourself a favor and pick him up the first time you run across him. I don't believe you'll have any regrets.

Transformers Robot-Man Z (Antex)

QUICK INFO:

Name: Robot-Man Z

Line: Transformers (Antex, Argentina exclusive)

Year: unknown
Price: unknown (paid $15.00)


Today's review will be rather short as I know little about the background of this toy. Nevertheless, enjoy!

I recently acquired this piece from a eBay seller in Argentina for $15.00. I knew Antex released different colored G1 mini-bots years ago and I knew the Jumpstarters had also been released in different color schemes, but I had never seen this version simply called Robot-Man Z. Don't ask me why, but I like the G1 Jumpstarters, esp. Twin Twist. I picked up Salt-Man X years ago when I first saw him so I couldn't resist this purchase.

I haven't quite figured out why Salt-Man X's colors are used on the packaging when Robot-Man Z has an entirely different color scheme. True they share the same mold, but what gives? My guess is it was a cheap way for Antex to save money and just re-use the same colored box art. I like the black and white myself, but compared to Salt-Man's yellow the white does seem a little bland. The included stickers were printed on very cheap paper and don't stick very well. Even the pre-applied stickers on the legs will fall off if you stare at them. Even the blister card is a very flimsy cardboard. The included gun is the same as G1 Twin Twists' minus the gaudy silver chrome.

If you've played w/ any Jumpstarter then you know what you're getting here. That said I plan to leave this toy sealed. Now I just gotta find a place to display this big blister card.

The other thing I can't figure out is when this toy was released. It uses the Generation 2 logo, but I couldn't find any copy right date on the packaging. Also, is Robot-Man Z here a Autobot or a Decepticon? There aren't any faction symbols on the toy or the sticker sheet. The G2 banner uses the Decepticon logo so I'm going with that. Now the Decepticons have their own Jumpstarter! Watch out Battle Chargers, there's a new BA in town!

The entire pack of the packaging is printed in another language so I really can't make out anything...but do we even need to be able to read it? Come on, it's a friggin' Jumpstarter! Fold robot over, pull back and release!

Alright, I've said far more than I had planned to do. So there you have a Transformer oddity...or grail in my case (yes, I have a warped view of grails!).

Transformers the Movie: Decepticon Reverb

QUICK INFO:
Name: Decepticon Reverb

Line: Transformers - The Movie (Hasbro, canceled Target exclusive)

Year: 2008
Price: $6.99 approx. (paid $20.00)

Bio:
Most Decepticons are so grim it's impossible to imagine they have fun doing anything, but not Decepticon Reverb. He charges into battle with a grin on his face, singing a happy song from the old days. Using the wash from his rotors, he can create a thudding sonic cyclone that traps those beneath him, shattering glass, twisting metal and destroying audio sensors. The ultra loud thump of his rotor has meant doom for many unfortunate Autobots.

Strength: 7 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 7 Endurance: 5

Rank: 6 Courage: 7 Fireblast: 5 Skill: 8

I'm back with an all new review. Today we'll go back to the first line of Transformers movie toys and look at canceled Target exclusive! Don't ask me why it was canceled or where the seller I bought it from got it, but I'm excited to hold Reverb in my hands. So let's take a closer looks at one of my favorite helicopter Transformers.

Decepticon Reverb comes packaged in the familiar layout used for all of the first movie Transformers. The toy was meant to be a Target exclusive, but was canceled before it saw a mass release. Note the familiar Target exclusive sticker is missing from the blister bubble. The only difference I noticed on the packaging is a small sticker was placed just under Ages 5+ that read 80402. There is also a large red sticker with a bar code covering the bottom of the cardboard insert with what appears to be Spanish.

The back of the packaging has a very nice layout. You get a shot of the actual toy in both robot and vehicle modes, highlights of the toy, the character's bio and a cross sell of the other 2 canceled Target exclusive scout class figures, Backtrack and Gunbarrel.

