Mortal Kombat X #5 Review

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April 9, 2015

With such a large and eclectic kast, Mortal Kombat X at times feels overrun by its too many characters and too little time. It’s a promising sign then that issue #5 takes a different tack, creators Shawn Kittelsen and Dexter Soy splitting their sprawling tale into two easy to digest portions. It’s got action, it’s got intrigue, it’s got various forms of fire spewing disembowelment. And you know what? It’s pretty darn fun.

Following a recap (rekap?) of the book’s first arc, Kittelsen immediately checks us into two ongoing story lines. Each proves interesting in different ways. The allegiance between Sonja, Cage and Kotal Kahn, initially just a random stop gap in the search for Cassie, gets particularly exciting with the invasion of Goro’s clan. Similarly, the fated meeting between Scorpion and Sub-Zero plays out exactly as you’d expect, with fire burps and ice blasts aplenty. Kittelsen does a nice job balancing these two divergent tales, the more focused script allowing for more overall development. His dialogue definitely skews a bit over the top at times, but by and large issue #5 presents a marked improvement.

Similarly, Dexter Soy turns in one of his best issues yet, his panels eye catching and detailed. His layouts can get confusing in their flow, but the overall choreography to his fight scenes is so strong that it’s mostly forgivable. Speaking of fights—the brawl between Scorpion and Sub-Zero is an instant series highlight, Soy delivering carnage befitting the MK series. From bone breaking hits to some signature moves, this is the kind of stuff we hope to see more of in the future. Mortal Kombat X has a ways to go to be considered truly and unquestionably great, but it’s headed in the right direction.