It's a battle royale on the beach of Shang Tsung's island, and this comic has never felt more like Mortal Kombat than here in this issue.
Mileena arrives to take her place as the "rightful" heir to Outworld from Reiko, but she is going to have to get through a blood magic infused Scarlet in order to do so. Meanwhile Kotal Kahn and Reiko are also battling it out, with the tide of battle definitely in Reiko's favor.
So what did I mean about this issue feeling more like Mortal Kombat than any issue before?
It's mostly because of the sheer level of violence on display here. With the release of each new Mortal Kombat game, the franchise's laughably violent finishing moves continue to get more and more gruesome and over the top. You thought Sub-Zero ripping out Scorpion's spine back in 1994 was bad? The fatalities in the latest Mortal Kombat will make even slasher movie veterans feel squeamish.
We've seen some gory finishing moves and bloody fights in this prequel series before. That's nothing new. After all, this is the Mortal Kombat comic we are talking about. If a few limbs or heads didn't go missing over the course of 26 issues, writer Shawn Kittelsen wouldn't be doing his job right. But this issue truly raises the bar to stand tall aside the video game with not one but two graphic finishing moves that will likely surprise even the most desensitized reader.
That "authentic" Mortal Kombat feel also comes as a result of some cheesy dialogue that feels more than a little shoehorned in. We get that a character just performed one of the game's brutality finishing moves, we don't need the writer to literally spell it out.
Outworld politics continue to come into play as well. While a three-way battle between the forces of Kotal Kahn, Mileena and Reiko rages on the beach, the Shokan are biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They may have agreed to support Kotal Kahn, but that doesn't mean they have to arrive on time.
If this series hasn't been bloody enough for you, this is an issue you definitely won't want to miss. The action, the stakes and the violence continue to be raised higher with each passing issue, which can only mean even more brutalities to come.
Story
★★★☆☆
Art
★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
More Comic Book Reviews:
Mortal Kombat #24
Batman: Arkham Knight #18
Batman #41
Mad Max: Fury Road: Furiosa #1
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