Review: Mass Effect Library #1

The Mass Effect Library Vol. 1 lives up to its name, including four comics in one – a great deal for someone like me who got into Mass Effect quite late in the game (I didn’t start the trilogy until well after the third game came out, which turned out to be a lucky fluke of fate, but that’s another article for another time). It’s attributed to Mac Walters, Omar Francia, and John Jackson Miller, but a slew of other creators had a hand in the comics it compiles. The four comics and the included one-shot stories delve more into things hinted at in-game but never got the chance to take center stage. They all focus on squadmates or side-characters, including everyone from Liara T’Soni to Captain Bailey of C-Sec. Like all good supplementary materials to the source, they’re non-essential to enjoy the game, but they definitely add some enjoyable flavor to it. Now buckle up, people; this review goes over four full comic arcs and a bunch of short-stories, so it’s gonna get long.

Before I get into reviewing the four comics included, I’ll make a quick note of some overall things about the Library (and, by extension, the Mass Effect comics) that I enjoy. The main thing is that it lets the creators add comments to pages at the bottom – like a commentary track you’d find on a DVD, but in comic form. It’s fun seeing what the artists’ and writers’ thought processes were in translating the game to the page, providing insights on everything from making biotics still look awesome without the glow to illustrating parts of Omega that hadn’t been revealed in-game yet but would be, thus necessitating a careful hand in order to avoid rendering a canon supplementary materially inaccurate later on (something fans would surely notice).

The other touch I quite liked and found to be essential that ran through the comics was a more personal one – Shepard is not only never depicted, but also never assigned a pronoun. In a game like Mass Effect, where creating your own Shepard is a big aspect of the game (to the point where myself and many of my friends have elaborate backstories and pretty strong emotional attachments to our various Sheps), it is vital to not lock in one singular canon Shepard. We all know Jane and John Shepard, sure, but mercifully they don’t even risk choosing between those two – Shepard is Shepard, and while it may make for some clunky dialogue at times (say “Shepard” one more time, Illusive Man, I dare you) I much prefer a panel of awkward to raging that my female Shepards are suddenly forever rendered as non-canon. There are even some moments where the writers intentionally lampshade this planned ambiguity (“hard to tell if it’s even a man or a woman, blown to hell like that”), and they make for some quality comedic moments while recognizing the importance of gamers’ attachment to the character.

(Anyone even thinking about creating a Mass Effect movie,take note: you’re gonna piss everyone off. There’s a reason the comics and the anime series, Paragon Lost, do not include Shepard and never assign Shepard pronouns. It fundamentally changes the narrative, and people don’t want that. Seriously, you already smacked your fans in the face with the ending; you really don’t want to try your luck by creating a canon Shepard that will invalidate our own personal stories.)

Anyway, more to the point, the comics.

First off is Redemption, a Liara-centric story that looks at what happened between Shepard’s death in the beginning of Mass Effect 2 and the delivery of Shepard’s body to Cerberus. Now, it being Liara-centric is either a cause for delight or dismay, but hear me out. I did not like Liara in ME1. She weirded me out a bit, as she was just way too into me. However, I found her to be much improved in Mass Effect 2, and once I’d played through the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, I was sold on her because damn, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as hard at a game sequence as I did during the chase scene of that DLC. If you’re like me and Liara had to grow on you, fear not – the Liara of this comic is the Liara of the Shadow Broker DLC, in no small part because this is where that story began.

Related to that, we get to see a lot of Feron, which makes me really, absurdly happy. It’s good to know more about the guy Liara wanted to save so badly. Feron himself is just a quick-talking, snark bucket of delight with solid motivations. Seriously, I did not expect to love him as much as I do.  Overall, Redemption was a solid read that I feel contributes well to the canon, as it gives you more insight into how Shepard’s body got to Cerberus and for what reasons, while also setting up Liara for her information broker role in Mass Effect 2. It also very neatly sets up the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC to have even more impact, to the point where, excuse me, I really want to go replay that now.

