Finally! After a year of waiting with a lot of uncertainty, the Transformers Prime First Edition Voyagers are showing up at Toys R Us stores (they’re also available at Big Bad Toy Store). They were originally available at Toys R Us stores only in Canada (for whatever reason) a year ago, but even then their availability was extremely limited. This resulted in their being quite popular on eBay, fetching prices in the $80+ range, to the chagrin of collectors everywhere. With this in mind, it goes without saying that it’s nice to be able to find them on the shelves, or even just to be able to place an order with BBTS without worrying about the crazy eBay markup. And what’s even better, since we’re smack-dab in the middle of the holiday season, it’s possible to pick these guys on sale as well — it’s like an added bonus for having had to wait so long for them.
Bulkhead here is the one I was looking forward to the most because I had read such great things about the figure and he is probably my favorite character on the show, so I was itching with anticipation to add him to my collection, and when I finally found him on the shelves at my local store, I was stoked. The packaging is really sharp. It’s a Masterpiece-style clamshell that showcases the figure nicely, although he is mistransformed a bit in the package. I suppose this was done because it seems to be more space-efficient. And while the packaging is character-specific with some action shots of ol’ Bulky, there is no information on the character printed anywhere. No stats, no bio, nothing. I found that a bit odd. It still looks very sharp, though, so I’m tempted to actually keep the packaging around instead of chucking it like I normally would. It also includes the cardboard stand all the First Edition figures come with.
There’s been a lot of talk about the quality of the plastic used on this particular run of the figure. There have been reports of multiple stress marks, poor paint, and a general dip in quality from what was released in Canada last year. I’m very happy to report that mine seems to be pretty solid with only the faintest hint of a stress mark here and there, even after transformation. I did see others on the shelves that definitely had obvious stress marks, so if you can, try to pick one up in the store so you can compare the figures on the shelf to make sure you get a good one. That’s what I did and I’m very happy with my figure.
He is just such a handsome figure and an awesome representation of the character. The mass is there and he’s about as screen-accurate as a toy based on the character is going to be. I literally could not get this guy opened fast enough. And I’ll be honest here — I didn’t realize he was mistransformed in the package, so when I took him out he was pretty floppy with a lot of kibble. I couldn’t figure out why people had been raving about this figure so much, but I just went with it and took a bunch of pictures. It wasn’t until after I transformed him to vehicle mode and back that I realized he was mistransformed, so I had to scrap those pics because his actual ‘bot mode, with everything in its proper place, is so much better and is definitely worthy of the praise, I think.
The kibble on his back formed by his tires is the only drawback, I think, and it’s not even all that bad. And if you’re so inclined, you can fold them down so they don’t stick out from his back as far as they do. I like the way it looks as it is, so it’s going to stay this way.
Despite being a rather stocky, “round” figure, his articulation is surprisingly good and he can achieve and hold many poses. This was another pleasant surprise since I was expecting him to be not much better than a bowling ball with some arms and some stumpy little legs. This just adds to the fun factor all the more.
For accessories, he comes with just one — his wrecking ball. And the best part? There’s NO action feature! Nothing lights up, nothing spins, nothing attaches to his arm obtrusively as heck and looks ugly as sin. There’s just the ball itself that attaches to his wrist. It’s refreshing, to say the least. There are some paint apps added to it in an attempt to achieve a weathered look, which is cool. I’m so happy I can actually display him with his weapon and not have to stuff it away in a box somewhere because it annoys me so much. I wish Hasbro would just dump the action features on all their figures, so I’m a big fan of Bulkhead’s lack of one.
In the Transformers Prime continuity, Bulkhead is a former member of The Wreckers. He joins Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus as part of the crew, and hopefully we’ll see more members as the series and toy line develop and evolve into Beast Hunters in 2013. They may not be the Wreckers I’ve come to know and love, but I’ll take any Wrecker I can get. Bring ’em on!
His alt mode is impressive if only for the fact that it actually does look like a utility vehicle, and when you consider he changes from a round, stocky robot into this, that is some good toy engineering at work. His arms and legs are not 100% concealed and integrated into the transformation, and they can be seen on the underside of the jeep, but I don’t think it’s terrible, but your mileage may vary here.
I recommend picking up a First Edition Bulkhead if you can find one. He’s in stock at Big Bad Toy Store, but if you can find him on sale at Toys R US before Christmas, then that would be even better. Either way, he’s worth the trouble and he’s probably my favorite of all the Prime figures so far because he looks great and is fun to play around with, and I just plain love me some Bulkhead. If you’re on the market for a Bulkhead, ignore that Robots in Disguise figure that’s been shelf-warming everywhere and get this one instead. You’ll be happy you did.
He can be found at the following stores: