Those interested in somewhat of a sneak peak at the events that will unfold in the highly anticipated Mass Effect 2 can pick up a comic book and read all about it. EA and Dark Horse Comics have announced Mass Effect: Redemption, a comic book series based on the game. The storyline in Redemption is a prequel to Mass Effect 2, in that it explores the circumstances in which Commander Shepard goes missing. Check out the cool cover art.

This makes me think of how Enter the Matrix the game was an extension of the movie The Matrix Reloaded. You didn’t necessarily have to play the game to understand the movie, but some scenes and characters would have made more sense had you done so. I hope that the Redemption series is merely a fun little supplement to the storyline in Mass Effect 2, and not a requirement to read before playing the game. I really don’t want to stare at some random character and go, “Who the hell is THIS guy?!?!?”

To promote the comic book, lead writer Mac Walters and artist Omar Francia will be at Comic-con in San Diego this Friday July 24th, autographing Mass Effect signing cards at the Dark Horse booth. Walters is also a script writer for Mass Effect 2, so the comic is in good hands. They’ll be there from 4-5pm, so if you’re interested get in line early.

Mass Effect: Redemption is scheduled to launch in January 6, 2010. There isn’t an exact released date yet for Mass Effect 2, but I suspect it’ll be around the same time as the comic book series.