Release: November 1999 | Writer: Dan Jurgens | Penciler: Andy Park | Inker: Jonathan Sibal | Colorist: Jonathan D. Smith
ACTION, EXPLOSIONS, SEX APPEAL.
Does the iconic Tomb Raider series really need to be explained? In a nutshell, Tomb Raider is a 1996 video game from Eidos Interactive that sold about 7 million units worldwide and was one of PlayStation's best-selling video games...no big deal. So it's only fitting a series that millions of people adored (myself included) would cash in on the comic boom of the 90's with a tie-in comic! And what a team up it was. The home of female-led heroes, Top Cow Comics were the ones to make THE bad-ass it girl of the 1990’s, making a recipe for success. And OH BOY did they really go all in on this series.
Volume 1 reached a huge 50 issues and Issue #1 alone had variant covers from artists like Michael Turner, Mark Silvestri and Andy Park. This series captured the aura of the Tomb Raider games and the unique character of Lara Croft. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at the issue that launched her solo series, Tomb Raider #1.
We start the debut issue off in Iran. Terrorists are viciously searching all of the women in the area. One of these women has the Lost Necklace of Sharaham which they need to recover. In doing so, they start ripping off these women's hijabs against their will. All to find...
Lara Croft, who's been trying to blend in.
As they put a gun to her head, she reminds them that if they shoot her, it may cause the necklace they were sent to retrieve to be destroyed. She uses their hesitation to start shooting back at them and makes her escape.
As she tries to flee, she takes a terrorist hostage and forces him to drive her towards a cliff which he does reluctantly. As they reach the cliff's edge, the terrorists behind her get very close to taking her out, shooting out her vehicle's tires and causing her to plummet off the cliff.
Luckily her assistant Hartford Compton is there for her, saving her with his helicopter and bringing her back to safety. The necklace is in the hands of the museum it came from and her mission was a success.
As she lays on the boat with Hartford Compton sipping on a martini she tells them that they have...some guests coming and that guest is...
Paris D'Arseine. A slime ball violent businessman that people know to stay away from if they know anything about him. But that doesn't discourage Lara from getting in his face when he insults Hartford Compton.
D'Arseine backs off after this threat and gets down to business. This meeting is happening because he wants Laura to capture The Medusa Mask. Which is a mask that proves the existence of not only Medusa, but Greek mythology as a whole. But if you gain access to this mask, you receive powers such as the Gaze of Death that was only held by Medusa herself.
They strike a deal, but Lara doesn't ask for a large sum of money, she whispers to D'Arseine a special request that we don't hear, and he gladly accepts.
Lara looks over a picture of her family. Her parents and fiancee were lost in a plane crash that changed her life forever. Her adventures are stepping stones to her finding her end goal, a life of personal peace.
The mission starts. They arrive at their destination in the sea. Lara has Compton stay on the boat and watch her air supply while she's down in the ocean looking for the mask in a shipwreck.
After arriving at the location of the shipwreck. She mentions how this ship was something she's researched in the past and was something so lost that she's not surprised that the mask hasn't been found yet. And at that moment, danger is lurking near their boat.
Unbeknownst to them, some men in all black swim suits strap explosives to her boat that Hartford Compton is on, and pull out a knife while holding her air supply.
Laura finds a huge discovery saying she found "proof that HE was here". As Compton is trying to find out what she means by "he" the comms get disconnected and at that moment...
The boat has taken a big hit due to an explosive. Lara rapidly yanks on her air supply tube only to find out that it's been cut.
Now it's a battle against time.
As Lara quickly swims to the top of the ocean, a second explosive goes off, laying the boat to a pile of smoke, and leaving Lara bloodied and passed out in the ocean with no help or air to keep her alive.
How does she get out of this? Find out in the NEXT ISSUE of Tomb Raider!
And that was the action packed, explosive Tomb Raider #1! I think it's not a mistake that this issue ended up being the #1 selling book of 1999 (Source: Comichron) selling an estimated 189,455 units. It outsold X-Men, Superman and Batman among other huge comic giants.
It sets up a great story with a good cliffhanger that'll have you wanting more. It really reminds me of Top Cow's Danger Girl which is ANOTHER book everyone needs to read for sure. If you ever find this in the wild, grab it and do not leave it. It's a piece of comic history and a good read at the end of the day.
Next time, we're going to be diving into the longbox and reviewing a Jim Lee series that some people may not remember, but they SHOULD. And that's Wildstorm's Deathblow!