‘Assassin’s Creed Uprising #4’ Review
Written by Alex Paknadel, Dan Watters | Art by Jose Holder | Published by Titan Comics
Assassin’s Creed Uprising was always an interesting idea, melding together characters from other Assassin’s Creed titles. As Assassin’s Creed has mainly been a single player type of adventure, which the other titles mainly kept in line with, this is more of a multiplayer look at Assassin’s Creed. It also took the interesting idea to take away some of the strength of the Creed concept, assassination and stealth, in favour of all out foot to the floor action. The purist in me has had mixed feelings on this book for that reason, though I can’t deny it entertains.
So the title has essentially been following the Assassins led by Charlotte de la Cruz, and the Templars, led by Juhani Otso Berg both investigating the arrival of a mysterious faction that combines the skills and technology of both Assassins and Templars, and not afraid to take on both. Berg has also taken on the superhero like identity of The Black Cross, the Templar enforcer, to try and root out corruption in Templar ranks. Charlotte has entered the Animus, searching for clues to the ‘new’ organisation that may link back to the Spanish Civil War, but found herself trapped in the Memory Corridor, a sort of in-between place. Trainee Assassin Lemair is also tracking a financial lead that has taken her to Geneva. And just what is Guernica up to? All good stuff, with plenty of balls juggling in the air.
After a quick interlude where we see Guernica’s attempt to kill Charlotte thwarted, we pick up with Lemair following that paper trail. Turns out the old 1930’s company Chinon Shipping, through which a lot of money was funneled, was absorbed into, wait for it, Abstergo Industries. Very interesting obviously, though not as surprising to Lemair when Berg appears with a knife to her throat. Berg wants to know why Assassins are spending Templar money, and is surprised himself to find they aren’t, which is why Lemair is following the trail. However things take an even worse turn when the third faction turn up and attack. Berg manages to take out five of them before being captured and seemingly disposed of. That man keeps taking some epic beatings.
Charlotte, meanwhile, finally emerges from her coma of sorts with the bad news. This all goes back to what lies at the heart of Assassin’s Creed, the powerful first race of Precursors, and especially to Juno. Juno has always been the one who didn’t wish to save the world, as Minerva and Jupiter did. Rather she wished to destroy it and remake it in an image more palatable to her. For humanity’s benefit of course. Charlotte realises that the third faction are Juno’s storm troopers, Assassins and Templars working for her to destroy the world. To beat them, she realises there is only one play left. Alert the Templars, and try and defeat Juno together.
This was a solid read. Fast moving, plenty of action and plot movement, and lots to like. Dialogue was good, and the plentiful nods to Creed lore were appreciated. Jose Holders art though is not as solid as the writing. The scratchy style is a little hard work in itself, but combined with Holder’s technique of as many panels per page as can possibly fit, it just all feels too dense. Luckily, the clearness of the writing saves the story.
Not so much Assassin’s Creed as Action Creed, but it’s good fun, there’s plenty going on, and it entertains. Plenty of ticks in boxes for me.
***½ 3.5/5
