By Luke Abbott
Observation #1: Why is there a Viking on the cover? There isn’t as much as a Norse reference in this issue, let alone a bad-ass punch-up with one.
Observation #2: What a finale! I will be the first to admit that it could have been better. Matsu’s daughters have been bigged up for quite some time, yet they never really come into play, other than some creepy frames. Mathias feels like a cash-in to the old game. The fight is good, but not as climatic as I would have liked it. However, it could also have been a lot worse, which is my overall opinion of the first season of Gail Simone’s Tomb Raider series. It did the job well, tying up the story satisfyingly (although my Solarii plot hole question from the last review still stands), providing some decent set-pieces and some glorious explosions captured once again by Nicolas Daniel Selma’s art. Matsu was a fun villain and while he slipped into more stereotypical trademarks, he still made an impact. Without a strong villain, series like this often feel adrift, so it was good that he was well-written until the end.
My favourite thing here is the twist at the end. It suffered slightly at the fact that this adventure only had six issues to tell its story. I would have liked it to have been slyly weaved in throughout the previous installments, but it definitely brightened up proceedings. Just when the finale seems to drift into the predictable with Lara’s friends coming in at the last minute and the cult’s plan being fully revealed, the twist added to the spark. Gail Simone is aware of this trick too, because this is one of the few points where the series isn’t rushing through material. The dialogue is really sharp too, highlighting Simone’s strongest point as a writer. In fact, the dialogue has always been the best thing about this entire collection of comics. There will be several Tomb Raider quotes joining the canon here.
So where next? Another story (I assume a six-part one), is about to hit us and I hope it only improves on the first. I want to move away from Yamatai, move away from this specific group of friends (Will the game be using them? Can we kill one of them off?), and focus on Lara’s development into the character we know her as from the original games. This is a welcome comic for me to review, but it has a long way to come before it hits the expectations of Tomb Raider fans everywhere.
Quote of the Issue:
Lara: They forgot that they might not be the only monsters in the room.
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on July 26th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Gail Simone, Lara Croft, Luke Abbott, Tomb Raider #6 review