BotCon 2013’s Machine Wars set adds Strika on the Warpath mold, and the Radio Free Cybertron crew calls her the best reveal yet. This February 20, 2013 episode welcomes Diecast and Chris Triplett. JD reviews the third-party Demolition Crew, a take on Topspin and Twin Twist, and the crew compares notes on new Beast Hunters and Generations figures. Exvee and Rob review Rage of the Dinobots #4, and Transformers Rewind visits the Masterforce episode Showdown on the Surface of the Moon.
JD’s Demolition Crew
JD got his preordered third-party Demolition Crew, takes on Topspin and Twin Twist. He says they’re nicely done, about deluxe size and sturdy enough, and come with color instructions. The preorder Twin Twist includes an alternate Last Stand of the Wreckers head. The set is $69.99 at Big Bad Toy Store, or $38 each.
News
BotCon 2013 Machine Wars Strika Revealed
BotCon 2013 revealed Machine Wars Strika on the Warpath mold. The crew calls her the best figure shown so far, with an interesting, creepy head sculpt. One host admits he never understood fans’ love for the original Strika. [Source: TFormers]
New Shots of Club Depthcharge
New photos show Depthcharge, the Collectors’ Club’s free subscription figure, and one host says it looks pretty nice. The crew wonders whether subscription figures will start shipping right before BotCon in June. Chris Triplett has skipped the club this year after his credit card was stolen, though he has almost made his money back reselling figures. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party Menasor Coming
Fans Project’s Menasor combiner and its Breakdown homage are on the way. The crew estimates about $60 for Breakdown and $80 to $100 for Motormaster. One host notes how many third-party combiners there are now.
Beast Hunters and Generations at Retail
Chris Triplett bought Beast Hunters Optimus Prime and Predaking at Target for $19.99 each, while deluxes run $15.49. One host found Generations Grimlock at Toys R Us for $25 and says it’s not spectacular but has a better robot mode than past Grimlocks. The crew hopes its repaint is named T-Rex.
Comic News
In a recorded segment, Aimee wishes John-Paul Bove a happy birthday and warns fans not to spoil Robots in Disguise #14, which leaked early on iBooks. May solicits include Robots in Disguise #17, a Shockwave origin leading to the Shockpoint event. More Than Meets the Eye #17 brings the Legislators. Also coming are Spotlight: Hoist, Beast Hunters #1 by Mairghread Scott and Mike Johnson, and Regeneration One #91.
Rage of the Dinobots #4
Exvee and Rob find little to say about Rage of the Dinobots #4. It’s more solid than issue three, with clearer art, but it’s mostly a prison break and a recap of Fall of Cybertron. Ultra Magnus leaves Cybertron, and the Dinobots stay behind to set up Beast Hunters. They hope the artist improves on a monthly schedule.
Transformers Rewind: Showdown on the Surface of the Moon
Chris McFeely, Exvee, Don and the crew discuss the Masterforce episode Showdown on the Surface of the Moon. God Ginrai battles Overlord and Black Zarak on the moon, and Grand Maximus joins in. One host calls it the big toy-selling episode, even though two of the four featured toys are repaints.
Chris McFeely calls Masterforce his favorite Japanese series, with better-developed characters than Headmasters or Victory. He says this episode is a good place to start. Don agrees and says it shows how humans can work in a Transformers show. Another host likes the series less but enjoys how it shifts toward a more Japanese style. The crew loves Ginrai riding Grand Maximus into battle with an insert song. Next week’s Rewind is Code of Hero.
RFC Notes
Brian invites listeners to the live show Wednesdays around 8 p.m. Eastern and the Google+ Hangout after the show, which Diecast helps run. Next week is the third-party roundup.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.