Laserbeak, eject! Operation: observation.
One of Soundwave’s most iconic minions, Laserbeak returns to the Transformers line as a part of the second assortment of Titans Return Legends class figures. A redeco of the Buzzsaw released in the Combiner Wars line, Laserbeak is a nicely done redeco of the more famous condor Decepticon spy. The black and red deco really brings this one to life and looks better on the mold than the overpowering yellow on Buzzsaw. The tablet mode also has some great details which I found really pleasing – particularly the idea that this version of Laserbeak has spyware loaded up ready to spam Teletraan I with annoying pop-up ads, all while enjoying his “Playlist – Work Mix”, which has the icon of the original Generation 1 cassette. Overall, a great and fun addition to the Titans Return Legends size class.
Titans Return Laserbeak gallery
Pros
- Black and red deco nicely homages the Generation 1 Laserbeak and brings out the best in the mold.
- The icons on the tablet mode are fun additions which give the toy some character.
- Looks good perched on the arm of the leader class Megatron or Soundwave, and looks good as a team with fellow Legends Rumble and Ravage.
Cons
- Vehicle mode is fairly nonsensical
- Condor mode wings cannot mode up or down and legs are also fixed, limiting posing options.
Autovolt 127
Have him and Buzzsaw, fun figures despite technically being crap.
Enigma2K2
I'm sorry. You can't make that… thing look good.
ljacone
I have Buzzsaw, as he is a personal favorite character of mine, and I for one really like him. Can't wait to add Laserbeak to the ranks with him! I have him (along with Ravage and Rumble) sitting in my Pile Of Loot waiting to be shipped.
I still think this mold could be modified to make Ratbat (change where the pull out wings are connected, new head) and Squawktalk, but I echo Lord Dcast in that I want to see Eject, Ramhorn, and Steeljaw. I suspect that Stripes/Ravage is destined to become Steeljaw, since the G1 version had the wing-y bits on his back like the current mold has.
combinerlover
I have yet to want to get a Cassetron … but I may pounce on Laserbeak ….
Lord Dcast
Haven't gotten a single one yet, as I don't want a Soundwave to begin with. Holding out for Sunder.
Starscream 91
Oh I'd love for Hasbro to release this mold as Sunder! Heck I'd even take the blue Garboil, this is a really fun mold that I'd buy plenty of times more.
Lord Dcast
If neither Hasbro or Takara make the orange Blaster version, I'm going to have to pick one of these up and customise it. Black parts work better with orange than grey so its a good base, plus undercoat means none of the colour will shine through.
Also, still waiting on an Eject, a Rosanna, a Ramhorn and that lion dude.
shadowbug
I like the mold a lot even though it is clunky in some areas, will never turn it into that load lifter vehicle looking thing. That being said, I just put on the repo labels for both laserbeak and buzzsaw and now they are simply amazing. I want all my minions to have their cassette graphics, no idea why they did it for rewind but not rumble.
LegoLover58
Silly TFW2005. BoosterX10 isn't Laserbeak!
MastaBlasta
Love the last pic
artiepants
that group shot of Laserbeak's is particularly damning, even the gosh-awful data disk version looks more like the character then this absurd mold. (which, admittedly, has a decent head sculpt)
I feel like if they hadn't dictated the Tablet/phone molds being triple changers (especially given how nonsensical their 'vehicle' mode is ~ is it a skateboard or a forklift? both???) they probably could have had the Condor Bros. transform sideways instead of lengthwise and come up with something significantly more satisfying.
Starscream 91
Nice photos!
I really like this mold, my favorite Legends figure so far in Titans Return.
Sol Fury
Laserbeak is back as a part of the Titans Return line, and he is a fun, inoffensive release with some nice details – altogether the better version of the mold than Buzzsaw, though there are still some faults with the mold.
Check up my full writeup on the frontpage here: Titans Return Laserbeak Photoshoot – Transformers News – TFW2005
And check out the full gallery here: Laserbeak – Reflector @ TFW2005
Key pics:
Titans Return Laserbeak Condor mode
Titans Return Laserbeak Device mode
Titans Return Laserbeak vehicle mode
Group shot of various different incarnations of Laserbeak
Group shot of Soundwave's minions, 2016 remix