Raid

Despite its many promising elements, “Tomb Raider” #1 is ultimately an unengaging first issue. Writer Mariko Tamaki shows her usual ear for dialogue and artist Phillip Sevy uses a number of interesting layouts, but the subject matter and the structure bog the story down. Unfortunately, the issue just takes too long to establish its stakes and introduce its plot; I wasn’t hooked by the last page. For the long-term outlook, there’s nothing worrying about this creative team, but the series isn’t off to an inviting start. In all fairness, the dullness is part of the point here. After a rousing first sequence, issue #1 finds Lara at an archaeology conference, wondering to herself, “What am I doing here? In this ridiculous getup?” and doodling during the talks. From there, she’s off to a training session before getting caught up in a murderous plot at the conference. It’s clearly meant to be the lull before the storm, a necessary breather in any storyline, but it makes an odd choice for a

Having finally made it home safe from the island of Yamatai, Lara Croft’s life has far from returned to normal between her constant nightmares and a deadly new threat. Gail Simone, Nicolas Daniel Selma and Juan Gedeon explore the consequences of her and her friends’ close encounter with the supernatural in “Tomb Raider” #1, throwing Lara into a new adventure right off the bat. In true “Tomb Raider” tradition, the series gets an action-packed start and runs with it for a strong and dramatic debut. Simone had a fine line to walk with the launch of this particular series; helming the spinoff title of a rebooted popular gaming franchise is no easy feat, after all. However, she manages to do so with a certain poise and grace that creates a compelling story for new readers as well as fans of the franchise. Using a flashback to the island as a natural segue between the game and the book, she presents an efficient yet succinct recap of the game’s plot to situate new readers in Lara’s world;