Assassin's Creed: Reflections

Assassin's Creed: Reflections is a comic-book four-part mini series published by Titan Comics to mark the franchise's tenth anniversary.

As part of the celebration, the series presents four narratives, each centering around an established Assassin – Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Ratonhnhaké:ton, and Edward Kenway – as viewed by Templar agent Juhani Otso Berg in the modern-day.^[1]

The series was written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Valeria Favoccia & Liu Yan (sunsetagain). The first issue was released on 8 March, 2017.

Press release

To mark 10 glorious years of Assassin’s Creed, Titan Comics are bringing together the franchise's best-loved characters for a celebratory series like no other! Get ready for four brand new adventures starring fan favorite Assassins like Edward Kenway and Altaïr, along with the series' celebrated Renaissance roof-crawler, Ezio Auditore de Firenze! Four-part mini series written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Valeria Favoccia!^[2]

Issues

08/03/2017 - In the debut issue of this celebratory series, Templar agent Otso Berg’s Animus research leads him to 15th Century Florence, and the memories of the legendary figure Ezio Auditore da Firenze. In a final meeting with his good friend, Leonardo da Vinci, the Assassin shares a treasured moment from his past involving one of the Italian artist’s most famous subjects…

2017: Otso Berg enters his private study office at Abstergo Montreal. As part of his activities as the Black Cross, he must take on the teachings of the Assassins, and learn how to graft their skills and knowledge onto himself. To this end, he seeks to better his understanding of the Brotherhood by looking at some of their most famous members. He starts by opening the file of Ezio Auditore Da Firenze.

1519: Amboise, France. An ailing Leonardo da Vinci lies in bed. A servant tries to serve food to him, but he refuses and requests that it is given to a poor soul in the streets. As the servant leaves and closes the door, Ezio reveals himself from his hiding place behind it. They embrace and discuss Leonardo's fading health. Leo requests that they talk as old friends, and that Ezio tell a secret to him.

Ezio begins the story of how he met the legendary 'Mona Lisa' - Lisa Gherardini in 1504. Injured in a battle outside of Firenze, he awoke to find himself tied up in a barn - where Lisa had nursed him back to health and dressed his wounds. She compares his tying up to how animals were snared for their protection, to which Ezio remarks that he must be her fox. Over time the two became close, but as she was already married the two could not truly reflect each other's feelings. He eventually left to once more battle for the Brotherhood.

A year later, Ezio discovered that Cesare Borgia had ordered a hit squad upon Leonardo to end his life. Intercepting the goons, Ezio managed to dispatch them before finding Leo at his workshop. There he walked in to find the legendary Mona Lisa painting being created, with Lisa Gherardini herself sitting motionless in pose. She looked upon Ezio - and smiled. Leo demanded she keep that pose, and furiously started painting.

With Ezio's story now ended, the older Leonardo da Vinci now lay asleep in his bed. Kissing his head, Ezio chooses his time to leave. Shortly after, the servant enters to find that the great da Vinci had passed away.^[3]

12/04/2017 - Four-part mini series written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Valeria Favoccia. Featuring fan-favourite Assassin’s Creed game characters Altaïr, Ezio Auditore, Edward Kenway, Connor, and more!

2017: Otso continues his research into the Brotherhood. This time he takes a look at Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and his immediate family - his wife Maria, and son Darim. He believes love to be a weakness, with family making you a larger target to be hit - but the strength of family is about to surprise him.

1227: Xia Province, China. Altaïr, Maria and Darim survey an enemy camp. They meet a local Assassin, Qulan Gal, whom explains that the camp belongs to Genghis Khan. Without any dogs on guard, he feels that a subtle approach can be possible. He and Altaïr head down into the camp, whilst Maria and Darim provide sniper cover with crossbows. The two eventually make it to Khan's tent, where he is placing a Sword of Eden into a chest. A guard raises an alarm at this moment and the two are forced to flee into hiding, with Altaïr injured in the process.

They elect to hide in a tent, only to find a fellow captured Assassin, Nergui, whom they free. The three eventually dodge the guards and return to the waiting Darim and Maria. With the Khan so close, they discuss how they can possibly complete his assassination with such a small team. Using black powder arrows, they pepper the camp with these explosives, in turn startling the resting horses and wildlife causing a minor stampede in the process. The camp is thrown into disarray, with the Khan electing to escape by horse with a few guards.