As I mentioned earlier I love this mold. I love helicopter Transformers in general, but this is one my favorites hand down. I already own this mold 5 times over (both Energon & ROTF versions + the Transformers Collector's Club exclusive Topspin), but I didn't hesitate adding one more version to my collection! My first impression upon taking Reverb out of the bubble is that his color scheme just screams Waspinator. The olive green, yellow stripe down the sides and even the black on the legs. There are bits of "Allspark blue" on the toy that stand out, but thankfully the color was used sparingly. The intakes on each side of the cockpit and the tips of the robot's toes are the only blue bits. The helicopter's cockpit is cast in a translucent light blue.

I should mention that I forgot to fold up the tail fin to it's upright position before snapping the picture. How unprofessional of me!

Just like the previous versions of this mold Reverb comes packaged with an Energon weapon and Energon chip. There are no changes made so if you've seen these then there isn't much else to look at.

Reverb weaponized with his Energon armaments. The gun can be attached in different ways. This is the default mode...basically how it comes out of the package. As you can tell with the gun attached the helicopter doesn't sit firmly on the ground...the nose wants to fall forward a bit.

Due to time constraints I didn't photograph the Reverb in any action poses or from different angles, but let me go on the record to say the robot mode is fantastic. For a scout class toy there is plenty of articulation to go around. The head turns a full 360 degrees, the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees are all ball joints so some great poses can be pulled out. The helicopter's tail piece does hang down in the back, but it's never obstructed any of the poses I've displayed this toy in. The main helicopter blades do fold down and effectively make one blade so you can display it either way. I just forgot to fold it down before photographing the toy. What's wrong with me today?!

I think the Waspinator color scheme really stands out even more in robot mode! The olive, yellow and black work really well though. I could care less for the Energon weapon as it's too big in my opinion to make an effective hand held weapon. I do like the translucent blue light piping used for the robot's eyes. Here lately it seems like fans are on the fence when it comes to the light piping used in the robot's heads. It doesn't bother me and I think it's a great touch.

I was a little surprised to see that Reverb came with 2 sets of instructions. One was printed on regular white paper and featured the same Spanish that the sticker on the bottom had. The other set of instructions were printed on a glossy white paper like the majority of the instructions we've seen.

In closing I am so glad I decided to get in a group buy of this figure over @ TFW2005.com. With shipping it only set me back $27.00 which isn't too bad considering the chances of this figure having a mass release are slim. In hindsight I wish I had sprung for his "Combaticon" brother Gunbarrel. The mold is the exact same as the Energon, ROTF and Transformers Collector's Club versions so if you have those then there is really no need to buy this figure. Chances are it'll be overpriced if you come across it on eBay so just save your coins. It's a great scout class Transformer, but other than a new coat of paint nothing else is new.

KO Korner: G1 Transformers Les Robots Dinosaures "Grimlock"

QUICK INFO:
Name: TL-331 Tyrannosaurus

Line: LesRobots Dinosaures (Aptoys)

Year: unknown
Price: unknown


Today's review will be different than any of the past as we'll take a look at a knock-off or bootleg toy. I normally steer clear of these for oh so many reasons, but this is one that I stumbled across that I just couldn't say no to. Why? Read on.

As you may be able to tell from the packaging this is a transforming dinosaur robot. What the trained eye may not be able to tell though (unless you are a geek like me!) is that this is no ordinary transforming dinosaur. More specifically a knock-off of the 1985 Transformers Generation One Dinobot Grimlock. This toy was made in Taiwan by a company called Aptoys. I have no further information on the history of this toy unfortunately. The figure is simply referred to as TL-331 Tyrannosaurus. As you can tell from the packaging it is very colorful sporting a lime green color with yellow trim and multicolored dinosaurs. What kid wouldn't have wanted this back in the day? I should note my specimen here didn't come with a plastic window on the box. Not sure if it ever had one to begin with.

The back of the box is a little better than the front as it features some artwork of this toy as well as the other 2 released in the line. TL-332 Triceratope is obviously a knock-off of G1 Slag while TL-333 Prontosaurus is a knock-off of G1 Sludge albeit with some changes! Our new version of Grimlock here isn't without his own changes either. At first glance you may not notice anything different on the artwork, but if you look closer at the back you'll see there is now a stretch of scales making a rigid fin running from the base of the neck to the tip of the tail. More on that later. You may have also noticed a crude transformation sequence of instructions printed on the upper left hand of the box. I can tell from the 4 tiny pictures that this transforms in the same manner as G1 Grimlock.