The next is Evolution. It utilizes a more realistic, mature art style compared to Redemption, and takes a very interesting story arc. It starts with Shanxi, which fans will know as a place highly relevant to Ashley Williams’ grandfather, and it follows the person who will become The Illusive Man while also providing insight into the First Contact War. Quite a few familiar-ish faces show up, making this read both highly informative in regards to the making of the Illusive Man and fascinating in terms of how all the components of the Mass Effect story intertwine.  I do wish they’d let Eva zip her suit up, though. Seriously, that gratuitous cleavage just isn’t necessary. I’m accustomed to the Ass Effect, but I don’t need that!

While Redemption felt light-hearted and comedic at times, Evolution is straight-up serious exposition and narrative, and it works. It suits the creation story of the Illusive Man, informs his choice to create Cerberus, and sets up a really fascinating parallel between him and Saren. I already rather liked TIMmy, and honestly, this just made me like him more because I got to understand him more. Always a good thing.

Moving right along, we have Invasion. Continuing the trend of following characters from the game, this one focuses on Omega and Aria T’Loak. While I love Aria, this one dragged for me a bit, mainly because it was mostly space dogfights and lots of bickering. I loved Redemption and Evolution for their backstory and the light they shed on certain in-game events, and that isn’t as center-stage in Invasion. It’s still damn pretty, though, and not necessarily a bad read; it just doesn’t hold up to the previous two in my opinion. Although I did rather enjoy Petrovsky, particularly his Russian literature references, and the abundant military history references spoke to my history major in a rather pleasant manner. It ends more strongly than it starts, I will give it that. Just get through the first bit, and it becomes just as good as the previous two.

(Being fair, Invasion sets up the Omega DLC, a DLC I haven’t yet played. Maybe this would be more meaningful to me if I had. I’ll come back and update this if I find it fundamentally changes my stance.)

Next, there’s Homeworlds. These are quicker, one-issue stories that show us the personal history of some of the squaddies. Vega’s goes into how he entered the military; Tali’s opens with her struggling to get to Dr. Michele (all the way back in ME1 – we get to see how she got that intel on Saren!); Garrus’s tale is framed by him recalling his life while making his stand on Omega (the Archangel recruitment mission from ME2. His is probably my favorite one, right in the feels), and Liara’s explains how she ended up on Mars (beginning of ME3). I enjoyed all of them, and I felt them to be very true to the characters they depicted, although I did find myself wishing for more. I suppose I shouldn’t be greedy; my two favorites (Tali and Garrus) did get issues, but I would’ve killed for a Kaidan, Ashley, Thane, or Mordin-centric one.

Following Homeworlds is Incursion, a quick, one-shot comic following Aria on Omega. It was, well, quick. Pretty, but didn’t really do much. Although it is always nice to see Aria being badass.

Next up: Inquisition. This follows an unexpected side character–Bailey, the C-Sec officer turned Commander–and shows how he got his promotion. And, again, this story hits you in the feels. Remember how you and Bailey talk about contacting loved ones on Earth? Yeah, we see him lose his chance to take some leave to Earth to see his daughter at the hands of Udina in the name of a promotion. Like I said, feels.

And now we come to Conviction, the final tale in the book called a Library for a damn good reason. This one follows Vega, reacting negatively to news reports painting Shepard as a terrorist after Shepard takes down the Batarian system (I think that was also a DLC. There seems to be a trend of comics setting up or responding to DLC). Not much else to say, it’s quick.

That does it for the comics, although there’s a fun sketchbook-type component at the end where we get to see concept work from artist Omar Francia. Always nice to see some concept work, especially since, honestly, the ones he illustrated were my favorites in terms of art style, as it felt the truest to the game while still being remarkably beautiful.

… This review got long, and that’s a testament to the amount of content it had to cover. There are 400+ pages of comics and art in this Library, including all four series and all the one-shot stories published elsewhere around the web. It’s a bit pricey at $59.99, but considering each of the four series in it would run about $16 each, it’s a hard-cover, and it includes one-shot stories that haven’t been published elsewhere (and honestly, while they’re not bad, wouldn’t really merit buying on their own in my opinion), it still seems like a reasonable price. Also, the cover art is gorgeous, which is a check in its favor. If you haven’t been following the comics and want to get your hands on all of the already published ones in one go, this is your best bet. This is a collection that won’t disappoint and will look mighty pretty on a bookshelf.

