Transformers Titans Return Sky Shadow review

Once known as Black Shadow in Japanese continuity, Sky Shadow is one of those Takara characters that represents how much their handling of G1 Decepticons contrasts with that of the Sunbow cast or even the Marvel continuity's own villains. He's more like a gangster with skills almost comparable to a bounty hunter, and some of his other allies tend to fear being next to him should the possibility of betrayal strike. He has a partner in crime known as Blue Bacchus, and despite their notoriety as a group, there is a chance Black Shadow would pull a Starscream and kill him behind his back with none of the incompetence of the Seeker. Apart from having a Japanese retool of Thunderwing for the Victory line and a Generations Deluxe also sharing a mold with that Matrix stealer, let's see if being a pre-tool of Overlord benefits him more than ever. It's yet another Titans Return review, and keep in mind that while he is known as Black Shadow, I'll mostly stick with the name Sky Shadow since it's the name I normally call him.

Here we have Sky Shadow in his vehicle mode, or rather, vehicle modes. Remember when I said that he was a pre-tool of OL? That black tank was part of the design, and it was only a holdover from when we would get the figure it was actually meant to be. That said, it at least color matches the jet mostly associated with the bot mode, though it does.kivble management better since that jet has the entire arms visible, even if they're shortened and have the hands folded away. The cockpits open on both figures as one would expect, and while the tank does have wheels, its turret does not rotate. Still, for mid-2010s Leader alt modes, they are decently chunky, and I appreciate that we kind of have landing gear for the fairly faithful jet mode. Also, keep in mind that this is one of the few toys in my collection with replacement stickers not found from the stock version of this toy, as it was second hand by, you guessed it, my friend Ernie.

If you want to have the jet carry the tank component, you can clip the turret into the exposed section and have it carry the land-based vehicle around. I believe this is a loose tease for the Big Powered retool we would later get, but here, it looks like Animated Blitzwing.

This is a fan mode I came up with to distinguish Sky Shadow from Overlord even more: leaving the tank legs attached so they form Jetfire-like boosters. I should make it look less tank-like, so this is attempt number 1, FYI.

His base mode is more of a halfway point between turning into a robot, and here, it vaguely looks like what Fort Max's Spaceship Bruce was, only with a hint of a rocket ship on the back. If you want, you can flip out some tabs so the base can connect to Trypticon. Base connectivity is a common thing for these toys back before the WFC Trilogy continues that.

Transformation is almost like what Siege Skytread would later have, mostly with the leg transformation, though the cockpit stays on the back instead of forming the chest. It's very basic, and at 18 steps, it's three more than Combiner Wars Megatron. At least the robot mode looks accurate to the character model, even with the tank legs since being mostly black blending in. It's not as noticeable as even more blatantly distinct designs like Sideswipe and Sunstreaker having the same legs for the Universe Deluxes despite having different torsos. The color scheme already looks good, and the shoulder cannons, despite pointing up at all times, at least add to the silhouette as if he was some dark, brooding tower. Almost feels like something associated with Batman, though maybe not in a gangster way so probably belongs to another character worth associating with more appropriately. 

Head sculpt works like all Leaders from this line: the Titan Master turns into the head on its own, then it is covered mostly within the helmet. You don't need to remove the head if you want to treat this like a regular TF.

Articulation consists of a neck swivel, slight up and down movement, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement on two joints (one at the shoulders, another within the armpits), bicep swivels, hinged elbows, universal hips thigh swivels, hinged knees, and ankle pivots. He has two guns, one of them being the front of his jey half and can also double as a shield on his forearm.

His first retool was the character it was intended for: Overlord. The upper body is entirely new to match the character model, and it includes the door gimmick on the chest where two Titan or Prime Masters can store inside. The colors of this version match the old toy, one that was also released in some European and Australian markets! Would have been cool if he was released in the US, makes me wonder if he would have been a new form of Megatron or not.

Naturally, the Takara version would be recolored and retooled to better match the Masterforce series, with a new helmet and a chest gimmick with built-in Godmaster engines implemented instead of space for the Titan Masters. Speaking of, he has a second one meant to represent Giga, who has a slightly more female face that some claim matches the IDW lips. Yeah, I should mention that he is intentionally mistransformed to be in better scale with Super Ginrai, and having that figure with me, you will see why this was done.

Finally, Dai Atlas is an even heavier retool of the figure than Overlord was, with a the ability to serve as a quad-changer (kind of) by making his tank mode permanently attached to his body while using a multi-hinge spine to integrate both modes in one unit. He can still do the base mode, but his wings can form a wonky shield and can combine with Sonic Bomber and Roadfire into Big Powered.

