Found the first release of the Leader class in the new Animated line at Toys R Us this week. For not wanting this toy when the early pictures were released, Bulkhead turned out to be one of the nicer figures so far. And this is why...ROBOT MODE
A little short is the first impressions once Bulkhead was free from tape and ties, but there is a pleasing weight to the toy. There is a nice amount of sculpted detail around the robot body, and the paint is applied well (for a change). The Autobot symbols on his chest doubles as a button that triggers one of three phrases, along with flashing lights, and his head t
urns and mouth moves. The sound bites are good quality, though I have no idea if they are show accurate.Articulation is good, with excellent ratchet joints at the arms and legs (the kind that click), which is a proper choice given the weight of the figure. The arms have good possibility, and the knees bend (just in case). Downsides of articulation is the head has no movement because of the action feature, and the hands are stuck due to their action features (a switch opens the claws, and a switch spins the blade). If the blade was made removable, or could retract, it would have made a better figure. There are four removable air torpedoes that do nothing but easily fall out, but at least they are removable.
Not pictured (because I forgot) is the Headmaster head that is included. Once attached, it triggers a new voice and different colored lights. This is a cool added value, and will work with the Leader Class Megatron.
VEHICLE MODE
I like the transformation, because it shows how well the engineers hid much of the body to avoid Bulk
head becoming a shell-former. Much of the vehicle folds into itself, the wheels are hidden, and the turret hides under the shoulder pads. Once in vehicle mode, the turret locks over the head, and a variation of the transforming noise plays. The vehicle is a cartoony armored military vehicle, and this mold looks good. The six wheels roll smoothly, the air torpedoes rotate, and the guns on the turret moves. The Autobot symbol still acts a button, now it triggers a siren and flashing lights. This is a fine vehicle mode, but nothing spectacular.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a very fine toy, fun to play with, well built, with a couple small downsides. $40 is a little over-priced, and paying any more on the secondary market would likely lower your satisfaction level. I cannot compare this to the voyager class toy, because I don't own one (and not planning on getting another) but by itself, this is a nice addition to a collection.
