Tomb Raider: Issues #1-6

Tomb Raider

Issues #1-6

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Gail Simone

Artist: Nicolas Daniel Selma

Genre: Action Adventure

Price: $3.50/issue

This series picks up right where the game left off, continuing the story of archeologist and fledgling raider of tombs, Lara Croft. Issues 1-6 will be comprising the upcoming trade paperback (due to be released on November 25, 2014) so it seemed like a good place to pause and do a review. Keep your eyes peeled for the trade paperback if you're interested in the story, the individual issues have been very popular and can be hard to track down if you didn't already have them on your pull-list.

Gail Simone does a great job (better than the game, in my opinion) of tackling the psychological toll Lara's adventures on Yamatai have taken on her. She is wracked with guilt, not only for her lost companions, but also for her loss of innocence. Here is a mild-mannered academic that has found she is surprisingly good at killing folks, and that her company is dangerous company to keep. It at times isolates her, causing further self-doubt and introspection. Gail Simone has taken a good character, and made her a much greater character, multifaceted and tough, but most importantly, believable.

That believability is essential, because it gives the reader a real world anchor in a story with a strong supernatural aspect. Without Lara seeming real, the rest of the story would lack the impact that is present there. Mr. Selma's art is important here as well. I once had it explained to me that comic book art is influenced by the subject matter. Realistic characters and settings are drawn in a more minimalist way, so that the reader can fill in the familiar with there own imagination and experience. The more fantastic the subject, the more realistic the art often gets; this allows the artist to fill in the details for which the reader doesn't have a frame of reference. You can see both styles in these six books. Bars and crowded streets don't need to have every puddle of beer and crumpled piece of paper drawn in them, we all know what those things look like. A close-up of statue like, part woman, part crocodile, part elephant guardians though, yes please fill in the blanks for me. It works superbly throughout.

The close of issue six brings about the conclusion of what might be the most influential part of Lara's young life. She has gained the skills she needs to become the adventurer that we all know she'll become, and seems to have attained a measure of confidence in herself that will aid her in overcoming her guilt and doubt.

Conclusion: An impressive addendum to the videogame reboot. Tomb Raider takes the foundation already set for it and builds a three dimensional, well developed heroine that's sure to continue entertaining readers for quite a while. With Yamatai behind her, I can't wait for the next adventure to begin.

Rating: 8/10