Here we have Sky Shadow next to Super Ginrai, proving that the mistransformation was intentional for the sake of making the Overlord retool taller than the Autobot leader of the year. SS was more of a Victory character, but what's stopping him from being involved in a size comparison like this? So do I recommend him? Keep in mind that there are leaks for next year's Age of Evolution line that will feature a new Thunderwing at the Commander Class scale, and while many would want to wait and see if Takara or Hasbro will do a heavy retool for a new Black Shadow that better matches the Victory series, I'd argue that the inevitable price hikes will make things harder to stomach. They've already done this with the whole selection of size classes last year, and Deluxes are said to be $30, so if you're interested in finding a good deal, then get the Titans Return version instead. He's going to work fine if you leave the tank legs attached and mistransformed intentionally. Besides, there hasn't been either a Blue Bacchus or a Crossblades from either company, so why not just stick with this instead? I plan to do that so he can be distinct from Thunderwing!

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

McFarlane DC Multiverse Poison Ivy & Wonder Woman review

It's that time again for another girls' night out, and doing the rounds this time are the duality of female DC characters: the hot yet deadly Poison Ivy and the glorious Wonder Woman. We've seen WW plenty of times before, so why don't we give a bit of background on the Batman villain herself? Originally known as Dr. Pamela Isley, she was originally a plant expert who was later turned into an eco-terrorist as she tried to fight in the name of Mother Nature, so kind of like the global warming crowd but far less cringe than them! She is usually depicted as one of the more prominent foes of The Dark Knight, but she has reluctantly helped him out from time to time if need be. Of late, likely thanks to appealing to not making "environmentally-friendly" crowds look bad while also tying in with Harley Quinn's history with the Joker, they're now depicted as a lesbian couple that probably have something like "be gay, do crime" written in their promo art (though tbf, Marvel tried doing that with Mystique and some other X-Men character). Anyways, let's see how these two turned out!

Here we have Poison Ivy in-hand, reusing the Batman & Robin version of the character we got while back. Honestly, that doesn't bother me all that much since it's not like the costume is that dramatically different. I will say that the Uma Thurman version is better painted overall, between a wash in the torso to accentuate the toxic leaves and the fade to black as we reach her boots. That said, I assume this was done to distinguish the two without going for a mere headswap. And while the torso looks kind of under detailed in terms of deco, they at least used a different shade of green for the sleeves and leggings so the ivy wouldn't blend in that easily. The skin is naturalistic as one would hope, and you have good anatomy for the figure overall (especially for those who are looking at her cleavage). And hey, she has a set of hands for probably holding the strands of ivy she comes with.

Head sculpt is better than the initial images made it out to be, but what I can appreciate is that they slightly painted the hair so it isn't the neon plastic color the B&R version had. She also looks like an evil Jessica Rabbit if you think about their similarities. While the articulation is the same as usual, she had the same alternate hands found from the B&R version as well as the strands of ivy to wrap around her arms or legs. That's it. No deadly plants in vases, no alternate faces, just those two little things and that's it. How is that worth $35??? Just as horribly cheap for an overpriced release as the Max Shreck figure that came with nothing but an alternate head! This has as much value as a regular release that comes with one pair of hands only, and the only reason McFarlane made her a collector release was so they can lock a more desirable character behind a slightly higher price tag, knowing the hunger for this character. As for the Platinum version, she has green skin with even more of it showing than the flesh tone version, as there are no sleeves or leggings on her. Would love to see that treatment on the regular version. That is meant to match the more modern appearance she's had since Hush, iirc. As for the hair, it is more orangey but not as neon as the Uma Thurman version.

Speaking of Hush, here she is for a size comparison between Batman from the sequel comic and my modified Godzilla 2-pack Superman. I bet you can get those strands of ivy on Supes to recreate the time he was under her influence, even if that isn't the actual version of Hush Superman.

As for Wonder Woman, we mostly get the same figure from the Collector Edition, and while the reds and blues may be closer to its Platinum releases you still have gold instead of yellow, and we have a brand new head sculpt based on her 80s appearances with hair comparable to the Sensational She-Hulk. And looking closer, the gold and skin tone apparently to be slightly lighter on the newer version. The accessories as well as the alternate hands are the same from what we got previously, do you could let the Vault reissue use the new one's axe and shield if you so desire. As for her Platinum release, it is based on the New 52 series, and while everything is almost accurate, the hair is not even close to how it appeared in that run (it's closer to the regular version but with a silver tiara); knowing McFarlane, retooling wasn't on the menu for Platinums in general, so maybe his should have been reserved for a different look that can still rock the 80s hair? At least they know she sometimes has the bikini bottom in the New 52 (though pants are also worn on the occasion).

