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COMIC BOOK REVIEW: What you reap is what you sow on ‘Mortal Kombat X #2′

 
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mortal-kombat-x-2-print-coverrev-121919
mortal-kombat-x-2-print-coverrev-121919

 
Overview
 

Story by: Shawn Kittelsen
 
Art by: Dexter Soy
 
Cover by: Ivan Reis
 
Publisher:
 
FG RATING
 
 
 
 
 
4/ 5


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To sum it all up..

The second part of the prequel to the upcoming Mortal Kombat X follows up some of the strands that the thunder god and Earth’s protector Raiden saw in his premonitions/predictions/ possibilities in the premier issue. This time around, we are treated basically with two different stories that interconnect/ intertwine with the larger picture of the […]

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Posted February 14, 2015 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

mortal-kombat-x-2-print-coverrev-121919

The second part of the prequel to the upcoming Mortal Kombat X follows up some of the strands that the thunder god and Earth’s protector Raiden saw in his premonitions/predictions/ possibilities in the premier issue. This time around, we are treated basically with two different stories that interconnect/ intertwine with the larger picture of the upcoming Armageddon! As promised in the previews, we are treated with not one but two daughters of some of the famous Kombatants—Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs, daughters of Johnny Cage-Sonya Blade, and Jackson “Jax” Briggs, respectively. Speaking of the new generations, we are also witnessing the kind of upbringing the parents do with their children. On the other hand, Sonya Blade has other business to attend with.

There is another Mortal Kombat tie-in story that involves the origins of the potential boss/final enemy of the famous fighting genre—Kotal Kahn, the so-called “usurper” or “disputed” overlord of the Outworld. This is an excellent addition to give readers a glimpse on the potential boss’s perspective. In order to orient potential new readers, this issue has both the synopsis of the inaugural issue and even the list of both current and previous characters involve with each important description to make the flow of the story more cohesive and comprehensible. True to that, this second chapter is more readable than the first one.

Obviously, this chapter is a “mature” read and readers should already expect the same Mortal Kombat-treatment all over. However, the violence, gore, and other decapitating moments are lessened to give way to decent storytelling and most importantly, characterizations. This is the most significant moment in my opinion for we can glimpse the kind of upbringing Cassie has, and at the same time, the opinions and/or perspectives she have with her parents. Though Jacqui does mention what kind of father she has, Cassie’s case is both cliché and predictable, but very effective to grab the readers’ attention and the possibility of following the series from this point onwards.

Dexter Soy’s art continues to shine here. He portrays Cassie and Jacqui with great care though one can point the so-called “correctness” that harks the stereotypical images of female comic characters—large chests, curvy figures, and alluring faces. But seriously, Mortal Kombat then and now caters to male gamers and it is the product of the bombastic and extreme pop culture of the 90s. I believe in gender equality, but to sacrifice the artist’s (and game’s original aesthetics) vision to the narrow-minded political correctness, that’s another matter. Anyhow, Soy knows his Mortal Kombat and does justice in illustrating women/ladies in this Elektra Complex chapter.

But, there are issues here that are obviously glaring. One page shows Cassie’s “shadow kick” homage to Jacqui, and then in the next page, the former is unexpectedly walloped. Am I missing a single page here? Is there a major mishap in printing the final form? Perhaps I should take note of this one when I will meet Soy sooner or later. Also, some of Soy’s drawings have a disproportional feel, particularly on some angular perspectives in fighting sequences. However, consider these nitpickings as minor instances. The overall story and flow are still strong despite of the arts’ apparent flaws.

The overall quality picks up here. Indeed, less bloodshed but the story is well-balance. Even the side-story blends quite well with the ever-arching reach towards the rest of the chapters.


Paul Ramos

 


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