Jeni “Science Whyzard” Hackett was really pleasantly surprised by how much she loved these comics, particularly the four full series. She supposes she’s lucky she found The Illusive Man really fascinating, although she does wish there had been more of other squadmates like Wrex, Kaidan, Ashley, Jack, and so on. Oh, well, can’t get everything, she supposes, and there is always time for more. When playing herself, she ends up going pure Paragon and romances Kaidan, in part because she really, painfully ships Tali/Garrus and couldn’t bear to break them up- on a related note, she is currently working on a Tali cosplay, cosplay gods save her soul.You can find her on twitter under the name @allonsyjeni, email her at jeni.is.a.geek@gmail.com, or find her on tumblr at hellomynameisgeek.

Red Shirt Podcast #16 with Chris and Kyle from No Right Answer!

So, Doc Watson and I got Chris Pranger and Kyle Martinak on for a podcast. What follows is two hours of concentrated awesome. Check it out!
Here’s this week’s podcast. For more from Chris and Kyle, check out their show No Right Answer each Thursday on Escapist Magazine, their podcast Media Sandwich on the same site (Also available on iTunes), and check out Chris’s site, Too Much Awesome.

Introduction and Origin Story: 0:00

High School, Linkin Park, and The Power of Names: 19:30

Memorable College Experiences 28:30

Hamlet vs. MacBeth, A Kangaroo vs. A Raptor, and the lost age of satire 46:04

No Right Answer controversy, the Escapist, and Gaming Antics 53:53

Fixing American Idol and Network Television 1:18:10

Watchmen Prequels 1:24:45

Mass Effect controversy and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1:33:15

Closing Comments 1:47:10

Why Mass Effect 3 Has Changed the Industry Forever

Having never played any of the Mass Effect games, I am going to break down the recent controversy and why Bioware’s actions have set the industry back ten years. What could possibly go wrong?

Full disclosure: I’ve never played any of the Mass Effect games, though I do own ME1 and 2 (I have a big backlog to get through; sorry). As such, I didn’t mind when spoilers about the ending came raining down from the heavens (or the internet, whichever seems more reasonable), yet I wasn’t personally affected by the game’s failure to give the series a proper send-off. And let’s face it, the ending was bad. Forget all the bile you’ve seen from the more hate-filled members of the community; people like Angry Joe have calmly and rationally broken down all the reasons the ending was a downright mess, failing to live up to the lofty expectations of the game set before it.

I think that’s probably the biggest reason that the reaction to this ending, which is by no means the first bad ending gaming has seen in a prominent franchise (*glares at Fallout 3*). This series is well known in gaming as being one of the best and brightest, and serves as a franchise that could always be pointed to when gamers tried to defend their hobby as an art form. I’ve written a 30 page research paper on video game censorship in the modern world, and both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series (both RPGs made by Bioware) were cornerstones in my argument that games could, and should, be considered an art form.

When a game has been brought to the forefront as one of the best, if not the best, overall experiences a gamer could have, then an ending like Mass Effect 3’s cannot be tolerated. Gamers had grown too close to their various characters and were too invested in the overall story to accept this poor ending. Ironically, it is only because Bioware did such a great job making this game that they are getting so much criticism for ruining their franchise.

Now, the reason that I, a man who has not played these games, is writing this article instead of someone who has is because the deep connection players have with this game is one that makes it nearly impossible to remain objective. Right or wrong, players feel as if they are as much a creator of the Mass Effect franchise as Bioware themselves (note: they aren’t). The way their decisions shape the world make  them feel as if it was their game, and that Bioware’s failure to give it a proper ending signals a need for them to take it back. I’m not kidding; there’s a charity drive for Child’s Play called Retake Mass Effect that is being raised for the purpose of forcing Bioware to recognize their complaints and give the series the ending they deserve (they’ve raised more than $77,000 at the writing of this article).

