FYI

When Toys'R'Us UK finally got round to stocking Masterpiece Soundwave (and Acid Storm) about a month ago, they did so online only and, for a while, it seemed as though they might remain online only exclusives. However, after a swift jaunt to Brent Cross this morning, I can confirm that the two new Masterpieces now have a physical presence on the shelves.

On a related note, I can completely 100% understand Hasbro UK releasing Masterpiece Soundwave. It surprises me no end that they bothered, but I understand why they might - Soundwave is almost as safe a bet as Optimus Prime. What I don't understand is Acid Storm.

I mean, he's not even a true, canonical character. Releasing him as a Deluxe in the Classics/Generations line was weird enough (especially since it took FunPub to release the other so-called 'Rainmakers', in a move not unlike the offence against Seeker OCD sufferers that was BotCon 2007's 'Games of Deception' set). The UK saw the original (G1 coloured) Masterpiece Starscream at Toys'R'Us only, then Hasbro's Masterpiece Skywarp turned up exclusively at Argos... What the UK needs is a Masterpiece Thundercracker, not some second-rate fan-fic nonentity with a violent colourscheme and a 'digital camoflage' pattern.

I can imagine plenty of people picking it up simply because the mold is an 'improvement' on the original MP F-15 mold (meaning it's been made more G1-like and far less sleek in jet mode, though I'd concede that the head does look better, and the ball-jointed arms on which his weapons are mounted are interesting) and because some people rather like fringe characters. I don't object to them, per se, but I do object to fringe characters taking precedence over official Masterpiece releases of actual G1 characters.

While I was in the store, I saw the new wave of Beast Hunters toys (picking up 'Batgirl' Arcee and 'Croc-Out') and the behemoth that is Generations Metroplex. Interestingly, it also appears that later assortments of the original TF:P toys upped the number of Vehicons per case, as I keep seeing them all over the place now... and I can't imagine that a troop-builder figure as good as that wasn't popular...

Shame there's no Jet Vehicon, though.