Review: #35
Name: Dirge
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Revenge of the Fallen - NEST Global Alliance
Year of Release: 2009
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 7)
Variations: there was a repaint as Jetblade in the Autobot Alliance line
JET MODE:
Dirge transformers into a jet that is loosely based on the Harrier Jump Jet. The colour scheme is really nice, from the shade of dark blue plastic, to the gold-bronze highlights. Under each wing is a missile launcher, and he features three-point landing gear, although they are molded solid.
It is a bit of a mess to look at from the back, but the transformation seams are minimal. There is a lot of sculpted details including a seat that you can see inside the cockpit. The nose cone is also made of rubber.
Taking out the missiles and viewing Dirge from the side, you can see how cluttered and messy he is. He's actually quite a thick plane, with a lot of robot kibble tucked underneath. Somehow, despite this, Dirge still works and looks streamlined.
I think Dirge looks best from top down, and I like that it is a good tribute to the G1 version, but they resisted to colour the wings completely bronze (which would have ruined the aesthetic). The two intakes on either side are a bit too big and round, but a really nice jet nonetheless.
TRANSFORMATION:
The most innovative aspect of this figure, and it was this part that won me over. I haven't seen such a ingenious and abnormal transformation in a long time. Just comparing the robot and jet modes, you cannot possibly fathom where the parts end up, it's that unusual. Being unusual is not enough, Dirge is fun to transform, and when going back into a jet, everything pegs and clicks into place very securely. One thing I don't like is how hard it is to pull the halves of the conehead apart, there is not enough of a grip, and there is the danger of stripping the red paint off the crest since it pegs together so well. The wings might feel a bit flimsy due to the numerous joints and hinges required for transformation, but those are the only complaints I have of the transformation.
ROBOT MODE:
After all that twisting and contorting... you get this ugly robot. I admit when I first saw pictures of him, and up until the point where I saw his transformation, I thought he was disgusting and I can safely skip him. Getting him, and fiddling around, he has grown on me, a lot.
He has some ward kibble, the major one being the cockpit on his right arm, it works better than I expected, but still not that great. He has what I like to think of as a shield, on the outside of his left hand, made by the fuselage of the plan. By far the biggest negative is the small size of him, he's really short, thin and spindly.
He has a flat side profile, but I like how everything pegs together securely. There are quite a few false elements, such as the air intakes on his shoulders, the cockpit chest and the thrusters.
He has one of the better Mech Alive gimmicks of the line, as you rotate the shoulders, it spins the thrusters in his chest. It's unobtrusive, and doesn't get the way of anything, it's not trivial either.
In classic Seeker fashion, you can detach the missile launchers from the wings and peg them onto his arms, like Null-Rays. It does overwhelm his arms, but it's nice for attack poses.
There are a lot of details on the face, and I think he has some pretty thick lips. The head shape overall is not really cone-shaped but more like a melon. Still, it's a great head sculpt, and he features clear lightpiping.
The legs are awkwardly shaped, and contain a ton of joints (five joints in total for one leg), making him somewhat hard to stand flat on the table. The feet is oddly shaped and the wings hanging off them gets in the way in some angles.
Only complaint with regards to his poseability is that you cannot bend his elbows forward without making his palms face the air, otherwise, he's great. A robot mode that you'll warm up to with time.
OVERALL:
If you can get past the exterior, and stand back and have a look at Dirge, you will start to appreciate the engineering that has been put into him. I think he is a really innovative toy, the jet mode is a bit hindered but the transformation is a stand out and the robot mode is more fun than you'd expect.
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A better quality gallery of Dirge can be found on Seibertron.com.
Credit: the pictures and text are all my original work, but I've linked a few pages to TFwiki.net and Wikipedia
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