Assassin's Creed Comic Book

ASSASSIN'S CREED
3 COMIC BOOK SET
 

 I have been bombarded by awesome books this past month and this is another one, well actually THREE! I was sent the Assassin's Creed Comic Book set and I love them! The covers are great and really lend a mysterious feel to the books. It made me think of some long lost secret society and that inside is a secret that will get me killed. Assassin's Creed has a great wonderful thing that helps to push it to the forefront: a good story. The characters are believable and the world is just as real as ours. That's why this franchise has done so well, and that's why these books are so good.

VOL 1: DESMONDThe first book in the series is "Desmond", which obviously it tells you more about Desmond's life. You'll learn about how Desmond ended up in the lab, going through his ancestors' memories. They also touch on the mysterious subject 16. It's really interesting to read about the characters in the book and see how they are played out in the games. The overall style totally fits in with the game franchise. While the visuals aren't the same it has a style that lends to the overall story. The colors are warm, but can change drastically to a cold industrial feel. You can tell the artist had a very distinct style, and it definitely shined throughout the whole book.

Sometimes the book left me wondering and wanting more as it was kind of fast. I hope the next two books tie up any loose ends left by the first installment. If you haven't played the game it will leave you a little lost, but its still quite enjoyable.

 

VOL 2: AQUILUS

Volume 2 tells the story of Aquilus which is an ancestor of Desmond.  Aquilus was talked about in the first volume and was one of the loose ends. I'm glad that they decided to really delve into his story in the second book. The main story has Aquilus trying to get a certain rare artifact, which you'll read about in the third installment.

Not only do you read about Aquilus' story it also goes deeper into Desmond's life. You'll find out some things about his youth, as well as some love interests he had.

The style in this book is different from the first, but they don't battle each other. It's as if the artists new that a change in style would bring this story to life. It is still very detailed and crisp like in the first, so it does match the overall feel of the series, as well as the game. You can also tell the writer's took their time with

this one as the story didn't seem so fast. It had a great pace and I felt satisfied after reading it.

  

VOL 3: ACCIPITER
Accipiter is the last book in the series, sadly I might add. I was really starting to get into the story. Aquilus continues his story into this installment and wow is it good! He is still looking for that one artifact talked about in Vol 2, but he isn't alone this time. Another master assassin, Accipiter, joins him in his quest. The book starts off with them on separate journeys until their paths collide.

Desmond is still present in this book, but not so much so. They tease you a bit with a postcard at the end making you think that the story continues on in Egypt. Well if you've played the game you know it ended up taking place in Revolutionary America.

All three books were excellently written and drawn. If you are a fan of Assassin's Creed then you should really get these, if you haven't already. Or if you are a fan of games in general, its a great series to have on your shelf.

*Disclaimer: I was sent this book by Titan Books to read and review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was made.

Assassin's Creed III Art Book Review

© 2012 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

So I was really excited to get this book. It was a total surprise for me, but wow its amazing. I have loved exploring the world of Assassin's Creed I and II, and have yet to get my hands on the third installment. This book ended up being an introduction to the game. Sort of like a backstage pass to see all the things going on behind the scenes. The images in the book are much more crisp than my cruddy picture taking has made them look. The front of the book shows the main character, Connor Kenway, standing in a tree above a group of soldiers. The back of the book shows a few scenes from the movie and has a short synopsis of what you'll find inside. Assassin's Creed III takes place during the Revolutionary War in America, a perfect time for an assassin to come out, right?

© 2012 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

There are seven chapters in this book with 141 pages full of wonderful images. The images include sketches and concept art followed by commentary from Ubisoft's artists. If you love video games, Assassin's Creed, or just like looking at great art you'll love this book. Writer Andy McVittie's paragraph long commentary are throughout the book along with special excerpts from the games various artists.

The seven chapters are: I Present World, II Characters, III Forest and Frontier, IV Boston, V New York, VI Homestead, and VII Battle at Sea.

I. The Present World shows Abstergo with very hard angled modern buildings highlighted by the artificial lighting we "love". The images that are shown are dark and ominous, but give you a great sense of the feeling the artists were trying to give.The world looks strangely familiar, and thats because the artists made it so life like it seems I'm looking at the streets of my own city.

© 2012 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

II. The characters chapter is self explanatory. You have beautifully sketched images of all the characters presented in the game. You can see the dramatic changes between Connor's appearance to what he ended up being. There are nice little historical tidbits about the historical characters that are featured in the game. This was probably my favorite chapter as you could get a really good feel of the character's backgrounds, etc.

The next few chapters show the other landscapes and areas that you'll be seeing in the game. Some of the images came off as a little dark, but really that's just how the game is. I can't wait to play the game as I have loved the first two installments. I'm hoping Santa brings it to me for Christmas, hint hint.

© 2012 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

So if you love the Assassin's Creed Franchise and would like to see the work behind it, I totally recommend getting this book. It just adds another level to the game play to see all the hard work and care that goes into creating an awesome game.





*Disclaimer: I received this book from Titan Books to review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was given.