We’re halfway through the initial four part story arc of the Assassin’s Creed: Uprising series and there’s no doubt that it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable set of comics so far. Despite sharing out the panels between the Brotherhood and the Templars, the story has been solidly told from both sides of the proverbial coin. Will the third issue continue in this vein, and with this being the penultimate issue of the current tale, can it ramp up the pacing ready for an enthralling finale?
The second issue left us on an explosive note. Another of those highly skilled double agents ended up using a bit of gadgetry to catch the Black Cross off-guard and then unleashed an explosion which sent him flying through the air. All I really want to know is whether he survived the blast. Oh, and it’d be good to know if Charlotte had overcome her recent bout of mental anguish regarding the lifestyle change living as an assassin.
Both sides are in the know about the explosion in Berlin, with the Brotherhood cell attempting to work out who’s behind this deadly attack which brought about the death of many unsuspecting people nearby. It’s clear this isn’t the way the Templars usually deal with such situations, and it pushes the Assassins into trying harder to acquire the Pieces of Eden. Finally, they’re going to use the Animus, and I became excited at the prospect of travelling to the time period of the Spanish Civil War, through the memories of Ignacio Cardona – an ancestor of Charlotte.
Unfortunately, things don’t quite go to plan and Charlotte is stuck in a limbo of sorts. As a reader, it evoked a response of worry for her wellbeing, especially given the mental issues she’s been having.
Subsequently, Arend and Kiyoshi manage to steal the spotlight for a large chunk of this issue. That leads to some rather odd conversations across the panels about the uselessness and awfulness of Chihuahuas, and a brilliant threat given that’d send shivers down anyone’s spine – ripping a tongue out through a urethra… eek! Arguably the most entertaining section sees these two battle it out with someone in an encounter I didn’t see coming at all. Just like the Black Cross last time out, I got caught off guard, but in a good way of course.
Master Templar Juhani Otso Berg takes a back seat in this one, having to recover from the damage done to him by the blast. He’s angry though and it reveals how far he’ll go to purify the Templar following and oust anyone ‘infecting’ Abstergo. Although I would’ve loved more rooftop antics from the Black Cross, this approach allows for his injuries to be more believable.
The artwork is a tale of two halves, with nothing special worth mentioning on the panels of the first half, but once the group ventures out into a mission, the orangey/red skies are glorious as they fly in the plane. The confrontation following that is excitingly conveyed with some gruesome imagery to remind us how brutal the world can be.
The issue itself started off a bit iffy, but soon began to bring in the humour, delivering some lovely pieces of artwork and injecting pace into the latter stages. Characters who previously lurked in the shadows of others are allowed to shine and it certainly helped flesh out their personalities for the reader. Once again, the team behind the Assassin’s Creed: Uprising series have made a comic worth reading.
One has to wonder how the conclusion will turn out though, given that issue #3 has opened up additional doors that’ll need closing in due course.
