Eventful issue that stumbled in the telling, here's what stood out to me this time:
-Why does the previous issue even exist? It was bad in reading it, and in retrospect it's even worse because all of the stuff in this issue could have just been spread out over two. Instead of two pages of Sonya trying to save Shaun, we could have had two more pages of build-up to the Kotal vs Gorbak fight to make it more meaningful. It's cool that Kittelsen wants the world to feel broad and filled with characters, but the point of spending time on those side characters is to
not kill them off immediately after.
-The end of the last chapter seems so silly in retrospect, too. Johnny runs at Sonya and Kotal like the world is about to end, and then this chapter begins like it was no big thing, "two hours later" the fight is still going on in exactly the same spot. What? Either Johnny is a complete wuss, or, more likely, the transition from issue to issue was just nonsensical.
-Why did the Shokan run away when Gorbak died? What????? I guess the ones standing next to Kotal when it happened might have freaked out, but how the hell does that translate to the entire siege letting up?! Imagine the Shokan raping and pillaging just around the corner, in a total bloodlust, partnered up with their three-storey-tall Oni warlords. Suddenly a bunch of Shokan run towards them shouting "Gorbak's dead! Gorbak's dead! Get out of the city!" -- and what, the three-storey-tall Oni warlords just forget all the slaughtering they're currently engaged in, tremble in fear, and run out of the city? :laugh: It's a bit much.
-The moment with Johnny and Sonya was touching. And it's good to know that Sonya will be leaving. She's just a hanger-on in Z'unkarah, unfortunately, so going off with D'Vorah will be good for both characters because they won't have Kotal around to hog all the spotlight.
-Wait, so Johnny's straight up out of commission? So he now essentially has a doctor's note for not getting into
any more fights anytime soon? :laugh: I guess I'll have to savor that panel of him almost dropkicking a Shokan mook, it'll have to last me a while.
-I'm disappointed that it wasn't D'Vorah who stole the dagger. Now that I've thought about it, it wouldn't really make sense for her to have done it, because Reiko has no confirmed Netherrealm ties in this timeline, and Havik is from Chaosrealm... nothing that connects to Shinnok... so all right. I guess you can just chalk this up to me anxiously awaiting the development she will receive when she goes traveling with Sonya Blade.
Skarlet looked nothing like her. Might as well remove the mask and call her a different name, voila, brand new character. And wtf is that loincloth about?
Duh. How can she be a red ninja if she doesn't have a red loincloth? Honestly, do you even think about the things you type? :laugh: