Blackout Transformers: Age of Extinction - Studio Series #08 Transformers Studio Series Leader Class Toy Item No.: Asst. E0703 No. E0980 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Display Backdrop, tiny Scorponok Action Feature: Transforms from Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low to robot Retail: $49.99 Availability: April 2018 Other: Good robot, uh, let's say it's a good robot
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One of the more requested tots from the movie series has been a new, bigger Blackout. We got one! He's a Leader-class toy, but a short one - bulky, lots of plastic, and big compared to Voyagers... just not huge compared to leaders.

Complete with backdrop and a mini Scorponok, there's a lot to like here - it's also pretty complex and kind of cumbersome, thanks to the six-bladed barely-spinning non-removable rotor on top.

The 7 1/2-inch robot (at the op of the head, 9-inches at the top of the kibble) chunky and nifty. I like the face here, the parts move in interesting ways, but getting it just right is a little tricky. The figure has rocker ankles with chopper walls as soles, weird three-fingered hands with some articulation, and a peg-in cannon made from the vehicle mode's tail. There's plenty of articulation, but it's kind of weird thanks to the kibble getting in the way of this piece or that piece. The moving parts are great at getting him to find his center of gravity, but he's pretty top-heavy so dynamic action poses are going to be tough to pull from this one.

Transformation is a bit clunky, mostly because that big blade gets in the way and all the panels are tough to shift just-so. I would say I found it to be a harrowing, time-consuming transformation.

The helicopter is big and impressive. From the tip of the cannon to the back of the tail, he's a hair over 16-inches long - one of the bigger alt modes that aren't a Titan-class toy. Deco is good, but simple. You'll see it's mostly grey, with a few markings like "BLACKOUT" on the tail, a Decepticon symbol on the front, and a clear window. There's on-board storage for Scorponok in the tail with some decent sculpted detail on the exterior, but it's not much of anything that's going to really "wow" you. It's good, it's accurate, but it's not next-level weirdness like the paint job on Grimlock. It's good, but the rotor doesn't spin freely. It just looks really nice.

As a bonus item, Scorponok's awesome. It's small and has limited articulation - it does not transform. The tail has two joints, and each claw can move. Silver, gold, and red paint bring it some life with a surprisingly nice face. It's a cool sidekick figure and better than I would normally expect for this kind of a toy. The legs don't move, but I'm fine with that. The figure can also mount on Blackout's back or inside his helicopter tail.

I find this toy impressive and frustrating. It's kind of small as a robot, but the vehicle is huge. Both modes look great, but the complex transformation is a little off-putting if you're the kind of person that doesn't want to spend a long time moving it around. It's impressive, but not enjoyable or fun. If you display toy and don't place a premium on play, this may be perfect for you. If you want something you can fidget with on the couch, skip this one - the Voyagers have proven best for hand candy so far.

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