I have to start off by saying that I am a huge fan of the Mortal Kombat series of video games. Yes, even those silly side stories that did more harm than good -I’m looking at you Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero and Mortal Kombat Special Forces. But the world of comic books, of all mediums, has not been the kindest to the MK world.
Now that Warner Bros. has DC under its belt, it looks as if the MK series is getting another shot at the comic world with Mortal Kombat X. Based on the upcoming video game of the same name, the comic sets up the events that have been going on during the years in between MK9 and X.
Nothing earth shattering here, but knowing that Mortal Kombat X is set some twenty or so years in the future makes picking up this series a necessity for the games fans. Let’s face it, the Mortal Kombat games have never been “story” heavy affairs, so this prelude series is important.
Having reset the timeline, many of the characters that we know and love are in very different places than we would expect, with some even essentially swapping stories with each other from their original outings. What makes Mortal Kombat X #1 so interesting is that is pulls in a lot of the characters that were missing from the video game version of Mortal Kombat 9.
Sure, most of the new characters we see are just the weaker characters that the series spewed forth in games like Deadly Alliance and Armageddon, but it’s nice to see them involved, even if it’s only to serve as a means to an end. Let’s face it, nobody in their right mind liked Hsu Hao and most people, even ones that love the series, probably can’t even tell you who he was.
The story moves at a break-neck pace, with the bulk of it focusing on a boy by the name of Takeda. This new character (possible early game reveal?) has direct ties to the blind swordsman, Kenshi. Seeing as Kenshi is one of the only post 3D series characters that anyone cares about, I’m okay with it the arc so far.
From there a huge connection is brought up between Kenshi, Takeda, and the former hell-spawn, Scorpion. Growing up with the original cast, it’s strange seeing Scorpion taking on the role of a mentor, far removed from the skull-headed, fire-breathing monster that he once was. He even has managed to put the stuff with Sub-Zero behind him and form a new clan.
The art-style employed serves the games heritage well, with copious amount of blood and gore easily earning the book its mature rating. It’s not often that I see gore along the levels thrown around in the book, and while it may not be as plentiful as the video game, the comics medium does allow it to be far more brutal.
Mortal Kombat X is a fun read for newer fans to the video game series and is an essential read for those of you, like me, who know this series on a more intimate level. It’s a lot of fun and full of some really solid art, but some of the lettering and fight sounds don’t seem to sit right with me. It’s nothing major, but something about it just sits wrong with me on several panels.
All that being said writer Shawn Kittelson is doing a lovely job at building a lot of necessary backstory that will no doubt be indispensable for fans of the Mortal Kombat series. Ir might not be everyones cup of tea, but Mortal Kombat X #1 gets my seal al approval. I also have to say that the two cover for the book featuring Scorpion and Sub-Zero are pretty amazing, so much so that I bought both of them!
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