Swerve Painted Face Debut in America Transformers Generation One Reissue Minibots Item No.: Asst. E2046 No. E2796 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Tech Specs Action Feature: Transforms from Robot to 4WD Truck Thing Retail: $7.99 Availability: December 2018 Other: New to USA Deco
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I can't say I'm terribly excited about most reissues, since the older versions of many toys exist and a reissue takes resources away from making a new thing. The Japanese Encore Swerve from a few years ago was part of a set I liked, but didn't want to pay for. It includes 5 minibots with some changes from the 1980s releases - Bumblebee had a head closer to the cartoon, while the rest had additional paint on their faces to look closer to their animation models or comic book appearances. If you don't already have hundreds of better robots, or just want a good Swerve, here he is for a heck of a lot less than he cost in a boxed set 10 years ago.

Since 1985, Swerve has gone from being a nobody/red repaint to a popular character in his own right thanks to James Roberts' More Than Meets the Eye and The Lost Light comic books. Now, you have a reason to care about Swerve as a character, and this is the first time the G1 toy was sold in American packaging since 1987 or 1988. The 2 1/2-inch robot is different and interesting. The chest sticker is applied upside-down compared to the 1985 and Encore 2008 releases, and is altered only slightly from the original toy. A couple of details are tweaked, but it's basically the same design. The figure's face is now painted - a selling point - because Swerve now looks like his comic book counterpart rather than an unpainted red robot. It makes a huge difference in giving him personality, making this a reissue that you'll probably be happy to buy if you missed him last time. Eight bucks for a G1 toy with better paint? That's worth tracking down. Heck, I made a detour to a couple of Walmarts the week before Christmas to get mine, and I hate going to stores during the holidays.

The quasi Jeep has four wheels and a reasonably solid build. Transformation involves pushing the arms in and flipping down the legs at the knees, and you get a little red car with metal pins in the wheels. It rolls nicely, but not particularly far. This makes it better than a lot of current small vehicle modes. It doesn't do anything, but it looks good and is a decent recreation of a toy you - or perhaps your parents - were old enough to enjoy as kids.

I didn't have the original as a kid, but I was excited to get some of the other recent releases. I like this one, too. I don't really need a G1 Swerve, but I like the character enough that the happy painted robot made for a worthwhile purchase. The Japanese set originally had 5 minibots for around $60, so carded minibots for $8 each seems more than worthwhile. I wouldn't say it's better than the Legends toy, but it's charming and nice to have.

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