Dave's Kiddie Transformers Rant: Robot Heroes Wave 2

     Ultra Magnus / Megatron
     Bumblebee / Soundwave
     Autobot Jazz / Thundercracker
     Optimus Prime / Unicron

     Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/123/RH2

     The first two sets listed have made it into a wave 1.5 sort of deal and
came out during the June 2, 2007 "street date" madness.  The second two sets
will come out later.  Thundercracker is a straight recolor of wave 1's
Starscream, but Optimus Prime is a new mold with Optimus opening the Matrix.

     Update 6/22/07: Autobot Jazz / Thundercracker added.
     Update 7/21/07: Optimus Prime / Unicron added.
     
CAPSULES

     Ultra Magnus / Megatron: Ultra Magnus is a jerk, and Megatron is
prepared to wipe that smirk off his face.  Amusing set.  Recommended.  $5.99
at Target.
     Bumblebee / Soundwave: Bumblebee is a bully, Soundwave is wondering what
he's even doing here, both are pretty cool.  Strongly recommended.  $5.99 at
Target.
     Autobot Jazz / Thundercracker: Jazz has just the right amount of
attitude and a good mold.  Thundercracker is a recolor, but works well.
Recommended.  $5.99 at TRU.
     Optimus Prime / Unicron: Prime is a nice reposition with a somewhat
hazardous Matrix prop.  Unicron is...very orange.  Okay set, but only mildly
recommended.  Got it in trade, as it hasn't shown up in my area yet.


RANTS

     Packaging: Same as wave 1, but with the characters on the back changed.
While these four sets are actually shipping as waves 2 and 3, the fact that
they're all on the same package back is why I'm lumping them together, so
there.  :)


AUTOBOT: ULTRA MAGNUS

     He's out-smirking Mirage, and looks like a total jerk.  Head cocked to
one side, left arm pointing in a more desultory manner than Prime's
commanding point, right arm bend with hand in a fist.  He's leaning slightly
to put his weight on his right leg, and all in all exudes a sense of being
that rich kid at school who liked to lord it over everyone yet thought he was
being Mr. Popular.  You know, the Autobots in this line come across as he bad
guys.  :)  He's begging for Megaton to blast him.  It almost like he's
pointing at Megatron's cannon and sneering, "You call THAT a weapon?
Puh-leez!"
     Made of light blue plastic with red and white paint, plus silver face
and antennae, yellow-orange kneecaps, and a red and white Autobot symbol
printed on the left shoulder.  The paint applications are a bit sloppy.
     One of the tallest figures, he's 6.5cm tall.  His shoulders and head
move.  


DECEPTICON: MEGATRON

     Feet apart, right leg more forward as if he's just absorbed the recoil
of one of his shots, he has a wide-open mouth in a big smile...as if he's
just replied to Ultra Magnus, "Yes, I call THIS a weapon.  And I call THAT a
gaping hole where your head used to be."  His head doesn't turn, and while
both arms move, the right arm really only looks good in one position, with
the cannon on top.  I suppose it's okay with that arm raised, so it looks
like he's waving hi.  His right hand is open just enough to cup over Ravage's
head and give skritches.
     Made of light gray plastic.  His hands, gun, pelvs and boots are black.
His elbows, eyes, flanks and inside boots are red.  His toes and back-mounted
barrel are silver.  He has yellow printed details on his back, and a purple
printed Decepticon symbol on his chest.  There's also some subtle bits of
yellow and metallic lavender on his abdomen.  
     5.4cm tall.


AUTOBOT: BUMBLEBEE

     Hunched over and walking forward, with right hand in a fist and left
open at rest, he's smirking as he approaches.  Bumblebee's coming, and he's
bringing a beating.
     Made of bright yellow plastic (the only plastic in the lot to have a
strong UV glow) with a lot of black paint, including some weird detailing on
the insteps.  The face is silver, the car windows and eyes are sky blue.  The
headlights on the feet are white.  Some of the black paint has spattered onto
places it's not supposed to be.  Printed red and white Autobot symbol on the
chest.
     Unlike most figures posed so that they have to tilt their heads up to
look forward, Bumblebee's head can move.  So can both shoulders.  5.2cm tall,
but hunched over, so he looks bigger.
     While sticking close to the G1 Bumblebee, the tires don't just vanish as
in the standard animation model.  Instead, the rear wheels are inside the
shoulders and visible on the back, while the front wheels rotate 90 degrees
to be flat on the ground sideways.