Now let's take Grimlock out of the box so we can take a closer look. The toy is sealed onto a cardboard insert featuring more realistic art. After looking at the art on the back of the box and even the front this seems a little out of place. But who cares about the art...we bought this for the toy! Grimlock here is cast in a dark green plastic with the neck joint being a translucent neon yellow plastic. The toes, tail, arms and other bits are a gold chrome (replacing silver chrome on the real toy). Here we can also see some of the changes they made to the mold outside of the color differences. Earlier I noticed the new spine on the back. Here you can see this new molded spine runs from the base of the neck to the tip of the tail. The portion of the spine on the lower back (which forms the legs) doesn't seem to fit very well and doesn't look integrated at all. The other new part isn't quite as noticeable at first. On top of the dino head is a gold chrome bump. I'm not sure how else to describe it! What purpose it serves I have no idea. Perhaps something that was just thrown on to avoid legal ramifications?

Without taking the toy completely out of the packaging it's hard to get a good camera angle of this gold bump added to the top of the head. Sorry guys.

I was surprised to see that the weapons included are all reproductions of the original. The sword is now gold chrome instead of the softer red plastic used in the original. All the weapons seem to be in the same scale as the original which is a plus.

I've seen the knock-off version of Sludge from this line before, but I've never seen this toy let alone packaged and still sealed. I'm not planning on opening it since I have a G1 Grimlock and since I don't how good (or bad) the plastic quality is. I do think it's one of the better looking G1 knock-offs I've seen in my years of collecting and a nice little conversation piece.

Transformers Generation 1: Snare (Predator)

QUICK INFO:
Name: Snare

Line: Transformers - Generation One (Hasbro, European exclusive)

Year: 1992
Price: unknown

Function: Surveillance

Subgroup: Predators

Motto: "Fear? What's that? It's all fun to me."

Bio: The crazy loner. Knows no fear. It makes no difference to him if nothing remains of him, as long as he has had fun. Uncommonly dangerous in his role as a sentry and guard. As an airplane, is deadly and streamlined, with extra sight thanks to his Megavisor-system. As a robot, attacks with a rocket launcher.

Strength: 7 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 9 Endurance: 9

Rank: 6 Courage: 9 Firepower: 8 Skill: 7

I've got a quick little review of the European exclusive Deception Predator jet, Snare. Is it worth the $.80 I paid?   Let's see!

Snare is a member of the subgroup of Decepticons called the Predators. Hasbro on released this toy in parts of Europe and Takara later in Japan as Flarejet as part of a two pack. The jet is based on the real world design of a Grumman X-29 jet fighter. Snare is a typical G1 style mold, yet the color scheme screams G2. Snare comes packaged with several neon green missiles as well as a gold missile launcher that doubles as a hand gun. The mold features G1 articulation...which is basically next to none! In jet mode he does have retractable landing gear underneath the nose and two sets in the rear. Most of the jet is molded in a pinkish-red plastic with a little teal paint applied to the top sides of the wing tips. The rear jet and shoulders of the robot are painted a copper color. The rest of the colors come from stickers, blue featuring the standard Decepticon emblem on each wing and a blue sticker on the nose of the jet. The canopy is molded in a translucent yellow plastic. The jet itself is rather small. I'd compare it to the size of a modern Revenge of the Fallen scout class toy. There isn't a lot of detail molded into the jet outside the usual metal panels. There are some small intake jets molded into the top of the robot's arms which I thought was a nice touch considering the arms exposed in jet mode take away from the jet's overall look. There are small pegs on the underside of the wing's tips that allow the green missiles to be attached.

Also on the underside is a little gimmick exclusive to the Predator toys...a view finder or as his tech specs call it a Megavisor. This particular one features the Autobot Boss. You could attach Snare or any other small Predator jet to Skyquake or Stalker to activate the Megavisor and pretend you were targeting the Autobot enemies. Simple gimmick, but innovative at the same time.

