Mortal Kombat X is officially out! No need to continue reading this comic book tie-in, right?

Not so fast. While those who have already finished the Mortal Kombat X game storyline know where all these various events will eventually lead, seeing how these characters get there is part of the fun.

It helps that the comic is still keeping its distance from the game's plot too. What is here isn't a rehash of the game's events. The Komidogu daggers are nowhere to be seen in the game's plotline, so it allows this comic to tell its own tale, establish the characters and world, and set up the stage for the game.

It also serves as a nice refresher course for those a little rusty on their convoluted Mortal Kombat history. We've already seen origin tales for Scorpion and newcomer Kotal Khan. This issue Sub-Zero gets the "sekret origin" treatment in what just might be the most condensed origin story ever told. Each couple of pages is a new chapter in Sub-Zero's life. From his duels with Scorpion to his refusal to accept his clan's "cyber initiative," fans are given a quick and dirty recap of the blue ninja's troubled past.

This issue is also one of the first times we actually get to see the comic tie directly into the events of the game, as Sub-Zero becomes a puppet of Quan-Chi, only to later be freed by Raiden's magic. Don't worry: this isn't much of a spoiler. It's literally one of the first things that happens when you boot up the game, and this origin tale helps to clear up some of the initial confusion.

But this issue isn't all Sub-Zero. Scorpion returns the Komidogu to Raiden and is given a new task, and we also check in with Jax, who is now part lumberjack. Not that it will keep him from becoming involved in Earthrealm's defense.

Artist Dexter Soy has always delivered solid work throughout this series. Soy, however, takes a backseat this issue, replaced by Daniel Sempere.

To put it bluntly: the issue is better for it. While Soy got the job done, Sempere elevates the quality of the book with his drawings. With detailed faces and gore-filled splash pages, Sempere simply does a better job of bringing the world of Mortal Kombat to life.

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More Comic Book Reviews:

Mortal Kombat #15
Batman: Arkham Knight #8
Batman #39
Convergence #2

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