IDW Optimus Prime [Galaxy Version 06 – Parallel Universe]

What is Megatron without Optimus Prime? Also in that Galaxy Version 06 – Parallel Universe case I bought a bit back was an IDW Optimus Prime, naturally. Optimus represents his Cybertronian form as seen in the IDW Transformers: Stormbringer comics. To be completely honest, I never paid this design much attention back then. No real reason — I guess my mind just glazed over it. However, when assembling this kit, I found myself appreciating it quite a lot.

This is another one of those Blokees Galaxy Version kits that feels a little more deluxe than the others. There’s even a chase version of it as Orion Pax that looks spectacular as well, but there’s really no beating a good Optimus Prime, and that’s exactly what we’ve got here.

Optimus looks pretty stocky, which is funny since he’s not the squared-up version we’re used to thanks to his Earth-based designs. Actually, pre-Earth designs for him are usually extra stocky or at least adjacent to his traditional look. This one feels like it stepped straight out of a mecha shooter game. I could totally see him in something like Virtual On. Actually, does anyone remember that SNES Generation 2 game that got cancelled? Obviously he would’ve looked more traditional in that, but a design like this would have been amazing in something like that.

I’m pretty fond of his forearm blasters — come to think of it, I think I always like forearm weapons. They just look cool, you know? Optimus also has twin blasters mounted on his back, which look super cool as well. They create a nice parallel to his smokestacks in more traditional designs.

I know it’s just the standard mix of red, blue, and gray with some yellow highlights, but the classic Optimus Prime colors really pop on this design. They’re a little brighter and give him an almost electric look. Optimus has a variation of his Ion Blaster, which may be intended as a different rifle, but it’s what I associate with him by default. It’s a pretty rad-looking gun, and honestly, Optimus looks pretty hardcore. You know — for a pacifist… he’ll absolutely kill the shit out of something.

Of course, he’s got the standard set of Galaxy Version hands and the display stand. Like Megatron, he also came with a pew-pew blast effect that I didn’t include in the photos. I actually took the pictures and noticed it sitting off to the side afterward. I know some folks really like those effects, but I’m admittedly a little indifferent.

This is just a really sharp-looking Optimus Prime once you’ve got him assembled. Galaxy Version, being a blind box series, really benefits from all these alternate takes on familiar characters. Someone like Optimus has had a million different forms over the years, and that could get boring in a regular toy line — but it’s fun here. The design looks great, and in Blokees’ signature style it really shines. It’s a solid Super Robot look — a mix of tech and ornamental design that just works for me, man.

Skeleton Action Figures 4 Pack T13 [MMXBGS]

I have no clue why we’re all so scared of skeletons, considering there’s one inside all of us. And yet… I guess our insides are creepy. Despite just being our insides, skeletons are spooky tropes that show up all the time—in games, movies, books, seasonal and personal style décor, and memento mori stuff. They’re just everywhere, and specifically in today’s post… as some really neat 3D-printed action figures.

The Mrs. got these for me at Halloween, and I’m just now getting around to showcasing them here on the site. They’re a rad set of four differently colored skeletons, absolutely chock full of articulation. From all the various 3D-printed action figures I see online, I’m assuming she chose from a wide selection. This particular set is especially neat because she clearly went for the TMNT colors. She knows me.

The set includes four separate skeletons, each with an array of weapons and two sets of hands—one open and one closed. The closed hands can hold the weapons, while the open ones are obviously for more expressive poses. Speaking of expressive poses, these guys are articulated up the wazoo. I didn’t try it, but I’m pretty sure you could roll them up into a ball. Super articulated, and even their skeleton jaws can open. These things are freaking neat.

They’re technically troop builders—meaning identical figures meant to form an army—but thanks to the different colors, they manage to convey a bit of individuality. I can totally see the purple one as more of a magic-wielding skeleton, while the red one just screams bloody dungeon corpse.

The weapons are pretty interesting too. There’s a hatchet and a halberd, both slightly gnarly, with some neat ornamentation on the halberd and bones used throughout. There’s also a skull-headed club that could easily double as some sort of spellcaster’s staff. My favorite, though, is the nunchucks made from bones. A bit silly—but honestly, it makes a lot of sense. I mean, why wouldn’t skeletons use bones lying around for weapons? And even if they don’t know martial arts… it’d still hurt like hell.

