Graphic Novelty²

On a bright, moonlit night in 1341 Cairo, Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad is stabbed to death by a courtesan. El Cakr worries about the political state the assassination will leave Egypt in as he continues searching for the Scepter of Aset. He and Ali, his apprentice, finally have a lead on the piece of dagger handle that was their only clue. They manage to recover it, but what will happen when El Cakr has to present it to the new and corrupt leaders of Egypt? In the present day, Johnathan Hawk has recovered from his stroke and a new eye grafted in place of his old. Abstergo Industries has finally perfected what they call Subject 19, a disturbing weapon that may spell the end for the Assassins in the race to find the First Civ artifacts.

There were a lot of plot twists in this one, which made it fun and keeps you on your toes. The art was as brilliant and detailed as ever. There is a gorgeous panel near the end of El Cakr in the Sultan’s palace, panned out so you can see the mosaics and architecture glowing in the noonday sun. The present-day story is now completely devoid of familiar characters from the game, so it was a little hard to keep everyone straight. I look forward to more!

– Kathleen

The next installment of the Assassin’s Creed series takes us to Cairo, Egypt, in 1340. An assassin named El Cakr is hired to recover the stolen Scepter of Aset. We are living these memories through Johnathan Hawk, an assassin who is very sensitive to the Animus. He could face serious consequences if left in there too long. The modern-day Templars are after the Scepter – and a piece of Johnathan (no, literally. They want his eye).

That was a pretty short review but this was a pretty short volume XD I probably should have waited until they published the next three volumes in one book (in English), but I couldn’t wait =P It’s not clear yet exactly how Johnathan fits into the story but the mystery is enough to keep me going. Plus, Egyptian assassin!

– Kathleen

Assassin’s Creed is one of my favorite video game series. (But like. Only before Black Flag.) I have really fond memories of my first year away at school playing this series for the first time. I’ve met many of my online friends because of these games. I’m pretty sure I’ve read this graphic novel before, at the height of my obsession, but decided to pick it up again for this blog.

Much like the games, the modern day and historical stories are told together. Desmond Miles has been kidnapped and forced into the Animus by Abstergo. Lucy helps him escape and takes him to the Assassins, who ask him to go into the Animus again, to relive more memories and help them recover Pieces of Eden. While we see snippets of the stories of the ancestors we know and love, the graphic follows another ancestor. His name is Aquilus, and he was alive and operating in the Roman Empire during the third century. He recovers an artifact, the Ankh of the Egyptian goddess Isis, though it nearly costs him his life. He is saved by his cousin Accicepter, but little does Aquilus know that the tiny artifact will soon cost him much more. When it is stolen, can he recover it in time? Can Desmond and the modern day Assassins recover the long-lost Ankh before Abstergo can get their hands on it?

The art is richly detailed, just like that of the games. I was always drawn to the sweeping landscapes and atmosphere of the games. The graphic felt much the same, though the color palette and lighting are a little darker. The story, once you get past what you’ve played, is fast-paced and action-packed. I’ve already gotten the next few volumes and can’t wait to check them out~

– Kathleen