Story: Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl
Art: Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl
Colors: Nadine Thomas
Letters: Serge LaPointe
Cover: Moy R. Marco
Publisher: Massive Publishing
Summary
Assassin’s Creed: The Fall, based on the Assassin’s Creed video game universe, introduces and follows the life of Daniel Cross, living in the late 1990s and Nikolai Orelov from the late 1800s. Daniel has visions from a life not his own, and not even from the same time period as him. These visions can come at any time and disrupt his day-to-day life, leading him to be written off by society. Right as Daniel is about to make a life-altering mistake due to the visions, he’s taken in by the Brotherhood and inoculated against the Templars. Things only get more interesting from there. In the third and final issue, several mysteries that have unfolded come to satisfying and painful resolutions. There are sleeper agents, massive betrayals, a purge, a powerful artifact, and several action-packed pages.
Thoughts
Although the storyline jumps around through time, there is a clear beginning, middle and end to this three-issue series. The very first page sets up a mystery that isn’t solved until the last several pages. I found that the set-up and execution of the “ah-ha” moment was expertly written and illustrated.
I read through the series several times, and each time I felt moved by Daniel’s experiences. His character development is central to the plotline, and even as a reread, the ending packs a powerful punch.
The video game series tends to include a multifaceted and mostly historically accurate approach to many aspects of the video game, and I feel that the creators of this story, Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl, achieved much of the same in this series.
The artwork is consistent throughout each issue, and each of Daniel’s physical and emotional transformations is convincing and believable. The pacing is lightning fast, but all of the beautiful art, interesting lore and storytelling, and excellent coloring kept me coming back to flip through the pages over and over again.
And as a bonus, as someone who already enjoyed the Assassin’s Creed video game series, I actually feel like I now know more about the ongoing war between the Brotherhood and the Templars, and I appreciate that.
Overall: 9.5/10
K.L.Murphy has BA in English, writes and reviews comics, and habitually pets cats. Comics are all unique and each one represents an enormous amount of thought and effort. Murphy reviews comics based on a variety of factors, but focuses on the artwork, storytelling, and pacing.