Transformation is very simplistic.

1) Flip up the landing gear

2) Flip out the robot's feet

3) Pull down the legs

4) Flip down the jet's cockpit

5) Fold up the head

There isn't a whole lot to say about Snare's robot mode. The only articulation in robot mode is at the shoulders allowing the arms to move up and down. There is some nice light piping in the back of the robot's head allowing light to shine through and illuminate the translucent yellow eyes. There are a few more stickers visible in robot mode. One blue sticker on each leg around the landing gear and two smaller green stickers on the waist.

Word of caution though if you plan to track down this toy. The missile launcher suffers from GPS - Gold Plastic Syndrome. I own two of this toy and neither came with the gun. The same color gold plastic on my Skyquake (as well as Pyro/Spark) has already chipped/cracked/broke so it's just as well I guess that I don't own Snare's gun! (quick eBay search)

I don't remember what I paid for the first Snare that I bought, but when I ran across this toy some time ago on eBay I couldn't resist placing a small bid. The seller had no idea what it was other than a Transformer and the listing must have gone unnoticed for the most part thanks in part to the bland title and description. If you are a fan of G1/G2 and don't mind a very simple toy then I recommend this toy. It's not worth the high price tag that it comes with on eBay in my opinion, but finding one loose and complete still may set you back a pretty penny.

** Thanks to TFW2005.com's Resources section for the pictures **
(I was too lazy to take my own pictures...very crazy week for me)

Transformers 3rd Party: Headrobots - Cobra (Headmaster)

QUICK INFO:
Name: Cobra
Line: Head-On!!! (Headrobot)
Year: 2010
Price: $17.95 (TFSource)

It seems that ever since the first live action Transformers movie hit the big screen the Transformers property has been hotter than ever. The old Generation One (G1) toys have always been popular with people who grew up with them like myself and a quick scan on eBay will show the toys can bring in a pretty penny. With the current success of Transformers there have been several "garage companies" overseas that have popped up that produce unofficial/unlicensed Transformer action figures, accessories or add-on items for official Hasbro/Takara Tomy Transformers. Some fans hate the stuff, some fans love the stuff. The quality of the items range from craptacular to spectacular. Love 'em or not it appears this stuff is here to stay (at least for awhile). So today we'll take a look at one of my favorite "fan made toys" to be released in the last few months, Headrobot's Cobra.

Headrobot's first release is called Cobra. From what I understand the idea behind this toy is that it was an unused idea back in the 80's in Japan that Takara never used. Takara did manufacture and sell several Headmasters figures separately in Japan (3 robots, 3 beast Headmaster heads), but Cobra never made it past the drawing board. Cobra is a traditional sized G1 Headmaster head. Instead of a robot mode however he has a beast alternate mode...of a Cobra. Never would have guessed, huh? Cobra comes packaged in a really nice re-sealable clam shell case. Headrobot even made additional inserts for the clam shell so you could mix it up if you chose to display the figure in the packaging. The default packaging mimmicks the original Japanese G1 Decepticon Headmasters packaging. To avoid copyright infringement the usual Transformers logo has been replaced with "Head-On!!" which is a direct homage to the Japanese Headmasters animation where "head-on" would be shouted at the time of transformation.

The back of the packaging isn't nearly as beautiful as the front, but it does offer up some information about the toy in both English and Japanese languages! Also note the Robo Points in the bottom left corner. A very nice touch. They even re-create the ST logo albeit slightly changed. Underneath the ST logo it reads Seibertronian Made Figure (designed in the USA). If you are wondering what the information is read on:

What is Head On Cross?!

The evil Headrobots started training to further strengthen themselves again the good robots. Headrobots can connect to the Transtector after they master the art of combining. The Power Meter on the chest shows their abilities.

Now, it is your time to cross head on to D-85 Crocodile, D-86 Wolf, and D-87 Bat!

The references made to the animals of course are the Decepticon Headmasters Skullcruncher (crocodile), Weirdwolf (wolf) and Mindwipe (bat).

