Tomb Raider: The Beginning

Tomb Raider #0

by Rhianna Pratchett (Script), Nicolas Daniel Selma (Pencils (pages 5-28)), Andrea Mutti (Pencils (pages 29-52))

In this prelude to the exciting new entry in the Tomb Raider video game saga, lead game writer Rhianna Pratchett reveals the untold story behind Lara Croft's earliest adventure.

Join Lara and the crew of the Endurance as they prepare for a thrilling journey to uncover the lost kingdom of Yamatai.

For over fifteen years, the Tomb Raider adventures have been some of the most enduring and popular in the world of video games. Now, Lara Croft's old new reimagining is further explored by some of comics' most talented creators in this exclusive volume.

THE ESSENTIAL CONTINUATION OF LARA CROFT'S JOURNEY!
COMING SOON FROM DARK HORSE COMICS!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Video Games, Adventure, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Action

52 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Rhianna Pratchett is a freelance computer games scriptwriter, narrative designer and former journalist. She is a member of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prequel to the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. It focuses on the backstories of the rest of the crew of the Endurance, ending as the game starts. Not bad, but not necessary to enjoy the game.

[Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay read! So I'm a big fan of the new Tomb Raider games, I finished Rise of The Tomb Raider and I'm almost done with the 2013 reboot! This one shot basically serves as a prequel to the 2013 game, however I'm afraid this one disappointed! First off we get loads of back story for a lot of the side characters from the game, such as Reyes, Whitman and Roth, which is cool and all but theirs only one issue...Barely any Lara! Seriously Lara is barely in this, and she gets no real back story or anything, heck she's barely involved in the plot till the end, her biggest moment, is making a phone call, which ties the story together! Artwork is okay I guess! Overall, you get some nice back story in this comic, but honestly I think everyone read this for more Lara, and theirs none of that here!

[Lesia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Вважаю себе хоч і не затятою, але все-таки фанаткою пригод Лари Крофт. Але не кіношної у виконанні Анджеліни Джолі, а саме тієї, з відеоігор. У різний час грала у (якщо правильно порахувала) 7 різних частин серії, починаючи від "The Angel of Darkness" 2003 року. А від двох останніх, які вважаються перезапуском історії та які дали поштовх до створення нового фільму, що вийде на екрани цього року, я просто у захваті.

Цей комікс є власне прологом до першої частини перезапуску про пригоди Лари на острові Яматай. Тут ми дізнаємось, як та чому саме в такому складі сформувалась команда корабля "Ендюранс", про минуле деяких героїв та їхні людські проблеми. Нічого особливого, як на мене. Замальовка так собі. Але для фаната все одно залишається цікавим.

[kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I wish Goodreads would let us give half stars, because that would make rating this so much easier. I kept waffling between giving this a 2/5 or a 3/5 but decided to go with the three.

While I didn't hate this, it wasn't exactly that great either. I liked the fact we got to peak into the past of some of the characters (especially Reyes), but I really felt like it was lacking - and what it was lacking I'm not entirely sure.

Lara barely appears in this at all, and when she does... I actually kind of found her annoying. There doesn't seem to be much to her in this at all. I know her character does a lot of developing in the game, however she felt really flat here. She felt like another stock background character, or the token pretty girl.

Again, this isn't awful but it isn't that good either. Casual fans would probably be bored. Big fans might find this lacking...

Actually I probably should have given this a 2.

[Noel نوال · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never played the Tomb Raider games, but I've watched the movies. This is a prequel to the comic book series to give background info to the rest of the crew. Out of context to someone who hasn't read the rest of the comics yet I'm a tad bit confused since it isn't following the same storyline as the movies generally do. I'm interested to see what unfolds.

[Hello]

The only reason I read it was that it came with game's GOTY. And now I am sad most of the crew died during the events of the game.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I think I’m just not into the art style.

[N Parkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed the “untold” story before the 2013 tomb raider game came out..

The art style just wasn’t my favorite. Lara looked like Lora 🥲👎

[Natália · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok... is all that I can say about this comic. Nothing super interesting happened here, the coolest thing is the fact that we get to know how the entire crew get together. Lara is on background here, so one more reason to not give this more stars. The character that stands up is the one that I like less, James Whitman, if you played the game you might understand why I (and a bunch of people) don't like him ... I must confess that I turned to be less critically about him concerning his interests and how things happen here, but still I wish I could have seen more from Lara or even the other characters from the crew, Whitman is just not that interesting to carry the focus.

[Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.75

I'm a huge fan of the game franchise so naturally, I had to pick this up.
I see a lot of people hating on this because there's barely any Lara, but I kind of liked that. You get to know Lara through the games and other comics - it's nice that we got a little bit of info on the other characters.
The artwork is really nice.
I would say this is for fans of the franchise, but seeing other reviews I'm not sure... so I'll say that if you want a little more info on the others (just a bit of info) you can read it. Nothing much happens actually so this isn't a 'must-read if you are a fan'. It's just a little comic to flip through as you are waiting for the loading screen to pass.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was only 52 pages; the art style was fine on literally everyone except Lara, and the whole plot was just the cast of characters talking about going on their expedition. This is a prequel to the reboot game, and it literally is just the setup for why their on the quest they're in for the game. So, more of a Meet the Characters than an actual book.

Skip it.

[sana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I played the game 3 or 4 times without knowing this comic even existed, so really, it wasnt necessary. And the art was weird. Even just as an introduction, I can't give this more than 2 stars.

