Mass Effect: Evolution

Mass Effect (Dark Horse Comics) #2

by Mac Walters, Michael Atiyeh (Colors), Michael Heisler (Letters)

Mass Effect 3 Lead Writer Mac Walters returns to comics for the most revealing journey to date into the Mass Effect universe!

The Illusive Man sits at the center of many of the galaxy's greatest mysteries and is a key figure of Mass Effect 2 and beyond. Now, for the first time anywhere, the origin of the Illusive Man is revealed, in a story exclusive to this graphic novel! Created by the Mass Effect: Redemption team of Walters, John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knight Errant; The Invincible Iron Man), and Omar Francia (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2), this is comics' sci-fi story of the year!

This Hardcover Collector's Edition is available exclusively only through the BioWare Store and includes the mini-comics "Incursion" and "Inquistion", each previously only available online, as well as a special preview of the upcoming "Mass Effect: Invasion".

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Video Games, Comic Book, Games

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Mac Walters is a writer, director, and producer, known for his work on Jade Empire, the Mass Effect series, and Anthem. He's an author of games, novels and comics including the New York Time's bestselling Mass Effect: Redemption series. He was nominated for a Bafta for his writing on Mass Effect 3.

Mac is known for his intricate, deeply detailed futuristic universes populated by memorable characters who find themselves thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

Reviews

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to my long term cross-media project!

I haven’t played or read anything from the Mass Effect universe for a few years. But in the past I loved ME2 and enjoyed some of the books as well. It was always clear I would come back to the series one day. And that day has come. :)

Now, I’m trying to do this from the beginning. And while Goodreads says this is the second comic book, the timeline I’m going by says it’s the first, chronologically. Anyways ... review:



This comic tells the origin story of the Illusive Man (a.k.a. Jack Harper).

The year is 2157 and we join Jack and his crew of two in the middle of the First Contact War with the turians.

On Shanxi an ancient artifact is found and the humans and turians are tangling over it, without either of them knowing exactly what it is for.

They're going to find out. And Jack is in the middle of it all.

An okay story, that could have been a little longer. Nice ending though and decent art.

What made me enjoy this a lot more than my usual three star read is that very nice feeling of coming home that prequels sometimes provide.

I especially enjoyed coming back to Illium. Some nice memories there.



So at this point in time I'm thinking that someone will get more out of this comic if that someone has already played ME2 or ME3. So is going by order of publication the preferred method here? For this comic, yes. But overall? Impossible to tell. I'm sticking to the plan and do this chronologically.

Up next: Mass Effect: Revelation
(I've actually read this one already and liked it a lot. But that was many moons ago. Let's see how it holds up.)

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published as a 4 issue miniseries, Evolution is a sort of origin story for the Illusive Man. Sort of, because a lot is still left unanswered. Set just after the First Contact War with the turians, Evolution gives us a canonical name for the Illusive Man and explains where those eyes came from. (This isn't really a surprise. I expected something like this, but not set so long before the start of the games.) It still doesn't really explain where Cerberus came from, or how it got to be as rich and powerful as it is at the start of ME2. On one page, IM is in charge of an apparently very small band of human mercs, the next he's in charge of Cerberus, and seemingly always has been. Not exactly the smoothest of transitions.

As a bonus, the trade threw in Incursion and Inquisition, incredibly short comics that were originally released online. Incursion is a brief episode in the life of Omega, featuring Aria repelling a Collector invasion. Not much to say, since it's just one scene of action. Inquisition is more interesting, in that it explains what happened to Executor Pallin between the first two games.

The writing throughout is pretty good, but not extraordinary, or as good in my opinion as the games they link to. The art is also pretty good. There's really nothing in here for anyone who isn't a Mass Effect fan, and it's essentially required reading for those who are.

[Moony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't decide which one I love more: this one or Redemption. They're both fantastic! A must-read for every Mass Effect fan!

[Pamela (Here to Read Books and Chew Gum) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mass Effect: Evolution is a good introduction to the Illusive Man from the Mass Effect Trilogy, but doesn't go into as much detail as it could have. It answers some questions but leaves others open.

I'd say this was actually a 3.5 star read, as the writing was serviceable but not spectacular, and there really isn't a lot here for anyone but a staunch Mass Effect fan. Still, it was a fun read and definitely helps flesh out a lot of the games' lore.

