Quintessential, But The Wrong Syllables Are Stressed

 - Ben Watson

Distinguished Sirs

It's been “a year”.

Along with everything else going on, 2020 also deals the blow that is the apparent* end of the superb Cyberverse. A thoroughly wholesome nugget of the Transformers franchise that provided the most fun I've had watching one of these bloody cartoons in literally a decade along with a bizarre assortment of fan faves lining shelves in its super-marché ready toyline.

While the animated portion of the affair actually wrapped up before we were all donning masks and living in fear, it seems at time of writing, the toyline has now also offered up its last bit of budget bonkers**. When it's given us the likes of Deadlock and 'scuse my french, flippin' Rack 'n Ruin, it's hard to be disappointed in the line's breadth if not its depth. But because I'm a Transformers Fan I'm going to still say it wasn't enough. Because of course I am.

Da Bludge

If you've wrapped your eyes around the delightful work of Boulder Media on your telly screen – or in my case, phone screen – you'll be instantly aware of the unfolding guest list of characters it seems to tell you will be waiting on the other side of the doors of your toy shop of choice. However, if we really have seen all there is to see from Cyberverse, then there's a lot of people on that list you won't actually see at the party. Absentees include Astrotrain, Lockdown and Chromia to name a few. To get properly pedantic about it and save you the hassle, I can tell you there are at least eight notable characters with no toys in the line. And then there's the toys for the ones that did get some...

What if we made Silverbolt and Depth Charge the same guy and he was Jetfire

I'll not rag on the kiddy gimmick chops of the line, there's a lot of fun to be had y'know, playing with these toys but for some characters like Cheetor or Shadow Striker who get the main focus of whole episodes to themselves, the toys simply don't live up to their screentime. Am I really supposed to believe Dead End's prolonged and prominent role in the final season was all to sell me one toy from the smallest price-point in the line that doesn't even transform all the way? I mean, it did but that's not the point. We're clearly beyond having a Transformers cartoon as nothing but a vehicle for selling toys that are ready to roll out. The quality of the writing of Cyberverse alone attests to this, but it's still a bit baffling isn't it? The selection process for which characters get to appear at which price-point and how often is seriously a Zoom meeting I'd like to be in. Who decided animal-only bit-parter Skullcruncher needed a big new toy but memorable protagonist Perceptor didn't? Anyway, I guess all that's moot now if the line really has run its course and what we should be concerned with is what Cyberverse did give us.

More like "Comatose Cul-de-sac" 

If I had to choose one word to sum up how Cyberverse felt as it was happening, it would be: unpredictable. No rules seemed to govern its contents. Suddenly we're getting a toy of Drift in the wave after his Decepticon persona and it's a totally different toy. Suddenly Sky-Byte shows up with two different toys. Suddenly there's a Repugnus I can buy off the shelf in Sainsbury's. Coupled with the decreased tendency of Hasbro to afford the line any spotlight in preview events and for the last couple of years you could genuinely throw out a handful of totally wild speculations about future product and probably see a non-negligible number of them come true. All through a photo of someone holding the thing in the middle of Walmart a couple of months later. Cyberverse was full of crazy surprises and in the climate of extensive leaks and telegraphed blows from Generations, that quality was not just refreshing but energising.

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There is still a critique to be made here, however. While I'm ruminating on the passing of the latest main media focused line as I've done before, lessons to be learned from it present themselves. What the next series will be I cannot say. No announcements of cartoon titles or programming schedules or even production teams have been made as I type this but I want to say what I'd hope to see. If there's something to be learned from Cyberverse it's that deep-cut fan service curveballs are definitely what the doctor ordered. The best part is that doesn't detract at all from what I've seen firsthand become a successful entry point to Transformers for kids. Boom. That's the perfect formula isn't it? Entertain the young'uns and make the rest of us over 20 go “no way Whirl is in a cartoon??” But the product made to bolster that reaction with the spending of pocket money was not quite so sweet-spot hitting.

Actually nowhere near as deranged as we all expected

For what has become quite quickly a quintessential distillation of pretty much the whole of Transformers it made some odd choices that make the metaphorical centre of gravity for the toyline way off. If I was looking to set out its sequel I think I'd want to see a better spread of alt modes. Not so many cars. Let's have a couple more beasts. A construction vehicle, an off road vehicle, a bike, a combiner! Somehow there are a whole host of Transformers staples that Cyberverse just never got around to but still felt like it would eventually. Instead we got way too many toys of Prowl for the three appearances he makes in the show. It would be nice if that didn't happen next time.

I can't resist showing you my one eyed purple monster

Cyberverse really did bring the fun back to Transformers for fans of all ages. It may have taken a year or so before I decided to give it the time of day but thanks to its less well-defined edges I could just dip into it when something took my eye. As a fan who's spent enough time in the wiki to know what “Universal Streams” are, honestly I found it brilliant that Cyberverse not only takes place in no particular established continuity but also has the concept of alternate ones as a core story concept! Its designs and character rosters were enough of what I've seen before, I happily threw all thoughts of classifying its place in the wider brand in the bin and just went “Ah, it's Transformers innit.” And I think that shedding of fandom constructs through this brought me closer to Cyberverse than other toon-centric lines. I didn't have to know how Shockwave was different this time, he was just Shockwave you know? I already knew who he was by looking. Paradoxically that effect made Cyberverse fresh and while I'd jump at the chance of a reimagining on the scale of Beast Wars or Armada, I'd be up for a bit more of it.

*Leaked info seems to say we'll actually be getting a Cyberverse “film” probably a feature-length thing for TV but at the moment it's not official and Season 3 was promoted as “final”.

**It looks like One-Step Changer Megatron X is the line's parting caress. Some leaked listings seemed to suggest we'd be seeing Deluxe Soundwave, Starscream and Prowl, but well look, they haven't turned up.

