A First Look at Tomb Raider #1 Comic Book Tie-In

The 2013 Tomb Raider reboot changed the face of the Lara Croft empire... and then changed it again in the updated port to the PlayStation 4. What was once the foremost in puzzle platformers and J-cup sex appeal had become transformed into a gritty first-person action-adventure with a heroine that was specifically based off the body of a real woman.

But the game is just the beginning. We've known for over 6 months that a comic series tie-in with the game was in the works from Dark Horse Comics. Now the release of the first issue is nearly upon us. Check the slides to follow for a preview!

When the original Tomb Raider comic cover was released, fans voiced concerns about Lara's cleavage - intentionally a little more covered up in the new reboot - prominently on display. Was her new image going to have a relapse simply because it made its first jump in medium?

At least with this first glimpse between the covers, those fears should be somewhat allayed. Lara may not have made the transition looking picture-perfect, but she has definitely not turned into a new target for The Hawkeye Initiative.

Furthermore, it looks like the theme of survival continues on in this newest tie-in, featuring Lara once again running for her life through what appears to be the wilds of Yamatai, consistently out-gunned by the ever-swelling ranks of enemies.

Series writer Gail Simone, best known for her critically-acclaimed works with Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, and Batgirl, is no stranger to writing strong female leads. In a Kotaku interview with Simone, she stated that she was looking to explore Lara's adventures in a way that the first game couldn't.

The story is set to begin a few weeks after the events of the game, and looks like it should act as the tie-in between Tomb Raider and its inevitable sequel.

"It will be Tomb Raider canon, and lead DIRECTLY into the sequel. This is what got me excited; we get to be part of Lara Croft history."

However, while this glimpse looks like Lara's comic adventures begin in Yamatai, it's not where they'll end. As Simone told Kotaku:

"I chose to do this series solely because I loved the game so much, so we’re definitely keeping the tone of the game. I’ve always loved the classic, cool Lara Croft, but this feels like her origin story, like we’re seeing her before she becomes the icon, and it’s very compelling to me.

The storytelling in the game hooked me instantly. The biggest difference is, the game told a claustrophobic story in an isolated setting. We are going globetrotting."

The comic will also keep up the supernatural, somewhat grisly turn of the game, as Lara runs into a few familiar faces... and not in the best of shape.

From the sound of it, not only will this new comic set the stage for the sequel, it will also try to explain the transformation from the idealistic adventurer to the cool-as-ice Lara that we first learned to love.

"I don’t really feel any need to remove myself from the previous versions of Lara. When you’re a video game fan, like I am, and suddenly you have a great game with a female lead who kicks a ton of ass and has James Bond levels of cool…that’s a big deal, and that’s what I felt playing those first Tomb Raider games. I had a blast playing them. I suppose some might complain about cheesecake, but I never felt that’s what Lara was about at her core.

All we’re doing here is showing the journey—how does a British schoolgirl become this adventure icon, this magnificent, dangerous woman?"

The first issue of Tomb Raider will hit the shelves on February 26. Will you be picking up a copy?

(Note: This  preview has been approved for media use and repost by Dark Horse Comics.)