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Making his Transformers debut way back in 1985, Jetfire has garnered quite the fan following over the years. So it’s only fitting that Diamond Select Toys & Collectables add him to their long line of Transformers busts and statues. There have been many variations of Jetfire not just in body, as he has also gone by the name Skyfire as well, but this version of the former Decepticon turned Autobot is his classic G1 (Generation One) form, and not his most recent incarnation as an SR-71 Blackbird in the motion picture Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

He has a couple of back stories, but we’re going to go with this one: Jetfire was a scientist on the Transformers’ home planet of  Cybertron, who was also friends with Starscream before the Great War. He was eventually betrayed by Starscream, and after a series of events he eventually defected to the Autobots and has served with them ever since. Jetfire can be seen currently fighting alongside the Autobots in the new Transformers ongoing series from IDW Comics.

Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles
Sculpted By: Art Asylum’s Mark Wong
Height: 6″
Released: June 2009
Retail Price: US $60.00

Now, there is a bit of assembly required, but if you’re not able to place the right arm in the shoulder joint, then you probably shouldn’t own this bust in the first place. Once the arm is placed, you pretty much have what you see in the pic above, though the arms are positioned slightly differently, but not too much. Jetfire is packing his double barrel photon missile launcher, which is based off of his first appearance in the Transformers cartoon, and sitting atop a metallic Cybertronian inspired base that displays the Autobot insignia. There is a moderate level of detail showing off a few of the inner robot parts and various sections of the chassis. However, it’s the choice of the particular red metallic paint that takes away from the piece, making it look slightly more like a regular toy than a high end bust. I will say that there is very little paint bleed on the overall bust, but most can actually be found on the Autobot insignia on the base. It also doesn’t help to have the clear support going straight through it. Maybe if the support was moved a little higher up to show the insignia off, it would have helped the overall look of the base. Jetfire is pretty solid and has a bit of weight to it, so you don’t have to worry about the wings being flimsy as they are fixed to the booster on his back.

This is a decent looking bust, but if the price of $60.00 doesn’t agree with you, I’m sure you can find it for less if you don’t mind doing a little hunting. The Jetfire bust is limited to 1,000 pieces, and also comes numbered at the base along with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity. There is another version sporting battle damage and an interchangeable Macross (Robotech in the U.S.) head, which is the original one used for the toy before it was changed to the one pictured on the left. So as soon as I’m able to snatch one of those up, I’ll compare the two and let you know here.

I would rate the bust a 3 out of 5, and despite its flaws I would say it’s worth picking up if you’re a fan of the series. I am extremely glad Diamond Select is going with the G1 version, as not many of the other versions of Jetfire are worth a look. Though that is just my opinion, but I’m also a fan of Robotech, and the fact that Jetfire is basically a repainted VF-1S Valkyrie is still pretty cool to me.

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