Let's take a look at Cobra out of the packaging. The head module of Cobra is mainly comprised of a creamy white and a light olive green while the visor is painted yellow. You'll notice that the shape of the head is quite different when compared to G1 Headmaster heads in that it features a sloped look. It was hard for me to capture the detail on the face with my camera, but a great deal of detail went into this sculpt. The "mouth" has two vent like features right underneath the visor. You can tell a lot of care was given to this form. The Transtector nub on the bottom of the head is also sculpted differently than most G1 heads in that it is almost entirely square like a peg. The notches on the right and left sides are barely noticeable, but they serve the same function as we'll see shortly.

Now let's plug Cobra onto a G1 Headmaster body and see how well this new toy blends in with the old.

I chose Skullcruncher here for several reasons. First he is one of my favorite Headmasters, but more importantly I thought the green used on Cobra would better match than the dark purple on Mindwipe or the yellow on Weirdwolf. As you can see he attaches to the body just as any other Headmaster head would. I think this body is a really good match and at least to me Cobra doesn't look out of place.

Here's a better close up of Cobra attached to Skullcruncher. You can also get a better idea for the level of detail on the head module as well as see how well he blends in. If I didn't know better I may have thought this was the original or intended head for Skullcruncher.

Here we get a glimpse of Cobra's "abilities" once attached to a Headmaster Transformer. First we'll take a look at Grax attached to Skullcruncher (top photo). You can see that Grax's Speed is around 4, while Strength is maxed out at 10 and Intelligence is probably a 9. Plug Cobra into the body (bottom photo) and now we can see that Cobra's Speed is around 7 while Strength is 5 and Intelligence is 6 or 7.

Enough time spent on Cobra's head module form. Let's take a look at his namesake's form...the cobra.

Cobra has a unique look. Top half cobra, bottom half tank. The tank treads are molded in the same creamy white plastic as the top half of Cobra. Transformation is rather simple.

1) From head module, flip up the flat white portion of the head.
2) Flip over the middle portion forming the snake head.
3) Pull up on the snake assembly and pose as you like.
4) Underneath the treads is a white tail piece, flip it out.

I forgot to pull out the tail portion before snapping this side view of Cobra. Oops!

This is a fun little toy and I have no regrets with my purchase. I'm not a huge fan of the olive green color scheme, but it does blend in very well w/ Skullcruncher. The original pre-production colors was a darker shade of gray. I've found one on-line retailer selling this version, though I'm not sure how many exist or if the quality is the same as this final version I hold in my hands. Headrobot did a fantastic job making this forgotten idea reality. The level of detail is quite good. The quality of the plastic and materials is top notch. While $18.00 may seem like a lot of money to some for such a small toy it really is worth the purchase. Headless G1 Headmasters are easy to come by @ flea markets and on eBay and when matched up with Cobra the toy really shines. If you are on the fence whether or not to buy Cobra I say go ahead. Not only will you be getting a cool little toy, but you will be helping Headrobot financially. They have already stated that if the sales of Cobra are good enough then they will release another Headmaster beast (Iguana). If you are looking for a good Decepticon Headmaster to match up w/ this version of Cobra then I highly recommend Skullcruncher. Head-On!!

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen: Brakedown

QUICK INFO:
Name: Brakedown
Line: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen
Year: 2010
Price: $7.99

Bio: Decepticon scout Brakedown avoids contact with the enemy at all costs. His job is to observe and report, not fight. That's why he's geared for speed, not battle. Unfortunately for him, Mudflap has other ideas, and now he finds himself racing for his life away from the determined Autobot warrior.

Strength: 4 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 8 Endurance: 4

Rank: 3 Courage: 7 Firepower: 2 Skill: 9

I'm not a big fan of the movie themed Transformers, but I have to give Hasbro & Takara Tomy credit with the scout class figures. Today we'll take a look at a fan favorite and how he compares to his Generation 1 (G1) homage.

Brakedown comes packaged in the standard Revenge of the Fallen style blister. Back of the card gives you his bio as well as his Tech Specs. I really miss the function and motto aspects of the old Tech Specs.

