ASSASSIN`S CREED: BLOODSTONE COLLECTION
ASSASSIN`S CREED: BLOODSTONE COLLECTION the two-part graphic novel has been translated into English and wrapped up in one spine. The entry of the franchise is a spiritual successor to Conspiracies. And while the historical setting is Vietnam, a large part of the story takes place in modern times.
WRITTEN BY: GUILLAUME DORISON
ART BY: ENNIO BUFI
COLORS BY: ANDREA MELONI
LETTERS BY: JONATHAN STEVENSON
WHAT’S IT ABOUT.
SOME MINOR SPOILERS.
Well, it is Assassins Creed so the obvious answer is the Templars and Assassins are at each other’s throats. The story mainly follows Aleksei Gavrani, an ex-soviet agent – turned CIA operative – belonging to the Brotherhood of Assassins ( yes it is a mouthful ), in the middle of the Vietnam war. The lucky guy exploring Mr. Gavrani`s memories is Tomo Sakagawa, also with the Brotherhood. I would describe Tomo as more of a computer geek than the super agile assassin type (he is an assassin of hacking).
There are quite a few locations explored in this rollercoaster. Though the setting is Eastern a large part of the story takes place in the modern age. As this plays off in a modern timeline you can expect to see a couple of well-known conspiracies incorporated into the fictitious setting of Assassin`s Creed.
THE ART AND STYLE.
Assassin`s Creed: Bloodstone Collection is a grittier and darker take. It relies heavily on the mystery and conspiracy that some of the earlier games in the series did. This crosses over into the artwork for this book. The art feels heavy and unsympathetic perfectly fitting the atmosphere of the book. The colors are a darker colder variety of blues and greens. I found these tones helped create an awareness of the uneasiness of this specific world.
For the most part the art is on point. The landscapes and backgrounds are captured beautifully. There are a few minor consistency issues at points. This luckily does not take away from the story or plot. It does make it difficult to figure out if you are looking at the same character or if this is a new character being introduced.
Final Verdict Assassin`s creed: bloodstone collection.
Assassin`s Creed: Bloodstone Collection takes itself extremely seriously and it is fitting in the darker and grittier take. But, if you are a casual reader of the books or haven’t played the games this might be a little frustrating to read. I wouldn’t state you have to know everything about the games or the previous books, but it would make it a far easier read. This feels like a cover-up deep-fried in a conspiracy theory locked away in a chest at the bottom of the Atlantic. I would not recommend this to readers not familiar with the franchise, this feels more for the fans.
Score: 7