Yes, it’s another Transformers review. No, we’re not having a secret theme week. We’ll get to the big bad November Matty box starting next week, but sometimes you have to go where the fun is and for me, the fun has been with iGear’s Mini-Warriors this last week, particularly Rager repaints!
I’ve been reading a lot of psychological examination about collecting toys this past week (thanks to posts at io9, Poe Ghostal’s POA, & BattleGrip). I’ve been thinking about typing up a Truetorial on it. I have a lot of thoughts on positivity, materialism, self-awareness, and how I’m not a fan of treating collecting like a psychological malady (unless it really is).
That said, I like to poke fun at the psychological malady of collecting now and again myself. In fact, I’m about to point out a particular “syndrome” right now. It’s one I primarily encounter with Transformers. That line is able to reach into my wallet similar to how Glyos & the Outer Space Men get me, by making something cool in an all-new color.
A recent example of this was Universe Inferno. I never did manage to snag him, so I avoided having a sweet line-up of trucks on my shelves, but someone out there has him, Grapple, Pyro, & Hot Spot on their shelves (and with Artfire to come no doubt). I am envious.
And even though I won’t be able to line up red, blue, yellow, white, and neon trucks on my shelves, I’m still holding out for Takara to add Hauler in green! Yes, each mold only makes the siren song of that rainbow grow louder, but I’ll just have to love Hot Spot enough and expect him to hold the mold down for me (particularly after a set of Reprolabels are added).
Despite my passing on the trucks, there’s another recent mold that’s won me over. It’s given me a full-blown case of… mold hoarding? Colorwaymania? Whatever you want to call it.
If it’s not obvious this far in, it’s iGear’s Mini-Warrior, Rager. iGear’s Mini-Warriors line has set out to make updated, unofficial versions of the earliest Transformers Mini-Vehicles. While I’ve enjoyed all four releases so far, Rager stands out to me. He’s a great update with a nice sculpt and the right articulation, but his size and simple transformation really invoke the original toy. He’s a bit undersized for the price (& for the line now that the figures are getting bigger), but he’s been a blast to have on my desk, multiple times over.
I really loved my first Rager. The only real problem with the first Rager was his colors, but I didn’t really know it at the time; not until the later colorway came out and changed how I saw teh original. It’s kinda like the other day. I was out to lunch with my wife and decided to be a little different and have sweet tea to drink instead of soda. It was really good too, but I was talking to my wife about something (probably TFC’s Perseus, she says I won’t shut up about it) and forgot all about changing up from my usual soda. I grabbed the tea and took a swig. Suddenly, that which had been delicious moments before was now vile and cringeworthy. This is kinda like that. Well, the original colors on Rager aren’t as bad as that tea/soda switch, but the original Rager suddenly found himself at the bottom of the rainbow depth chart. Continue to Page 2…
Nice! Love Rager..he was my fav until Hench showed up
Okay, I gotta quit looking at these. They scream great homage and make me want too much. Great review and love the last pic. Color variants can get crazy.
As Anniversary Rager was my first 3rd Party, I’m so happy he got a review (the pic with him having a child-like gun fight with Rager is great, btw. Awesome poses). This bot really is as awesome as everyone has been saying.
Personally, I’m not crazy about the box (I expected the window), but I’m still keeping it because the overall Rager experience is awesome. I can’t wait to see all 5 of your repaints in the same shot.
Great review, photos, and comics again! I agree that this is a fun toy, but it’s not enough to make me want to get all the colour variants. I don’t have the money or the space for that. Also, if they’re going to do a “Not-Pipes,” I’d want him to transform the same way Pipes did, otherwise it’s a no-go for me.
And I must say that I’m heartily disappointed that they released a “new and improved” version of this guy after I’d already bought the first iteration for not a small amount of money. It’s what soured me on the Masterpiece TransFormers. For five bucks, I wouldn’t mind. But not for the amount I’m paying on these things.
Perseus is cool, but it makes me want Hercules and I already have Giant….Also I longer quit being bothered by owning the same mold in 8 colors. I have two hot rods (henkei and Hasbro), sideburn, and Wildrider…..so yeah, I think it’s my love of seekers that makes me so willing to accept
Hercules is damn cool, and hefty to boot. But, at least you’ve got a massive Not-Devastator you’re happy with, right?
The only Shattered Glass figures I’d be interested in are Soundwave and Seeker variants. I’d go for some Decepticon-themed repaints, but not if they’re meant to be part of a combiner, but aren’t. (If you follow me. For example, any Dead End where there aren’t any other Stunticons in the line, or the Animated Stunticons that don’t combine.) These exclusive repaints are getting on my nerves. I managed to order the hard-to-get modern take on Runabout or Runamuck (whichever the black one was), but then found out that the white one was even more ridiculously hard to get. If I’d known they were going to pull that kind of crap, I wouldn’t have bothered.
Oh yeah, I love Giant! and if Maketoys did a SG version of him, I’d buy it. I like the whole SG thing.
Oh, I’m with you on loving the idea, mate. And the toys are pretty dang nifty. I just wish they weren’t so difficult and expensive to come by!
I really don’t mind the yellow or orange looks, and I had Huffer and Pipes back in the day. Of course, back then they also had unique molds, not redecos like we’re constantly getting today. >.>
(and you really have to wonder what was going on in the naming of these two! What, no “Sniffer”? LOL)
so the iGear Pipes is “Tubes”? I saw they’re repainting the deluxe Cybertron OP into a blue Ultra Magnus, but he’ll be Pipes to me!
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22225&mode=retail
I hesitated on buying Prime, and now wish I had, as one of the first things I did was tweak him around so his torso is reversed and decided to repaint him all blue for an updated Pipes. **THEN** I find out about the blue UM redeco. sigh….
(no, I didn’t get around to repainting him, but I now wish I had waited another week or two before buying him so I could have skipped him altogether!)
Looking over some of the other color variants, I’m not sure who they’re supposed to be? Artfire looks like Ratchet on mecha-steroids.
“I’m not a fan of treating collecting like a psychological malady (unless it really is).” coughcoughvaultcoughcough
I’m not hoarding, it’s all custom fodder!!!
😉
The “pew pew” picture is by far the best scene set up and delivery featured on this site so far.