Assassin's Creed Valhalla prequel and a new 7th Century China spin-off coming as comics
Two new Assassin's Creed comics from China finally coming out in English
The Chinese webcomics based on Assassin's Creed Valhalla, as well as a new comics-centric Assassin's Creed franchise, are finally coming out in English. The manga giant Tokyopop has picked up the North American/UK rights for the two manhua (the term for Chinese comics), which were originally published beginning last year on the online Chinese platform AC.QQ.
Feng Zi Su's Assassin's Creed Valhalla is set in the world of the game but focuses on three new characters - brothers Jarl, Ulf, and Björn Stensson.
"Not long before the exploits of Eivor Wolf-Kissed, Jarl Stensson and his younger brothers, Ulf and Björn, make their way to England at the behest of Halfdan Ragnarsson and Ivarr the Boneless," reads Tokyopop's description of the Assassin's Creed: Valhalla manhua. "Filled with excitement, confidence, and bloodlust, the three brothers are eager to go to war against Aelfred the Great and his Anglo Saxon army. But they would do well not to underestimate what awaits them on those green shores..."
Assassin's Creed Dynasty is not based on any specific game in the franchise, and is set in China during the Tang dynasty. This series is by the duo of writer Xu Xianzhe and artist Zhang Xiao.
"In the 14th year of the Tianbao Era (CE 755) An Lushan, a military governor with ties to the Knights Templar, leads his elite corps to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, and the ill-prepared Tang empire falters under the threat," reads Tokyopop's description of the series. "The two capitals Luoyang and Chang’an fall and China falls under the oppression of the cruel An Lushan.
"As the Tang dynasty starts to crumble, Li E, a shady Assassin trained by the Hidden Ones in the far West, teams up with Tang loyalists to turn the tide and save both the dynasty and the country from this crisis."
Whereas the Assassin's Creed Valhalla manhua is planned as a single-volume series, Assassin's Creed Dynasty is an ongoing series with at least three volumes planned.
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Tokyopop's Kae Winters is overseeing these English-language editions.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla manhua goes on sale on August 10, while Assassin's Creed Dynasty does not have a confirmed release date. A first look at both titles will be published as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day on August 14.
Here's everything you need to know about the Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)