Exploring the Lair of the Shadow Broker

On September 7, BioWare finishes the story that began in Dark Horse's comics Mass Effect: Redemption in their most ambitious downloadable expansion to Mass Effect 2 yet—"Lair of the Shadow Broker."

With the curtain lifted on the trailer for the expansion, we're thrilled to share with fellow fans the ongoing story of one of the most important characters in the Mass Effect sci-fi epic, Liara T'Soni.

An intrepid asari scientist, Liara went on a quest to recover the remains of our galaxy's greatest hero, Commander Shepard, in Mass Effect: Redemption, a journey of violence, betrayal, and sacrifice that changed Liara forever. With Redemption, readers were surprised to find that the innocent and timid Liara introduced in Mass Effect had evolved into someone new—more driven, more serious, and more deadly—as a result of her adventures as member of Commander Shepard's elite galaxy-saving team on the starship SSV Normandy. Likewise, with Mass Effect 2, players did not expect the cool, distant Liara that greeted Commander Shepard on the planet Illium. She was preoccupied, focused, perhaps even obsessed, with the consequences of her recent past, the events in Redemption.

Now, readers and players, gamers and comic-bookers, can finally experience the next chapter of Liara's story in "Lair of the Shadow Broker." How will she reconcile her past—with Commander Shepard and others she's left behind? Who will she become, having seen so much triumph and defeat in the few short years since the galactic crisis ripped her away from the quiet pursuit of science?

Never before has a narrative been so closely interwoven between games and comics. While you do not need to read the comics to enjoy the games, and vice versa, doing so reveals a thoughtfully crafted tapestry of story arcs, character progression, and emotional catharsis. These are the fundamentals that drive high drama, the hallmark of the Mass Effect saga from the games to the comics.

So, check out "Lair of the Shadow Broker" on September 7, and let us know what you think! And make sure to check back later as we reveal more about Mass Effect: Evolution, a new series launching on January 19, 2011 that tells the origin of one of the most powerful men in the Milky Way—The Illusive Man!