Battle in Space (BAAAAAHHHTEELLL INNN SPAAAYCE!)

[Dominic]

Battle in Space:

Posting this review seems to be a bit quixotic, as this set may well have sold through. I have only seen one set, (the one I own), and plenty of empty shelves at Boston area Target stores. Target's new shelving makes it much more difficult to check if an item is in the back, meaning I could not simply peel off a label and scan it to check for more "Battle in Space" packs.


-Hotrod: (robot/racecar)
Figures from this mould are, for whatever reason, difficult to get. The 2006 figure runs for upwards of $40 on e*Bay as far as I know. There is a BotCon edition, (2008), which costs about what you would expect it to. There is a Fan Club exclusive, (remoulded to represent Sideburn), that runs about $40. And, there are several Japanese iterations, which are expensive if only by virtue of import fees.

While this mould is not perfect, it is a solid design that nicely balances complexity and simplicity. Unfortunately, the plastic used for this iteration of the mould make the toy look and feel like a knock-off. The colours are meant to evoke the old cartoon, but succeed more in looking garish and cheap. (This is especially problematic in vehicle mode.) The feel of the plastic does not do much to mitigate this. In all seriousness, I have seen comparable, even superior, knock-offs.

The rub-sign on the chest/hood looks out of place, and manages to draw even more attention to the plastic's colours.

Side note: The instructions list the flip-out piece in the left arm as being a communicator.


-Cyclonus: (robot/space-plane)
Toys from this mould are easier to find that toys from the Hotrod mould, if only slightly. As with Hotrod, this figure is coloured to evoke the cartoon. However, the effect is not even remotely as offensive. While the figure is a bit monochrome, the subdued colours are far less offensive than Hotrod's. And, the black rub-sign is less stark.

The plastic quality is much higher on Cyclonus than on Hotrod. (It may be unique to my copy, but the plastic quality actually feels better on "Battle in Space" Cyclonus than on TFU Cyclonus. The parts definitely line up and lock together more easily.) The Nightstick/gun target-master figure has also been recoloured from the last US release. The additional silver paint makes Nightstick less accurate to the original character model, but also yields a much prettier figure.

If you do not have any other pressings of this mould, consider getting the set just for Cyclonus.

Side note: Nightstick is billed as a Minicon.


-the Matrix:
This is one of the oder accessories I have run across in recent years. As has been pointed out in other reviews, none of the figures in this set (Hotrod, Cyclonus, and Nightstick) can actually hold this Matrix. (Nightstick is only slightly larger than the Matrix.) I am 90% sure that this is the same moulding as the Matrix from "New Year Convoy", a Japanese exclusive from about 10 years back. (The "2002" stamped on the Matrix's handle supports this theory. But, I long ago sold off my New Year Convoy, making it impossible for me to be certain.) This Matrix can be inserted into the chest of a G1 Optimus Prime (or Ultra Magnus) figure. And, there are reports that it can fit inside "Generations" Thunderwing. All told, the Matrix is a notable oddity. If any kids get ahold of this set, they might well be convinced to trade this piece away, assuming they do not simply lose it.


-the comic:
Furman has said in his blog that the pack-in comic is meant to be set during "Transformers" the movie. However, like much of what Furman says about his work, the comment is rooted in expedience as much as anything else. Over the years, there have been several official (and contrary) re-tellings of "Transformers the Movie". This comic implies yet another such retelling. (Of course, given how sloppily edited the original movie was, it is hardly reasonable to expect re-tellings to be perfectly consistent.)

Side note: The comic is explicitly set in 2005, placing it firmly in the past. Depending on how one reads the art, it could imply that the current Jazz figure represents a character who died fighting Unicron.

Even putting that aside however, the comic is a mess, combining the worst elements of pack-in comics and the fan-wankery one would expect from a convention comic. Several plot points assume that readers have seen the original Transformers movie from 1986. Considering that this is a pack-in for a (theoretically) mass-released toy, the comic may well be asking kids to track down a copy of a movie that is as nearly as old as their parents. Several character models, (most visibly Scourge's), are inconsistent with the movie, which could likely prove confusing for younger viewers. (Adult fans can reconcile these things far more easily than children.) Furman does not even keep track of which characters are being addressed, with Kup referring to Grapple and Tracks inconsistently, using the names Warpath and Lugnut one two different occassions. .

