Transformers Legacy: The Art of Transformers Packaging Hardcover – 21 Oct. 2014

I love transformers but sometimes I feel like I've reached saturation point and I wonder whether I'll ever be truly excited by the brand again. TF:Legacy is JUST what I needed to blow away the cobwebs and bring back my enthusiasm.The book is so much more than I expected and so much more than a collection of packing art. For starters I was honestly expecting somewhere in the region of 100 pieces... not the 750 which the book just hurled at me with great gusto. I can't even begin to imagine how the authors managed to track all those images down. It feels like a lifetime's worth of work.The hi-res scans of the original paintings look mind-blowingly crisp; it's evident a huge amount of work has gone into restoring them and they really do look pristine. Some are higher quality than others, granted; but even the lowest quality images are way beyond passable. (A pleasant surprise, as I imagined I'd see some pixellation).Perhaps not the first thing people will notice, but I've got a huge appreciation for the backgrounds which have been made to sit behind these images. It would have been easy to sit them on plain backgrounds, but the pages have been made to resemble the iconic box art of the various ages of the brand, without detracting from the images themselves which are front and centre. It's clever really. This feels like an art book first and a packaging collection second.As for the physical book itself, for those who are interested in such things, the quality feels great. Thick pages and a gorgeous hardback cover. It is very heavy though, which may be a concern for parents buying the book for small children.I really want to list something negative so I don't sound like I'm being overly supportive, but honestly I'm really struggling. This is probably my favourite Transformers related item that I have bought in the last 5 years.Would I like to see other similar books? Yes and no. Yes because this is so successful. But I'm not certain as to whether any other era of Transformers has such evocative box art, meaning this could be best left as a one off item. But if the material is there for new books, I'd buy them in a heartbeat. I'm much more inclined to buy something like this, than something like the Covenant of Primus which... I just don't need that in my life. This however, I've wanted since it was first announced.Fans will love this and get the most joy from it, but it's a nice coffee table book for anybody who likes robots, the 80s, sci fi, or anyone who has a found memory of playing with the toys. If you know somebody who likes transformers, but you're not sure what to buy them as a gift, I'd say this is a great place to start... actually there's my one negative... I had to buy it for myself!Love it.

This is a beautifully bound, printed and presented book - a coffee table Transformers book if ever there was one.I am delighted with the book - even though it wasn't what I thought I was getting.As other reviews describe accurately, it is a visual feast the authors have worked hard to collate... But it is not, as I mistakenly thought, a look at the art of Transformers packaging. It is a look at the art. But not the packaging. If you see what I mean.As collectors it is all about the beauty, creativity and pristine condition of the whole Transformer from the mint condition character inside to the carefully taped edges of the box or card design via the incredible artwork and graphics. So whereas I thought this would be a celebration of the way Transformers was put together as a toy line, it is in fact a catalogue of the individual toy artwork. I suppose the clue is in the title...I would still recommend this book, especially for G1 enthusiasts, of which I am one. But if you are looking for more of a read, or even a gift for a Transformer fan who is into the whole franchise, then I would recommend The Vault by Hidalgo.A stunning book nonetheless.Roll out!

Remember the joy of waking up on Christmas morning and getting a new Transformer? Or looking up in the toy store at the amazing artwork on the front of each and every box? Well every day can be like Christmas morning now... this amazing book catalogues (nearly) all of the box art from the Generation 1 toys from 1984 through to the end of the series in mid-90s Japan. Everything is taken from either original art or negatives, with no box scans, so the quality of the images is absolutely superb. It's great fun (if you're a nerd like I am!) poring over the pictures and picking up differences between different versions of the art (who knew that Blitzwing was the only triple changer with official art for all 3 modes? not me!), and just getting lost in the pictures from years gone by when the packaging wasn't just a photo of the toy...I have two minor gripes: 1 - as commented by another reviewer, some of the double page spreads have bits of the artwork lost in the spine, which is a shame. 2 - it's a shame that some bits of art are missing (dino-cassettes, some of the euro G1.5 bits) but at the same time it's testament to Jim and Bill that they'd prefer to issue an incomplete tome than use lower quality images!All in all, if you're a fan of G1 Transformers, this is definitely a "must buy"!