Qulan and Darim give chase on their own horses, and take down the guards one by one until the Khan is eventually unmounted by a bolt. Swearing that his descendants will immortalise his legacy, the great Genghis Khan falls to a bolt fired by Darim. With more riders coming, they elect to abandon finding the Sword of Eden and make their escape. Reuniting with Altaïr, Maria, and Nergui - the mission was completed.^[3]

17/05/2017 - Four-part mini series written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Valeria Favoccia. Featuring fan-favorite Assassin’s Creed game characters Altaïr, Ezio Auditore, Edward Kenway, Connor, and more!

2017: Otso Berg remains in his study. This time he looks to the life of Edward Kenway, whom joined the Brotherhood rather out of convenience, than blind faith. As a convert, they actively make the choice to change their life - making them some of the most dangerous of foes.

1722: The Caribbean Sea. With Adéwalé at the wheel of the Jackdaw, Edward calls for the anchor to be dropped. Whilst it appears that they are in the middle of nowhere, Edward explains that this is the perfect location to hide wealth, and due to the low water it likely contains numerous treasures from crashed ships below them. As such, he calls for the diving bell to be readied, and he makes his way down under the waters.

A time later, Edward is brought back up with gold upon him. But he learns that his crew has been taken captive by a pirate known as Ned Low. Edward is forced to negotiate to save his crew, by agreeing to go down again for another stash for Ned. Adéwalé manages to slip a tinderbox to Edward before he returns underwater.

Eventually Ned demands that the bell be brought back up, but once he looks underneath he sees several small bombs that have been prepared and lit. The bell explodes knocking down Ned and most of his crew, and littering the deck with gold coins. Edward meanwhile climbs the ship from the waters, and makes his way below deck to free his crew. Grabbing what weapons they can, the Jackdaw crew charges out against Ned's and a sword battle erupts.

Fearing defeat, Ned and his crew retreat to their ship via ropes. But Edward has one last trick up his sleeves. He had carefully positioned some explosive barrels around Ned's ship, and taking aim with a rifle he detonates them - destroying Ned's ship and all her crew. Adéwalé is impressed, but wonders how they will pay for the Jackdaw repairs. Edward points out that as always the answer is right under their noses - and they begin retrieving the gold coins embedded in the ship's wood.^[3]

05/07/2017 - Finale of the four-part mini series written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Valeria Favoccia!

2017: Otso Berg is once more in his study. He questions whether love and family are a weakness, and if it can actually make you a wider target. He concedes that in some circumstances it can actually give rise to strength, and decides to open the file for Ratonhnhaké:ton - the assassin known as Connor.

1796: Upstate New York. Within a forest, Connor gives chase to his young daughter Io:Nhiòte, whilst asking her to slow down. He warns her that they are far from her mother's village, and that they should be mindful of their surroundings. Io:Nhiòte realises that they have come so far out in order to teach her to track and hunt, mainly as girls are not allowed to do so in her tribe. Connor states that it his responsibility as her father to teach her the skills that he feels she needs. Io:Nhiòte queries why she was chosen and not her elder brother or sister, to which Connor states that it is because she has a special talent.

They walk to a nearby river, at which point Connor asks what she sees. She quickly finds tracks of a buck, and is able to tell that it stopped to drink from the river. Connor asks how she knows this, and she responds that the forest itself has told her the story. Connor points out again that she has a natural gift. They follow the tracks, with Io:Nhiòte running on ahead. She tracks down the deer, but loses her footing in the mud and slips over the edge of a small cliff drop. She is knocked unconscious.

She awakens to find her father looking down upon her as she lays against a tree. Her foot is badly swollen from the fall, and Connor decides to go and collect some cool water from the stream to reduce the swelling. Promising to return quickly he runs away leaving Io:Nhiòte braiding grass blades to pass the time. She notices fresh wolf tracks near the tree, and calls to her father to warn him but he is too far away. High above an Eagle looks down upon her, hearing her shouts. It flies towards Connor and in turn screeches a warning just as the wolf leaps towards him in the stream. They briefly fight, before Connor is forced to down the wolf with his hidden blade. He discovers that the wolf had in fact been shot by a musket, and must have been in tremendous pain. He is thankful that he at least freed the wolf from her torment.

Returning to Io:Nhiòte he is amazed to find that she knew of the wolf, and she points and thanks the flying Eagle in gratitude. Connor realizes that not only does she have a talent for hunting, but it's obvious that she has far more abilities within her. He vows that he has a great deal more to teach her.

2017: Clearly moved by Connor's story, Otso Berg picks up his mobile phone. The lock screen is the face of his daughter, Elina. Accepting that he is always fighting for the future, he concedes that he sometimes forgets whose future he is fighting for. He calls his daughter, and quietly leaves the office.^[3]