At long last, the war that raged between Kotal Kahn and the Shokan for the last several issues of Mortal Kombat has come to an end.
It wasn't an easy victory by any means. It required special help from Kano and the Black Dragon, who used their high-tech weaponry to lay the Shokan low.
But as Kotal prepared to execute Kintaro and formally put an end to the conflict, he instead decided to spare Kintaro's life. With that, he suggested that the two groups join forces against Mileena and Reiko, their common foes.
The act goes to show why Kotal Kahn is considered a "good guy" among the game's cast of characters. While he is the emperor of Outworld and at times brutal in combat, Kotal Kahn is wise and fair — unlike his predecessor.
He continued to show his true colors over a confrontation by Kano about payment. Kano insisted on being paid a large sum of money for his help — but Kotal believed Kano to have simply repaid a debt he owed. When Kano tried to blackmail Kotal, a fight broke out and Kano was handed over to Johnny and Sonya to face justice on Earth. Kano, however, would have to wait — while Johnny, Sonya and Kotal embarked on a mission to Shang Tsung's island to save Cassie and Jacqui.
It just so happened to be where Mileena and her forces were heading as well. Mileena finally learned of Reiko's inevitable betrayal and his loyalty to Havik, and gathered her forces to confront them. And just as Scorpion and Takeda arrived at Kang Temple — they were met by an unexpected visitor.
Writer Shawn Kittelsen did a solid job this week in depicting the politics of Outworld. He didn't resort to cheesy one-liners or phrases taken from the game to get his point across, and this issue feels more serious as a result. Also on point this week is artist Dexter Soy, who turned in some of his best work on this book so far. One spread in particular, of Kotal Kahn punching Kano across a table, serves as a high-point this issue, but the art across the whole issue is consistent and easy on the eyes.
The paths of these characters all look to finally be converging on Shang Tsung's island for one climactic showdown. Who knows what will happen next? No matter what it is — it's certain to be bloody.
Story
★★★☆☆
Art
★★★★☆
Overall
★★★☆☆
More Comic Book Reviews:
Mortal Kombat #20
Batman: Arkham Knight #14
Batman #40
Convergence #7
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