Prime Spotlight: DX9Toys D03i Invisible

We here at The Chosen Prime strive to give you great services as well as giving you some updates and reviews on products that we ourselves collect. With this in mind, we are planning on giving you Prime Spotlights. This series will be our way of showing off some products that we carry. We look forward to having at least one Prime Spotlight out every week. So, hang on tight and enjoy the ride!

Prime Spotlight presents: 

DX9Toys D03i Invisible

DX9- “INNER DREAM ETERNAL HOBBY” (INVISIBLE)

Bottom Line (*** stars- <out of a possible 5>)

by Stygian360


Introduction:
This reviewer considers frame of mind before looking at a figure crucial as it can sometimes color all that will come after.  Was the figure a treasured part of my childhood?  Does the character trigger something in the prepubescent mind which links them to happy or negative thoughts?  For me Mirage (the character Invisible is based on) was always a huge favorite.  On the G1 cartoon his character was unassuming, but his ability to make himself invisible (must be where UT got the name- ya think?) and also single-handedly bring down the Decepticons – all while rocking one of the best alt modes ever—showcased how incredibly cool he is.  Also, unlike some of his compatriot figures from that era, he actually pretty closely resembled his on-screen counterpart.  And again… that alt mode!!  Needless to say Invisible had a lot to live up to as I began this review.  Does he deliver?  Let’s find out.


Articulation:
For those who value articulation you will not be disappointed one bit.  He has swivels in all of the right places- shoulders, hips, wrists, biceps, etc.  It’s key to note that due to the positioning of the head- with the alt mode cockpit positioned directly behind it- it may be difficult to turn left and right (unfortunately no “look up in the sky, it’s a plane” positioning is possible with the head).  It’s not impossible to do but does require getting your fingers in just the right spot to turn it back and forth.  On a positive note the neck joint is nice and tight.  The head on mine came shoved back into the cockpit, which required I push a pen cap up through the back of the figure to get it into proper position, but once there it wasn’t too difficult to position correctly with deft finger positioning.  Overall I’d say the head was really the only joint that seemed quirky and perhaps could have used a better design.  Otherwise all of the other joints are solid and feel appropriately but not overly tight.


Paint:
Mine came with several minor paint scuffs on the chest piece which forms the front of the alt/bot mode, but otherwise the paint effort overall on this figure is a solid one.  Early Unique Toys (DX9 is a subsidiary) products had rampant overspray and color mismatching issues, but fortunately much of that seems way behind them, and especially so with Invisible.  In fact it’s very professional looking.  In summary Invisibles paint quality (again, considering minor variations in quality will occur as these are hand-assembled products) is stellar.


Transformation:
The real bread and butter of any transforming toy is its transformation.  So, let’s begin with the out of the box instructions.  Thankfully they are clear, concise and detailed enough to provide a side-by-side that is accurate to what you can expect when actually handling the figure.  As many collectors of third party product are aware, the instructions can be either a hindrance or a help and fortunately these are both useful and helpful.  They are also fortunately kept to one large fold-out sheet; which is delightfully un-cumbersome and easy to reference.  I will say that the level of skill required to go from out of the box robot to alt mode isn’t going to blow any collectors mind, as many of the steps feel intuitive and flow easily, but for spots like getting the legs to fold up seamlessly into the alt mode cab it was nice having them handy.  The one aspect which was troubling was getting the spoiler and most aft section of the alt mode (its legs in bot mode) to ‘clip’ and stay together properly.  It may simply be my spoiler which doesn’t peg and stay together properly and I hope so as I would hate to see other collectors experience this.  Fortunately I wasn’t left with a floppy or even slightly floppy mess in this area once the transformation into alt mode was complete, but it not completely pegging and staying together is somewhat vexing.  It seems like the designers could have given that area in particular a bit more thought.  Not a deal breaker for me, but if it does prove problematic for others than it will be a disappointment for an otherwise stellar release.



Bottom Line:
Do I recommend Invisible or is it perhaps better to wait on something more ‘official’?  This sentiment in particular seems to be the current topic surrounding this character for some reason.  Being a collector who rarely considers it wrong to  “double dip”—simply to try out different products and see which equals the ideal version of that character—I would absolutely recommend Invisible.  Unique Toys has done absolutely everything right here.  The paint is stellar with only minor blemishes on my review copy, the articulation satisfying, the transformation not mind-blowing but certainly captivating, and its overall design, build and quality are excellent.  In fact I would be hard-pressed not to consider this something equal to an official product- perhaps even surpassing their products especially with the inclusion of chrome (on the front stabilizers and rear spoiler), rubber tires, and a keen design aesthetic which pays proper homage to the G1 character on which Invisible is based.  Overall this figure a perfect inclusion to any transforming action figures collectors shelf.



Check out the rest of the pictures. If you're interested in acquiring this figure, please click the main image on this blog post, or use the order form at the bottom.