Assassin’s Creed #2 continues Charlotte De La Cruz’s quest to help the Brotherhood by examining the history of her ancestor, Tom Stoddard. This issue opens up in Salem in 1692 with Tom waiting for his contact to arrive when 2 men arrive asking about the goods he’s trading. Even though they pass the initial test and appear to be his contact, he delves deeper and they give the wrong password  so he kills them effortlessly. He doesn’t notice the 3rd man hiding in the shadows but he’s saved by Jennifer Querry, a fellow Assassin and his contact in Salem. Tom is upset because he wants to know how the men could have come so close and knew even one of the answers. He blames Querry’s inexperience but she swears this betrayal had nothing to do with her activities. He trusts her enough to let her be his guide in the city and she breaks down the history of the current events connected to the Witch Trails. She tells him that a number of girls became sick in the area with an illness no one could explain and that attracted the attention of the Templars due to the belief it was connected to a piece of Eden. Can Tom and Jennifer locate the piece of Eden before the Templars or have their ranks been compromised?

My opinion of Tom was similar to Charlotte when she observed that he was an exceptional fighter because the action sequence at that start of this issue was highly entertaining. There was enough intrigue with the code words and that allowed Jennifer to make a good entrance. And once again the artwork was wonderful and made each panel a joy to see. From the facial expressions to the overall character designs this was definitely a beautiful issue to read.

Using Salem as a backdrop seemed a little cliché at the end of last issue but the way this story incorporates those events into the hunt for a piece of Eden was near perfect. The way the Templars were portrayed with Jennifer and Tom’s doubts that there was actually a piece in this area made this hunt engrossing. The extent in which the Templars went including the use of the mass hysteria to further their goals was a very nice touch. So despite Tom’s callousness towards the captives or his harsh statements towards Jennifer, this situation allowed for some character development and made me want to know a little more about him. I won’t give anything away from this issue but I’m sure that will be the case in at least one of the upcoming issues based on what was revealed here.

Even with that said I still missed Charlotte this issue. This is an ongoing series so I know there will be plenty of Charlotte down the line but I’m looking forward to that. Her commentary on the events taking place with Tom was good and I think the contrast has potential to reveal more about both characters. So it’s more of a compliment to Charlotte, and even her team, than a criticism of this issue focusing mostly on Salem.

SUMMARY

Assassin’s Creed #2 is a great follow-up to the first issue and with its engrossing story line and interesting characters I can say that I’m hooked so far to this series. The Templars’ plot in Salem may seem straight forward at first but there are enough twists, character development and action to keep you glued to every page. I wish there was more of Charlotte this issue but I admit that Tom was more interesting this issue than last and that’s due to the overall situation and being paired with Jennifer. Can’t wait until next issue now.

Release Date:11/11/15

Writer: Anthony Del Col, Conor McCreery

Artist: Neil Edwards