The art style is an odd combination of "Animated" and G1, using various character models.
-Galvatron and Cyclonus are more or less in their G1 forms.
-Scourge is modern.
-Nightstick does not seem to be around at all.
-Wheelie is drawn as a very liberalized G1 animation model.
-The Dinobots, including Grimlock, are mostly drawn in G1 style.
-Hotrod looks like the toy, having only two pipes on his arm, rather than 3 as in the movie.
-Kup is modern.
-Blurr is modern.
-Perceptor looks like G1, despite the release of a newer figure.
-Grapple is drawn as a weired bastardization of the modern toy, with the crane boom being on his shoulder, rather than his arm.
-Devastator is drawn in G1 style.
-Ditto (probably) for Tracks.
-Warpath looks like an ampled up variant of the 2008 character model.
-Lugnut is present for the "razing" of Autobot city.
-Rumble and Frenzy turn into tanks, like the modern toys.
-Jazz looks like the modern toy.
-Bumblebee could be anything.


The comic does have a few nice touches to it. But, the problems far out-weigh the pluses. Treat this as a (somewhat morbid0 curiosity.

Overall:
As a total package, this is not a bad set. There are two good moulds, (though on is badly executed), an odd accessory, and a comic on the low end of middling. $20 for two deluxes is a good price to begin with, making this set worth picking up for people who lack one mould or the other. The extras make it worth considering, even if somebody has one or the other figures already. Definitely not worth paying scalper prices for, though no doubt some people will.
Grade: C


Dom
-has a super duper secret custom planned for one of the characters mentioned in this review. Can you guess which one?

[138 Scourge]

True fact: Saw these in Wal-Mart the other day. I thought they were Target exclusives?

Anyway, I passed on the set, myself. While Cyclonus' coloring does look pretty good, I've already got a perfectly serviceable one, and the Hot Rod just doesn't do it for me as much as the original does.

Still, not a bad deal, I just don't need 'em, is all.

[andersonh1]

I've seen this set in Target and in Wal-Mart. I've got both figures, or else I'd have sprung for it at once. Still might be worth it though.

[BWprowl]

Just my two cents on the comic: It's kind of horrible (Boo's art is passable for Animated, but TERRIBAD for G1), but I give it leeway on the subject of Kup and Tracks' name, as I read it that Kup's a crazy old man who just can't remember the guy's name. I can just hear Tracks shouting in the background, "Tracks! My name is Tracks, dammit!". And that made that the only entertaining part of the comic for me. Well, that and Hot Rod not even caring who Cyclonus used to be.

I love the colors on Rodimus. And the plastic quality feels fine on my copy.

[Dominic]

Maybe it is the colors that are throwing me. But, the damned thing feels like a knock-off.

If you have both figures, I can see skipping this set unless you are really curious about the comic or the Matrix.


Dom
-notes that this issue ignores the second Cyclonus.

[Shockwave]

I was curious about the comic. The thing I don't like about this particular Hot Rod is the painted windows and spoilers. It just feels cheap and worse, unnecessarily cheap. I still have the '02 Optimus and I can confirm that it's the same Matrix.

[Dominic]

Yeah, the windows especially. I cannot even bring myself to display the figure in vehicle mode.


In other news, Scourge found pictures of the upcoming deluxe Warpath. That might be what the artist was trying to draw in the comic.


Dom
-needs to find those pictures to be sure.

[Onslaught Six]

There's only a vehicle pic, but he's an H-tank. He's probably what they were going for, yeah.

[Tigermegatron]

I bought this battle in space set for the following reasons: number one reason was cyclonus,he has a really great color scheme. way better than the 2.0 & henkei colors.

I kinda like the rodimus in the 2 pack because he has the white pearl inner face,hands & other parts that look like the white/pearl parts used in the 1986 hotrod toy/cartoon/movie versions.