DECEPTICON: SOUNDWAVE

     Serious case of the Crouch.  His left arm is posed in a "pressing the
eject button" way, while his right arm is bent and ends in a hand in a sort
of claw, looking like he's recoiling from touching something nasty.  He can
sorta give Ravage skritchies, but looks more like he thinks Ravage needs a
bath.  Especially since he shares Grimlock's "WTF?" expression.
     5.6cm tall all hunched over, he'd be the tallest of all if he stood up
straight.  As with Bumblebee, his head turns despite the pose, and both arms
move.  His left arm can't be moved to scratch his own head, sadly.  It would
go so well with his expression.
     Dark blue plastic, uses extensive white paint instead of silver or
gunmetal, an odd choice.  Also has golden yellow paint trim, red eyes and
stripes, black feet, and some printed details.  Printed purple Decepticon
symbol on the chest.  Really good molded detailing.


AUTOBOT: AUTOBOT JAZZ

     Feet apart, leaning back a bit, his arms are both bent 90 degrees and
his left hand is in a thumbs-up position (or a "get outta here" thumb back
when the arm is raised).  His mouth is a triangle of smirk, and he seems to
be saying, "Beat it, turkeys!"
     Made of white plastic, mainly with black paint (head, shoulders, hands,
pelvis, wheels, part of boots).  He has metallic blue stripes on hood and
roof, light blue on visor, headlights, pelvis details and kneecaps.  The
faceplate is silver, he has a red stripe along the bottom of his chest/hood,
and a red and white Autobot symbol on his chest.  His "wings" are a separate
piece with doors and hood, glued onto the back.
     Oddly, only his shoulders move.  Either the head is locked in position
or has a MAJOR case of paintlock.  Mind you, since his head is cocked a
little to one side, maybe they decided that letting the head turn would look
too weird.  Stands 5.4cm tall, he looks like he's ready to dance!  And his
smirk looks more self-confident than smug, but maybe I'm just projecting.


DECEPTICON: THUNDERCRACKER

     Repaint, see http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/123/RH1 for the original
Starscream mold.
     Cast in a dark teal (slightly greenish blue).  White on most of the
torso, black on head, arms and feet.  Silver face, kneecaps, toetops and trim
on wings/tail.  There's also red stripes on the front side of his wings and
on the tail sections on hie feet.  On the back of his wings is no trim, and
only one silver Decepticon symbol on the right wing.  The paint on his helmet
doesn't bleed into the scoop, so the mold weirdness isn't as pronounced as on
Starscream. 
     Anyway, now I have all three seekers to set up in the diorama from my
Decepticon Sneak Attack set.  :)


AUTOBOT: OPTIMUS PRIME

     Totally new mold, although it looks like they took the torso/leg chunk
from the original one and modified it, as the two versions are the same from
the waist down.  The head also seems to be the same.  The joy of computer
design, though, is that it's easy to make sure that despite the new pose,
this is the same figure, down to all the little details.  This one is holding
onto the Matrix with both hands and opening it up.
     Cast mostly in dark blue plastic, but the energy flare on the front of
the Matrix is made of a pretty rigid clear light blue plastic.  Warning to
parents who give this to small children, the energy flare is a caltrop for
anyone in stocking feet!  Not sharp, but definitely pointy.  The Matrix
housing is painted gold and the wheel hubs are not painted silver (the whole
wheel is black), otherwise the same as Wave 1 Prime's paint job.
     Shoulders move, but the arms are connected at the Matrix (hands are
molded as a piece with the Matrix housing, then glued to the forearms).  The
head can turn.  The pegs are of the skinny kind, so if the thicker pegs are
part of a consistent change, they must have been the original version rather
than a running change.  Or maybe it's random.
     Oh, and the Matix flare does glow quite strongly under UV, as it should.


EVIL GOD: UNICRON

     Movie design, rather than AEC.  Crouched slightly, arms bent and claws
extended, legs apart.  The shoulder winglet things curve together, so that
the tips almost touch.  A little susceptible to warping in package, but mine
came through okay.
     All made of a bright safety orange plastic.  This is the orange-est
Unicron ever.  The collar, helmet bottoms, pelvis and boots are painted a
medium to dark gray.  The face, hands, feet, "vest" and "beltpouches" are
silver.  There's dark gray details on the vest and pouches, plus a dark gray
mouth and forehead shadow.  The eyes are blue, and there's a touch of blue at
the top of his chest.  His abdomen windows are red.
     Only the shoulders have joints, the head is fused into a "looking
slightly to his left" position.  No planet in his hand a la Titanium Unicron,
but I did get a 20 cent clearanced box of Zamor Spheres (Bionicle) today, I
suppose I could glue one of them into his hand if I wanted.  :)

     Dave Van Domelen, awwwww, kyuuuuuute.