Take another look at the name of this charity drive. Retake Mass Effect. Newsflash: it was never yours to begin with, at least not if you consider the game to be a piece of art (and I have yet to meet a Mass Effect player who would disagree with that claim). Bioware’s the artist. Whoever started this campaign is a jerk who’s placed Bioware in a no-win situation, as sticking to their guns and defending their work now means going against charity (Child’s Play is a great charity, but this really isn’t fair to the creative team of Bioware. Please donate if you can, but not through a campaign as manipulative as this).

So, since I haven’t played the game, I can take an objective look at what this whole mess means for the industry. And I do mean mess. As those of you who listened to our Podcast on the future of video gaming already know, I didn’t want to talk about this. I didn’t want to touch this with a 39 1/2 foot pole. But events transpired today that will shape the industry for the next ten years, maybe even more, and I just couldn’t ignore it anymore.

What happened today? Well, Bioware caved. They’re officially reshaping the ending, at least to some extent, based on the multitude of feedback that the players gave them, and video games will never be the same.

See, while there have been arguments since the beginning of time on the purpose of art, the ownership of art has never been denied. Art is produced by the artist, by his or her creative vision alone. If video games are art, the argument would entail that the game is created by a group of artists working together with a singular vision, so much so that they become the artist in this sense. The original Mass Effect, as well as Mass Effect 2, created breathtaking narratives, interesting characters, and a moral choice system (paragon vs. renegade) that actually worked. The games were incredibly immersive and told a story over which the player could become the storyteller, shaping the art with his or her volition without taking the art away from its rightful owner.

That can no longer be said.

The fans complained so loudly that Bioware was forced to recognize it. Gaming was going to reach this crossroad eventually. At some point, we all knew a game was going to flop on the ending, and the developer would have to choose to stick to their guns and defend their work as an art, or cave into the demands of their market to maximize profit, making it clear that video games are nothing more than products. Bioware has made their choice, and the aftershocks will likely be felt for years.

If it was any other developer, the action would be disappointing, but not as impactful. Unfortunately, this is Bioware, the company that made Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Knights of the Old Republic, as well as the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises. They are arguably both the fathers and the leaders of the modern RPG genre, and they are undoubtedly one of the most influential developers of all time. When they act, people take notice. And people will most assuredly notice this.

If Ray Muzyka is true to his word, and Bioware has in fact forfeited their artistic rights to appease their fans, they have turned what had been considered to be an art nothing more than a product. And if Bioware does not believe that games are art, why should anyone else? If Bioware is not willing to stand by their creative decisions, however flawed they may be, then why should we take these claims seriously when they come from the mouths of other game developers. We can’t, and we shouldn’t. I spent ten pages in my research thesis on justifying games as an art form; if this happens, I might as well tear my entire paper up. The industry shouldn’t have the same rights as cinema because they refuse to take them, and we might as well invite Senator Yee to reintroduce his censorship laws in California because one of the most prominent game developers wasn’t willing to stand by their own product, much less the integrity of the industry.

One could argue that I’m taking this a bit too far, but a lot of people seem to be agreeing with me. On his Twitter account, MovieBob from Escapist Magazine called it “the WORST thing that has happened to gaming since Sega abandoned consoles” and claimed that the move “officially set the entire medium back a DECADE as an art from”. Grey Carter, the lead artist of the webcomic Critical Miss, wrote on his twitter, “New stance. Games are not art. Not any more”. I didn’t want to agree with either of them at first, but they are right. If Bioware really is just caving to market demand, on what ground can we as gamers stand when defending our past time as an art? Why should people like Roger Ebert back down when they claim that video games are not art? I used to have an answer to these questions. Right now, I’m not so sure.

There is, however, another option that is both the more promising and more insidious choice. Come back tomorrow for my analysis on the Indoctrination Theory, and why it is potentially more devastating to gamers. For now, this is MaristPlayBoy, signing out.

Part Two here