14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Ubisoft has announced that it will launch a graphics novel linked to the Splinter Cell series, called Echoes, which will show fans of the game universe the events that take place between the most recent game, Conviction, and the upcoming Blacklist.
Writing duties for the graphics novel are being handled by Nathan Edmonson, who has also worked on Iron Man in the Ultimate Comics line, and illustrations are being done by Marc Laming, who has experience with Planet of the Apes.
The pair has recently collaborated on a book called The Activity, which has convinced Ubisoft that they are well-suited to create Splinter Cell: Echoes.
Nathan Edmondson told IGN when the new comic book was announced that, “Sam is a complicated character with a broken and dark past. His attitude, his technique is all very anti-Bond, anti-superhero. He's also something of a slave to his ideals and his country; he's always been in service - he's never really been free. What he has ever done, has been done out of duty.”
The graphic novel is designed to bridge the gap between Conviction and Blacklist, but the two creators want to make it accessible for those who are new to the adventures of Sam Fischer and his supporting cast.
Edmonson added, “There's certainly some fun fan-service in there, but we treat the characters and story in the same way we would if this was our original creation.”
Ubisoft has released some pages from the upcoming comic book in order to stoke up the interest of readers.
Blacklist will see Third Echelon disbanded and Fischer become the leader of a new secret counter-terrorist organization that has to deal with a group that plans to attack American targets until they retreat from overseas operations.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist will be released on March 29 of next year on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and the PC.