RRCo Review - Earthrise Grapple

- Ben Watson

With Siege slowly receding in the rear-view mirror as we power along Route WFC to a destination unknown, the next signpost is for Earthrise and a return to everything we've barely left behind. Strap on your hardhat and hi-vis cos it's time to get planning permission for voyager Grapple!

Now that the second chapter of the War For Cybertron Trilogy is beginning to filter out into the world, I grabbed Grapple as my first taste of this sequel which will hopefully prove more of a Spider-man 2 than an Amazing Spider-man 2 if you know what I mean... Grapple is a voyager class figure hewing incredibly close to his G1 character design, incorporating elements of the original 1985 toy, his cartoon model and even (I'm told) a smidge of his Masterpiece figure. As such he sets a nice precedent for the rest of the line, but it's one that may not sit so well with all fans.

"Tch, you've had some right cowboys in 'ere..."

A non-zero amount of criticism for more recent Generations figures has been down to their slavish accuracy to the original designs, ultimately causing some to feel like there's a dearth of actual originality to the toyline. Up to a point, I'd agree with this claim but every now and then a figure comes along that hits the sweet spot of exactly what you want from an update of a character and Grapple is one of those without a doubt. Pulling no punches to render his classic Earth mode but still feeling at home next to Siege's Cybertronian lads and ladies.

The previous Generations standard effort, Solar Storm Grappel from the Reveal The Shield line has been a mainstay in many collections for years but was it every really Grapple? If you're going by the name on the box, well... While that's a figure I do have some kind of soft spot for (whether due to the toy itself or just my memories of RTS in general) it hit few of the distinguishing features I'd look for in the character. Since acquiring a G1 Inferno reissue, I've entered the camp of revering the Diaclone Fuso truck design alongside the likes of the rest of the original Autobot Cars. So to see the big wedge feet, collapsing crane head bucket and wrist rocket make their worthy return to a modern Grapple toy is great to be honest. 

"Site safety!"

In terms of modern voyager figures (whatever that means in 2020) Grapple is a nicely sizable and solid affair. Standing roughly as tall as Optimus Prime but no longer a hulking monolith looming over his comrades like the RTS figure, he's an exercise in using length. However for his vehicle mode, I can't avoid how this factor seems to be its main detractor. It's just, too long? Too low and flat? It's been squished. Is this to do with avoiding Fuso licensing the Masterpiece makes use of? (God, imagine a deluxe Allitalia Wheeljack...) Who can say, but it's quite plain the thing isn't really the right shape. 

Proportions aside, the crane does pretty much everything you'd expect. Honestly it's a surprise to see a boom arm that extends, raises and lowers and pivots about its base. Take that Hook. As an extra touch the end of the crane can be swapped for a big meaty claw which sadly doesn't articulate its pincers but does feature a clip to interact with Earthrise's new A.I.R. Lock rampy bit system. I suppose that's nice. What else can be said for vehicle mode? All the wheels roll -  the front ones actually only spinning their tyres, not the wheels themselves - it's got see through blue windows and very little paint on the sections not needing to cover up all that clear plastic. A couple more hazard stripes or silver bits would not have gone amiss here. 

"Listen mate, if you say 'Hauler, haul 'im up' one more time, I'm gonna be filling in a P45."

But what about Grapple's robot mode? Getting there may be more of a hassle than you want depending on your copy of the figure. It's a very common issue that the pegs that secure the back end of the crane get stuck in the holes they match up to and break off when you try to dislodge them. Adopting the builderly spirit of Grapple I bought some sandpaper just in case but with careful application of force, I've been able to extricate these connections without trouble so far. Apart from that, the transformation's a hoot, working exactly as you'd expect and even doing some bits exactly like the old one. Nothing fancy, certainly nothing as bonkers as the Masterpiece, just satisfying. 

As a big Solero-coloured man, Grapple extols the virtues of modern articulation with perhaps only a missing wrist swivel or neck ball-joint leaving you wanting. My favourite bits are his massive feet which not only tilt but can move back and forth on their transformation joint, ensuring a firm foundation at all times. Along with the requisite joints, Grapple also features the current trend of being riddled with 5mm ports ripe for Weaponizing, including two on the crane section behind his head which will surely be used for Inferno's silly Captain America head wings. 

In terms of accessories, much like the crane functionality, it feels like you get just a touch more for your money than you'd expect. Including the aforementioned claw, Grapple also comes armed with a nicely sized and detailed rifle but also the missile/nozzle/fondant icing dispenser to replace one of his hands. Personally I'm hoping this will look much more like a finned missile for Inferno but the fact it's there at all is a nice surprise. And as set down in Siege, all these weapons and many more points on his body than we've previously seen are compatible with the shooty bang bang bits you'll find with either the cheapest smallest figures in the line or the flipping biggest expensive ones. 

Overall, Earthrise Grapple is really nicely satisfying. Not a mind-blowing achievement like a lot of Siege felt the first time, but just a spot on version of a good robot. A bit of sunshine on a cloudy day. Continuing that "Mini Masterpiece" vibe War For Cybertron seems to be going for, if you're after a Grapple for your Generations shelf, you can't really do much better than this. Except if you want him to have a black head, I dunno. The QC issues aside, I'd feel the main criticism I have of Grapple is paint. There just doesn't seem to be very much and it leaves him looking slightly flat. Put under a strong light, you'll notice it all the more as the orange plastic lets in just a bit too much than an opaque surface should and highlights surfaces - especially around his eyes - where there shouldn't be orange. But all-in-all I'm having huge fun with Grapple and am eagerly awaiting the email telling me Hoist is on his way and a bit further down the road, the inevitable Inferno rework. Solar power, baby!