Tomb Raider (comics)

Tomb Raider
Cover art for the first issue of the rebooted Tomb Raider comic series (2014)
First appearance Tomb Raider/Witchblade #1 (December 1997)
Publication information
Publisher Top Cow
(1999-2005)
Dark Horse Comics
(2014-Present)
Formats Original material for the series has been published as a set of ongoing series, limited series, and one-shot comics.
Genre
Number of issues 51 (plus #½)
Reprints
Collected editions
Tomb Raider Compendium ISBN 1-58240-803-3

The Tomb Raider comic book series are based on the video game franchise Tomb Raider, currently produced by Crystal Dynamics (formerly by Core Design), which features the character of Lara Croft. The original series of comics, which were released between 1999 and 2005, were published by Top Cow and were primarily based on the games released by Core Design. In 2014, following the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, the series was revived and is currently being published by Dark Horse Comics. The new timeline of events is based upon the rebooted iteration of Lara Croft and her adventures.

Publication history

The series, which ran from 1999 to 2005 (in which the fiftieth and final issue was released), consisted of monthly issues published by Top Cow Productions, who secured the rights to producing comics after a long struggle. Preceding this series, French publisher Glenat got the green light from Eidos France to produce a comic series called Dark Eons based on the Tomb Raider games, which was taken off the market shortly after. Besides the monthly series, a parallel 12-part series called Journeys, which ran from 2001 to 2003, was also published.

The comics are primarily based on the same continuity as the games by Core Design, in which Lara's plane crashes when she is twenty-one years old (rather than the latter games by Crystal Dynamics, the plane crash happening when she was only nine years old), but the exact details are changed. In the comic, Lara is accompanied by both her parents and her fiancé, the plane trip taken to celebrate her impending marriage (in the game series, Lara plane is chartered to take on a skiing holiday). Writers Dan Jurgens, John Nay Riber, and James Bonny worked on the series, which also featured the art of Andy Park, Michael Turner, Billy Tan, and Adam Hughes, amongst others.

There are one shots occasionally released and talk of the comic being reintroduced to tie into the Tomb Raider: Legend edited continuity. There have also been frequent crossovers with other Top Cow publications such as Fathom, The Darkness, Magdalena, and Witchblade. The debut issue of Tomb Raider was the number one-selling comic book of 1999.

In late 2006, Top Cow released the Tomb Raider Compendium. This was a large, single volume, collected edition of the Tomb Raider comic series; a hardcover version followed in 2008. The book encompasses all 50 issues (well over 1000 pages), as well as a cover gallery featuring select covers, most of them done by Adam Hughes. It is a full-size, full-color reproduction of all fifty issues on high-quality paper. This collection, however, does not include the various specials, minis, and one-shots from the series. This would probably explain why the compendium has "Volume One" written on the side.

Bandai Entertainment also published a "tankōbon" set of volumes, which reprints older stories in black-and-white in a smaller book.[1]

Tomb Raider comics were announced to return in late 2007;[2] however, this was delayed due to licensing issues.[3]

In 2014, Dark Horse Comics began publishing a new series of comics, set between the 2013 reboot and its sequel, Gail Simone wrote the first six issues, before collaborating with Rhianna Pratchett for the next arc, before Pratchett took over for the rest of the series.

In 2016, another series started to bridge the gap between Rise of the Tomb Raider and the next game in the series, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Publications

Collected editions

Lara Croft's appearances have been collected into a number of trade paperbacks. Her own comic series was originally named Tomb Raider: Starring Lara Croft as the Tomb Raider (#1-24), and then Lara Croft, Tomb Raider (#25-50) in 2002 due to the release of the movie of the same name in 2001.