[Lou (Lou and Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel has two stories. Evolution follows the origins of the Illusive Man, and Incursion is a short story that follows the events a week before Mass Effect 2 on Omega from the perspective of Aria T’Loak.

With Evolution, there is an insight into the First Contact War with the Turians and Humans, and the Illusive Man’s role in it. You also meet Saren, and his brother Desolas, and you discover why Saren hates humanity so much through the course of the story. It was an interesting story, and I learnt quite a bit of the world that I love so much. But I didn’t particularly care about these characters because they are all the antagonists of the series. It was just nice to read more about them, and add to my knowledge of the Mass Effect Universe.

With Incursion, you don’t actually learn much. It is more of a bonus story that you get. You only slightly learn about the collectors, and what they were doing, before the events of Mass Effect 2. I wish this story was a bit longer, as I didn’t particularly see the point of it.

Overall, I gave this collection 3/5. It was a good read for me, as a massive fan of the series, as I learnt more about the world I love so much. But I didn’t learn that much, and I am unsure as to how much of the story I’ll actually end up retaining in my memory. This story isn’t a must read either. I would recommend this graphic novel to diehard fans of the series.

[Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically an origin story for the Illusive Man. It shows why he thinks the way he does and why he decided to create Cerberus. It takes place during the First Contact War with the turians and even features a young Saren Arterius, which is a nice cherry on top. The art itself is pretty good, though the cartooning leaves a lot to be desired (paneling, pacing, etc). Likewise, the writing was serviceable at best. It's just okay and awkward at times. Lore-wise, this does add to the universe, though I found the way the artifact works to be a little inconsistent both within the comic and in comparison to similar objects in the main series. There is however some interesting theory-crafting to be done about its effects on TIM and Saren.

All in all, I'd recommend this to devoted Mass Effect fans, but to no one else.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Against all odds, I really enjoyed the Illusive Man's backstory. I think I hate him less now?

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humanity’s first contact with an alien race leads to intergalactic war. The human colony of Shanxi is decimated by the turians, but mercenary Jack Harper strikes a blow for the resistance, capturing a turian general and learning of an ancient alien artifact. The artifact has the power to spark evolution, and Harper’s passing exposure to it gives him mastery of alien languages and a psychic connection to the monolith. Now Harper and his mercenaries must track down the artifact before the turians use it to create supersoldiers. This is the second tie-in volume to the hit video game series; the lead writer for the game, Walters (Mass Effect: Redemption), provides the story, making these events canonical. Miller (Star Wars: Knight Errant) scripts an involved plot, and Francia (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II) meets the challenge of combining distinctive character designs and alien landscapes with convincing action.

Verdict: Mass Effect is a popular video game series, and this graphic novel volume will mean a lot to its fanbase; however, it will overwhelm readers simply searching for a space opera.

[Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books, March 30, 2012]

[Rahel · Rating 1 out of 5]

The second entry in the comics collection. The art frustrated me to great lengths - barely any female characters (female turians, yay! Impracticably dressed lady mercenary on Shanxi of all places, boo!), egregious use of the male gaze to the point where I found myself skimming the pages, especially when more time was spent on cool explosions and fights than on convincing poses and anatomy. The script was bad and stilted and frankly forgettable.
On the bright side: the coloring was incredible and managed to flesh out the world quite well, which made the look at Palaven (which may have been the only time we got to see it pre-Reapers) all the more enjoyable. Also it was nice to see some familiar faces pre corruption (Saren and TIM). Beyond that: I can't say reading this was a lot of fun. Maybe it's a good choice for when you really want to know more about The Illusive Man and his tragic backstory (TM), but in all honesty, there is still no explanation for why Jack Harper became the Illusive Man or how Cerberus got funded, so what use is any of this anyway?

[Emelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best in the series to far. The story is really interesting, it fleshes out characters, and give background to mythology and the history.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I shouldn't be surprised that a Mass Effect comic is all about the T&A shots of the main female character, but there you go. Other than that, it didn't add too much to the Illusive Man's backstory.

[Matty Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good origin story for the Illusive Man, for fans of the games only.