Overall, while Wonder Woman is just as recommended as she was in the past prior to the original release's scalper epidemic, Poison Ivy is in no way worthy of the Collector Edition tag. What difference does the value make between the original Batman & Robin release that came with a part of Mr Freeze versus an extra pair of hands and some strands of ivy? This review is kind of short given we already looked at one figure whereas the other has little to offer, but I'll say this: get the Vault Wonder Woman to accompany this new one and wait for Ivy to go on sale.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Wonder Woman)

⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Poison Ivy)

Transformers Titans Return Alpha Trion review

While we have had more toys of Alpha Trion than we did in the past, Titans Return was the first time the character got a mainline, properly transforming figure made in-house by the HasTak crew. Before then, all we mostly got were nontransforming figures from third party licensee, Kreons, or canceled repaints of other figures. And it almost seemed like we would get a new toy of this character within the decade since the TR Voyager came out. He would later get a Prime Master release, a Cyberverse Ultra, a Voyager released in Legacy and a second addition for Age of the Primes, and a few TFOne tie-ins to go with Laurence Fishburne being one of the few good parts of that flick. As for the Titans Return version, he may be seen as an anomaly for today's collectors, be it people who mostly prefer the super duper Sunbow accuracy in recent toys or casuals who probably got into the Skybound toys...and also want the super duper Sunbow accuracy with those comic touches. That being said, I'm sure there is still some value to it than just being a "temporary" gap filler for CHUG displays. Let's see how well this holds up.

Here we have Alpha Trion in his horned lion mode. It's a pretty good take on what kind of beast mode would be associated with AT, especially with a mythical twist given how old he is in-universe. The face using the purple to represent his helmet in robot mode while his mane is silver fucking rocks. The rest of the body varies from appearing organic in shape like a Transmetal to the back looking more like a blocky G1 Predacon. However, what sucks is that the articulation is about as effective as the one G1 Predacons, or the original Cheetor: very little leg articulation, and no jaw-ticulation so to speak! On the flip side, the tail sword is a common trope done here again.

Here he is with the TFOne version of himself, just to show how much smaller the layer figure is in addition of being even more pitiful in comparison. It hangs its head in shame and waits for the Titans Return version to kill it. We just need for the TR version to not be only poseable at the forelegs.

The transformation into spaceship mode is almost like a brutal yoga pose, mostly because you're compacting the hind legs and splitting the beast head in half. As for how it turned out, you can see the seeds of an inevitably heavy Broadside retool in the works with how much it resembles an aircraft carrier. It's meant to resemble the spaceship mode he later got in other G1 media but it doesn't look that great.

For a vehicle mode comparison, it doesn't compare to the altmode he once had as a younger bot from Age of the Primes, nor is it as good as even the Scourge recolor. But hey, triple changer.

Transformation is pretty easy to follow, mostly because everything goes where you would need it to for a design like this: shoulders formed from the lion head halves, shins made from the hind legs, front paws forming torso armor, and Sovereign turns into the robot head. The resulting robot mode is much more barbaric than we're used to seeing with Alpha Trion, but it kind of fits if we remember his history as an ancient Prime and not just being a father figure of some kind to Optimus. I love this reimagining of him, and even if you were to make him more greebly and desaturated, he would look good as a Movieverse take on the character. I will say that the shoulder halves being made from the lion head looks good from the front, because most other angles reveal how flat they are from the back on top of the screws and other unsightly stuff like with AOE Voyager Grimlock. Maybe a larger toy or ditching the spaceship mode can help. Regardless, this design looks awesome, even with the colors he has; makes me wish we got another series with an Alpha Trion like this. I bet Cyberworld would put him in there and have him be a bootleg Master Roshi (or whatever the quirky chungus writers think Roshi is like).

The head sculpt by itself pretty good making a more badass take on the archivist bot with an angular style that contrasts his older faces from G1. Even the horns compliment it better than other gimmicks with the spring loaded "head-add ons"! Articulation consists of a ball jointed neck by itself with only a slight bit of rotation at the base, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, hinged elbows, ball jointed wrists, swivel hips that are a little too tight from the painted waist piece, outward leg movement, thigh swivels, hinged knees, and slight ankle hinges due to transformation but no pivots. Also, he has a sword and gun, with the latter serving as a seat for Titan Masters.

For a more direct reuse, this is Legends Lion convoy, who looks majestic kike the lion from the Manticore Megazord. The head is repainted from Sentinel Prime, and it represents one of the characters forms in that wild ass storyline associated with Takara's takes on some early Prime Wars toys.

The figure was heavily retooled into Broadside, and while I always hated this character, at least the Titans Return figure is decent in bot mode. The aircraft carrier mode scale is wild with the included Combiner Wars Aerialbots and the jet mode is as bad as the original.

Broadside's Japanese release is cartoon accurate, including painting over the wings, and he comes with the Repugnus accessory as did many Voyagers in the line. The Legends manga has the Titan Master actually change size, too! 