Each skeleton comes with the same set of weapons, giving your spooky skeletal troop plenty of options in battle. This is a really neat set of figures the Mrs. surprised me with, and I’ve been enjoying them quite a lot. Of course, the colors make me think of Microman, but also of random dungeon encounters in some old PC game. They’re genuinely cool toys that can interact with other figures you pair them with in a battle.

Really freaking neat.

IDW Megatron [Galaxy Version 06 – Parallel Universe]

Megatron had a pretty fun design in the More Than Meets the Eye comics, so seeing it represented as a Blokees Galaxy Version kit is pretty great. I lucked up on a case of Series 06 – Parallel Universe at a local Target not too long ago, and he seemed like a great choice for today’s post. Today’s post is, of course, the first toy post of Zone Base’s 10th year — well, aside from the regular weekly update on Monday — but I think you get the idea. For the start of Zone Base’s 10th year, he felt like the right pick.

I’m not sure if you reading this are aware of where Megatron was in the IDW Transformers comics around the time this design represents, but he had switched sides and joined the Autobots, eventually finding a home among the misfit crew of the Lost Light and its adventures. More recently, Megatron also switched sides in the Transformers: EarthSpark cartoon series. The “bad guy becomes a good guy” trope gets reused a lot, but I don’t mind it when it’s done well. My personal favorite version of this is still the G2 Marvel comics, when he and Optimus teamed up to battle Jhiaxus. Sure, if that comic had continued, Megatron probably would have gone back to his old ways eventually — but he really came off well in those issues.

As a Blokees Galaxy Version kit, Megatron comes out great. Admittedly, I can’t really find fault in anything Blokees does, but their signature style matches his design especially well. I’ve compared the Galaxy Version look before to a Mega Man X–style design. There’s just something very 16-bit game energy about these figures once the model is built. Megatron feels like he should’ve been in a PC Engine CD-ROM game. Galaxy Version 06 uses the sturdier bodies with improved construction that I’ve raved about in prior Blokees posts. There have been more waves with that improvement than without at this point, and I still can’t stop talking about it. This Megatron is one of the nicer Galaxy Versions, with a more deluxe set of parts — you start to get a feel for that sort of thing once you’ve built enough of these. It’s a really nice kit, and I especially like his backpack. Even though these don’t transform, the alt-mode kibble displays really nicely.

Megatron, of course, comes with the standard closed fists and open palms for a variety of poses, as well as the display stand that Galaxy Version kits included up until recently. He also comes with a purple blast effect that plugs into his cannon. I didn’t include it in my photos (total brain fart), but it’s a newer version of the pew-pew laser effect that comes with some of these kits. In addition to his standard parts, he also has a new set of forearms unique to this version, which are more comic-accurate than the usual Galaxy Version forearms.

Overall, Megatron just feels more extra than what you normally expect — and I like that. It’s neat that some of these figures are nicer than others; it makes the blind-box nature of the line a little more exciting, you know? There’s also an all-white version of this Megatron that was produced as an exclusive for a campaign at the Toys “R” Us in the Power Plant Mall in the Philippines. That would be super neat to own, but unfortunately it’s a little out of the way for me. Thankfully, the standard version is excellent in its own right. This was a satisfying experience all around.

Thinking it's Monday

A new week is upon us Zone Base readers! A new week, and a new year! 2026 is Zone Base's 10th year and I hope it proves to be a great one! Like many of you I'm dealing with the hecticness that comes with getting back to the real world after the holidays. My Christmas and New Years were great, I hope yours was too! I got a mountain of new toys, games, and neat stuff. More than I can wrap my mind around. You'll be sure to see some of it in future posts here on the site. One thing I'm not sure if I'll talk about in a regular post is a box of bootleg Micromasters. The listing showed a neat option for 40 of them with lower quantities available. Well, they came and... the wrong assortment was sent. Apparently the lower assortments had different bootleg robot toys. Smaller robots, but not Micromasters. I've handled the return and am just waiting for the correct assortment to arrive soon. I'll tell you all about it next weekly update, assuming they send the right box. Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. As usual, household chores and pics for upcoming posts need to be done. See, back to normal! Thank you all for reading. Please don't forget to share with your friends and be excellent to each other.