'Cassio #1: The First Assassin' by Stephen Desberg with art by Henri Recule is a graphic novel that takes place in Ancient Rome and in the modern world.

The story begins with an attack on a lawyer in Ancient Rome. Then it cuts to a group of archaeologists trying to put his story together. Apparently, this Cassio supposedly dies and comes back for revenge, but that is a story for a later volume. This one tells the details of his life leading up to the attack.

The problem is that it's a larger story and we don't get much in the first volume. There isn't enough story to invest in any of the characters, including the modern day ones.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Titled <i>The First Assassin</i>, Cassio is actually a lawyer. The story flits between too many time periods for a 50 page story, showing Cassio when he was assassinated, then when some archeologists find a tomb, then finding a story of his early life. Everyone in this book including the hero is completely unlikeable. The amount of rape in this story is extremely offputting, it's like an everyday occurrence. This is not for me.

Part One of Nine sees modern archaeologists find a tomb on the Turkish shores that the woman leading the dig is puzzled over, for all records of the Roman times show its inhabitant to have been killed off in a mysterious murder. But we know who did it – four of his friends – courtesy of some strange flashbacks, but what is anyone to make of the idea that he didn't actually die at the time of said murder, but worked for the next few years on getting revenge? Pure trashy hokum, is what – the pages plod on, even when they are enlivened as much as possible by bare female breasts, and the idea our modern woman knows so much forensic detail about this anonymous bloke in the mystery is pure bunkum, too. Some stunning cover artwork throughout the series, to be sure – but rest assured nothing else on this evidence seemed worth writing home to Rome about. One and a half laurels, then.

Too short, but promising. Good art. Will be appreciated by fans of ancient Greek and Roman times, as it alternates between that time frame and the present day, where a young archaeologist uncovers proof that a man thought to have been murdered centuries ago may have actually survived the plot against him and lived to get revenge on the four former friends who tried to get rid of him.

Wow! I was totally sucked into the story within the first couple of pages. I loved the parallel stories of Roman nobleman Lucius Aurelius Cassio and the modern day archaeologist investigating Cassio's mysterious death. I enjoyed the book so much I've already bought the next two volumes.

Received via NetGalley.

I really love this book more than any other that I've read before! I reaply loved this graphic novel!

This was a lot of fun! Interesting art style and a mystery that makes me want to read much more. It also gives a window into a part of Roman society I knew little about. - what Roman culture was in the outlying provinces and what people would do in response to the pull of Rome. the main character is complex enough to want to read more about his life, although the modern framing story is a bit lightweight. Looking forward to the next volume.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
The comic’s premise is intriguing and pretty original and the story itself is engaging and has a style reminiscent of assassins creed in which you follow both a character in the past and one in the present. I would definitely consider picking up the second volume.The art is also quite nice and is overall pretty good. However, the translation has caused the dialogue to seem clunky and unrealistic which somewhat distracted me from the plot.. I was also put off by the gratuitous amount of rapes that take place in such a short comic.

This is a story of betrayal and revenge set in ancient Rome. Cassio is a lawyer with a group of friends but their friendship falls apart when Cassio is betrayed by one of them. The story is revealed by an archeologist in the present day who is trying to discover what happened to Cassio back in ancient Rome. This is the first volume of the series. The artwork is good but the story is a bit too violent for me. Not a favourite of mine but fans of historical stories may like this.

<i>The ARC was generously provided by Netgalley</i>

DNF-68,9%.

The First Assassin is the first graphic novel of a series, in which, from what I understand, is explained where the group of assassins that killed Cassio came to be and what happened next. We have two storylines: one in the past, with Cassio and his oldest friend, and the future, an archeologist who found a hidden place with information about the murder and the identities of the assassins.

We are explained Cassio’s relationship with said friend and the life they both carried before everything went south.

That’s all good and all, and I was actually sort of excited about it. I even enjoyed the first part of it. The drawings where nice and the story was interesting.

But then bad things happened, and the truth is, I don’t have the stomach for it.

You should be warned that going into this novel you’ll find scenes of abuse, slavery, theft, and the one I finally couldn’t stomach, sexual abuse. The scenes aren’t overly graphic, but they don’t hide much either. The more it happened the more I simply didn’t care who were these people or what happened to them.

