New Tomb Raider comic series will continue reboot storyline
The freshly rebooted adventures of Lara Croft have apparently just begun. A new comic book series, published by Dark Horse and penned by none other than Gail Simone, will be hitting store shelves early next year. Yes, it’s as cool as it sounds. Read on for all the details.
A backwater blog that goes by the name of Kotaku somehow scored an interview with Simone, who turns out to be a passionate gamer, and a huge fan of the Tomb Raider reboot.
I chose to do this series solely because I loved the game so much, so we’re definitely keeping the tone of the game. I’ve always loved the classic, cool Lara Croft, but this feels like her origin story, like we’re seeing her before she becomes the icon, and it’s very compelling to me.
Simone was drawn to the newly re-imagined Lara, and the ways in which the character has evolved beyond the tropes of earlier games.
The way I see Lara now is, she’s not after treasure. She’s not really after thrills. She’s a questioner, she’s an explorer. She wants answers. The thing is, she’s completely unstoppable. That’s what I love. Everyone underestimates her, and that is a terrible mistake to make.
As Gail explains, the comic book series will act as a continuation of Lara’s story.
we start just a few weeks after the end of the game, and this is all in continuity, it will be Tomb Raider canon, and lead DIRECTLY into the sequel. This is what got me excited; we get to be part of Lara Croft history.
Wait… did she say sequel? Halle-FREAKIN-lujah! You might remember that earlier in the year, Square Enix reported that the Tomb Raider reboot had failed to meet sales expectations, despite selling over 3.4 million copies in its first month. Financial troubles at Square Enix eventually led to layoffs, corporate restructuring, and company president Yoichi Wada stepping down. The prospects of a sequel to Tomb Raider seems murky at best. But the comic, and Simone’s reference to a sequel, are both good signs that the franchise has a lot of life left in it.
On a personal level, I have to say that I’m pretty excited about this announcement. Gail Simone is a prolific comic writer, having penned series such as Deadpool, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman. She’s a big name in the industry, and bringing her onboard to helm the official continuation of Lara’s story is a wise move by Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix. It’s also encouraging to hear that a sequel to the game is in the works, even though no official announcement has been made. Tomb Raider was one of the most engrossing, empowering games I have ever played, and I cannot wait to see where the series goes from here.
The bummer part of this is that the comic won’t be out until February of next year. Big thanks to Kotaku and Evan Narcisse for breaking the news. Maybe this “Kotaku” thing (pronounced COAT-ah-koo) will catch on.