Starscream
(Shattered Glass; Combiner Wars) [TFCC 2017 Subscription Service Exclusive]
(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 Combiner Wars Skydive. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Combiner Wars Skydive here.)
Like the previous version
of Shattered Glass Starscream, this "Combiner
Wars" version of the character is basically in Jetfire colors. His main
colors are white and red, which are definitely very Autobot-y colors, which
of course are often Shattered Glass Decepticon-y colors, and he's got a
good amount of black to contrast well against the other "lighter" colors.
It's a pretty good color scheme overall, though hardly original. The most
impressive part of this toy-- as with many FunPub figures-- is all the
paint apps. The red lines on all the wings look great against the white,
and there's some black on the wings and near the center of the jet mode
that nod back to the paint apps on the first SG Starscream, which was repainted
from the more futuristic Cybertron Starscream mold. The cockpit windows
are a really interesting color-- it's a VERY light glossy gray that is
juuust dark enough to be picked out from the surrounding white plastic.
It's an interesting choice, but I honestly think it works in the small
amount that it's used. The glossy gray paint used for the missiles is also
a decent shade against the white, too. In robot mode is where the paint
apps are really impressive, though-- again, it's basically still just three
colors, but they're varied up so much that there's no one area that's too
"one-tone". There's some black-with-red stripe decals on the feet as well,
as a callback to the first SG Starscream. (This square part is the only
bit that I don't think fits-- they don't fit the detailing around them,
and just seem too random.) One additional thing worth noting is that the
red PLASTIC for Starscream is a little bit duller than the PAINT, to the
point where they differ, but not enough to outright contrast against each
other. The red plastic is used on the double-barreled cannon, the middle
of the arms, and on the center of the chest/combiner peg. His hand/foot/gun
piece is a really nice transparent red that works really nicely as an accent
piece/weapon.
SG Starscream has a
new head, though it's not one of FunPub's-- this Starscream head was already
pre-molded for this toy, and was in fact used on a Japan-only "Ghost Starscream"
version. It's a pretty good headsculpt overall, though the chin is a bit
too long/pointy. He's got a nice silver face and blue eyes, with some great
black headlights on his white head. Also, this mold has been repainted
a TON by now, so his joints are a little bit loose (though for the most
part it's not anything a bit of nail/floor polish can't fix).
I'm of a mixed mind
about CW SG Starscream. On the one hand, he's got a great color scheme
with tons of paint apps, most of which go really well together, and it's
an update of a toy that goes for lots of money on the aftermarket, but
with a more realistic alt mode. However, it's of a mold that's been done
a TON of times, there's no other Shattered Glass Combiner Wars toys to
use him with, and I just wanted something a bit more unique or celebratory
for FunPub's last "surprise" Transformers Club figure (Combiner Wars Skyfall,
anyone?). Mildly recommended if you want a SG Starscream with a more realistic
alt mode; otherwise it's an easy skip.
Review by Beastbot