These sculpts are similar to previous GI Joe figures I've reviewed in that I'm always surprised at how crisp and detailed they are for such small figures. Destro has a lot of wrinkles molded into his costume as well as other small intricacies like zippers, shoelaces, pouches, and tech details on his backpack. His accessories (a handgun and headset) both look good and fit into his hands/head well. His chestpiece, body harnesses, backpack, and wrist wires are all removable and are all easily placed back on the figure. I particularly like the way the wires connect into his wrist, so you don't have to use them, and they fit really tightly. He's wearing a scarf that throws off the proportions of his neck length, and when that's coupled with his absurdly long right leg, it's hard to get him to look normal. He's kind of Frankenstein looking because of the significantly longer leg issue. His head sculpt seems too small and thin, but the expression and details are spot on. Despite some nice details and functional accessories, his design is just weird. I don't think it's attractive though it is on model for the images presented in the accompanying comic. Shockblast has a much more standard military looks and is naturally more attractive for it. He's also loaded down with on-costume accessories like functioning holsters that hold his two pistols, pouches, grenades, and knives. There's a lot of attention to detail being paid here, he has cloth wrinkles, grooves on his mask and vest, and shoe details like laces and treads. His accessories benefit from the same able sculpting, not only fitting on the character well, but looking the part too. His proportions seem very natural and he's attractive from a lot of angles. The only improvements I can visualize here are a little more detail or sculpting on his arms which just look very bare and an improvement of the visible mold split at his upper thighs. . His head is simple, but the expression coming through only his eyes is actually quite strong. 

Destro's Sculpt Score: 6 / 10

Shockblast's Sculpt Score: 8 / 10 

 Destro doesn't have a lot of actual paint to critique, he's mostly just molded in the necessary colors with paint applied in a few areas. The prominent red color is a classic red with just a hint of darkness. I think it works really well with the black, although the dark blue throws it off for me. Silver accents on his feet, knees, and backpack/wrist really make his head seem more natural, but I still feel like there are too many colors hitting at once here. I would've been more pleased with black in place of the dark blue, but I guess they needed to get the Cobra blue in there somewhere. The paint applications, where they exist, are mediocre at best. The coverage is spotty, with minimal overspray or underspray depending on the spot, and everything just looks a little bit messy up close. The problems aren't severe and are in fact hard to notice anywhere but right up close. The eyes on his face are actually quite clean, as is his chest decal, which is a relief. Shockblast has a questionable color scheme as well. The Dark blue of all his accessories looks totally fine, but when complemented by the "sea blue" things start to get out of hand. The light blue is way too bright, and brightened even further by the yellow camouflage accents. Moving onto applications, they're hit or miss, some straying from the lines is present, but some spots are nailed perfectly too. His eyes and eyebrows aren't messy at all, but they do suffer from being a shade crossed; crazy Shockblast here we come!

Destro's Paint Score: 6 / 10

Shockblast's Paint Score: 6 / 10 

 Both of these figures have the standard modern GI Joe articulation as I know it, except that Destro has a single hinged knee instead of the double. It's an articulation model that offers a lot of posing options and playability, so you'll be happy to display them or add them to the toy box. Every joint works pretty smoothly, although it often feels like you're about to rip his feet when using his ankle hinge. Destro's articulation is a little limited by parts of his costume. Surprisingly the cables attached to his wrist don't restrict that arm's movement much, if any at all. The problem comes up with his leg harness things, which kind of make his hip movement a bit screwy. His head is also held in place by the scarf to a certain degree, so looking sideways is difficult to achieve with this guy. The articulation looks pretty okay with the sculpt, although I can't stand the way this style of hip joints look on a figure. Destro is actually saved a little here by the black harnesses which do their part in hiding the ugliness. Shockblast on the other hand does suffer from the disgusting hips to the full extent. I also think, because of his straight arms, that the elbow swivel hinges looks awkward. All of his articulation is  fully functioning and allows for a full range of movement. It's tight enough to hold poses and feels like it will stand up to a hard play session. The only joint I would like to see added to both of these figures is some sort of swivel on the thigh or at the knee, because it's hard to find a natural looking leg pose that the figure can actually hold.   

