Mass Effect: Foundation, Volume 3

Mass Effect (Dark Horse Comics) #7

by Mac Walters, Tony Parker (Illustrator)

Written by Mass Effect 2 and 3 Lead Writer Mac Walters, Mass Foundation features the franchise's most beloved characters in their most exciting, never-before-seen adventures, set during the events of BioWare's ultra-hit science fiction masterpiece!

Follow scientist and secret agent Mordin Solus as he decides the fate of a species. Watch master thief Kasumi Goto lose the love of her life. Witness mercenary Zaeed Massani take down an entire ship. Learn the truth about assassin Thane Krios's tragic fall from grace. And finally, discover what the mysterious and powerful Illusive Man had to do with it all!

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

116 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2014

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

[Pamela (Here to Read Books and Chew Gum) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mass Effect: Foundation Volume 3 was the strongest of the graphic novel collections. The stories were the most engaging, and the art consistent. Rasa was a cool character, and she served as an interesting breadcrumb that tied all the comics together. I do wish she hadn't been so whitewashed in so many of her panels. It was sometimes difficult to tell her and Miranda apart when they were both in their Cerberus uniforms.

Thane's story was without a doubt the stand out entry, and the Blasto bonus was a bit of fun.

Enkindle this!

[Kacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my main problem with these comics is that they're not showing the reader anything we don't already know. While it was cool seeing a bit of Mordin's time with the STG, we already knew he was a part of it and the genophage. Kasumi is my favorite squad member in ME2, but we already knew about what happened with her and Keiji. Thane is amazing, but we already knew about his past with his wife. The only one who got a new story was Zaeed, and I think that's just because his DLC was less developed.

The art is nice to look at and I do like these characters, but there's really nothing here to sink my teeth into. I want to learn something new! Go deeper into Thane being raised and trained as an assassin; have him explore his religion. Visualize Mordin's story about him and Aria, if you must show something we already know. At least that can get a cool noir treatment. Show Kasumi in her early days as a thief, before she meets Keiji. Anything other than just telling what we already know!

I'll finish the rest of the comics out, but I'm really disappointed in the lack of fresh storytelling going on.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was so much potential to make this series into something to expand the Mass Effect universe. It's nothing more than one-shots that give a brief view of several characters' back stories. Rasa's story is the only exception. She is suspected by the Illusive Man of becoming a liability. She turns on Cerberus and steals Shepard's clone with the intention to shape him into something better than the original.

Dr. Solus develops a genophage to keep the krogan population under control.

Master thief Kasumi loses her lover Keiji during a mission.

Zaeed Massani, former leader of the Blue Suns, is tasked with destroying the ship Verrikan. This one is the funniest story in the volume. I can almost compare his plan with the one in Ocean's Eleven, but with more betrayal.

The skilled assassin Thane Krios has a change of heart regarding his trade because of love. He tries to live anormal life with his family, but soon returns to his old life. In the end it destroys his family.

[Kyst · Rating 3 out of 5]

By far the best of the three volumes. I have no memory of the clone in ME3 (apparently it was part of the Citadel DLC?) so I'm instead choosing to believe that it will be the protagonist of ME4. Makes sense to me.

[Zian B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was a very interesting last volume to read, I didn’t like the stories in it so much. I preferred the stories in Volume 2. However, I did greatly enjoy reading about Thane’s past since it was mentioned often in the game.

[Joe Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the series.

But far the best volume for Rasa's story. Great tie in to ME3 too.

Loved the Mordin and Than stories as well

[Rahel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid end to the Foundation series. The art improved massively, the stories (bar the final one) gave a great insight into the rest of the galaxy and I especially enjoyed Mordin's story. Okay okay I'm just a sucker for salarians, but still! That was a lot of fun. My biggest point of critique is one that has frustrated me through the entirety of the Foundation books: how the hell can you make two very different looking characters (Rasa and Miranda Lawson) look so similar that it's nearly impossible to tell them apart? Please look at their ingame models and tell me that the artist's rendition in this comic is anywhere near accurate. Miranda obviously fits into the standard female character mold, but Rasa is completely white-washed. Who greenlit this? I wanna talk.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my biggest complaints about this series of graphic novels has been the artwork. It seemed like the art was a lot more cleaned up in this volume. The characters actually looked similar to how they do in the game!

This story includes two of my favorite ME characters, Mordin & Thane! I was glad to read more of Irikah's back story, as tragic as it is. Overall, not a bad series. It definitely adds to the Mass Effect universe, which is never a bad thing!

[Aleksandar Nikolov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Като изключим последният брой от поредицата в които нищо не разбрах (а него го прочетох доста внимателно , дори повторих) , другите неща са прилични, даже до известна степен интересни ,ако преди това сте били запознати с света на Мас Ефект. Но като цяло нищо запомнящо и важно което да остане следа за вечни времена.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easily the best of the three, though the lack of a Samara origin story is felt significantly in the series. Overall I can't say I was a fan of the art (again) but the stories in this volume were engaging nonetheless. I realized that the comics were not sectioned, and there was no page prompting that a new story was starting. Was not a fan of that approach.

[T.M. Carper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during ME2, Rasa is trying to steal the clone while Thane relives his past mistakes, Mordin changes his mind about geneophage, and the thief loses her love.