Dinobots right?

Every kid I knew loved 'em! They combined two of our favorite things: dinosaurs and Transformers. What more could a kid ask for? I remember being blown away by them when I was five years old and they showed up on the original cartoon.

I could not wait to get my hands on them! I begged my Mom for the Brontosaurus Sludge when the original G1 toys came out. To this day, my favorite dino is a Brachiosaurus. I have a thing for the big Sauropods. Transformers were expensive back then (still are!), and we couldn't afford a lot of them. In fact, when my next door neighbor broke my older brother's Megatron my mom took it back to Sears and exchanged it for an Optimus Prime for me. I think my brother still resents me to this day!

I got Sludge, but that was the only Dinobot I ever got. My brother got Grimlock and Snarl, so he made out okay in the end. There was one Dinobot we both wanted though, and he proved to be impossible to find!

Swoop, the Pteranodon! I never saw him in stores. Now, truth be told, we lived in a tiny town in Idaho, so who knows. But still, he was our Holy Grail, and the stuff of legends. There was a rumor at church that a kid had one, but I never met him. Years later, in 2000, I discovered eBay, where I was able to buy him for $60. He was only missing his sword. It was a good find, and the beginning of my collection.

Fans Toys has done something wonderful with their Iron Dbots Line. FT Soar is truly a Masterpiece Transformer. The transformation is easy and very similar to the original G1 figure. One big difference I noticed immediately was that FT Soar's chest color is blue like the original cartoon and not red like the G1 toy. There is a version with the red chest for those who would like it, but I prefer the blue. Like most collectors, I prefer that my Mp's reflect the cartoon, are detailed, and have that Cybertonian tech vibe.

I owned MP8, but I sold 1 through 9 when MP10 came out. I liked MP8, but the scale left much to be desired. Let's just say, I am looking forward to Grinder.

Soar is hefty, which I noticed right away. Lots of die cast make him shockingly heavy! His proportions are really nice, and he is an impressive robot. All the right points of articulation are here. This gives you any possible pose your brain can conjure up. Fans Toys always delivers on the points articulation. His sword stores on his back and on his base. It's also a big plus that he comes with a wonderful clear base for display.

Bottom line: Soar is Masterpiece Swoop. Period. There are a couple different choices out there for Masterpiece Dinobots. Fans Toys has made the quintessential Masterpiece Swoop. I don't even think Takara could do any better! There really is no better choice. So head over to Big Bad Toy Store, and buy one for yourself.

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/default.aspx