There is one rule on Omega: “Don’t f— with Aria.” Omega’s newest business partner, the human supremacy organization Cerberus, hasn’t learned this lesson. Tensions are running high aboard the station and violence is about to ensue when Cerberus’ experiments beyond the Omega 4 Relay go horribly wrong, catching both sides in between.
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
Invasion takes place in between Mass Effects 2 and 3 and is the continuing story of Aria T’Lok, a prominent side character in Mass Effect 2 and protagonist of past Mass Effect comics. In this book, Aria demonstrates the qualities that made her the ruler of the galaxy’s most wretched hive of scum and villainy, namely, the ability to kick all kinds of a–. Invasion is an action-packed title focusing on a short, but brutal, conflict around the station Omega. The string of fights could have become dull, but the situation constantly evolves as new advantages and problems are introduced.
Besides Aria, the other characters range from adorably evil to love to hate. Aria’s mercenaries are constantly bickering and fighting one another but turn into a cohesive fighting unit when their leader, and only when their leader, is present to keep them in line. Aria’s lieutenant, a batarian named Anto, is probably my favorite character, as he changes from humble and loyal servant to power-hungry megalomaniac, depending on the situation. Cerberus isn’t immune to in-fighting either, as its leadership takes drastically different stances on the treatment of non-humans and what actions are acceptable in order to pursue humanity’s best interests. While these differing ideologies were often discussed in the games, it was refreshing to actually see these two sides represented from within the Cerberus organization. It’s also worth noting for James Vega fans that Invasion includes the one-shot “Conviction,” which focuses on Vega right after the events of Mass Effect 2 and explains how he got involved in Commander Shepard’s story.
The art remains true to the universe; everything from weapons and uniforms to Cerberus’ ships and Omega itself are all designs found in the source material. The art style reminded me of the old Star Wars: Empire comics, with a lot of details that make it easy to get immersed in the world and action. The volume also includes a preview of Art of the Mass Effect Universe, which shows the evolution of characters and settings from the production of all three games.
If you’ve finished Mass Effect 3 and want an action-packed story set in the same universe or were wondering more about how Aria and Cerberus got to where they were at the start of the third game, then Invasion is definitely worth picking up. Be sure to check out past collections of Mass Effect for more of Aria’s story and her earlier encounters with Cerberus.