[Lexine Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I read this comic as part of the Mass Effect: The Complete Comics omnibus in honour of N7 Day on November 7th of this year. Like the Dragon Age games, Mass Effect has a lore-rich world, with complex characters and mysterious worlds, and so I was all too eager to dive back into this world and learn something new. This time, it was about the Illusive Man from Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

The Illusive Man is a very mysterious character. He's a powerful man; always one step ahead and very intelligent. This comic tells the story of his origins, and how he becomes the character Commander Shepard reluctantly works alongside, and then later fights against.

It is set around the First Contact War between the Turians and Humanity. We see how hostile things are between the two species, only having stopped their war because the Council stepped in. Humans are very much the newbies in the galaxy, and you can see how overwhelmed they are by the complex technology the other races have compared to their own. It's interesting to see the slow integration of humanity into the rest of alien society, with the distrust between them and fears that linger on to the time period set when Shepard has their journey. It makes sense why some human characters in the games hold some of the values that their ancestors did about the other races, as they're still very new to alien society.

Speaking of ancestors, this comic gives us a peek at some beloved human crew members' family members! That was fun to see. We also get to see familiar faces from the games themselves, in particular a difficult villain from the first Mass Effect.

This was very much an introduction to Reapers and their technology, and how it can corrupt and control beings to their will. It sets up why the Illusive Man creates Cerberus, and gives you an insight into why he creates a human supremacy group and his beliefs, giving more depth to his character in the games and his actions involving the Reapers.

My only issue is, it felt too short. It felt like chunks of the story was missing, in particular towards the end. Although it sets up the events leading to the creation of the Illusive Man and his organisation, it doesn't tell us how he did it. How did he get his resources? How did he become the leader of it when he was just a lowly soldier before? I would have liked the story to go on a little more just to explain those things.

Overall, this was a very exciting and insightful read. I'd definitely recommend it to any Mass Effect fan, as it fills in some gaps and adds context to the plot of the games and depth to characters.

My Blog

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Illusive Man began as a regular guy called Jack Harper, a mercenary on Shanxi fighting against the Turians who were attacking the human colonists. The Turians don't want the humans to settle on a planet they consider off-limits to all species. Jack's team wipes out the Turian squad and captures their general. After finding out that the planet is the site of a relic, Jack loses the upper hand on the Turians. His friend Hislop touches it, incapacitating both him and Jack. They then get captured by the Turians.

Jack survives the artifact's energy - it's called the Arca Monolith. He awakes from his coma to find that the turians have made peace with the humans. Though he feels changed by the artifact, he decides to return to it. The turians led by Desolas are waiting for him and they have Hislop who was transformed into a powerful drone under the artifact's influence.

Desolas wants to use the artifact to take control of his home planet. Jack tries to warn Desolas of the artifact's dangers, but the latter proceeds with having more turians be transformed into drones that he believes will be under his control. In reality they have their own agenda. As their numbers swell, they turn on the turians. Desolas's brother Saran finally understands the danger and buries the artifact along with the transformed turians, including his brother.

In the wake of these events Jack assumes the role of protector of humanity by instituting the Collective.

[Kacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know some people think the Illusive Man should stay a mystery, but I sort of like learning about who he was before. Some of this stuff I knew already--or at least had an idea about, like with Eva--but it was interesting getting more background on him and even forging a connection between him and Saren. It's a small galaxy, after all! In a way, I liked this for the Saren stuff more than TIM, since it made Saren that much more of an interesting antagonist.

The story was a little choppy in places and still left a lot of things unanswered, but I found it interesting. The one thing I would've liked answered is what exactly the relic did to TIM. It looked like it gave him a universal translator, which I really wish was explored further. I would also love to know if that relic was supposed to have been planted by the Collectors or left behind by the Reapers. It definitely had that indoctrinated feel to it.

On the whole, I liked getting more insight into TIM's past. It made me understand his character a little better. I also liked the role Saren played into the story. Some people like their antagonists/villains staying mysterious, but in this case, I think learning more about them made their actions in the games much more interesting.

[Mathieu Bonin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Evolution tells the story of Jack Harper, a part of a prohuman group during the early days of humans travelling beyond the Mass relays, and fighting the Turians.