Brakedown is pretty good. My first impression right out of the package is that he is in line with other ROTF scouts, but not the best. The white plastic is very bright and the it helps make the blue used on the arms, legs and waist really stand out. The arms are rather long and at least to me it takes away from the overall look of the robot mode. There are slots on the inside part of the hands that allow him to wield Skystalker's hand weapons. Nice touch. Another thing about the arms I don't care for are the car doors/windows that literally hang off. Most of the car kibble is hidden so to speak on the back of the toy.

He has a good bit of articulation in robot mode. His head spins a full 360 degrees and can be positioned up and down a little bit. Shoulders rotate forward and back and 360 degrees. Waist piece doesn't rotate, but does let the upper half move back and forth. Legs are articulated at the waist connector and at the knees. The toes move enough to help support several different poses. The only Decepticon symbol viewable in robot mode is on his chest in the license plate area of the rear bumper. Like most of the movie toys it is a simple silver color and not the iconic Decepticon purple.

Brakedown's head only shares the same color scheme as his Generation One (G1) counterpart, Breakdown. Gone is the square shaped head. The head sculpt does a good job at making the Decepticon look evil though.

Rear view of Brakedown. As you can see there is a lot of car kibble in robot mode. Thankfully the kibble doesn't make too large of a back pack and blends in well with the rest of the figure. This view does give you a better idea of how the transformation occurs which in my opinion is one of the highlights of this toy.

Comparison time! Brakedown is much larger in robot mode then Breakdown is. The color scheme is spot on however. While some liberties were taken with Brakedown's robot mode there are enough similarities (outside the deco) where one not familiar with the Transformers history could see how these two are related.

I don't normally talk a lot about the transformation process in my toy reviews of Transformers, but I had to mention of this particular transformation. Usually the smaller class figures have a more simplified process, but Brakedown bucks that trend. Since he's packaged in robot mode we'll look at the steps to take him from robot mode to vehicle mode.

1) Straighten the arms so the car doors are in line with the sides of the shoulders. Flip his feet up and pull down the front part of the car behind his feet.

2) Flip the head back into the designated hole.

3) Rotate the legs inward.

4) Snap the two hood pieces together forming the front of the vehicle.

5) Pointing the vehicle down, flip the windshield portion up.

6) Take the sides of the vehicle and flip them up so the spoiler portion on the rear of the vehicle snaps together with the sides.

7) Take the portion of the car that is still hanging down and rotate the waist portion out just a smidge.

8) Flip the rest of the vehicle up so it is in line with rear and sides.

9) At this point the car should be coming together. The windshield should be pointing towards the rear spoiler now. Rotate it 180 degrees to the front and snap it into place.

10) Take each side now and fold it in and snap the sides into place.

Brakedown is a stylish sports car. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be any certain make or model. There is enough sculpting on the car to resemble a Lamborghini Countach which his G1 counterpart is, but there is also enough different about the design to make it not look like a Lamborghini. It's rather small and compact, but it's no smaller than any other scout class figure. The wheels are rather free wheeling which adds to the play value.

I have to say the designers did a good job hiding the robot bits on the underside of the vehicle. It's nice and compact and nothing really protrudes out.

Comparison time! I love the vehicle mode of both toys. In this mode you can really tell the difference in the shade of white. Breakdown is a more creamy off white while Brakedown is more of a bright snow white. Hasbro did a good job with the red portion on the hood of the vehicle. I noticed on mine however some rather heavy scratching on the hood just to the right of the red. I'm guess this is from how the parts move during transformation. I have no idea of others have had this problem or not, but it was a bit of a bummer to see it all nicked up since I just popped it out of the packaging today for this review.

In closing I have to say Hasbro did a good job with this figure. While the robot mode is lacking in a few areas the overall design and transformation make this a fun little toy. I've yet to run across a scout class figure in the Revenge of the Fallen line that I don't like. Brakedown wasn't as good as I was hoping he'd be, but he still is a solid addition to the line. The Generation One homages are great and it is always fun to see old characters re-envisioned using modern toy technology. I recommend this toy to all.