Assassin’s Creed Locus #1 Review – Latin for Place (Get it?)
Oh boy. Yet ANOTHER Assassin’s Creed comic. There’s already a comic series called simply Assassin’s Creed, and a second series named Assassin’s Creed Templars. Now we have Locus. The AC universe is massive, to be sure, but do we really need more comics about it? Probably not. But, I’ll give Locus a pass for one reason: it follows the Assassin’s Creed Last Descendants book series, which is rather good. (I reviewed it on my strategy guide review site, if you’re interested.)
In Last Descendants, Ubisoft has opened the door to bloodlines to both Assassins and Templars in our modern era. In a rough summary, a former Abstergo employee stole an Animus, found various kids who are tied to one significant historical event, and talked them all into going into the Animus together for this event. Why? A set of Pieces of Eden were found and lost in this time. This former employee wants to find where the Pieces are and keep them from both Assassins and Templars. However, his use of the Animus caught the attention of both Templars and Assassins, who busted up the party and each side ran off with a few kids. The former employee ran like the brave person he is.
Now, in the beginning of Locus, the Templars have already thrust their kids back into the Animus to help them find the Pieces of Eden and how to use them. They’ve told the kids that they’re here to help them, they were lied to, yadda yadda yadda; all the regular spiel. One of the kids, Sean, lost the use of his legs in a horrific car accident, and he’s all too happy to go back into the Animus where his ancestor has no such disability. In fact, his ancestor was a heroic police officer from the Draft Riots discussed in Last Descendants, and now he works for the Pinkerton Agency.
His ancestor’s name is Thomas Greyling, and he was hired by a gentleman who believed he was poisoned by Templars. Greyling happens to be present to thwart a Templar assassin from finishing the job, and as he chases after her, he meets two incredibly famous Assassins from the video games. I’ll at least leave that unspoiled because I was rather giddy when I saw them enter the comic.
I wasn’t expecting to like Locus at all. The first AC comic series had too much angsty 20-year-old with a big “the world is against me” schtick. The rich have it so great. Poor me. No one gives me a chance. Boo hoo. Ugh, we’ve heard it all before. The Templars series is, well, a bit dry. Then again, so are the Templars. Locus picks up on that excitement I felt while reading Last Descendants and carries it through brilliantly. After I finished reading it, I immediately texted a friend who read Last Descendants and told him to pick up this comic too. I think that is enough of a review in of itself.
I’m even ignoring the art style that I’m not particularly fond of. That should speak volumes, if the statements above do not.
Locus is a 4-part mini-series, one that I believe will bridge the gap in between Last Descendants books 1 and 2. Unfortunately it does make the the book series a bit of required reading, and the comic series may become required reading for the books as well. That may end up being more than what Ubisoft can ask from their audience, but for extended lore junkies like myself, I don’t particularly mind. Buyer beware, however.
Author: Ian Edginton
Artist: Caspar Wijngaard
Publisher: Titan Comics
Publish Date: 09/28/2016
Acquired via Publisher
