After catching up reading posts from a day gone...
The first time I played ME1 I thought to myself then, this isn't just about Shepard, granted Shepard is the main focus due to the fact you need a "hero" for the game, but I thought back then as I still do, the Asari are a prime 2nd, then come the Turians and Salarains.
Inorder to "unite" the two races the Shepard/Liara romance was developed, the Ashely/Kaidan romance was put in to simply give the player some other option if they were squimish about Alien romance, Because even if you do not romance Liara, the outcome is the same come ME2, Liara hunts down Shepard's body.
The romance part of ME1 was superior with Liara then it is with either Ashley or Kaidan.
Liara is an intricate part of the whole story.
I would hope that the writers can repair any validity in the storyline that they had to destroy just to please some twit either at EA or BW who thought the comic was a good idea (greed before need). I am sure they had the whole of ME2 developed before the comic was announced.
Just my humble opinion.
99% of all my Femsheps are Liara's and will remain so