Tomb Raider Comics
The Tomb Raider comic book series are based on the character of Lara Croft, from the games produced by Eidos Interactive and (at the time) Core Design.
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 (publisher) 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 follow a different continuity compared to that of the games and the films. In the comics, the plane crash experienced by Lara kills both her parents as well as her fiancee, and takes place when she is an adult as opposed to being a young girl, as is the case with the game's continuity. 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 in to 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 in 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 publish a "tankōbon" set of volumes, which reprints older stories in black and white in a smaller book.
Tomb Raider comics were announced to return in late 2007[2], however, it has been delayed due to licensing issues.
Publication
The comics have been collected into a number of trade paperbacks:
- Tomb Raider/Witchblade: Trouble Seekers (trade paperback, 80 pages, December 2002, ISBN 1582402795) collects:
- Tomb Raider/Witchblade (by writer and penciller Michael Turner, with inks by Joe Weems V, Top Cow, 1997)
- Tomb Raider/Witchblade: Revisted (by writer and penciller Michael Turner, with additional pencils by Brian Ching and inks by Marco Galli/Victor Llamas/Joe Weems V, Top Cow, 1998)
- Tomb Raider/Witchblade Special (by writer Bill O'Neil, writer and penciller Michael Turner, with inks by Jason Gorder/Joe Weems V, Top Cow, December 1998)
- Tomb Raider: The Series (1999, trade paperback Tomb Raider Compendium, 1248 pages, softcover, December 2006, ISBN 1582406375, hardcover, February 2008, ISBN 1582408033), also collected as:
- Saga of the Medusa Mask (collects #1-5, 112 pages, January 2001, ISBN 1582401640)
- Mystic Artifacts (collects #6-10, 136 pages, May 2001, ISBN 1582402027)
- Chasing Shangri La (collects #11-15, 128 pages, September 2002, ISBN 1582402671)
- Pieces of Zero (collects #16-17 and 19-20, 96 pages, August 2003, ISBN 1840234024)
- Fathom #12-14: "Ressurection of Taras" (by writer Bill O'Neil, writer and penciller Michael Turner, with additional pencils by Talent Caldwell and inks by Jonathan Sibal/Joe Weems V, Top Cow, 2000)
- Tomb Raider: Epiphany (by writer Dan Jurgens, with pencils by Mark Pajarillo and inks by Danny Miki, one-shot, Top Cow, 2000)
- Darkness/Tomb Raider (one-shot, Top Cow, April 2005) collects:
- "Tomb Raider/The Darkness Special" (by writer David Wohl, with art by Billy Tan, one-shot, Top Cow, April 2001)
- "Darkness Prelude" (by writer Paul Jenkins, with art by Jae Lee, one-shot, Top Cow, 2003)
- Tomb Raider: Journeys (by writer Fiona Kai Avery, with pencils by Drew Johnson/Mun Kao Tan and inks by Jay Leisten/Marlo Alquiza, 12-issue limited series, 2001–2003)
- Tomb Raider: The Greatest Treasure of All (by writer Dan Jurgens, with art by Joe Jusko, one-shot, Top Cow, 2002)
- Tomb Raider: Epiphany (by writer Dan Jurgens, with pencils by Darryl Banks and inks by Al Vey, one-shot, Top Cow, 2003)
- Witchblade and Tomb Raider (one-shot, Top Cow, 2005) collects:
- "Witchblade: The Demon" (by writer Mark Millar, with art by Jae Lee, 2003)
- "Tomb Raider: Scarface’s Treasure" (by writer Geoff Johns, with art by Mark Texiera, 2003)
- Tomb Raider: Takeover (by writer James Bonny, with pencils by Scott Benefiel and inks by Jasen Rodriguez, one-shot, Top Cow, January 2004)
- Tomb Raider: Arabian Nights (by writer Fiona Kai Avery with art by Billy Tan, one-shot, Top Cow, August 2004)
- Monster War #2: "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider vs. The Wolf-Men" (by writers Christopher Golden and Tom E. Sniegoski, with pencils by Joyce Chin, Top Cow/Dynamite Entertainment, July 2005)
- Witchblade/Magdalena/Tomb Raider/Vampirella (by writers Kevin McCarthy and Gail Simone, with art by Joyce Chin, one-shot, Top Cow, August 2005)