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COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Mortal Kombat X #9

 
MortalKombatX9
MortalKombatX9
MortalKombatX9

 
Overview
 

Story by: Shawn Kittelsen
 
Art by: Dexter Soy & Daniel Sampere
 
Publisher:
 
FG RATING
 
 
 
 
 
3.5/ 5


User Rating
6 total ratings

 


To sum it all up..

AWKWARDLY BLOODY READ If only things go right. That’s my initial thought upon reading and rereading the latest issue of the on-going prequel of the Mortal Kombat X comic book series. Writer Shawn Kittelsen remains consistent in injecting some average-to-goodness dialogues, though some are a little bit cheesy (i.e. the women’s wrath line) and forced. […]

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Posted August 25, 2015 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

MortalKombatX9

AWKWARDLY BLOODY READ

If only things go right. That’s my initial thought upon reading and rereading the latest issue of the on-going prequel of the Mortal Kombat X comic book series. Writer Shawn Kittelsen remains consistent in injecting some average-to-goodness dialogues, though some are a little bit cheesy (i.e. the women’s wrath line) and forced. But long-time readers can comprehend immediately the general plot here (well, this is a Mortal Kombat story in the first place). Simply put, this is about a very bloody family encounter, plus some love-hate-love loose ends tying moments are in order. Sometimes, less dialogue would suffice while the combatants slug the hell out with one another. But in fairness with Kittelsen, he gives us some bloody battle drenched moments to remain true or consistent on what makes Mortal Kombat memorable in the first place. Just a kind reminder to some naïve readers, don’t take things so seriously in reading the current story arc (and hopefully the last since Mortal Kombat “11” is obviously in the works already). It is a fun read, nothing more or less.

Art wise, two artists are doing the heavy lifting in fulfilling the Mortal Kombat experience. Our very own Dexter Soy does the first chapter (and the longest), and Daniel Sampere finishes the second. Individually, Soy’s trademark illustrations mark the marks! You can feel the intensity, brutality, and dedication he brings to the Mortal Kombat visual literature. His Mileena take is the most beautiful thing to the generally hideous Kitana-pink version. His artistic improvements are highly noted and continue to do so in the succeeding Mortal Kombat X chapters. In the case of Sampere, the overall art is at average at best, compared to Soy’s bloody and highly kinetic paneling. Yet, Sampere’s sequential comprehension is better than Soy’s for the latter’s artworks suffers a little of awkwardness, particularly during the Cage family fight scenes. Moreover, the artists obviously fail to coordinate with one another due to the fact that some of the inconsistencies in details are strikingly obvious. First, Reiko’s bloodied (and smashed) face is different with Soy’s than Sampere’s not due to the character’s tremendous healing process but how respective artists treat individually. Personally, I love Soy’s brutal interpretation than Sampere’s tame version. Second, Kotal Kahn’s sword is broken in Soy’s chapter but inexplicably restored in Sampere’s part. And, one part, Soy’s Raiden has a leather bag but in the last page of the comic itself (the thunder god’s arrival in the battle scene), lo and behold, he brings nothing at all. And, Sampere’s brutal treatment of Reiko’s “demise” may be a Mortal Kombat moment but inspecting the details further can be viewed as “awkwardly” (just observed how Mileena does the intestinal treatment on her former paramour).

Mortal Kombat X #9 may start a new story arc, but the dialogues alone are read like some young adult-themed novels. The art is the heavy lifter here, though the artists have their respective shortcomings as well. Hopefully, this pessimist view changes in the remaining/succeeding chapters to make the prequel Mortal Kombat X the canon of all Mortal Kombat narrative, as well as finishing off in a rather positive note indeed.

 


Paul Ramos

 


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