Tomb Raider (Top Cow 1999 series) # 7

 By Mark Rodriguez

After a brief adventure in which Lara Croft faced dinosaurs and an immortal Morgan Le Fay, alongside her companions Chase and Vanessa, our thrill-seeking tomb raider starts a whole new adventure. We kick off a four-part story! 

 

"Dead Center Part 1" opens with Lara at the shooting range as the police officers watch her, totally impressed by her skills. Lara thanks one of the officers, Connie, for allowing her to do so, since it's difficult to find a place to practice shooting in LA. 

 

Lara asks Chase if he's ready to move. Chase comments that they've been getting along pretty well recently. They worked a few jobs together and Lara hasn't dumped him when she is capable of succeeding on her own. He asks her if there's a chance they can get back together again. Lara asks him if he can grab her target for her. Chase tries to stay on topic and says he didn't want to put too much heat on her. As he grabs the target, he sees it riddled with bullet holes that spell out 'Chase Carver'.

Chase runs up to Lara and says she's gone too far. He's tired of all the insults and jabs he's taken from her over the last few months. He says she keeps kicking him down on account of their past, but he says it's all in the past and it's time to move on. Chase says it's time for him to finally move on and walk for good. Lara suddenly kisses him on the cheek.

As Chase stands there, dazed, Lara gets into their car and asks if he's coming along. As they drive off, Lara says she's starving and treats him with dinner. Chase is still surprised. 

After dinner, Chase thanks her for the meal. Lara explains when she was younger, his roguish ways charmed her. He hurt her, and used her and her money until she got smart enough to leave him. She says he was able to hurt her because he was dug so far into her heart. She doesn't want to repeat that mistake again. Chase says he's changed and there's only one treasure he's after. Lara asks him to give her time. 

Later that evening, Lara is sleeping in her yacht with is currently docked. A woman shows up, Madeline Hovan, who has taken Lara's ad for a combination cook, secretary, assistant and everything else. She walks through the yacht looking for Lara and is shocked upon she opens the door to her room. Madeline finds a dead man in Lara's bedroom. Her surprised reaction wakes up Lara who is also confused as to what is going on.

Madeline asks Lara what she did to the man and the tomb raider says she just woke up. Whoever did this was smooth enough to kill him without waking her up. Lara turns the man over and finds more bad news. Lara sees a symbol on the man's jacket, one of the legendary group said to run more things than politicians called the Midnight Squires. Lara thought they were a legend or a myth and comments that it's been said they were born the day the Declaration of Independence was written. Lara noticed a gem on her bed and Madeline tries to call the police. Lara stops her.

Madeline says they have to report the murder to police. Lara says if she is work for her, she'll need to deal with unusual circumstances. Madeline says a dead body on the first day is highly unusual. Lara says she came with the highest recommendation from the best employment agency in the world. If she can't handle the job, she should leave now. Madeline says she's not leaving but her rates just went up by fifty percent. Lara agrees and says the next mystery is the gem, one she has never seen before and somehow got on her bed.

As Lara and Madeline talk, several armed men in black trench-coats storm the yacht. Madeline hears them and Lara tells her to get down and stay down. One of the men kicks the door down and tells the other to shoot anyone they see, but not to hit the Eye of Shaharettin. Lara is ready and waiting and guns down some of the men. One of them tells the rest to fall back. 

 

Lara grabs Madeline and head downstairs through a hidden passage. Lara tells her to wait while she heads back to grab the jewel. One of the men steps back in and tosses a grenade at her. Lara dives out of the way as the grenade explodes. Lara returns to Madeline as the yacht is now on fire. A hidden compartment reveals a jetski, which is still intact. Lara and Madeline board it and hit the waves.

Madeline is very impressed so far and Lara says they should wait until they're out of the area before they can assume they're safe. Madeline asks what they else they can do to stop them. The men answer that question by starting to shoot at them. Madeline asks if Lara can shoot back, but she is clearly steering the jetski. Madeline says it's up to her. She pulls out a gun and carefully aims for the yacht's fuel tank. She shoots her shot and blows up the yacht.

Lara is impressed and Madeline says she grew up hunting with her father in Nebraska and while respectfully calling her Ms. Croft. Lara says she'll change that fifty percent salary increase to a hundred percent. Madeline thanks Ms. Croft, who tells her that she can just call her Lara. She says she feels they'll be working together for a long time, provided they live that long.

My Thoughts- 

So now we start with a new set up for Lara. It sounds like she's been on a few adventures with Chase between the last issue and this one and while they've gotten along a lot better, Lara isn't ready to try again with him. Now Lara got herself a new assistant to take Compton's place and there's a new mystery at hand. Now we have a bunch of people chasing after a priceless gem that was randomly left on Lara's doorstep, or bed in this case.

Madeline seems cool so far, though it seems she wasn't properly prepped on what exactly she signed up for. Even so, she still proved she got what it takes and even gave the tomb raider a little surprise. I'll be looking forward to see how these two bounce off each other.

I'm assuming Chase let Lara be alone for the night and will hopefully still be around next issue. Lara will need all the help she can get if there's some shadowy organization after her.

There isn't too much to say about the issue since it's mostly set up for the next big adventure. There's also a lot of large panels with the amazing pin-up quality art we expect from Top Cow, but it does make the story read pretty quick. 

The ads are mostly related to the Tomb Raider comic, Top Cow in general and a cool Witchblade bust.  The letters were mostly praise, and the occasional comment about not liking Compton's heel turn and death. One did ask if Lara was ever going to run into female friends and colleagues. Of course that letter was written was before Lara hung out with Vanessa Fenway i issues 5 and 6, and before we got introduced to Madeline in this one. Time will tell how the fans will take to Madeline in comparison to Compton.

 

One fan did ask if there would be a Tomb Raider animated series. The columnist said that Eidos wasn't sure enough interest was there. I guess not since Lara didn't get a cartoon series until her 2024 Netflix series 'Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft' which is based on the reboot Lara from Crystal Dynamics. The closest the OG Lara got were the two live action movies where Angelina Jolie brought her to life. One of the fans did ask if we'd ever see Atlantis, since that was a part of the first game. That one went unanswered. The Tomb Raider columnists seems to dodge questions.

We'll see what lies in store next issue as the mystery behind the Midnight Squires and the Eye of Shaharettin continues. Special shout out to Infinity Comics for this issue, one of the many shops within Hipcomic!