Soundwave is one of the big reasons that I enjoy Transformers Prime as much as I do. There's a quiet menace to his character, much like Boba Fett's when he was first introduced to the Star Wars mythos. Soundwave doesn't waste words, so I'll try not to, either...
The package is standard "Robots in Disguise": deluxe figures are packaged in alt-mode (Soundwave's is a Predator-style drone), rope-tied into their blister. The figure is shown-off well, despite his rather sizeable wingspan. Laserbeak is included, as stated in the yellow corner-ad. The artwork, as usual, is awesome: striking and colorful pose of our Decepticon anti-hero takes up the right hand side of the card. Soundwave is listed as a Level 2 (Intermediate) transformation, though I think he was very straightforward and simple to change. He bears item code Series 1: 004.
The card back shows Soundwave in both modes (here his alt is listed as a "Recon Drone Mode", with Laserbeak perched on the robot mode's arm. There's a very brief bio and the usual Autobot team shot at the bottom.
The recon drone mode looks cool, but to me it's a bit beefier than the on-screen version. The bulbous front end, and kibble-ridden back end are especially large to my eyes. In the show, Soundwave is sleek as can be. I can understand, of course, that the constraints of reality play a large part here, and it's entirely forgivable: he looks great.
The transformation itself is fairly simple, as mentioned earlier. The front half splits apart into his legs, the wings become his arms, and the back end becomes his torso, with his head on a strange little pop-up spring mechanism. That's really the only part of the figure I dislike: I don't see the need for the spring gimmick, and it leaves the head with no side-to-side articulation or tilt, both of which are very important to me in posing my figures on the shelf with some personality. Soundwave's faceplate are part of his cool-factor (also very reminiscent of Boba Fett's), but translated to toy-form, it's painted a slightly glossy black(?) I think.
Many of the purple highlights you see on the packaging are absent, as well. Laserbeak sits snugly in Soundwave's chest, or attaches effectively to the drone. The wings are articulated, and it's a pretty cool (though necessary) accessory. Soundwave is an excellent representation of the character. His proportions (especially the needle-thin, gangly arms) are replicated nicely, and he looks good in both modes. The transformation is reasonable, and he's a much needed addition to the (so far) minimal Decepticon ranks...
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