The word on the street is that Mass Effect 2 kicks off on a mysterious note with Commander Shepard gone missing. But there’s no need to worry about the odd plot thread -- there’s a comic book to explain it. As previously announced, Dark Horse Comics and Mac Walters are getting together to make a visual baby that should explain what the galaxy’s protagonist is up to post-missing status. Due out in early January, the first six pages of this comic, dubbed Mass Effect: Redemption, are available right now via Comic Book Resources.

The pages star Dr. Liara T’sonia, a person who apparently has some pressing business to take care of and doesn’t mind whipping out the biotics to get it done. Poor, poor evil aliens.

Reading this makes us really want ME2 in our hands, but that’s not going to happen for a good bit (written gloomily). The follow-up RPG is slated for a 2010 release, meaning we'll be talking about the periphery stuff for at least a few more months.