(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to Universe 2.0 ultra Onslaught. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Universe 2.0 ultra Onslaught here.)

    The new version of the "G1 European/G2" Clench character has the same crazy color schemes that originate from that early '90s time period for Transformers, and as Fun Publications has proven in the past with their exclusives, the paint job is quite accurate to the original and the whole thing definitely gives a "new look" to a classic character. Of course, given the time period, it's almost impossible for Clench NOT to get some kind of nauseatingly bright color, and, being the big big boss guy, he gets... pink. Obviously. Normally this is the point where I'd go "so if you're not part of the niche audience you won't like it, 'cause it's pink. On a Transformer".... but not so with Clench. Even though pink is actually used in enough places to make it a borderline "primary" color, it's used in small amounts in several places so that it actually comes across as an accent color. And, dare I say it, for some reason I think it goes exceptionally well with Clench's other colors. The dull blue-green is just beautiful-- it has some nice bits of metallic flake here and there in it that really make it look gorgeous (and accurate to the original Clench toy). Black, of course, is a nice dark color to offset the pink and some of the other brighter colors, and works well in the amount it's used. The bright green accnets on the shield, waist, eyes, and transparent plastic-- together with the pink, it makes Clench almost look like he'd fit well under a blacklight (a fact that Fun Pub used to their advantage by releasing a Clench blacklight poster at the convention). The copper shoulders also work nicely, as does the gray shield-- heck, it all works in an odd sort of way. There's also some really nice decals, such as the G2 Decepticon symbols on his shield and right shoulder as well as the bizarre "lightning-bolt-through-a-wolf" decals near the front of his vehicle mode that are a pretty good replica of the same symbols on the original Clench. The odd blue "curvy lines" down the center of his chest also look pretty good against the black as well.
    Clench has a new head mold, which not only goes well with the overall look of the toy but is a fantastic head sculpt in and of itself. It reflects the original Clench's head design while modernizing it slightly by making the "cattle horns" bigger on this bad boy with a Texas license plate and making him just generally look meaner. The gas-mask-esque detailing for a mouth also works wonders, too. No other mold changes were made to Clench, though like almost every other large Botcon exclusives, the electronics have been gutted to make the limited-run toy a bit cheaper for folks.
    The "new G2" Clench is a wonderful update to an obscure character and the face sculpt really, REALLY fits the character and the mold itself. Unlike many of the other toys in this year's set, I wouldn't necessarily rule this guy out just because he has pink on him if you're not one of those "it's so hideous it's awesome" kinda people. The other colors genuinely work well with it, and he has a very "blacklight" feel to his character. My favorite toy from the 2010 set when it comes to mold changes and execution, and my second-favorite when it comes to overall color scheme. Makes a great centerpiece to any G2 collection, whether you have the other Botcon 2010 toys or not.

Review by Beastbot

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