I’ve loved The Transformers and have collected them off and on since they first hit the shelves way back in 1984, but despite my loyalty to the brand, it’s rare that I find myself excited about new Transformers toys, particularly the non-Japanese, mass-market stuff. And any Transformer that DOES pique my interest is usually some new iteration of the same group of characters I’ve been buying since 1984 – Optimus Prime, Grimlock, Megatron, Bumblebee, etc.
Well, all that has finally changed with the arrival of Drift, or “Autobot Drift,” as his blister card reads. Drift is, IMO, one of the best Transformers figures to hit the pegs in years. He nails all the important benchmarks for me – transformation, articulation, and design
The character is a new addition to IDW’s Generation-1 universe, and like Jetfire, he is a reformed Decepticon. His bio reads:
“Autobot Drift used to fight for Megatron, and was known as one of the most terrible warriors ever to stalk the face of Cybertron. Something happened that changed him, bringing home all the horror he’d inflicted. Since then, he has hunted the Decepticons from one end of the galaxy to the other, bringing his own brand of justice to the evil robots.”
Interesting. A Decepticon killing machine now fighting for the Autobot cause. There’s been a fair amount of contention regarding the merits of the character, but that’s neither here nor there because this is one awesome figure.
Drift is an entirely new mold and one of the most poseable Transformers to come along yet, though the strengths in his articulation are largely limited to his upper body. The only shortcoming in this department is his feet/ankles – they’re static. Even so, they’re large enough that he can easily balance on them and hold some sweet poses.
His transformation is not overly complicated, yet not so simple so as to make it boring. It’s “satisfyingly complex,” as I like to say, and his alt mode is quite sleek.
There are two short swords that can be stored in “sheaths” that hang from either hip, and a larger, more formidable katana that stores neatly on his back. Japanese characters are engraved on the larger sword, the literal translation of which is “Peerless Under Heaven,” which should give a clue as to the general temperament of the character.
Drift is an exciting new addition to the Transformers CHUG (Classics, Henkei, Universe, Generations) line, and should be purchased on sight if you’re a Transformers fan.
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