The Transformers film might not have been high cinema, but it sure did make the bucks. Not only that, but Hasbro’s Transformers line of toys has been one of the very, very few hit toy lines based on a movie in the past decade. But if you’re looking for something a bit more than toys, and perhaps a bit more old school that the Michael Bay interpretation, you should check out some of the cool busts and statues currently on the market.

One of those is the Action Figure Express exclusive mini-bust of Grimlock. The bust was sculpted by Art Asylum and produced by Diamond Select Toys, and at 6″ fits in nicely not only with their other Transformer mini-busts (of which there are quite a few), but with some of the past busts done by other companies as well.

Grimlock is a limited edition of 600 mini-busts, and runs around $50. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at mwc@mwctoys.com, or visit my website Michael’s Review of the Week. Now on to the review!

The War Within Grimlock exclusive mini-bust

This version of Grimlock is based on the comic book series “The War Within”, published back in 2002. These comics were grittier than the old show, with a more ‘adult’ feel. The writer, Simon Furman, now works for IDW Publishing who hold the rights for Transformer comics, so the rumor (and it’s just a rumor) is that we might see the series continue.

Packaging – ***
On the plus side, the packages keep the busts quite safe, they’ve used the nice, sturdy styrofoam for the interior trays, and there’s a great Certificate of Authenticty that comes in the box. On the negative side, there’s no windo, so you’ll be flying blind til you get him home.

Sculpting – ***
Grimlock sports a reasonable amount of detail, very typical of this style of mini-bust. He’ll fit in nicely with the rest of the gang if you’ve been picking these up over time, and he’s relatively realistic. Or as realistic as a Transformer can be.

One of the keys to a robot sculpt like this is a sharpness to the lines and angles. Robots aren’t soft and round – they have hard edges, better to slice you up. Sometimes it’s hard to get that metallic sharp appearance in a material like resin, but they’ve done a decent job.

Paint – ***
The paint work is fairly clean, although not outstanding. Grimlock is a character with a nice, broad pallette, which makes him a visually interesting guy on the shelf. Most of the cut lines are clean between these colors, and there’s very little slop. Some of the silver was a bit inconsistent in the coverage, but it was a minor issue, as were the few areas where the colors bleed into each other.

Design – ***
Grimlock is ready for battle, looking like he just walked off the pages of the comic. The War Within Grimlock (and actually, Grimlock in general) is a character that likes hand to hand battle, and prefers using his Energon sword. Here, he’s preparing to take your head off with it, a fitting pose for the character.

Value – **1/2
Bust prices have crept up about $5 – $10 over the last year, going from the old $40 – $45 to $45 – $50. Sad as that is, I can’t say it’s surprising considering the current economy. And at that price, this guy is a pretty average value.

Things to Watch Out For –
Be careful attaching the left arm and the ‘wings’ on his back. Both of these fit with metal posts inserted into the resin body, and it is very easy to break the resin if you don’t take your time.

Overall – ***
For fans of the license, this is a solid contender. He fits in well with most of the rest of the busts, even with him being done in the slightly different War Within style. If you’re a big fan of Transformers, I recommend giving him a look.

Where to Buy –
He was an Action Figure Express exclusive, but they may already be sold out. You can do an ebay search with MyAuctionLinks as well.

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