Lara does seem to attract the fanatics…
Creative Staff:
Story: Gail Simone & Rhianna Pratchett
Art: Nicolas Daniel Selma
What They Say:
As Lara’s journey continues she finds herself in a deadly showdown against a sinister killer. If Lara can’t finish what she started she’ll lose more than her life, as the final chapter of this pulse-pounding arc comes to a close!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Tomb Raider had a sort of down issue the last time around where it focused more on character than action. And that was a very good thing as it was really one of the few times over the series run that I felt like I was getting to know Lara as a character rather than someone on the run through set pieces. There was some action to it, but it was presented more as mystery and intrigue rather than a more traditional layout for it. The fun of Lara stressing over being in a play and having it become worse because she scares off the lead was solid, especially since it’s now forcing her into the lead role. But we also got a few other pieces brought into play with Trinity that opens up more doors and potential paths forward, though a lot of that feels like it’s been… squashed here, for the moment.
Since introducing Cruz in the previous arc, it’s been amusing to see how he’s dealt with things and managed to survive even considering what’s been done to him. The opening pages here, as he talks to the two thugs he’s now got working for him to try and kill Lara, really drives home that he’s a True Believer, which makes him all the scarier since you know he’ll go the distance with his last breath. There’s some good dialogue in here that really paints why he’s afraid of Lara and intent on destroying her, while also revealing a bit more about Auger that’s interesting as well. Of course, he ends up with a bit of a convoluted plan to capture and torture her for information rather than just gunning her down outright, but it makes for a decent bit of fun before it comes to a conclusion.
A lot of that involved Lara, having learned that Kaz had been kidnapped and is being held until she gets there, who now has to flee the final dress rehearsal for the play and run through the streets of London to get to where Cruz is. It has some amusing bits as she navigates the city while Auger follows from behind to ensure that she gets in no trouble for it, but it all comes down to the tense minutes in the tunnels below ground as the two sides face off. It’s quick overall, considering, but it has the right kind of tension that then leads to even more curious material as we learn what Auger is really after. But having him simply give up and be crushed by the ongoing train when Lara refuses to follow in his footsteps? That whole sequence just felt very, very weird and I’m hoping it’s just leading to something else for Auger instead.
In Summary:
While a piece or two left me uncertain about the issue, the book as a whole here is definitely a lot of fun. Sam has some great stuff early on in getting Lara to really understand why this play is important to Jonah and people in general, which gets her to look at things in a new light. Lara’s mad dash to get to Cruz is definitely a lot of fun and Cruz himself has some really interesting moments that paints the picture of a fanatic well, one who Truly Believes when you get down to it in a world changing way. This arc comes to a close here as a new one kicks off next issue, but there’s a sense of a lot of things unresolved here overall. Besides, it would be too much to ask for a one-shot release of Lara in a play, right? Ah well…
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 28th, 2015
MSRP: $3.50
