Video Game Spin-offs--Comic Books

The next volume of the Mass Effect comic book series is titled "Evolution" and is one of my favorites.  This volume focuses on the infamous boss of Cerberus, the Illusive Man, and his backstory.  I very much enjoyed this volume because of the fact that players are given very little information about his actual background in the game.  He's very mysterious with his expensive suits, cigarettes, and adult beverage consumption (at least that's what I'm assuming he's drinking--it could be some sort of reaper juice).  If you're wanting to learn more about the actual person behind the Illusive Man this comic is great!

"Evolution" details the backstory of the Illusive Man

One of the main things we know about Cerberus is that it's a pro-human group that is not interested in establishing a great relationship with the various alien races that populate the universe.  There's a good reason for that.  A large part of the Illusive Man's story is based around the First Contact war.  If you're feeling a little forgetful of your Mass Effect lore, remember that this is the war that started when humans discovered the mass relay in the Sol system.  As they explored they eventually ran into the Turians who weren't all that interested in being friends.  A war broke out between the two species including the famous Battle of Shanxi, where Ashley Williams' grandfather surrendered.  Eventually the humans drove them off the planet and the Citadel council helped to negotiate a peace treaty between the two species.

According to the story in "Evolution," the Illusive Man was part of the human forces fighting on Shanxi during the First Contact war.  It's understandable that he would dislike aliens, especially Turians.  Another part of the story deals with the discovery of a reaper artifact and it's influence on the Illusive Man.  Let's just say that his fascination with them started much earlier than the story in Mass Effect 3.

Another fun fact...the Illusive Man's real name is Jack and he seems like a pretty cool guy throughout much of the story.  He stands up for his fellow humans and scraps with the Turians who seem like jerks.

If you're curious about the story behind the Illusive Man, check out the "Evolution" series of the Mass Effect comics.