Tomb Raider (Top Cow 1999 series) # 1

 By Mark Rodriguez

Lara Croft has rocked the world in 1996 as a thrill-seeking world-traveling adventurer when Tomb Raider hit the SEGA Saturn and Sony Playstation. Garnering a huge fanbase due to the action-packed gameplay as well as Lara's looks and overall bad-assness, it's no surprise she'd eventually branch out into other forms of media or merchandising. In 1999 she got herself a comic book series from Top Cow and Image comics. Thanks to Hipcomics I was able to grab a copy, so let's check it out. 

'The Medusa Mask' opens in Iran as the narrator explains how dangerous the place can be, especially towards thieves. Several Iranian soldiers are looking for 'the westerner' and start taking off the hijabs of any woman they see. One of them takes the hijab off a particular woman who turns out to be Lara Croft.

One of the men sets her gun to her head and she tells him if he shoots, he'll mess up the 2200-year old necklace he's been told to recover. The man demands she take it off and Lara says she's 'not that kind of girl' as she whips out her dual pistols and starts shooting. As she makes her escape, the narrator explains how despite being incredibly rich, Lara craves the excitement and thrill of laying her life on the line. Her father, Lord Henshingly Croft had saved the narrator's life years ago so he has served the Croft family since. He doesn't doubt her abilities but this time she's relying on him and he's worried he won't get there in time. 

Lara hops on a jeep and aims her gun at the driver, telling him to drive. She tells the driver to head for the cliff, as fast as he can as the men continue to chase them. Lara makes a daring leap off the cliff where she catches onto the ladder of a helicopter, piloted by her companion, Hartford Compton. One of the men tries to shoot her, but she throws the rest of her outfit over his face. As they fly off, Compton asks if they are heading home. She says they'll be going to Israel first and then the Mediterranean. 

Sometime later, Lara is relaxing and enjoying a drink on her yacht. Her butler informs her that the Israeli Embassy is pleased to have the lost necklace of Sharaham returned to their museum and have deposited the funds for her services into her account. Lara says it was stolen from them years ago and comments that she will be happy to return it whenever it gets stolen again. 

Compton offers her another drink but Lara refuses because she needs to get dressed and ready for a meeting. She will be meeting with a man named Paris D'Arseine who has an offer for her. Compton warns that he is a very dangerous and ruthless man. Lara says she trusts his judgment but it never hurts to listen. Just then a seaplane arrives. 

Paris approaches her, flanked by his bodyguards, congratulating her on her recent mission in Iran. Lara says the news travels fast and Paris tells her his resources are almost infinite. Lara says if they were so infinite he wouldn't need her. Paris says she's just as impudent as her father was and Compton takes offense to that. One of Paris' bodyguards holds Compton back and he says he expected someone as incompetent as him would have been dead long ago. Lara steps in and says if he deals another insult, she will take his walking stick and stick it where no one will ever find it. 

Paris decides to go right to business and asks if she has heard of the Medusa Mask. Lara is surprised he believes it exists. Paris explains the last time the mask was owned by anyone was back in 1505. Its owner was on a voyage from the Atlantic towards the Americas until a storm sank the ship. The wreckage was recently discovered and the mask was taken. Compton asks what the Medusa Mask is. 

Lara explains the mask was said to be created centuries ago using gold and magic, worn by Medusa herself. Paris says the mask contains the power of the Gaze of Death as well as being a cherished artifact that would prove Medusa did actually exist. He wants Lara to get it for him and to name her price. Lara whispers in his ear her price and he is surprised and asks 'that's all?'. Lara says as long as the mask really is out there it's as good as his. They shake on it. 

As Paris and his men fly off, Lara tells Compton that they will radio her the location of the wreckage in about an hour. She goes off to rest until then. Compton is surprised seeing as Lara is usually so restless. She looks at a photo as she mourns the loss of her parents and her fiancé' in a plane crash. This is why Lara is always moving forward, looking for what can't be found, her own inner peace. 

Sometime later, they have arrived at her destination and Lara is ready to go diving. After two hours, Lara finally finds the sunken wreckage. Lara says the wreckage is almost 400 miles south of its reported course, which explains why it took so long to be found. Compton asks her what's she's looking for if the mask was already found. Lara says she'll know when she finds it and tells him to make sure nothing happens to her air supply. Some men plant a bomb on both Lara's ship and the  shipwreck. One of them also grabs onto Lara's air hose, getting ready to cut it with a knife.

Lara finds something and tells Compton that it's 'proof that he was here'. Just then one of the men slices Lara's air hose as the bomb glued to the ship reaches zero. The bomb on Lara's ship explodes and Lara notices the sound. She also sees that her air supply has been cut and swims towards the surface as the bomb on the shipwreck also explodes. Lara wasn't far away enough and is knocked unconscious by the blast.

My Opinions-

Pretty good comic. We get to see Lara on one of her adventures and set the stage for her next big score. Compton gives us his view on Lara as an adventurer, having worked for her and her family for years. 

The art is top notch, love the comic's take on her. Lara looks as strong and confident as you'd expect to her be when jumping from the game to the comics. I have to admit, while Lara is of course, very attractive, they let her beauty stand on its own without the need of having her lean over towards the camera or any other cheesecake for the sake of cheesecake. I have to say though, it was a bit odd to have her scuba dive in her regular shorts though. I guess she wears shorts when she dives in the games too but those were scuba shorts. Woulda been cool if they went with the 'SOLA' wetsuit from Tomb Raider 2, but that's just me. 

There were four Tomb Raider games out by 1999, this would have been a cool reference.

Compton is pretty much Lara's Alfred, he not only assists her in her adventures but also watches after her after the death of her parents. It seems Lara always has a butler, but it's always someone different, be it the games, the live action movies and I guess Compton is her butler for this comic book series.

The comic does go by rather quickly, mostly due to the large (but amazing) comic panels, some pages being pin up worthy as well. Also the last 5-6 pages were ads for other comics coming out from Top Cow. Aphrodite IX, The Magdalena, Kin and E.V.E Protomecha all look interesting and Top Cow comics is still up and around. I might eventually pick some of these comics up.

Overall a good comic. Amazing art. Great way to set up this new quest and wow, what a cliffhanger. Not only is Lara in trouble, but also Compton as these mystery men seek to blow both of them up. I'll try to grab the second issue as soon as I can. 

Were you guys fans of the original games? Let me know in the comments below. 

Man, those were days. I miss EGM.