‘Assassin’s Creed: Uprising #5’ Review
Written by Alex Paknadel, Dan Watters | Art by Jose Holder | Published by Titan Comics
Assassin’s Creed as seen through a Jerry Bruckheimer lens is probably the best way to describe Assassin’s Creed: Uprising. Although the action stuff is actually good fun and nicely done, I must admit the purist in me misses the subtlety of assassination and stealth, the main qualities that made Assassin’s Creed what it is. Still, no harm I guess in trying to broaden the fan base, if done well.
So where are we? We have been following the emergence of a third faction in the Assassins Creed world, neither Assassin nor Templar yet combining the strengths of both. Great idea by the writers, and an even better reveal when we find they are followers of Juno, the renegade Precusor. Rather than molding the current world in a certain way, as the Templars and Assassins both want to do with their devotion to order or free will, Juno and her followers want to destroy it, then remake it from the ground up. Not good. Charlotte and the Assassins, and Otso Berg and the Templars have both been investigating this group independently of each other, but paths have started to cross. Oh, and Berg got beat up again. This happens a lot.
Assassin’s Creed: Uprising #5 doesn’t hang about as, while Charlotte tries to get traitor Guernica to spill the beans, My’Shell comes back to the Assassin HQ with a badly beaten Berg. That’s senior Templar Master Otso Berg. The Assassins, especially Galina, are shall we say less than keen to see him. A very wary temporary truce of sorts is called, and both sides discuss what they know of the new group. Essentially both groups are now compromised, with Juno followers in place within both Assassins and Templars, and only one or two of them known at this point. A reluctant alliance is formed to find and secure the Koh-i-Noor jewel, a Piece of Eden Juno is after. So, off to the Animus again for Charlotte.
Charlotte is now ancestor Ignacio Cardona, in 1937 Spain in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. One of the rebels of course. An Assassin yes, but also a Spanish patriot willing to fight the fascists. While Charlotte is reliving those memories, Berg is having a hard time persuading the Assassins to reveal information to him to enable him to help them. Old habits die hard. An interesting philosophical discussion of sorts follows, with Berg making the point neither side are ever truly right or wrong all the time, and their different approaches still pretty much want the same result. This is fittingly put in perfect context when the Assassins find an old photo in their archive of Ignacio Cardona, Charlotte’s ancestor, standing side by side with someone well known to Otso Berg. It’s Albert Bolden, also known as Templar enforcer The Black Cross. As the Aquabats would say, ‘What the Whaaaa…’.
Great issue, the pace never let up from the start. Real progress in the storyline, a firming of alliances at least temporarily (let’s take bets on who will betray who first), more inspiration from Creed back story, and some very well written and portrayed characters across the board. Negatives? Still not a huge fan of Jose Holder’s art, though I though the art better this issue than last. Not so dense as some issues, though he does love to pack a page with panels, but still lacking just that final touch of polish.
So, have the Templars and Assassins teamed up in the past against a common enemy? Seems that way. It’ll be next month when we find out though. Can’t wait that long? Then the writers have done their job well.
**** 4/5
Assassin’s Creed: Uprising #5 is out now from Titan Comics
