![]() That would have made for an awesome competition in the comics world! Or something else that might have been interesting would have been Comico publishing a Gobots comic book. That would have made sense due to DC’s rival Marvel having the Transformers comics in the 80s. I’m going to get this five issue Gobots series from IDW because I”m one of those Gobots fans who’s been thirsting for a Gobots comic book for decades! Back in the 1980s, I would have liked to have seen DC put out a Gobots comic book. Which comic company would you have preferred to work on a Gobots comic instead of IDW?Īnd hey…I guess you won’t be the first one to bring about a Gobots comic book, but you could instead be the first one to bring about an English language Blackstar comic book in the United States! (remember that a French comic book company created two issues of Blackstar in the 80s). That’s why Hasbro gave the green light to IDW to work on this comic series. The way my local comic book shop owner put it is that Hasbro sees there’s money to be made off the Gobots franchise. Visionaries comic series but I would have preferred a stand alone Visionaries comic much like the one in the 80s (the 80s one from Star is excellent!). It’s not an infamous IDW Hasbro franchise mashup like so many of their other series. What I’m happy about is that this series will only be about the Gobots. This five issue series should hopefully lead to more Gobots in comic books. My calendar is already marked to look out for the premiere of IDW’s Gobots in October. From the San Diego Comic Con photos of the artwork, I must say that I like how Leader-1 and Cy-Kill look there. The closest to there being Gobots comics in the 1980s was the Gobots magazine that featured comic strips in each issue I had two issues of Gobots Magazine, and I liked how the comic strip artwork was very loyal to the Hanna Barbera cartoon. I’ve been wanting to see a Gobots comic book come about for a long time. ![]() He's quite sturdy and solid even if he won't be wowing anyone with his vehicle mode other than van enthusiasts.Thank you for the good news, Tronix. Overall Van Guard is another humble entry in the Gobots pantheon who is a pleasant little toy. Van Guard can also hang out with fellow Gobot original, Sparky. Van Guard's articulation is typical for a Gobot but there's enough to effect the image of a friendly Guardian.Īnd he displays well with Machine Robo derived figures like Hans Cuff. I especially like his chest sticker which appears to be the robotic equivalent of a bolo tie. His face is forever frozen in mild surprise. Oddly enough is mouth is sculpted slightly aghast at something which is unusual for Machine Robo type figures. His silver eyes add a little color to the matte black noggin. Van Guard's head is quite angular, looking like an early 3D video game character. His number is MRT-42 with the "T" presumably standing for Tonka. In the middle of Van Guard's back is his copyright information that still has the katakana for Machine Robo despite never being released in Japan. It's like he's some kind of van angel or vangel if you will. While the two halves of his van mode hang brazenly on his back, I find they actually look kind of cool there. The way the black outer structure folds over his body makes him look like he's wearing overalls. Van Guard's robot mode is competent with a workmanlike charm. Next the whole assembly folds down over his body putting his arms in the proper place. Things diverge a little bit as the back of the van opens up like a lunchbox. Van Guard's conversion process starts off in a familiar way with the front unfolding into legs. Here he is alongside other Gobot original figures Stinger and Sparky.Ī shot from below betrays some of his transformation but I assure you there is more going on that what is readily apparent. Van Guard could easily ace a few events at a vanner convention. Van Guard's hood sports a stylized "V" showing his status as a real super van. ![]() His detailing continues right down to a spot for a license plate. Diecast parts give him a bit of heft and rubber tires round out the usual Bandai toy ensemble. Van Guard is nicely detailed in this mode although but can look a little drab with his all gray coloring. His boxy form recalls an era when not every vehicle was trying to look like a Porsche. In vehicle mode, Van Guard is a humble little Dodge Caravan. ![]() Van Guard is yet another Gobots original who retains his Japanese pedigree. I've covered others like Gunnyr and Sparky who were meant to stand together with the 600 series Machine Robo figures that made up the bulk of the line. As the Gobots toy line pressed onward, Bandai made several additional figures for Tonka to release in the western market.
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