Having played the games quite a while ago at this point, a single character was immediately familiar (Saren), which allowed me to take the story in without trying to read ahead - which made it a lot more enjoyable than Volume 1 (Redemption).

Without getting into specifics, Evolution does a great job of telling its own story while giving some interesting depth to important characters from the two first games - made me wish I had read this at the time!

The story is well told, the plot is sufficient to keep things moving. As a whole, it's not interested in saying anything meaningful (which is fine), but keeps it from being anything more than a fun addition to the Mass Effect canon.

[Michael Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid story within the Mass Effect universe that takes place prior to the events of the games. The main focus of it is on one of the primary antagonists of the series: The Illusive Man, the head of the pro-human organization Cerberus who uses dubious means in his bid to protect humanity from galactic threats. We get a bit more on his background here, including his encounters with other prominent figures in the series and how those events help fuel his desires.

At only four issues, it’s a tad too short to be as impactful as it could’ve been and certain questions about how he arose to his position still remain, but the art is solid and seeing familiar locations in the series in a new light was interesting, so a solid read.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insight into the mysterious backstory of the Illusive Man, as well as seeing the war between humans and the Taurians. This was better then volume one, delivering a more nuanced and compelling story, that presented something new to readers.

The artwork was also more consistent, delivering some really cinematic moments.

What made this so enjoyable was the way it manages to depict both the Illusive Man, and the Taurians, giving small details into both of their thoughts' and ideals.

Well worth a read for Mass Effect fans.

[cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

me gustó bastante el contexto que le da al personaje del hombre ilusorio, a sus comienzos y a cómo llegó a crear cerberus, cosa que no se explica en ningún momento en los juegos. aún así, al igual que con el cómic anterior, al ser tan corto todo sucede de forma muy abrupta y las escenas de acción (sobre todo sus desenlaces) se sienten bastante insatisfactorias.

en general es una buena forma para conocer más el lore de los juegos pero poco más. y muy buena la aparición de saren también, no me la esperaba.

[Kyst · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off promising, and there were parts I really enjoyed, but mostly this was just boring. I got no insight into the Illusive Man, really. A few details seemed to contradict things that were mentioned in Revelation. No characters were interesting and the one girl was especially boring with cleavage that very much accentuated her dullness.

I live in eternal hope for a Turian story that's actually good.

[Zian B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I figured I start reading the comics after reading watching a month’s worth of various different Mass Effect Legendary Edition game playthroughs.
While the Illusive Man isn’t my favorit character, it was definitely interesting learning a bit about who he was prior to the “Illusive Man” title. It was also very interesting learning a bit more about the First Contact War and seeing the turian: Saren, involved in this little story as well.

[Naufri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mucho mejor que el primer número en todos los aspectos. Si bien todavía no llega a una nota de sobresaliente, los personajes esta vez están bien construidos y la trama engancha hasta el final. Además de conocer el pasado del Hombre Ilusorio, también veremos al famoso turiano Saren y al general Williams, abuelo de Ashley Williams, durante la Guerra del Primer Contacto entre humanos y turianos.

[Bogdan Balostin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting foreshadowing of the future events in the game, it seems the galaxy already had some secrets before humans entered the scene. As an introduction to the origin story of the Illusive Man, it's serviceable but shallow. I wished they would have made it longer, with more character development for this illusive guy.

[ur didact · Rating 3 out of 5]

read the entirety of evolution today, and it's okay. nothing great, features a story just about to engage the reader on the illusive man's backstory and reasons for the existence of cerberus. i think the underlying plot of turian religion/spirituality and the mysterious alien devolution artifact is worth more than the ~idea~ of this backstory, so i wish there was a bit more focus on that.

[Rae Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this one. This might be the only character I actually wanted the backstory of. The illusive man is a treasure trove of trauma and deception. I loved seeing more of the Titian’s too and how their society functions.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so weird that these comics are so good and yet the latter Mass Effect series was so bad. Some great backstory and world building here, very strongly recommend

[Anirudh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the entire thing in Martin Sheen's voice

[Rickard Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting backstory to both the Illusive man and Saren.
A good read for any fan of Mass Effect.

[Nikhil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of an eBook that includes Incursion and Inquisition mini-stories.

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright I guess, gave some backstory.