For a genuine surprise of a retool, this is Tidal Wave, included with the Siege on Cybertron set. I wish I got this because that may be the version of the mold I would get. That stems from Tidal Wave being way cooler than Broadside, anyhow. I bet you can come up with some fan modes to make him more Armada accurate in jet mode.

Here he is with his fellow Alpha Trions from years since this came out. The other two certainly look more scholarly, yet the Titans Return version can represent either a different continuity or an era where he was a warrior before retiring his mantle. However you see him fit in your version of G1.

Overall, this version of Alpha Trion may not be the figure many would want now that we got the more recent versions, but I am always happy to keep him in my collection purely from how unique he is. We get a nod to his Beast Machines/Wreckers era look, he turns into a version of a ship mode he might have had if he transformed, and the design of the bot mode is very underrated. Lio Convoy is the better version of this tooling, but I am happy with owning this as someone who kind of likes this mentor for Optimus. And he beats the shitty TFOne figure once again. Now then, where can I get a cape like in the promo art?

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

McFarlane DC Multiverse Collector Edition Hawkman & Hawkgirl review

Ready to revisit the ever confusing nature of Hawkgirl History? No? Too bad, we're delving into it again with Hawkman doubling the confusing nature of these characters! At least this is clearly the Kendra Saunders version and not another identity, though then again, that's likely from her being in some of the more recent material as well as loosely tying in with her appearance from last year's Superflop (without making a figure of her live action screeching counterpart). As for Hawkman, we have to keep in mind that he was around since World War II, first as a human trapped in an ancient Egyptian curse of endless death and rebirth, then an alien police officer sent to protect Earth. McFarlane even acknowledged the crazy nature of this character by saying he's sometimes a mix of the two identities, lined up well with the Hawkman focus for Zero Hour. Apart from that, let's see how well these two turned out!

Here we have Hawkman in-hand, with a fairly dark color scheme that almost makes me think of a Gargoyle instead of the usual Hawkman. This stems from being an amalgamation of all versions of Hawkeye prior to his comic relaunch, also stemming from the aesthetics tone comics had at the time; that shade of blue for the pants fits well with someone like Batman, while the hair on the chest as well as the darker colors of the wings almost make him much less "classic" and more mythical and gritty in comparison. Some superhero redesigns and new faces had this at the time, and while it was edgy, it beats turning characters into himbos or girlbosses. The blue grey fade on top of the wings makes him feel slightly gothic, while the chest hair makes him feel more barberic with the harness and nothing else covering the upper body, a contrast to the fresh, clean look associated with someone like He-Man. Other than that, this almost makes me think of the kind of "Mythic Warriors" toyline Todd McFarlane would have done, only trading a heavy level of weathering and deco for articulation.

His head sculpt is meant to fit with the tweaks Hawkman had in his 90s relaunch, between the bird-like eyes to go with the organic wings and the black mullet that further pushes to the edge of that era. I wish the fins of the helmet weren't that flexible, but at least the paint looks nice. I like thay the beak is more vibrant gold than the rest of the helmet. Articulation is the same as usual, but the wings are not only removable, but they can flap as well as hinge up and down. They are stuck in this look, but at least they're not collapsed like with the 2014 Angel from the All New X-Men boxset. Other than that, the collector card, and the stand, he comes with his mace with some color separation at least.

The newest Hawkgirl is a straight recolor of the original, almost appearing like it got a suntan, yet it fits with Kendra Saunders being of Latin descent. I love that the wings are silver and caramel colored, and while the costume may seem similar to Kendra, it is actually painted differently in some areas, mostly the helmet and and the aforementioned wings. Being a suntan version of Shiera, though, she retails the painted skin for the upper body above her breasts, which could have been prevented if McFarlane wasn't using the same tooling.

The Platinum releases of these two go for more classic looks, with Hawkman being closer to the Silver Age, whereas Hawkgirl is closer to the Golden Age. I say Silver Age because that is the closest HM looks in spite of the mullet in his head. I believe Hawkgirl should have normal eyes, too. Then again, McFarlane is as confused as us thanks to DC continuity.

And here they are together as a flock, I guess you could say! With both Hawkgirls using the same tooling as Wonder Woman, they end up being as tall as Hawkman. Now that I have a version of Hawkman in my collection, I have to admit he looks cool but is far too undeserving of being overpriced in the aftermarket. Especially when the only accessories he'll have are wings that are almost always stuck on him and a single weapon. At least Hawkgirl has more hands and better wing articulation, but I would have preferred if these two Hawkgirls were released together while the classic ones were their own regular and Platinum duo. I can only guess McFarlane didn't do that because people wouldn't be as invested in getting the Platinums if they were slightly different versions of what the regular retail releases are. So I recommend the new Hawkgirl as much as I do the original, whereas you better prey Hawkman is easy to get at a good price.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Hawkgirl)

⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Hawkman)