Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel (Transformers Swerve and Gears) Review

Trash-Talk (Swerve) and Cogwheel (Gears) are the two newest third-party Transformer releases from Maketoys.  Coming into this set I really didn’t know much about either characters besides early toy and cartoon memories.  So why did I then decide to buy this set?  Well it comes with a drink tray!  In the current “More Than Meets the Eye” comic, Swerve is a bartender. This is why they included a tray with a trio of drinks in order to create the perfect IDW Swerve.

Transformers Third Party Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel Swerve Gears

Only recently did I get into the IDW Transformers comic series.  Many people suggested it to me, but I’m just slow to get around to doing anything comic related.  I feel all kinds of guilt because I do actually have a comic pull list at my local shop, but I only get down there once every few months.  I told them the other week to start pulling the MTME series, which oddly enough they only carry by special order.  This worried me a little bit.  Was I the first person in my store to want this book?  Am I odd?  After I left did they laugh and say mean things about me?  When it comes to comic books I just want to fit in and this paranoia is not helping at all.

Transformers Third Party Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel Swerve Gears

Even though my comic store didn’t have any trades for me to catch up on, Amazon did have them and came to my rescue.  After reading the first volume I was hooked, and now I understand the Swerve love and more importantly the fantastic MTME story.  Of course now I also want IDW style figures of every member of the Lost Light, but I need to be strong as I’m mostly a Masterpiece collector.  That said I will grab something that looks good.  And that is where this set comes in, because these guys look GREAT!

Transformers Third Party Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel Swerve Gears

So the first thing you will notice when you get these guys is the box.  I love a box that I can keep, and Trash-Talk and Cogwheel’s box is a keeper.  The box is one I would love to walk into a Toys “R” Us and see even though I’m well aware this will never actually happen.  Regardless of the fact that they are unofficial Transformers it is still a professional production and the packaging is no exception.  The box art is bright and shows off all aspects of the characters; it really gets you hyped up to rip it open and start transforming things!

Transformers Third Party Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel Swerve Gears

Once you got the box open the contents are as follows: Trash-Talk, Cogwheel, sniper rifle, grenade launcher, two alternate heads, and a tray with three removable drinks.  The alternate heads were a big sell for me on this set.  MECH iDEAS’ Demolition Crue included a great battle damaged swappable head, and I’ve always been a fan of options when it comes to robot heads.  So Trash-Talk aka Swerve comes with a very expressive smiling face that captures the look and spirit of the IDW comic’s character.  His alternate head is a spoiler for me since I haven’t gotten that far in the series, but it is from him accidentally blasting his face off.  Cogwheel aka Gears more humanoid face is based on his comic look while the other is a G1 reference.  The comic face is fairly neutral and boring looking, but that G1 face looks incredible!

Transformers Third Party Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel Swerve Gears

In order to swap the heads you need to slide out their chest section of the figure.  Once pulled out you will see a screw (or two in Swerve’s case) in the back of their head.  Unscrew and the helmet section will separate from the faceplate.  Do NOT attempt to just pull the head off as you will more than likely break the neck peg in the process.  If you don’t have one it isn’t a bad idea to invest in a small screwdriver; a lot of third-party Transformers involve unscrewing parts for batteries or swapping pieces.

Transformers Third Party Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel Swerve Gears

The transformation on these guys is both simple and fun.  Maybe it’s fun because it’s so simple.  My belief is that if I don’t have to worry about breaking anything my enjoyment of a transformation goes up tremendously.  These guys basically fold up into cars and then fold back out into their bot mode.  The only part that gave me a little trouble was getting the wrists to snap into place in bot mode.  You have to apply a good amount of pressure to the wrist to get them to snap in place.  It seems like once I did it the first time it got easier afterwards.  I’m not sure if I just had to break something in, or if I then knew how much pressure was needed to get the job done.

Transformers Third Party Maketoys Trash-Talk and Cogwheel Swerve Gears

These are little guys and they’ll cost you about $70 when all is said and done.  I think if you are an IDW fan these guys are a must, but mostly for Swerve.  They are also a requirement for people who like really fun and well-built Transformer toys.  I went into it for Swerve, but in the end I really ended up liking Gears as well.  I’ve played with them so much in the past couple weeks that it’s almost impossible for me to pick a favorite anymore.  This duo would probably be a great starting point for anyone looking to get into third-party Transformers.  The set is moderately priced and fun as hell to mess around with, it’s the kind of thing that makes collecting Transformers (and their third-party bretheren) so much fun!




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