So I avoided this thread for the most part until all six issues were out and I could read them all at once. Now that I’ve read all six, I went through this whole thread and I must say that I really dug everyone’s excitement, anticipation and overall enthusiasm for each issue. 
As for the comics themselves, I felt like they were the PERFECT wrap up to the current game; an epilogue to the current story, with plenty of action, calls to the lore, sub-plotting, realism within the world and fun character interactions.
I really loved how the first issue explored what the world was like after the big battle. As much as I would’ve liked to have seen that battle play out in the game’s story in Shadowlords somehow, getting to actually see the results / aftermath without having to wait for a sequel was exceedingly welcome and also very well handled.
Had they more time, it would’ve been cool to see this aftermath drawn out a bit, and to see how other characters like Maya, TJ, Thunder and Orchid were affected by this energy drain and this new, post-apocalyptic world. However, using Kim, Tusk and Jago as the main protagonists and seeing what they went through at least implied what they might’ve been going through.
It would’ve been nice to have seen Sabrewulf, Hisako, and a few other characters as well, but with six issues, I imagine they had to tighten their focus, which is fine. Plus, it’s not like we need ALL the answers right now. Wulf is likely still a wolf, Hisako’s either resting or she’s still a ghost (plus we know what happened to make her Shin Hisako)…
It did kinda make me wonder though if Sadira’s dead, as she’s utterly absent and it’s not like Ultratech wasn’t featured prominently. Who knows, maybe she’s been ousted by Cinder and ARIA and simply didn’t have a place in the story?
But yeah, enough about what they didn’t have time to do, because what they did have time to do was really fun. I loved seeing the Tsar and REALLY hope that badass looking vampire makes it in to the next game! I’d also like to see some sort of Wendigo leader type. Maybe there’s some vampire/lycan Underworld type friction between the vampires and the subjugated Wendigos? That could be a fun story path.
I love what characters were able to do in this story, and I love how authentic they felt to the personalities that have been conveyed thus far in the novella and in the game.
I was also glad to see Gargos back (his new form was really cool looking!) and it was nice to see how everything played out in the end. Total side note, but I still love Kan Ra. The guy’s just awesome. They were able to make him a great sinister ally with his own clear motivations. Uneasy alliances are always fun.
So like I said before, this felt like the perfect bookend to this game, and not only was it fun to read, but I really appreciate this being done, as the game really feels like it has a bow on it, now more than ever.
That said… It REALLY makes me want a sequel! I want to see all of these characters in a new plotline in this post-apocalyptic world, with a new evil threatening, more plot involving the conven versus Ultratech and the Tsar’s response to what happens in the comic. Is it too much to want the Tsar to ultimately unseat ARIA and become a human leader of Ultratech? I still want ARIA in some way, but man… Something about a vampire coven leading the most powerful corporation in that wrecked world just sounds so appealing, especially with that stylish badass the Tsar leading the way.
I’d love to see what threats the heroes face, what new heroes come in, what the villains do, who’s altered physically via the story and how… Moreso than ever, this feels like a complete and compelling world with characters I want to see doing more and experiencing more, and I’d love even more character depth, realistic approaches to consequences / effects on the world (as the world almost feels like it could be a big part of the story in and of itself, as it was in the comic, and not simply by being in peril).
There was something so fun about this story coming to life in a way that felt so consistent and nuanced, which leads me to hope that story in a potential sequel could be conveyed in multiple ways, such as an in game comic, dossiers, cut-scenes, arcade endings etc, but that they could all come together in one place to tell one full, cohesive story about what happened before, what’s in the process of happening now, and how the story’s playing out for everyone, from the main plotline to every single subplot.
I think this game found some wonderful ways to convey story, and the next step (to me) would be putting it all together in a way that allows the player to access everything in order and in a way that allows them to view the full story in the intended order.
Can’t wait to see what’s next for Killer Instinct!! Here’s hoping it’s a new game and that it arrives sooner than later.
TL/DR: The comic series was a short, compelling, fun way to put a bow on this game and I enjoyed it for a wide variety of reasons, but it also makes me want a new game with the Tsar, a Wendigo, coven vs ultratech, that awesome post-apocalyptic world, some new heroes and villains that mix in with the current crop, a new evil threatening the world, a new tournament and a cohesive story told through a variety of methods and game modes that can be accessed in one place, in order, to tell the player what happened throughout.
