I’m running a little late in reviewing Asssassin’s Creed #2, out now via Titan Comics, but I didn’t want to leave you guys hanging because I’m loving this series. If you haven’t read the first issue, then check out my review of Assassin’s Creed #1 here.
Whereas the first issue was all about Charlotte de la Cruz and her boring life being turned upside down (for the better) when she is scooped up by the Brotherhood, the second issue is all about her ancestor Tom Stoddard, an ultra-ruthless master assassin. The minute Stoddard lands in Salem he’s slicing and dicing with a little help from new fellow assassin and contact Jennifer Querry when things get hairy. Readers will quickly come to realize that Stoddard is unlike many of the assassins we’ve come to know and love (or hate in Arno’s case). He is all about his mission which makes him quite curt and brings out a sense of ruthlessness and aggression that we’re more accustomed to seeing in Templars, not the Brotherhood. His mission entails finding the Piece of Eden which leads him and Querry to a hidden basement in a Templar hideaway.
Unfortunately, the Templars in Salem have been plotting and scheming for this very thing and they use the infamous paranoia that lead to the murder of innocent people to their advantage. Just as Stoddard starts foaming at the mouth–much to Charlotte’s chagrin–he realizes that the Piece of Eden isn’t a thing, it’s a person.
Just like the first issue, Assassin’s Creed #2 ends with one hell of a cliffhanger, and further establishes its place as a worthy entry into Assassin’s Creed canon. Artist Neil Edwards and colorist Ivan Nunes continue to bring Salem to life with rich sepia tones and hues in Salem which really adds to the feeling that one is looking into the past. This has been one of the most beautiful comics I’ve read this year. Writers Anthony Del Col and Connor McCreery continue to set up high stakes and intrigue in this second issue, keeping my attention on the story–both Stoddard’s in Salem 1692 and Charlotte’s in the present–because much is depending on them both. And I just love how they added another strong female protagonist into the mix who doesn’t back down from Stoddard’s macho bullshit.
If you’re an Assassin’s Creed fan, get into this series now. It keeps getting better.