Hello, newb with a question. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t read a single issue of the exciting-sounding ‘Halo: Escalation’ comic series. From what I’ve heard though, which is just bits and pieces, it sounds like it has it’s own 'campaign, like a Halo 4 and 1/2. Now I’m not saying that I won’t ever read Escalation. But is the information presented within those pages crucial to understanding most of the next Halo installment? Spoil stuff if need be. Thanks. 
I’m willing to bet it will be pretty important since it is setting the stage for the next Halo games. If you want summarizes of the important bits thus far, I’ve made this thread, it is essentially the CliffNotes version of Escalation.
But still, buy Escalation, it is good.
I would go so far as to say, if part of the reason you’re into Halo is because of the story, every new addition to lore is a reason to buy it.
All critical and fan acclaim aside for the end product, the lore elements that every story brings is important to the games, both already released and yet still to come.
Character and plot development isn’t always pretty, but just sometimes if you can endure the seemingly lowest points of them, the incoming peaks and plateaus are all the much higher in view.
The great news is as you’ve been told, Escalation is both new lore and it’s a great ride while experiencing that lore.
Put it this way, reading Halo is never a bad thing, especially if you’re a fan of the fiction and want to find out more about the universe it’s set in.
Nobody knows for sure how relevant to Halo 5 it’ll be, seeing as no one knows a damn thing about Halo 5 still (which is a shame). But I would recommend reading it. I’ve just been reading the summaries that other fans post online, seeing as how I have no local retailers who sell Halo comics individually thus forcing me to wait for the collected edition. But from what I have read, it is very good fiction, very well written (hopefully that stays the same given recent changes) and looks to be far more important to the story going forward than a typical comic book. It is probably what Spops season 2 would have been to be honest.
So yes I would wager it will be relevant to Halo 5, very much so. Though I doubt you’ll need Escalation to understand it, as with all things Halo, you’ll have a better appreciation for Halo 5’s story having read the extended fiction.
I’d say it’s pretty important. However, if you don’t want to drop $16 on the 4 issues already out, I’ve written detailed summaries of each Issue.
From the summaries I’ve read, while it provides further detail, nothing is really beyond what a short brief in H5 could do. Chief seem to be mysteriously absent, so he likely doesn’t have full tabs on things himself.
H4’s problem was that it seemed to contradict the direction of the narrative from H3 with no explanation (elites, instead of brutes, suddenly enemies again) outside of reading books. Diddy and Libby didn’t feel properly explained without terminals or novels.
I think what matters more is 343’s ability to weave exposition into the plot.
Escalation is good. In the conversation with Lasky, Petra said she wrote stories bout the Chief. I was like 343 to come out with her stories.
> Escalation is good. In the conversation with Lasky, Petra said she wrote stories bout the Chief. I was like 343 to come out with her stories.
Petra taught her coverage of Master Chief made him as famous as he is in the current era.
Little does she know of the things he has accomplished and how farther she is from his actual truth and life.