Compared to the previous Generations version of Kickback, this version sticks pretty close to the G1 source material, and Kickback here helps finish the "core Insecticon trio" in Legends size started with Skrapnel and continued with Bombshell. Of course, in beast mode Kickback is a mechanical grasshopper/locust. For the most part, this mode looks okay. The thing I particularly love about this toy is the diagonal, angular detailing on the transparent pale yellow insect wings-- it's just a really good look. The proportions are generally good, with large back legs, smaller forelegs, and an appropriately-sized head, but the back end of this mode is WAY undersized. It's the two arms from robot mode stuck together, but it's just RIDICULOUSLY small. I'm kinda glad they're mostly overshadowed by the large back legs, as I'd prefer to just forget about them. The way the head is set up is pretty cool, as the antennae carry over to the robot mode; the insect head is a "shell" covering up the robot head. Yeah it takes a big cue from G1 so it's not really original on Kickback, but it's still cool. This IS a Titans Return toy, so by folding up the transparent yellow piece on the back you can sit a Titan Master inside the body of this mode, like it's "riding" Kickback. The mold detailing is interesting, as it goes back-and-forth between being pretty basic (the rear legs, the head) to quite detailed, like the front legs with all the little pistons and pivot points, the aforementioned wings, and a ton of little rectangular details on the translucent yellow portion of the back. The color scheme is your typical Insecticon color scheme-- black, purple, and yellow (both of the regular and transparent variety). No section of Kickback is left just one big solid color beyond the wings (and the detailing makes it totally okay there, in my opinion). The black and purple alternate pretty often, and there's some nice yellow in the eyes, antennae, and rear legs, with some silver paint on the vents on said rear legs as well. For articulation in this mode, Kickback can move back-and-forth slightly at the antennae, at the wings (at two points each), and on each rear leg at three points. Unfortunately the front four legs can't move at all.
    Kickback's transformation is fairly simple-- mostly look at the insect mode from a top-down view, fold back the head, front legs, and wings, fold out the arms to the sides, and then fold up a few bits into the rear insect legs to make the robot legs. The end result is a pretty good robot mode, with one exception-- he definitely has a bit of a kibble backpack. Obviously the wings are supposed to be there and help accentuate the overall silhouette of the mode, but the front legs just hanging off the sides of the shoulders and the insect head "bump" behind the robot head is a bit of an eyesore. Kickback's lower arms are also merely molded onto the pieces that join to become the rear body, which normally I wouldn't care about at this scale, but they're a bit too large proportionally compared to the skinny upper arms. Otherwise Kickback's proportions are pretty solid in this mode, being moderately skinny overall with a fairly wide chest (at least compared to the head). As far as robot-specific details, given that so much is shared between this and the insect mode, there isn't a whole lot, but the pistons on the arms look pretty nice, and compressing up the rear insect legs into the robot legs leads to three stripes of silver on each foot, which looks nice and helps vary up the colors a bit more (the skinny part of the insect legs folds in nicely behind the robot legs). The robot head is a pretty solid sculpt, with a visor, a "normal" silver mouth, and large yellow antennae on the sides. Unfortunately there's no light piping behind the visor despite it being transparent, so his visor can't light up, even though it seems like it should be able to. For articulation, Kickback can move at the neck, slightly at the antennae, and at the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees, with the latter four all being ball joints, so he can get into a pretty decent range of poses. Of course, the wings still retain all their movement from insect mode.
    Titans Return Kickback is more of a strict "G1 update" compared to his FoC version (the latter of which I consider a bit superior), but it helps to round out the 3 "core" G1 Insecticons at this scale. He has one significant issue in each mode-- in insect mode his rear is way too small, and in robot mode he has a fair amount of kibble behind his upper back-- but other than that everything's pretty well-done, with generally good proportions, articulation, and a decent color scheme. Mildly recommended.

Review by Beastbot

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