but WAIT! Trailcutter's tech specs! Oh noes!

G1 spec #s are represented by the glowing white dots, themselves forcefields to protect what's left
of Trailbreaker's self-esteem.

Okay, apologies to Hasbro, but I gotta point this out. Above is the tech spec from the Generations Trailbreaker, primarily the yellow line. I added the white dots because I thought something was amiss when I glanced at it. Mainly: this is one average Autobot. There is nothing special about him. All his stats range from 5 to 7.

So? Well, Trailbreaker has a forcefield, which in nearly every version of the G1 TF stories (cartoon, comics) has saved Autobot trunks time after time. See Megatron's Master Plan, when the Autobots were sent to the SUN, their ship blew up, and who kept them functional? Trailbreaker's forcefield, which I imagine was reason to give his endurance a "10" on his G1 stats. Did someone think, "well, his force field is a power, so his endurance doesn't come from his actual robot mode. Knock that down a few notches."

A superpower like a forcefield that protects your pals from an exploding ship a few miles away from the sun's devastating heat is weighed by his lack of speed, fuel consumption, and resulting insecurity. Maybe I am reading too much into these things (I am), but the Generations tech spec suggests a troop builder figure more than a specialist. And that's what makes the Autobots special: most of them aren't brave warriors (unless they're every damn Autobot in the movie universe, but whatever), they're architects and maintenance crews and theoreticians forced into battle and using their powers, despite their weaknesses, to overcome the Decepticon tyranny. They have strengths and failings. Bumblebee was a little guy who thought he had the most to prove, never a bad ass warrior who blows everything up at a moment's notice. Trailbreaker isn't an anonymous troop. He's a low key guy with self-image issues who has saved Autobot time after time with his one trick (see MTMTE).

Okay, rant over. I got the G1 #s, in white dots on the above spec, from Botch The Crab's site. That's the real reason for this post, go there and check things out. Fun.

Lucked out: found Trailcutter. I mean Trailbreaker. Well, whatever. Found 'im.

It's none of your business but I'll tell you anyway: I was buying toilet paper at Target and thought to look at the action figures. On a whim. This particular target seems way behind other chain stores of any kind to get figures. Well, kaPOW, I see the 30th anniversary Generations comic book tie in of...BUMBLEBEE! You know, the IDW "ongoing" run by Mike Costa where Bumblebee is elected leader of the Autobots and gets some body work done, giving him his adorable Bumblebee face on top of a bitchin' Camaro. (And if you don't know the Dead Milkmen, stop RIGHT NOW and get on Spotify or whatever else and start listening.) Anyway, the figure itself looked a little cheap. I pushed it aside to look at the figure hidden behind it... Trailbreaker!

Though it's super duper nice to have figure designs inspired by the recent IDW comics, I'm on a budget, and I have had enough Bumblebee figures. And I have a feeling that since it's Bumblebee, this figure will end up in another wave whether we want him or not. Trailbreaker, well, I know plenty of people excited over it and Hoist (myself, documented on this blog, duh). So I snatched him up.

He's sturdier than the recent FOC figures, which I had hoped for. There's some things you should watch out for while transforming or even posing him.

-His front wheels; his shoulder part is attached directly to the "inside" of the wheel, which is stationary. Be very careful turning it into place.

-Same thing with the shoulder ball joint connected to his arm. It feels like I'm twisting the plastic when moving his arm.

-His chest is held down to his torso with a tab. It might be the part that loosens the quickest, and then his upper body will swing backwards, like the G1 seeker jet cockpits/heads in robot mode.

I don't care for the shield bit. What the hey, I'm not too thrilled with his car mode either.

But otherwise, I do dig this figure as far as a Classics tribute to Trailbreaker goes. I was worried he'd be too much like FOC Sideswipe, what with the head (Barely) popping out of the chest and the arms locking into place. This is a pretty good Classics figure.