The truth is, I’m sad I didn’t like this. I was expecting something else, and that probably affected my view about the story too.

The First Assassin (Cassio #1) by Stephen Desberg is an entertaining tale of intrigue and politics and betrayal in ancient Rome. A forgotten figure and a mysterious power seeking vengeance from beyond the grave lay the setting for this tale of murder.

Summary

It is Rome, circa 145 CE and a lawyer wakes in the night to sound of violence in his home. Four assassins have invaded his home, overpowered his bodyguards and lie in wait for him. Only these are not just assassins, but friends from his youth.

It is modern day, Ephesus, and archaeologist Ornella Grazzi is searching for a prominent Roman figure that seems to have been forgotten by history. Hidden deep in the ruins, she finds a fresco with his face and papyrus scrolls that tell a story of betrayal and lust and murder. It is the story of the lawyer, assassinated in his own home. It is the tale of Cassio.

Review

Cassio is a terrific and sordid tale of the power and privilege of the elite in ancient Roman times. So much so because it mirrors our own modern day class structure. Desberg has written a story that is relevant as it is exciting. We know from early on who the assassins are and the backstory of rape and murder fuels the drama. But it is the intrigue of the modern day excavation that is so disturbing. How does Cassio enact his revenge on his assassins when he is already dead?

Terrifically written and illustrated, Cassio is a book to follow!

The premise is more than intriguing.
A man surviving his own assassination to reap revenge on his killers and a badass archeologist bringing his story to life, hundreds of years later.

I'd love to read the next installments in the series, but I'll probably pick them up the original french.

The dialogues' translation is imprecise and results 'clunky' in places, making most of the interactions feel forced and unrealistic.
Because of that, the narrative feels staggered and the reader gets wrenched out of the world at unexpected times, missing out on the immersive feeling that would otherwise be supported by the great plot and drawings.

Overall, 2.8/5 stars
Lots of potential.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

The First Assassin
Cassio: Volume 1
by Stephen Desberg, Henri Recule

★★★★★
58 Pages
Content Warning: nudity, rape, violence, all within the Roman era


The story is Volume 1 of 9, which tell the story of a historical, Roman figure Cassio. It tells the story in two parts – modern day archaeology, and historical Roman era from 190BC.

For me, an archaeology buff, I absolutely loved the split timeline. It told the story perfectly. We got to see a majority of Cassio's story, as it was the most vital part, but I loved how the archaeology team got to tell an alternative aspect of his story. The mystery was perfect, intriguing. I loved the revelation of how the story unfolded and wove into the Roman culture, the way Cassio's opinions of what was considered “normal” in Roman life had changed because of what he experienced. There was good pacing, and I can't wait to start the next volume. I'm off to buy the rest of the series now.

The style of this very much reminds me of the Castor and Pollux comics - it felt, to me, very old school in it's artistic and narrative choices and, unfortunately, I did not enjoy this approach. Additionally there is quite a bit of sexual violence such that, after the third rape, I just kind of gave up on it. So, could this be interesting? Maybe - but it PLODS and the endeavor feels very uninspired. Not a recommend.

Another graphic novel based in Roman times.
This is the story of Cassio a bright and successful lawyer who history states met his end by the treachery of four assassins who broke into his villa in Rome and each delivered a fatal blow.
When an archeological group stumble into what appears to be Cassio’s home the team leader recounts that there were rumours he had survived based on his medical knowledge.
They start to look for clues as some have suggested he lived to hunt down and kill each of his ‘friends’ who plotted to kill him.
The story flits between the past and the present as we learn of who could have hated him enough to think of trying to butcher him in this way.
I really like the sense of location and the political intrigue and power stemming from position and status. The text is typed and clear where other comics some letters are less distinct. This made reading the piece quick and easy. The characters are well drawn and the settings carry both wealth and menace. I liked the sense of a story righting a wrong and this series has legs to explore both the original story of Cassio and the modern search for clues and historical evidence to see if he survived and personally achieved his mission to avenge the attempt on his life.

Super disappointed I couldn’t open this to read it. I will look for it at the library. The cover looks super cute and the story sound really good.