The monthly edition of the Assassin’s Creed comic series, focussed on Charlotte de la Cruz, has arrived to further the tale. Issue #7 has been set up rather well by the previous outing, almost to the point where, due to their interesting nature, a certain new character could probably carry the story alone. So, without further ado, let’s get stuck into it and find out.
We were left with much doubt surrounding the fate of our new female badass and Charlotte’s ancestor, Quila. This was a great call because I instantly took to this character upon her debut and so felt it was a necessity to read the latest issue, if only to see how she overcame the overwhelming odds.
This time around, there’s a whole lot of action involving the Inca time period, which is all very intriguing to me. Quila is a chasqui (courier), basically the equivalent of a Royal Mail worker in today’s world, delivering important messages, quipus, across the land. The problem however, is that the quipu she currently possesses reveals details of a betrayal and there are people whom don’t want her meddling in these plans.
Despite her advanced physical skills from being a courier, sheer numbers are standing in the way and the only ally is a fat, drunken Spaniard. Getting to know Gonzalo Pardo becomes a real treat as he provides plenty of unintentional humour and offers a lot more than one would expect after the first impression. I’m completely hooked into this part of the story, as is Charlotte whilst reliving it all via the Animus. You’d hope she would see her ancestor fighting hard and begin to give a bit more effort herself to succeed in the Brotherhood cell.
The animosity within the gang has reached new heights, with Galina and Charlotte both vying for that alpha female spot to do things in their own style. When a routine snatch and grab, in a bid to squeeze information out of someone on the hunt for Joseph, crumbles after some easily avoided mistakes, there’s only one option left… to find Erudito. It might be a more difficult task now that the writers have thrown another threat into the mix; one that has put a large ransom on Charlotte and co.
Having ventured outside of the meagre room they were holding up in, it’s nice to see the modern day gang out and about. In fact, the whole modern side of the comic was more than bearable and dare I say increasingly enjoyable thanks to an environmental change, a confrontation and the geeky Kody to provide great cultural references. No longer was I placed in a trance by neutral colours and a lack of action.
For the most part, the artistic work is spot on, especially for the Inca based panels which feature plenty of greenery, animals (there’s a beautiful aerial shot of a horse) and a few punch-ups. The only questionable art was that depicting a gruesome killing, I felt as though the wound and weapon were tacked on to the drawing of the person and looked unnatural.
Assassin’s Creed Issue #7 provides a really great and encapsulating read from start to finish. Old characters are flourishing whilst new ones are finding their feet pretty quickly, with Gonzalo Pardo being a standout this time. It’s not often in the world of fantasy that we get to learn about a civilisation but with the use of the quipu, a genuine historical form of recording messages, I was able to get a glimpse at life during the 16th Century and their communication methods.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this eager to pick up the next issue in this series. Bring it on Titan Comics!
