Mortal Kombat X comes out on April 14th, but to tide you over until then, DC Comics is publishing a weekly digital-first prequel comic. With the first digital chapter hitting today (which will be printed on January 14 in a three-chapter bundle), we spoke to series writer Shawn Kittelsen about what to expect.
Techy3D Comics: How did you come to be on the Mortal Kombat X comic?
Shawn Kittelsen: DC threw a bunch of writers into a cage and we fought to the death until I alone remained. Wait, that’s not it…
The real story is that I’ve been working in the background of the games industry for years now, and part of that time I was at DC Entertainment, where I was a creative executive. I met the gang at NetherRealm Studios when we worked on Injustice: Gods Among Us together. That was a huge deal for me: I’ve been a Mortal Kombat fan since 1992 and they were about to release their MK reboot. Working on Injustice is among the proudest moments of my career. Cut to years later and I’m no longer at DC, I’m a creative director at an ad agency by day and writing by night. Out of the blue, the producer of MKX calls me up and asks if I’d be interested in pitching for this series. Even DC knew me as an exec, they didn’t know me as a writer, so I had a lot to prove. I’ve never worked so hard on a pitch in my life, and I guess that effort made the difference.
Techy3D: Could you explain when this comic takes place in relation to the game?
Kittelsen: Our stories take place several years before the game. There are 25 years between MK 2011 and MKX, so we’re somewhere in the middle of that timeline. This allows us to meet some of the newer characters while they’re still in their formative years, figuring out who they are and why they fight, as well as check in on the classic characters.
Techy3D: Have you played any Mortal Kombat games? If so, who are your favorite characters? And what do you think it is about the games that people love so much?
Kittelsen: I’ve played them all, even the spin-offs like Shaolin Monks. I have too many favorite characters to list, but whenever a new game comes out, I start by playing Sub-Zero. He’s my baseline character.
As for what it is that people love about the games, I think it’s because over the years, the games have grown up with the people who played them. The mythology grew from short character bios into epic Story Modes. Palette-swapped ninjas evolved into distinct, imaginatively designed characters. Yet as the production gets better and the world becomes more fully realized, the series retains this essential spirit that you just don’t see in most entertainment these days. Sure, it’s got violence and dark themes, but it’s also self-aware, fun and entertaining.
Techy3D: The first chapter mainly features Kenshi and Scorpion. With such a large cast, what made you choose them as the main characters to first focus on?
Kittelsen: Scorpion is a character that everyone knows, so it made sense to lead with him as a vehicle into the world of MKX. But more importantly, he has a great story. We’ve only ever seen him as an undead wraith. What does it mean when he comes back to life? What’s the difference between Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion? That’s some dramatic uncharted territory for such a known character, so it sets my brain on fire as a storyteller. As for Kenshi, mechanically he was one of my favorite characters to play as in MK 2011, but he didn’t get much time in Story Mode. Bringing him in here was a nod to all the fans that love this telekinetic Zatoichi as much as I do.
Techy3D: It was a surprise to see Kenshi’s son be a focal point of the story. Will we see him grow up to be a character in the game?
Kittelsen: And there are more surprises to come! Which is why it’s hard for me to avoid spoilers. I will say this: Just because you see a character in the comic, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll see them in the game. Will Takeda survive to see adulthood in the game? You’ll have to read the comic – and pay attention to Ed Boon’s Twitter account — to find out. For now, let’s just say that Takeda plays a very important role in Scorpion/Hanzo’s journey in this series.
Techy3D: Have you worked with the folks at NetherRealm while writing this comic? If so, what sort of input did they give you? Were there any guidelines you had to follow?
Kittelsen: NetherRealm has been an important collaborator from our initial story development all the way through the finished art. They’ve given us valuable insight into the nuances of various characters, particularly when it comes to understanding the new characters, and they’ve kept us on track so that we can reasonably call these stories canonical with the in-game universe. But they’ve also been incredibly open to new ideas, giving us the freedom to tell our best stories instead of mandating one thing or another. I’m humbled by the trust they place in our storytelling. The only major guideline they’ve given us is to maintain the internal logic of the game stories, something I wholeheartedly agree with.
Techy3D: We’ve seen that the MKX game has new characters D'vorah and Kotal Khan, among others. Will we see the origin of any of these new characters in the comic?
Kittelsen: Hell yeah. There’s only so much time in the game to explore these characters, so getting to know them is one of the most exciting things about this series. You’ll meet young Cassie Cage in Chapter 4, and in Chapter 6 you’ll see the secret origin of Kotal Kahn. D’vorah plays a key role in our first few arcs. We’ll take every opportunity to dig a little deeper into the new characters. Two characters that we haven’t gotten into yet but that I’m itching to write are Ferra and Torr. How did those two partner up?
Techy3D: The big twist at the end of the 2011 Mortal Kombat game was Shinnok's return. Should we expect to see him?
Kittelsen: Maybe. I will say that the end of MK 2011 had some major ramifications for this universe, and even 15 years later, those events weigh heavily on our characters.
Techy3D: What’s it like been working with artist Dexter Soy? What makes him a good fit for a MK comic? He certainly went above and beyond on depicting Scorpion’s spear move.
Kittelsen: All credit to our editor, Alex Antone, for bringing Dex onboard. He’s a fit for an MK comic because MK is all about this intersection between Western and Eastern fantasy, and Dex has a unique style that’s a hybrid of traditional Western comics and Eastern manga. It doesn’t look like any other MK art I’ve seen, but it feels totally authentic. I love every page that hits my inbox, and when Veronica Gandini delivers colors they just take every scene to the next level. Every chapter of the book looks premium, and that’s hard to pull off in a weekly series.
Techy3D: What would you say to MK fans to get them excited for the comic?
Kittelsen: MKX is made by fans, for fans, whether you’re a casual player, an Evo Championship fighter, or even someone who only knows MK from the movies. Every chapter overflows with iconic characters, bone-crunching martial arts action, and magik. Real magik. Because once you start reading, your soul is mine.
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