Destro's Articulation Score: 7 / 10

 

Shockblast's Articulation Score: 8 / 10

 

 Both of these figures might have small problems here and there, but they're still really fun. GI Joe gets the fun right by including a lot of accessories that are removable, interchangeable, and fit on the character. Destro comes with a headset, backpack, cables, and a big hand cannon, as well as the chestpiece and leg harnesses that you can take off. Shockblast actually manages to top all that by including three head decorations (a helmet, hat, and gas mask), two handguns, plus a removable vest. Each figure also comes with a cool display stand. All of these accessories coupled with the strong articulation make for some awesome figures, whether you're standing them on the shelf or battling with them on the war carpet. Fun elements on top of those include the collectible biography cards and the comic book that's included in the package. The comic itself wasn't an amazing literary read, but it told a quick, action packed story with reasonable art, so it doesn't hurt. Their visual designs may not be wonderful, but they're fun even considering the possible quirkiness in looks. Destro is a frustrating because of the overlengthened leg and takes a small hit to his score because of this issue. 

Destro's Fun Score: 9 / 10

Shockblast's Fun Score: 10 / 10 

 I was stunned when I saw these at Target for $9.99. With regular single packed GI Joes almost reaching that level, to find a two pack that cheap was fantastic. I don't know the average retail price of these, but after pricing them only at around $15, you can probably expect to pay something in that range. Even at $15 these are a really reasonable deal. They've got high production values as well as being durable and loaded down with accessories. They also come with personalized stands, biography cards, and a comic book. There is a ton of value crammed into this two pack and both figures are totally worth the price, no questions asked. They don't suffer from any consistent problems and I can't think of a single thing to warn you about before purchasing them. 

Destro's Value Score: 10 / 10

Shockblast's Value Score: 10 / 10  

 

Destro Summary

 6 - Strange looking design that doesn't come across very well in physical form, weird leg length problem, accessories look/work well, head is small but expression is nice. 

 6 - The blue is a bad color complement choice, some sloppy applications, looks a little messy, face and decal are clean.

 7 - A few more points would help (where's the double knee hinge?), looks okay despite ugly hips, some points are restricted, ankles feel weak. 

 9 - Really fun action figure with lots of accessories, good articulation, nice playable size, easy to play or display, enjoyable comic appearance, nice bio card, leg being too long is frustrating and knocks down the fun. 

 10  - Nothing is broken, there's a ton of accessories, includes a biography file, well made and durable, reasonably priced. 

Destro Overall Score: 74 / 100 - This is a Good Toy

Destro suffers from a strictly "okay" sculpt and paint but really makes up for it by being fun and a great value.  

Shockblast Summary

 8 - Just looks cool and battle-ready, lots of sweet on costume accessories, functional holsters, nice details, bare arms and visible split mold on upper thigh. 

 6 - Light blue is too light, camouflage looks a little weird but is applied very well, hit or miss applications, eyes are crisp but crossed, some nice detail work.

 8 - Super ugly hips and odd looking elbows, plenty of articulation, nothing was broken, fun to pose or play with. 

 10 - Great articulation model 

 10  - Includes a lot of accessories, great stuff in the package, feel sturdy and should hold up to play, really fair price. 

Shockblast Overall Score: 84 / 100 - This is a Great Toy

Shockblast rides into a good score on the back of enjoyment and value, but also offers a strong sculpt and articulation model. 

Comic Pack #1 Overall Score: 79 / 100 - This is a Good Toy

While Shockblast is the better of the two figures, both provide something enjoyable for GI Joe collectors or someone just looking for two interesting and entertaining action figures. 

P.S. This could be the figure I'm giving away this month, just leave a comment for a chance to win (if it's the one).

-The Articulated One