This Wednesday we get a brand new Assassin's Creed series and we got to sit down with Dan Watters to talk about the book and what we can expect from this exciting new series.

Comics The Gathering: Dan, thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few of my questions regarding your highly anticipated new series Assassin's Creed: Uprising.

Without giving too much away, what will this Assassin's Creed: Uprising series be about?

Dan Watters: This series is going to be wrapping up the Phoenix Project storyline, which has been building over the last three games. So we'll be spending most of our first arc in the modern day, with only one or two trips in the Animus. Members of both the Assassins and the Templars are going to uncover revelations that are going to shake them to the core. Also, things are going to occasionally explode. It's basically going to be an action-packed sci-fi espionage thriller, and at the same time hopefully raise some questions that we think are extremely important to ask, both in and out of the Assassin's Creed world.

What drew you to the Assassin's Creed universe and wanting to write this series?

The Assassin's Creed universe is fantastic in its scope, giving us all of history to play with and a cast drawn from all over the world, which our new team is a good example of. We have Latin American, Russian and Japanese characters in our main Assassin cell and they all bring unique visions to the table.



However, the main thing that I think has really drawn both me and Alex to the project is how it functions as an examination of power structures and how the seemingly deadlocked struggle between the Templars and the Assassins stands so perfectly as a metaphor for the struggle between authoritarianism and chaos – a wholly contemporary concern, we think.

Ubisoft has spent almost ten years crafting their universe through the games and now expanding it through comics and novels, what involvement did they have when you were creating this series?

Ubisoft was real hands-on throughout the whole process, making sure that our story has a real impact and importance in the already rich mythology of the Assassin's Creed universe. Yet at the same time they've also been fantastic at allowing us to tell the story we want to tell and encouraging us to up the scope and stakes. I think we're all really excited to unleash what we've been working on.



What separates this series apart from any of the other Assassin's Creed series we have seen in the past?



It's hard to answer that without giving away too much, but I suppose that one big way is that we have both Templar and Assassin protagonists, and are bringing them together against a common threat in a way that hasn't been seen before.



We also have some plans to use the Animus in ways that I don't think have ever been seen before, and though it's pretty hard to talk about without giving away the story, we'll be using it to go places that I think won't be expected, and that fans of the franchise definitely won't want to miss.

We are told that this series will culminate the Phoenix Project story line from the games. Will we see cameos of characters from the games in this series like Arno, Shay, the Frye twin

s or any others?

We won't be jumping back to these characters specifically, though if you keep your eyes peeled you may find a few nods to some of those characters. We will be bringing in one character who we think fans are going to be really shocked to see. A ghost from the past, but not in the way people will be expecting.

How will this series impact the Assassin's Creed universe overall?

Well, that'd be telling. I think it's fair to say pretty seismically, however. There are going to be major changes to the lives of well established characters from the franchise and we're only just getting started.

With the merging of Assassin's Creed: Assassins & Templars series, how will those two directly influence this series? Will Charlotte de la Cruz continue to play a major role or will we see another character become the main focus?



Charlotte is definitely still a major player, as her deep family history with the Assassins has led to her becoming one of the most able members of the brotherhood – she has developed phenomenal skills through the bleed effect. However we are now focusing more on the cell that developed around her and Galina, as well as on Otso Berg and his new role within the Templar order.

What was it like working with José Holder? Did his background being a storyboard artist for the games influence the writing and creation of this series?

Everything we've seen from José so far has been phenomenal, and his prior knowledge of the universe has been a fantastic asset for the project – particularly in his character designs. We have an update of one figure in particular who we're really excited for everyone to see.

Have either of you played any of the games in the franchise, and if so do you have a favorite?

I'll always have a soft spot for the Ezio games, but I'd have to go with Syndicate - I'm London born and bred, so it was particularly fun to be able to walk up landmarks I've walked past all my life.



Dan, Thank you again so much for your time to answer a few questions and help getting us even more excited for this new series.



This new exciting series hits shelves and apps this Wednesday February 1st. Also don't forget to check back tomorrow for our review of Assassin's Creed: Uprising.