  • Tomb Raider/Witchblade: Trouble Seekers (80 pages, December 2002, ISBN 1-58240-279-5) collects:
    • Tomb Raider/Witchblade (December 1997; by writer and penciler Michael Turner, inks by Joe Weems V, colors by J.D. Smith)
    • Witchblade/Tomb Raider (December 1998; written by Michael Turner and Bill O'Neil, pencils by Michael Turner, inks by Joe Weems V, colors by J.D. Smith)
    • Witchblade/Tomb Raider half-issue (July 2000; written by Michael Turner and Bill O'Neil, pencils by Ken Cha, inks by Andy Owens, colors by Matt Nelson)
  • Tomb Raider: Saga of the Medusa Mask (112 pages, January 2001, ISBN 1-58240-164-0) collects:
    • #1-4 "The Medusa Mask (Parts 1-4)" (December 1999 - June 2000; written by Dan Jurgens, pencils by Andy Park, inks by Jon Sibal, colors by J.D. Smith)
  • Tomb Raider: Mystic Artifacts (136 pages, May 2001, ISBN 1-58240-202-7) collects:
    • #5-6 "Ancient Futures (Parts 1-2)" (June–July 2000)
    • #7-10 "Dead Center (Parts 1-3)" (September 2000 - January 2001; both story arcs written by Dan Jurgens, pencils by Andy Park, inks by Jon Sibal, colors by J.D. Smith)
  • Tomb Raider: Chasing Shangri La (128 pages, September 2002, ISBN 1-58240-267-1) collects:
    • #11-12 "Shangri-La (Parts 1-2)" (March–April 2001; written by Dan Jurgens, art by Billy Tan, colors by J.D. Smith)
    • #13-14 "Jungle of Honduras (Parts 1-2)" (May–July 2001; written by Dan Jurgens, pencils by Andy Park, inks by Jon Sibal, colors by J.D. Smith)
    • #15 "Without Limit" (September 2001; written by Dan Jurgens, pencils by Francis Manapul, inks by John Livesay, colors by J.D. Smith)
  • Tomb Raider: Pieces of Zero (96 pages, August 2003, ISBN 1-84023-402-4, Titan Books UK release only, not from Image Comics/Top Cow) collects:
    • #16-17 and #19-20 "Pieces of Zero (Parts 1-4)" (September 2001 - April 2002; written by Dan Jurgens, pencils by Andy Park, inks by Jon Sibal, colors by J.D. Smith)
  • The Lara Croft, Tomb Raider Compendium (1248 pages; TPB: December 2006, ISBN 1-58240-637-5; Hardcover: February 2008, ISBN 1-58240-803-3) collects #1-50, the soft-cover edition including The Tomb Raider Gallery (originally published December 2000)
  • The Darkness and Lara Croft, Tomb Raider (April 2005) collects:
  • Witchblade and Lara Croft, Tomb Raider (April 2005) collects:

Limited series

  • Tomb Raider, Starring Lara Croft: Journeys (12-issue limited series, 2001-2003; written by Fiona Kai Avery; pencils by Drew Johnson, Gerardo Sandoval, Drew Green, Carlos Mota, Manny Clark, and Mun Kao Tan; inks by Jay Leisten and Marlo Alquiza; colors by J.D. Smith, Tyson Wengler, and Brian Buccelato)
  • Tomb Raider: Survivor's Crusade (4-issue limited series, November 2017; written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, penciled by Ashley A. Woods)

One-shots

  • Tomb Raider: Origins (by writer Dan Jurgens; pencils by Mark Pajarillo; inks by Danny Miki; 2000)
  • Tomb Raider: The Greatest Treasure of All (by writer Dan Jurgens; art by Joe Jusko; 2002)
  • Tomb Raider: Epiphany (by writer Dan Jurgens; pencils by Darryl Banks; inks by Al Vey; 2003)
  • Tomb Raider: Takeover (by writer James Bonny; pencils by Scott Benefiel; inks by Jasen Rodriguez; January 2004)
  • Tomb Raider: Arabian Nights (by writer Fiona Kai Avery; art by Billy Tan; August 2004)
  • Tomb Raider: Cover Gallery (featuring art of: Marc Silvestri, Adam Hughes, Michael Turner and more; April 2006)

Crossovers

Tankōbon

  • Tomb Raider Tankōbon:
    • Volume 1 (220 pages, May 2006, ISBN 1-59409-666-X)
    • Volume 2 (220 pages, October 2006, ISBN 1-59409-667-8)
    • Volume 3 (220 pages, February 2007, ISBN 1-59409-668-6)
    • Volume 4 (220 pages, June 2007, ISBN 1-59409-669-4)
    • Volume 5 (220 pages, November 2007, ISBN 1-59409-670-8)

References

  1. ↑ "Bandai to Publish Top Cow Titles in Manga Format (press release)". Newsarama. February 14, 2006. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Tomb Raider Comics Back in Q3 2007!". Tomb Raider Comics. February 5, 2007.
  3. ↑ "New Tomb Raider Comics Series Delayed". Tomb Raider Comics. October 20, 2007.

Interviews

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