An Improvement
Within the first couple of pages there is noticeable improvement with this comic compared to the last one. This issue answers some questions while pushing the story forward and it also leaves you with more new questions. How much did Harper really change after what transpired in that last issue? And what do the Turians (the main alien protagonists) want with Harper and the relic? This are just a couple of questions that you are left asking.
The Good
One thing I didn’t mention in my review of issue 1 was how great the covers look. This covers have great composition and the colors are great. Massimo Carnevale has done a great job with the covers. On to other things now; the dialogue is much improved from the last book. The conversations flow naturally and the short exposition in the first two pages was great. It was really reminiscent of the video games encapsulating the grandness of what the story is in Mass Effect. The art was consistent and the almost mandatory cliffhanger at the end was as good as the last book. This is more Mass Effect story done well.
The Bad
I know I mentioned the art was good and consistent but there was one thing that Omar and Manuel do a lot in this issue and that is what I call “frame pop out.” I’m sure that’s not even close to the technical term but it involves a frame and a portion of the head of a person or gun or arms/legs popping out of the frame. This technique can be used pretty well to assist the reader in the flow of events on a page but it can become rather distracting if done too much or improperly. Omar and Manual do just that multiple times on nearly every page and some times where is not really warranted. I’m such a visual minded person that this distracted me a lot while reading the issue. One other minor thing was how willing and able General Williams was in giving Harper all that he needed and then some for what amounts to sort of a wild goose chase. But I guess the reader needs to see that in the beginning Harper (The Illusive Man) didn’t have the power or access to all the things he does in the game, but he still needed a way to do the things he must do to arrive at his current position so he has a more than willing General to aid him on his journey.
Verdict
4 out of 5
This is a welcomed improvement from the lead writer of Mass Effect 2 in story layout and passing in this issue. This issue pushes the story forward and gives enough to quell some questions but keep you coming back for more. Covering places and vehicles both seen and used in the game adds sort of a bridge between the comics and games for those of us that have played and thoroughly enjoyed the game. This is a must read for the video game fan whether they are a comics fan or not and especially for those that are comics fan.