Botcon 2016 figures

Ancillary, non-main-line stuff. Star Wars TF, Speed Stars, Titanium Series, Robot Heroes, that sort of thing. They're kinda neat, but we all know they're not really that important. Admit it, you know it's true.
User avatar
Shockwave
Supreme-Class
Posts: 6205
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:10 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Shockwave »

Dominic wrote:BotCon comics are typically "first available at" BotCon, and then later through Diamond (often with additional content).
This is how I've been buying Botcon comics for years.
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Sparky Prime »

Dominic wrote:BotCon comics are typically "first available at" BotCon, and then later through Diamond (often with additional content).
Are they? I've only ever seen one Botcon comic show up in a comic book store after the convention, which also happened to be a Beast Wars comic; "Dawn of Future's Past" (which is how I got that issue). Every other Botcon comic I've gotten I had to order through Botcon.
User avatar
Shockwave
Supreme-Class
Posts: 6205
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:10 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Shockwave »

Sparky Prime wrote:
Dominic wrote:BotCon comics are typically "first available at" BotCon, and then later through Diamond (often with additional content).
Are they? I've only ever seen one Botcon comic show up in a comic book store after the convention, which also happened to be a Beast Wars comic; "Dawn of Future's Past" (which is how I got that issue). Every other Botcon comic I've gotten I had to order through Botcon.
Yup. My comic shop gets them routinely every year, usually a few months after the con. It's a different version from the actual at Botcon version with different cover art and back pages (since the one at Botcon also functions as the schedule of events), but the rest of it is the same. However, it should be noted that they do not ship in high quantities, my shop usually only gets one, maybe two copies of it each year. In fact, I recall that one year I had to buy it online because my comic shop had sold the one copy to another customer. But for most years I've been able to get them there.
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Sparky Prime »

The Souvenir Exclusives have been revealed...

Tigatron, a repaint of this years Ravage figure
Airazor, from Takara's Slipstream figure (remold of Windblade)
Unit-3, repaint of CW Prowl with a paint job based on the Lion Head Optimus Primal McDonald's Happy Meal toy
Reflector, from CW Shockwave
Megatron, they finally made RiD Megatron with BW Megatron's head
Terrorsaur from CW Air Raid

Also seen an image of the Magnaboss members, which of course is just Combiner Wars Silverbolt, Ironhide and Prowl with Maximal faction symbols. I'm assuming Tigatron and Unit-3 will be used to fill out their combiner form.
User avatar
Dominic
Supreme-Class
Posts: 9331
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: Boston
Contact:

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Dominic »

This is the first year that I have not been interested in any of the figures with this many revealed. (The best is the Reflector. But, I am not terribly impressed.)
Usually, there are some figures I like that I avoid for cost. (Last year's OilMaster is a good example.) This year, I would not buy this junk at retail (aside from *maybe* Reflector).
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Sparky Prime »

I really like the Megatron figure personally. They first showed concept art for it back in 2005, but went unused due to H3 loosing the license and subsequent bankruptcy. Nice to see they've finally revived that idea. I'm hoping for the storyline, this is Megatron after his return from the Beast Wars.

Tigatron and Airazor... I've always preferred the idea that both Tigatron and Airazor were 'born' on Earth, and weren't active on Cybertron prior to that, not sure why they always get included in these pre-BW stories. Tigatron, I suppose was inevitable as a Ravage repaint, but he really shouldn't have a tiger head at this point. The Slipstream mold I think works for Airazor, much better than the Slugslinger mold they used for her previously. But as is my complaint with so many of this years figures, it doesn't look Cybertronian enough.

Reflector is a surprise. Shockwave's mold seems to work for him.

Also revealed for Golden Ticket holders is Flash Sentry, which is basically a translucent version of the Reflector figure. And this year's customizable figure is Ratchet, from CW Ironhide.
User avatar
JediTricks
Site Admin
Posts: 3849
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:17 pm
Location: LA, CA, USA

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by JediTricks »

Hasbro gave out a sheet saying essentially that this was the last Botcon under Funpub:

http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/04/07/botc ... ons-312713

And the drama continues. Remember the OTFCC/Botcon name drama from a million years ago?
Image
See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
User avatar
Dominic
Supreme-Class
Posts: 9331
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: Boston
Contact:

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Dominic »

Not gonna miss Fun Publications. A decade of over-priced toys and low grade comics was more than enough.

Who else is guessing that Savage could not pay for licensing fees?
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Botcon 2016 figures

Post by Sparky Prime »

Sparky Prime wrote:I wouldn't be so quick to judge when, as you point out, this is Bove's first writing credit. And the preview pages Botcon has posted thus far I'd have to say is better than the art Corin did for the Windblade book.
Welp, I was overly optimistic. I haven't read the "Dawn of Predacus" comic for myself, but reading some reviews about it, yeah it makes a big mess of things, as these convention storylines usually do....

From what I've gathered about the story... The issue takes place immediately following a final battle between Optimus Prime and Galvatron, which resulted in both of their deaths. The "Primal Council" (members being Prowl, Ironhide, Silverbolt, Hot Spot, Tigatron, Lio Convoy and Big Convoy) takes command of the Autobots, while the Predacus Council takes command of the Decepticons. The Predacus Council orders a surrender (so they can launch a "Transmatter bomb" that will turn the population of Cybertron not of the first generation of Transformers into Protoforms) but Megatron (who takes the name following Galvatron's death) refuses to stand down. Predacus forms and kills Predaking (who follows Megatron's command for some reason) in order to get the Decepticons to stand down. Meanwhile, the Transmatter Bomb is launched (from the Predacus base in Unicron's head) but it is deflected by the Axalon, so only part of Cybertron's population is turned into protoforms. Optimus Primal takes the protoforms aboard the Axalon to "do what we can for them". Megatron is punished by having his body downgraded and the Predacus Council begins plans to build Magmatron.

So yeah, lots of continuity problems here... This establishes all of the protoforms seen in Beast Wars to be victims, rather than members of Primal's crew on a mission of exploration and completely ignores protoforms being newborn Cybertronians. Gives kind of a creepy implication of the blank stasis pods. This would also suggest the Axalon's mission takes place over 300 years, even though Beast Wars would imply they'd only just departed when they were sent after Megatron's crew. Optimus Primal and Rattrap are already crew mates here, despite Beast Wars again establishing them as a new crew with Optimus being new to the commander gig. Tigatron being at the top of the Autobot command structure is a huge problem, as he was essentially a new born as far as the show was concerned, and 'Dawn of the Future's Past' had him as an average security guard.
Post Reply