Once again, and unsurprisingly of late… I am late with the news. So, it’s “somewhat new” news. Right? Anyways, I’ll give you one guess as to which model I am most excited about in the models shown above. Hint: it’s the Sandcrawler. Dang, I think I just gave it away. Anyways, in this months edition of “catching up with the news,” we’ve got two Star Wars sneak peeks from Metal Earth, two Transformers officially added to Coming Soon for Metal Earth, and two “series” models from Piececool.

Let’s start with the Star Wars stuff. I am loving the love-worn look to Boba Fett’s Starfighter. And yes, I know it has/had a name, but I’m respecting Disney’s preferred approach to labelling it. This ICONX / Premium Series approach to the model is looking quite slick and detailed. I can’t wait to see the back, as that is where the classic Metal Earth model really shines (with details). But the real excitement is for one of the boxiest models Metal Earth has ever released. That Jawa Sandcrawler… the mottled paint job and fine details are just… [insert sound of appreciation here]. Can’t wait to see more on both these models.

Sources: Metal Earth Newsletter

Moving on to the Transformers, we continue with the revamped, resized, and colorized models… but add in a Transformer that wasn’t in the original set of models. Optimus Prime is looking clean cut and sharp in this rendition, and I really like the look of the wheels on the backs of those legs. And Starscream… well, who wouldn’t want to combine robots and fighter jets! I really enjoy the diversity of appearance in these reimagined models. Metal Earth sure has come a long way… and they started out pretty darn awesome.

Sources: Optimus Prime, Starscream

And we’ll finish up with the two series models from Piececool. First, we have the Taurus paper crane model, continuing an existing series, and then the first of a new series, the 12 Beauties of Red Mansions, starting with Daiyu, or possibly Dai Yu. It’s ambiguous, as they have it in both forms in different parts of the product page. I think the Taurus model is my favorite (so far) looking of the zodiac cranes. It sorta looks like a mythical beast with way too many wings. As for Daiyu… I’m not sure what the backstory is (and haven’t taken the time to do the translation), but that looks like a delicate and intricate model. I’ll hold off on that one for a while, having done that headdress recently.

Sources: Daiyu, Taurus