I’ve started venturing outside of the mainstream comic companies for my purchases.  While going through PREVIEWS a couple of months ago I saw an advertisement for a new series from Titan Comics.  The artwork in the ad is what drew me in so I added it to my pull list.  Great decision as this is a fantastic comic.  Which one, you ask?  Assassins Creed.

The main character, Charlotte de la Cruz, had her normal life turned upside down when the Assassins Xavier Chen and Galina Voronina extracted her from her San Diego apartment.  Using their technology, they have dropped her in Salem, 1692. On the eve of the infamous Witch Trials. Charlotte discovers she has been dropped into the memories of her cantankerous ancestor, the Master Assassin, Tom Stoddard, searching for the secret that will save the Assassin Brotherhood.

I honestly had no idea this comic was based on a video game.  I don’t get into them so the storyline and action were brand new for me.  That this involves a time in our nation’s history that we don’t have reliable records on and then in the present some incredible almost science fiction type technology to bring the two together makes for interesting storytelling.  The people using this technology visit their ancestors who just happen to be assassins and they are working against folks who can do what they do well makes for intriguing, gripping stories.

Most of the first two issues are spent in the past learning about what was and how Charlotte and her ancestor relate, flashforwards allow you to see what’s happening in the present.  This provides just enough intrigue to question what the motives of this group are and why they are willing to let her be inside so long without all the proper training or experience.  Xavier Chen and Galina Voronina don’t really know Charlotte but are relying on her and yet she seems totally expendable.

Neil Edwards and Ivan Nunes do some incredibly detailed and fascinating interiors.  Seeing the attire rendered clearly depicted that time when people had style and class and dressed to their station in life and this was not only flattering but colorful and extremely visual in nature.

The characterization that we are getting in these stories from Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery is outstanding.  With Charlotte seeing what her ancestor is doing and we see how he behaves we really do get this incredibly complex and well rounded story unfolding before us.  I love the idea that these folks are ancient assassins and their skill sets are such that fighting and underhanded tactics to enhance their fighting style really is impressive.  We forget that there was a time when people trained how to do hand to hand combat and to be killers.

The story doesn’t seem like it’s on overdrive but it certainly comes across to the reader that way.  There’s so much action and plot twisting being revealed that it feels like we are a lot further into this than we are.  This is the sign of some truly inspired and wonderful writing.

This is fun people!  There’s so much unlimited potential and it’s obviously in the right hands.