It has all been building to this: at long last the heroes of Mortal Kombat have arrived on Shang Tsung's island to rescue Jacqui Briggs and Cassie Cage.
As we saw at the end of last issue, that isn't exactly going to be easy. Cassie and Jacqui have both been brainwashed by Reiko's blood magic, causing the two girls to unleash all the frustration and anger they hold towards their parents.
The importance of family is one that appears again and again in this prequel series and in the Mortal Kombat X game, so it's great to see it still have a role to play in this important confrontation between the two groups. Cassie remarks about how Sonya was never there for her growing up, while Jacqui claims her father is no more than a coward. Each statement carries a small hint of truth, but Sonya and Johnny both know that the blood magic is talking and not their loved ones.
It isn't just a family feud, either. Kotal Kahn and D'vorah also battle it out with Reiko and Scarlet for control of Outworld. The fights between the two teams are no holds barred, but it does feel like the stakes aren't quite as high as they should be. After all, we know ultimately how this story will end. We know what characters will live and which will die. Did you see Reiko anywhere in the Mortal Kombat X game, for example? That being said, the death of one character in this issue does come as a true shock for that exact same reason. This particular characters plays a fairly large role in the game storyline, so it seems impossible that they are truly gone, despite their gruesome end. We will have to wait and see what revelations are in store in the issues to come.
Artist Dexter Soy does some solid work here as he depicts the standoff between the two groups and the eventual battle between them. It's as action-filled and as bloody as you could want a Mortal Kombat X comic to be, and Soy definitely delivers in bringing the book's fight scenes to life.
This issue is all action, and judging from the final panel next issue is shaping up to be that way as well. It seems we've finally reached the grand finale, and it's certain to be a fatality filled good-time. Writer Shawn Kittelsen has done a great job of staying true to the Mortal Kombat franchise thus far. Now all that's left to do is see if he can stick the landing.
Story
★★★☆☆
Art
★★★★☆
Overall
★★★☆☆
More Comic Book Reviews:
Mortal Kombat #24
Batman: Arkham Knight #18
Batman #41
Mad Max: Fury Road: Furiosa #1
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
