MakeToys reveals art for a third-party Computron, and Brian says he has to have it. The Transformers Collectors’ Club delays Depth Charge and its subscription service until after BotCon, and the crew is not happy. A San Diego Comic-Con Metroplex is on the way, and a leaked prototype shows the IDW-inspired Generations Bumblebee. Spotlight: Hoist gets reviewed, Transformers Rewind covers “Grimlock’s New Brain,” and Rob Springer weighs in on Hasbro’s fan poll.
News
Collectors’ Club Depth Charge and Subscription Service Delayed Until After BotCon
The club figure, Depth Charge, will now ship after BotCon. The subscription service, already pushed back twice, is also delayed until after BotCon. One host is furious, and the crew compares notes on who paid in full or in installments. Diecast questions the factory excuse when Hasbro is supposedly producing fewer Transformers. One host predicts there will be no subscription next year, with a movie line to produce. [Source: not found]
Paladin shared MakeToys’ art for its not-Computron, armed with an energy bow. Brian loves Computron and will buy it as long as it is not $600, guessing a price near the MakeToys Giant, around $350. Another host thinks the angled art looks a little boring but still wants it. The crew guesses how the Strafe-style jet becomes the bow, and one host praises the quality of his MakeToys Giant. [Source: TFW2005]
Hasbro will offer a San Diego Comic-Con Metroplex, and the crew bets on a G1-style version with two guns like Takara’s. They guess it will cost at least $200 and hope for a spectacular box. The crew also notes Metrotitan has turned up in IDW’s comics, a rare bit of synergy between the toys and the comics. [Source: Seibertron]
Titan Class Metroplex Dwarfs G1 Metroplex
A size comparison photo shows the new Metroplex towering over the original. The crew jokes that it looks creepy and loves this kind of teasing. One host reminds everyone that G1 Metroplex was a modest-sized toy. [Source: TFW2005]
Leaked Prototype of IDW-Inspired Generations Bumblebee
Test-shot photos show the deluxe Bumblebee based on his IDW design, likely a comic pack. One host likes the test-shot blue better than the final colors may look. Another dislikes the shallow torso it shares with Prime figures. The chest and vehicle mode look ready for a Hot Rod or IDW Rodimus retool. One host pleads for a new Galvatron, and the talk turns to why ReGeneration One is the comic everyone demanded and no one wanted. [Source: not found]
MakeToys Upgrade Kit for Year of the Snake Omega Supreme
MakeToys’ roughly $100 kit adds a cannon fist and a quarter section of track. One host already owns it and calls it fine, if pricey. Another is tempted but already owns two Omega Supremes. [Source: TFW2005]
Comic News with Aimee Morgan
Spotlight: Hoist is out this week, and Monstrosity #5 is out digitally. Previews include Alex Milne’s Star Saber concept art, a Monstrosity #6 cover, and three-page previews of ReGeneration One #91 and Robots in Disguise #17. Aimee recommends following Mairghread Scott on Twitter for Beast Hunters teasers and contests. BotCon revealed a page from its 2013 convention comic, and James Roberts spoke with Comic Book Resources. Free Comic Book Day is this weekend.
Comic Review: Spotlight: Hoist
Rob and his co-reviewer call this a contractual-obligation comic, since Hoist has little history in IDW’s continuity. Agustin Padilla’s art is much stronger than in More Than Meets the Eye #16, with only a few wonky Metroplex panels. They think it may have been his tryout issue. James Roberts’ dialogue is great, but Swerve and Sunstreaker steal the book, and even half of Perceptor welded to the floor is more interesting than Hoist. Hoist saves the day only because he is the last one awake, and his worst fear is just being alone. They call it a letdown after the excellent Spotlight: Trailcutter.
Transformers Rewind: Grimlock’s New Brain
The Rewind panel calls this G1 episode an excuse to introduce new toys, the Terrorcons and the Technobots. Galvatron’s Terrorcons show up with no origin, much like most Decepticon combiner teams. Grimlock bites a machine and becomes a genius with Sky Lynx’s arrogance and Perceptor’s smarts. He builds the Technobots while staying in T-rex mode, to the panel’s amazement. They laugh at Computron asking “Are you my father?” and at Grimlock giving his intelligence away to reset everything. They count the Technobots and Terrorcons among their favorite Scramble City combiners.
Transformers Prime Retro Review: Speed Metal
Aimee and Nicole call this Prime’s answer to the Transformers Animated episode “Velocity.” Jack gets pulled into street racing to impress Sierra, and Arcee races Vince after he insults her. Knockout’s “buff this” and Arcee’s one-liners are highlights, and one of them says this is when she fell for Arcee. They are annoyed that Bumblebee seems to need Raf’s permission. Optimus Prime tearing Knockout’s door off surprises them, and they enjoy Starscream’s cosmetic punishment for Knockout.
Rob Springer Answers a Listener Question
A listener asks whether the silhouette on Hasbro’s Hall of Fame fan poll is Grimlock. Rob says it is just a stock Grimlock image. He suspects the winning figure is already in development, since toys take a year or two. Even so, he loves Hasbro reaching out to fans. He recalls 2004 OTFCC surveys that came with an exclusive Energon spear and helped build a fan feedback group.
What We Got This Week
Don
Don’s Animated Cheetor still has not arrived, so he has opened an eBay case. He did get Beast Hunters Starscream and likes the mold, if not the colors.
Diecast
Diecast got the Fansproject Munitioner and Explorer reissue that completes a Bruticus, now sold as a $130 kit. He is disappointed with the loose pack-in Quake figure, which reportedly held the reissue up for four months.
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.