Transformers Legacy Evolution Bombshell review

Bombshell wraps up my Transformers Legacy Insecticon crew. As the smallest Decepticon faction, that wasn’t going to be too hard. And Hasbro is closing in on knocking out the Dinobots as well. Anyway, Bombshell, Kickback and Shrapnel proved to be a nuisance for the Autobots whether as a trio or part of Megatron’s army.

I always thought Bombshell looked the most dangerous of the trio with his knight-like mask plate and helmet cannon/blaster. That’s what he would use to launch his mind-controlling cerebro-shells.

Let’s see if Bombshell is an explosive release for the line or simply fizzles out.

Packaging: The Legacy Evolution line features an eye-catching purple color scheme with green/yellow, silver and turquoise accents. The mini cut-out window doesn’t show much of the figure, but it does at least provide protection to keep the accessories from being stolen.

On the left side is a collage of various Junkions, Autobots and Decepticons including the three Insecticons. The top still has the QR code, but it doesn’t lead to anything now. Over on the right is a larger image of Bombshell in both his robot and alt mode.

I really miss the stat skills for the figures, which was a cool feature unique to the Transformers line these days.

Likeness: Bombshell is mostly based on his G1 cartoon appearance. In reusing the Shrapnel mold with appropriate new parts as needed, Hasbro has a strong base for Bombshell. Bombshell has a new head that really conveys that evil robotic knight theme.

The helmet covering portion is oversized. It was thinner and further back on his head in the cartoon. This has to sit too low and creates a wide space in the back. It doesn’t look as bad from straight on, but it does make for a weird visual from the sides.

Bombshell gets a new torso, shoulders with pincers and upper arms. The Shrapnel reuse begins with the forearms and waist down. There are more than enough new parts that it doesn’t feel like Hasbro took any shortcuts, just making smart reuse choices.

Alt Mode: Bombshell transforms into a Japanese rhinoceros beetle, which Hasbro did a solid job of replicating into robot form.

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Transformation: Bombshell’s transformation takes 13 steps. It was very easy enough that I was able to actually follow the instructions and get the transformation done.

Scale: Like the rest of his squad, Bombshell is a shorter mid-size Decepticon so he’s about the same height as the Stunticons and looking up at Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp.

While he’s not the tallest Decepticon, Bombshell is still taller than most of the Autobot Minibots. That’s appreciated as it helps prevent all the various Autobots and Decepticons from being the same height.

Paint: Like his brethren, Bombshell has a tremendous Decepticon color scheme featuring a predominant purple with some black and grey/silver accents and a bit of red.

I don’t typically have problems with Transformers’ paintwork and that remains the case here. I really like how the red of his eyes pop against the silver of his helmet and mask.

Articulation: Since he’s largely reusing the Shrapnel mold, there’s no real surprises with his articulation. Bombshell moves smoothly and can hit some fun poses.

Bombshell isn’t any different. His joints are nice and tight so he can hit a number of fun poses. I do wish his head had up and down movement instead of just left to right since the blaster helmet does go back a reasonable amount.

The butterfly shoulders have plenty of range allowing for some solid additional posing options.

Bombshell has:

• neck
• bicep
• ball-jointed shoulders
• elbows
• wrists
• wrist hinge
• torso
• waist
• hips
• thighs
• knees (double-jointed)

Accessories: Bombshell has his twin ion blasters. They peg easily into the holes in his fists or in the portholes under his forearm.

He’s also got a grey/silver blaster, which is accurate to the G1 figure and cartoon. Playing up on the EvoFusion gimmick, the ion blasters can plug into the blaster to give Bombshell some additional firepower. This is a cool look and probably going to be my default style for his main blaster.

Worth it?  I got Bombshell for $22.99. I don’t hate that price for Transformers figures given the dual functionality of the line.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Where to get it?  The Legacy series is just starting to show up in stores. I got him at Target. He’s up via secondary sellers on Amazon. Entertainment Earth has him coming in April.