Subscribe to Mstars News!
Sign up for our weekly news updates by entering your email:
DC Entertainment collects the action-packed series based on the popular Mortal Kombat X videogame. In an exclusive interview with MStars News, writer Shawn Kittelsen discusses Mortal Kombat X: Blood Ties, Vol. 1, adapting popular Mortal Kombat characters, Scorpion, Goro, and Cassie Cage, the daughter of Johnny Cage, into the comic book medium.
Readers should prepare themselves for the no-holds-barred adventures of the Mortal Kombat characters. Get ready for the upcoming rise of the next generation of Kombatants. In the narrative, Scorpion and his newest companion take off in the deadly pursuit of Raiden. Meanwhile, Cassie Cage finds herself in an illegal MMA deathmatch, where only one fight makes it out alive.
Before Mortal Kombat X: Blood Ties, Vol. 1 arrives in stores, Kittelsen dishes on the first four issues of the new series, the Mortal Kombat ensemble, and his favorite finishing moves.
MStars News: Tell me how you became involved in the project.
Shawn Kittelsen: Back in the day I worked as a creative executive for DC on games like Batman: Arkham City, DCUO, and Injustice: Gods Among Us, which was NetherRealm Studios' last game before they started on Mortal Kombat X. Working on Injustice was a high point in my career because I'm a huge Mortal Kombat fan. Cut to a few years later, when NetherRealm and DC were looking for a writer for this comic, I was lucky enough to get my name on the list of potential talent.
MS: Because the Mortal Kombat franchise has a long list of characters, was it tricky choosing someone from the gallery for your story?
SK: Yes and no. There are some no-brainers - even casual fans expect to see characters like Scorpion and Raiden. But Mortal Kombat is an ensemble franchise. So then you have this process that's like trading baseball cards, because you know that for every character you include, there's someone else you won't have space for. Even with 36 chapters for this first season, we don't have to time to tell every character's story; which is why my fingers are crossed for a second season.
MS: Many screenwriters have described videogame adaptations to be difficult. Tell me about the challenges of adapting Mortal Kombat into the comic book medium, especially when there is fan's expectations involved.
SK: I think there are two ways you can go. You can shut out the fan's voices and just go with your gut, which is the story of 90% of game adaptations out there. There's more creative freedom there but you risk alienating hardcore fans. I can't do that. Maybe I care too much what other people think, but ultimately, this comic book isn't just for my personal consumption. It's for all those fans that care enough about these characters and this franchise to seek more stories beyond the game. So I took the 10% approach, which was to immerse myself in the franchise and the fan culture, and then channel that familiarity into the story. I wanted the book to feel like an extension of Story Mode in the best way possible - and judging by the reactions from longtime fans, we did it.
MS: One of my favorite characters in the comic is Cassie Cage. Tell me how you wanted to portray the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade in the story.
SK: Cassie was one of the first new characters that I connected with, which I think you can tell considering how early she shows up in the books. Everybody has parents, and growing up, my Mom was like Sonya, the stern taskmaster, and my Dad was like Johnny, the goofball. So it was easy for me to imagine that throughout her life, Cassie gravitates to one parent over another depending on where she's at in her development. When she's a rebellious teenager, she runs to Johnny because Sonya doesn't understand. But when the blood hits the fan, she's going to appreciate the security and stability that Sonya offers.
MS: Tell me about Goro. He starts out in a Hamlet-like father/son revenge story and ends up becoming a tragic figure.
SK: Goro's story grew out of a conversation with my editor, Alex Antone. We were talking about being fearless with the comics, not being afraid to do something crazy even though we're in continuity with the games, and Alex used the example of ripping Goro's arms off. My first thought was, "I can't do that!" But thinking that I couldn't do it made me want to do it even more.
A lot of MK fans see Goro as something of a jobber - a tough-looking character that the heroes fight in order to make those heroes look stronger. But that's not all there is to Goro, it's just the role he's been given. So that led me to think about what would happen if Goro was the hero of his own story, and like so many heroes, he suffers this horrible tragedy that sets him on a new path.
MS: The action sequences are quite detailed. Did you and artist Dexter Soy refer back to the game, or to martial arts movies to execute these scenes?
SK: The game is our primary source, but we use all kinds of reference to put the action together. Google Image is my best friend when I'm writing script, populating panel descriptions with hyperlinked pictures. But the real trick to getting details into action sequences, as a writer at least, is trusting the artist. If there's a more exciting way to draw something than whatever I've written at the script stage, that's what belongs in the book. Comics are awesome because of that collaboration.
MS: Do you have a favorite character from the videogame? Which finishing move did you like using in the story?
SK: I'm partial toward Sub-Zero, and his spine-rip decapitation Fatality is so iconic that I couldn't help paying homage to it during a sequence in Chapter 10, "Scorpion: Sekret Origin."
MS: What projects are you working on now?
SK: I still have plenty of Mortal Kombat chapters left to write, and like I said, my fingers are crossed that we get to do more when this first year of stories is done. That's the dream! I'm also writing some creator-owned books and a mobile game that I can't talk about yet, plus I consult as a creative director for a few clients - so you could say I'm keeping busy.
Highly recommended, Mortal Kombat X: Blood Ties, Vol. 1 is available in stores on April 14, 2015.
© 2024 Mstars News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
