Tomb Raider #1 Review
Script: Mariko Tamaki
Line Art: Phillip Sevy
Colors:Michael Atiyeh
Letters:Michael Heisler
Review by Ashley Hay
After recently finishing what many say was the Game of the Year in 2015, Rise of the Tomb Raider, I was quick to jump at the bit to read the first volume from Dark Horse. Crystal Dynamics has done a great job bringing this beloved character back into our hearts and consoles, but does it replicate that greatness in comic form?
The best part of the Lara franchise is seeking adventure and chasing long told legends. The comic starts off with her in a college setting which brings me back to the first seeing Indiana Jones in his classroom. Lara and Jonah are attending a conference about archeology at The University of Minnesota (I’m an Alumni, REPRESENT!). The speaker tries his hand at humor but Lara is quickly bored and sets off to try her hand at some combat training while Jonah goes to the Mall of America. As someone who lives in Minnesota, noticing the logo of the mall in the pamphlet was a nice detail. While the art style seems to be your run of the mill classic comic book style, those small elements help add to the story.
The comic throws Lara and the reader into a weird training scene that feels a bit disjointed. It seems to be a start to some deeper character development for Lara but it felt rushed. The side characters introduced in this scene, Dana and Joslin are badass and a story with more badass ladies is usually a good way to start. Lara could use more traveling companions. Let’s hope they aren’t throw away characters for one random scene.
After the training session, Croft has a run in with a stranger that is friends with the Professor from earlier. This is where we start to hear of her future possible raiding quest. She rejects to learn more, heads to bed instead only to find foul play has happened throughout the night. The professor finds her the next day to discuss the Chinese Mushroom of Immortality. Not your garden variety shrooms mind you. This is suppose to be the real deal. Will this be Lara and Jonah’s next search and rescue mission? Most likely. I bet it’s somewhere in the Great Wall of China. Or as Karl Pilkington would call it, The Alright Wall of China.
Verdict:
I’d call this one a tentative buy. The best part of the Lara series is the adventure and actual tomb raiding. While I understand they need to set up the purpose for the raiding, this seems lack luster. It could turn into an amazing story but this looks a wee lazy. If you’re a big Croft fan, then by all means, grab a copy. The art is well done and it does feel like Lara.
