Electronic Arts studio BioWare and Dark Horse Comics announced a partnership today that will see the creation of a new comic book series based on BioWare's hit Xbox 360 and PC science fiction RPG, Mass Effect. This new series, entitled Mass Effect: Redemption, will take readers through the events leading up to Mass Effect 2, which opens with Mass Effect's lead protagonist, Commander Shepard, picking up after his mysterious disappearance, as he is left without the support of the crew on the Normandy in the lawless Terminus Systems. He must fight for survival, assisted by his close companion, Dr. Liara T’Soni, to make it home alive. What follows will introduce readers to new locations, aliens and an extended storyline in the Mass Effect universe.

The storyline for Mass Effect: Redemption is being written by Mac Walters, lead writer at BioWare and script writer for Mass Effect 2. The comic itself is being scripted by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man) and drawn by Omar Francia (Star Wars Legacy). This first series will feature four parts and will explore the future Milky Way, as represented in the Mass Effect universe,

Mass Effect: Redemption Cover Art

revealing previously unseen locations, aliens, and enemies of the franchise's rich science fiction landscape.

“Fans of Mass Effect are going to be pleasantly shocked by the events in these comics," said Walters, who will be appearing with Francia at the Dark Horse booth at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con this week, autographing a Comic-Con exclusive Mass Effect signing card. "We worked very closely with Dark Horse to make sure this story was built in to the Mass Effect 2 arc, right from the ground up. Reading the series won’t just add to your experience of the universe, it will change the way you look at Mass Effect 2… and beyond.”

Visitors to the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con who drop by Dark Horse Comics' booth (#2615) this Friday, July 24^th, between 4pm and 5pm will be able to catch a glimpse of Mac Walters and Omar Francia at the signing. If you actually want to get a card signed though, you might want to check if there's a lineup before 4pm, just in case.

Dark Horse Comics' President and Publisher, Mike Richardson, had his own thoughts on the partnership, saying “Those familiar with Mass Effect are aware that it offers one of the deepest and most compelling universes in the history of space adventure. We have a long history of successfully adapting properties such as Aliens, Star Wars, and Serenity into comics, and we feel that Mass Effect has tremendous potential with regard to graphic storytelling.”

Issue #1 of Mass Effect: Redemption will be hitting store shelves on January 6, 2010, in time to give readers the chance to catch up on the story before the release of Mass Effect 2, which is currently slated for release on Xbox 360 and PC some time in early 2010.