We've seen fatalities in this Mortal Kombat X prequel series before. We've seen brutalities. We've seen limbs chopped off, heads crush and bodies cleaved in half.
But we've never seen the level of gore on display here in issue #29 of Mortal Kombat X. Reiko, using the blood powers of the Kamidogu daggers, has ascended to godhood. Turns out godhood comes with a price. Reiko craves sacrifices in order to sustain himself, sacrifices Havik is more than willing to give him.
For a moment it looks like one of the various main characters held prisoner may be executed. Havik urges for Reiko to spare Johnny and Sonya, believing them to be the key to understanding the "green energies" that run in the Cage bloodline. Players of the Mortal Kombat X game storyline will know that Johnny and Cassie's immunity to Shinok's powers is what grant them their strength, so it's nice to see the fact referenced here.
If not Johnny and Sonya then, how about Kotal Kahn and Mileena? They seem perfect sacrifice material, as killing them would send a message to all who would deny Reiko's rule of Outworld. Only that doesn't happen either. Reiko needs more than a handful of sacrifices. He needs more than a hundred of them.
What follows are by far the goriest, most blood filled pages to appear in this series yet. Reiko unleashes his full power, obliterating more than a 100 prisoners in a single blast. We see him covered in blood in the aftermath, sitting knee deep among limbs and internal organs.
To call it gruesome would be an understatement, bu it gets even gorier. Reiko's hunger for sacrifices begins to consume him until he is literally ripping his own body apart. It's grotesque, shocking and not at all expected.
In fact it's so gross it might just put some readers off. Maybe. Part of the fun of Mortal Kombat and the game's fatalities is that they are often so silly, so over the top that ,while gross and more than a little disturbing, you can't help but laugh at them.
That's not the case here. It's meant to disturb and shock, and it definitely gets the job done. Artist Igor Vitorino goes all in with these pages for what is hands down the goriest issue of this series yet. And that's definitely saying something.
Story
★★★☆☆
Art
★★★★☆
Overall
★★★☆☆
More Comic Book Reviews:
Mortal Kombat #28
Batman: Arkham Knight #22
Batman #42
Mad Max: Fury Road: Max #1
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