- Tomb Raider (comics)
The Tomb Raider
comic book series are based on the character ofLara Croft , from the games produced byEidos Interactive and (at the time)Core Design .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 fromEidos 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 both game continuities. Writers
Dan Jurgens ,John Nay Riber andJames Bonny worked on the series, which also featured the art ofAndy Park ,Michael Turner ,Billy Tan , andAdam Hughes , amongst others.There are one shots occasionally released and talk of the comic being reintroduced to tie in to the new 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.Fact|date=August 2007In 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 "tankobon " set of volumes, which reprints older stories in black and white in a smaller book. [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=59472 Bandai to Publish Top Cow Titles in Manga Format] (press release),Newsarama , February 14, 2006]Tomb Raider comics were announced to return in late 2007 [ [http://www.tombraidercomics.com/news/2007020501/ Tomb Raider Comics back in Q3 2007!] , February 5, 2007] , however, it has been delayed due to licensing issues. [ [http://www.tombraidercomics.com/news/2007102001/ New Tomb Raider Comics series delayed] , October 20, 2007]
Publications
*"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 byJoe Weems V , Top Cow, 1997)
**"Tomb Raider/Witchblade: Revisted" (by writer and penciller Michael Turner, with additional pencils byBrian Ching and inks byMarco Galli /Victor Llamas /Joe Weems V , Top Cow, 1998)
**"Tomb Raider/Witchblade Special" (by writerBill O'Neil , writer and penciller Michael Turner, with inks byJason 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)*"Fathom" #12-14: "Ressurection of Taras" (by writer
Bill O'Neil , writer and penciller Michael Turner, with additional pencils byTalent Caldwell and inks byJonathan Sibal /Joe Weems V , Top Cow, 2000)
*"Tomb Raider: Epiphany" (by writerDan Jurgens , with pencils byMark Pajarillo and inks byDanny Miki , one-shot, Top Cow, 2000)*"Darkness/Tomb Raider" (one-shot, Top Cow, April 2005) collects:
** "Tomb Raider/The Darkness Special" (by writerDavid Wohl , with art byBilly Tan , one-shot, Top Cow, April 2001)
** "Darkness Prelude" (by writer Paul Jenkins, with art byJae Lee , one-shot, Top Cow, 2003)*"Tomb Raider: Journeys" (by writer
Fiona Kai Avery , with pencils byDrew Johnson /Mun Kao Tan and inks byJay Leisten /Marlo Alquiza , 12-issue limited series, 2001-2003)
*"Tomb Raider: The Greatest Treasure of All" (by writerDan Jurgens , with art byJoe Jusko , one-shot, Top Cow, 2002)
*"" (2002-2003, tpb collects "Witchblade" #58-61, "Tomb Raider" #25 and "EVO" #1, 160 pages, July 2007, ISBN 1582407339)
*"Tomb Raider: Epiphany" (by writerDan Jurgens , with pencils byDarryl Banks and inks byAl Vey , one-shot, Top Cow, 2003)*"Witchblade and Tomb Raider" (one-shot, Top Cow, 2005) collects:
** "Witchblade: The Demon" (by writerMark Millar , with art byJae Lee , 2003)
** "Tomb Raider: Scarface’s Treasure" (by writerGeoff Johns , with art byMark Texiera , 2003)*"Tomb Raider: Takeover" (by writer
James Bonny , with pencils byScott Benefiel and inks byJasen Rodriguez , one-shot, Top Cow, January 2004)
*"Tomb Raider: Arabian Nights" (by writerFiona Kai Avery with art byBilly Tan , one-shot, Top Cow, August 2004)
*"Monster War " #2: "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider vs. The Wolf-Men" (by writersChristopher Golden andTom E. Sniegoski , with pencils byJoyce Chin , Top Cow/Dynamite Entertainment , July 2005)
*"Witchblade/Magdalena/Tomb Raider/Vampirella" (by writersKevin McCarthy andGail Simone , with art byJoyce Chin , one-shot, Top Cow, August 2005)Tankobon
*"Tomb Raider Tankobon":
** Volume 1 (220 pages, May 2006, ISBN 159409666X)
** Volume 2 (220 pages, October 2006, ISBN 1594096678)
** Volume 3 (220 pages, February 2007, ISBN 1594096686)
** Volume 4 (220 pages, June 2007, ISBN 1594096694)
** Volume 5 (220 pages, November 2007, ISBN 1594096708)Notes
References
*comicbookdb|type=character|id=4442|title=Lara Croft
* [http://www.comics-db.com/Image_Comics/T/Tomb_Raider/ Tomb Raider] at theBig Comic Book DataBase External links
* [http://www.tombraidercomics.com/ Tomb Raider Comics.com]
* [http://tombraider.ugo.com/comics/news.php "Tomb Raider" comics news] , UGO
* [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=4194 "Tomb Raider: Scarface’s Treasure"] (previews),Newsarama , February 20, 2002
* [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=27625 "Tomb Raider" #50] (previews),Newsarama , February 15, 2005Interviews
* [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=13628 Heroine Chic: Adam Hughes Talks 'Wonder Woman,' 'Tomb Raider'] ,
Comic Book Resources , February 15, 2001
* [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=15989 "Tomb Raider: Arabian Nights"] , ,Newsarama , August 2, 2004
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