Brimstone
(Autobot Alliance)
Brimstone's motorcycle
mode is based on the motorbike Mikaela was seen with in her father's garage
in Revenge of the Fallen-- an nice, fairly obscure reference, there.
Brimstone's motorcycle mode design is, for the most part, flawless- the
proportions are spot-on, and the only real robot extra is the back of the
head, visible fairly obviously from behind the bike seat. (Due to the transformation,
however, the halves of the vehicle mode in front of the seat don't quite
fit together, leaving a small but unsightly gap there-- a shame, since
one peg would've fixed that problem.) Other than that, all the robot mode
parts integrate brilliantly into the vehicle mode design. There's plenty
of mold detailing where it's needed, particularly amount the engines and
pipes near the midddle of the vehicle, and the tires and spokes are very
crisply detailed, as well. Brimstone's color scheme I have mixed feelings
about-- on the one hand, the blue is a really nice shade, and the green
flame deco across most of his vehicle mode is a nice color, contrasting
well with the blue. It also isn't your typical yellow- or red-colored flame
deco either, yet still works, which is pretty cool. However, Brimstone
has a lot of that darned boooring light milky gray that's way too common
on TFs. It doesn't clash with anything, certainly, but it definitely is
dull. Brimstone comes with a fold-out kickstand to help him "stand up"
in this mode.
Brimstone's transformation,
while simple, is quite innovative, and it shows-- his robot mode is one
of the most unique motorcycle TF designs I've seen. Even though it may
not be practical if you were to think about how he would live with them,
I love love LOVE his sawblade-hands made out of the halves of his front
wheel. There are tiny (TINY) fold-out claws if Brimstone absolutely must
have digits, but I think they look really dumb and just tend to ignore
them. The skinny "pipes" and rather long, lanky legs help to flesh out
his look, along with his relative lack of a beefy chest that many other
TFs have. The way his entire body rotates AROUND the rear wheel-- and his
his seat fits into place behind his back-- are two more strokes of genius
when it comes to Brimstone's design. I do wish the handlbars could've folded
away somehow, but those are really the only blatant vehicle mode bits that
serve no function in this mode. Another thing that's incredible awesome
about Brimstone's design is his headsculpt-- it's very well-detailed both
in terms of paint and mold detailing, and with the red eyes looks like
a demonic skull with no lower jaw and wearing a bike helmet. AWESOME, and
fits his rather demonic look in this mode quite well. As far as articulation
goes, Brimstone can move at the neck, shoulders (at three points), elbows,
hips, and knees. Thus, his leg movement is a little bit restricted, but
other than that he can strike a good many poses, particularly with his
relatively long feet. (It should be noted, however, that at least on mine,
the shoulder joints are a bit overly stuff. Combine this with his skinny
arms, and I am a bit afraid of inadvertently snapping off one of his arms
one of these days.)
Autobot Alliance Brimstone
is a fantastic design all-around, with a very unique aesthetic, good proportions,
relatively kibble-free modes, and an innovative transformation. I wish
he didn't have so much of that dull light gray, but that's the only major
downside I'd say he has. Highly recommended.
Review by Beastbot