[Nir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is a prelude to a Tomb Raider story but there's 5 pages or so with Lara in it. Great artwork though.

[Sara J. (kefuwa) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I remember really enjoying the TOP COW Tomb Raider comics back in the day. I am not sure whether this is a reboot and how this all fits in Okay so it's a prelude to the new Tomb Raider game (which I haven't played yet) - but I *still* didn't find it engaging at all comparatively. Maybe I just need to play the game. Or it could be just me though - I am 1/3 of the way through Tomb Raider Vol. 1: Season of the Witch though - and I find it much more engaging. Hmm... now I am wondering whether I should play the game first. Would continuing with reading these comics spoil the game for me?

Source: Overdrive

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a year or more since I played Tomb Raider, so the character building done in this volume, while well done all things considered, loses some of its impact since the characters (and their ultimate ends) are lost to memory. Still, the artwork is strong, and the characterizations well portrayed, even for people who are not of major significance to the game. It's told not from Lara's perspective, which is a surprising choice, but ultimately makes a good deal of sense for the story provided. It's a quick read, but much better than the Top Cow Tomb Raider stories I've encountered.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tomb Raider: The Beginning is a short prequel tie in to the 2013 Tomb Raider video game.

The story follows the crew of the Endurance right before they set out on their fateful trip to Yamatai, fleshing out the backstory and motivations of some of Lara's supporting characters.

It's nice padding if you'd like to get to know the Endurance crew, and Lara takes a backseat in this story. Some of the biggest complaints I've seen from people who gave this book a low rating are from people who wanted more Lara, but I actually think her lack of presence in this story is one of the book's biggest strengths.

In a conversation between Lara and her friend Sam, Sam holds a camera up to Lara and says "Are you ready for your close up?", after which Lara says "Don't be silly, Sam. I'm not important". This is an important line going into the game, as Lara discovers who she is and what she's capable of throughout the course of the game. So keeping that in mind, playing her down in this book made sense.

Tomb Raider: The Beginning may be less enjoyable as a stand alone read if you have no context or prior knowledge of Tomb Raider. But I think this is meant to be read as a companion piece, anyway, since it was originally packaged with the game as a Best Buy exclusive for the game's release. So if the story doesn't stand out on its own, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I really liked it.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only started gaming later in life (29), and my entry point into the Tomb Raider series was the 2013 reboot (which inspired the 2018 movie). If I’d been a fan before and read this comic first, it would have doused some cold water in my anticipation. The story is mostly one of funding the expedition that you play in the first game. Not very exciting stuff, and pretty much completely redundant to the game.

I’m always a little harsh on Tomb Raider anyway. Lara is kind of flat compared to the characters of Uncharted or Indiana Jones. The early games (I’ve been playing the first one since the remaster) and Angelina Jolie’s incarnation make her a smirking smoke show. The later entries improve upon the depth of her character, but she can be pretty dour in a way that’s not always interesting. But she’s also basically a side character in a comic where she’s also the title character? There’s virtually nothing about her and it’s such a weird choice. Thankfully, it’s under 60 pages so it’s at least helping me catch up on my reading goal.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was all right. It's really just about a group of people obtaining funding for an archaeological expedition and Lara Croft barely makes an appearance. But even taken out of the context of Tomb Raider it would be pretty interesting. The main character isn't Lara, but a TV host with a failing archaeology series who has lost funding for season three of his show. For some reason he thinks robbing a museum for artifacts is a good way to get money, which seems to imply a basic lack of morals an a complete lack of respect for the historical cultures he supposedly lives for... I guess he's a failure at everything because even that scheme doesn't work out and Lara saves the day - not by using her own vast family fortune, but by begging someone else to pay. lol For some reason I enjoyed this but really I think it was a bit silly.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot Takes:
- Microscopically difficult to follow at the beginning, I kept confusing two characters
+ Easy enough to follow since it just introduces a bunch of characters and a goal
+ Very quick, light read that wraps up nicely
- But cuts off at the best part. And unless you play the game, you have no idea what happens. But that's the point of this little piece.
- Art looks nothing like the cover, but that's not too surprising. It's quite is standard and conventional.
+ ...But there's nothing wrong with that and it's still nice to look at. Errs on the rough side though, but not too much.

Recommendation: Go for it. It won't hurt and if you like what you see, there's more to be found. If you hate it, it goes by quick.

[Jared · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this as an extra in the copy of Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition on the PS4 -- overall, it's a decently put together prequel to the game. It doesn't really illuminate the characters any more than what you get if you play the game and pick up their letters spread throughout the island. In fact, it seems contradictory in that the game makes it look like Sam is the one who wants to discover Yamatai and Lara is just along for the ride, but in here it's the opposite. Of course, that could be me misinterpreting things said in the game.

[Saravanan Mani · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average prequel that unfortunately focuses too much on the least interesting character - Whitman. Though Jonah, Grim and Roth have decent moments, it would have been an interesting opportunity to learn more about them. Reyes gets a nice backstory and two supporting characters. Overall, it sounds too much like an obvious prelude - it would have been more enjoyable to tell an interesting standalone story for the fifty plus pages.

[Jordan MacKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the beginning of Lara's story! Although I now feel the need to go replay the game so I better understand things and who the people are. I just love when a character becomes then just a plot devices. Especially when they take the time to create backstories and depth to them. It is so refreshing and i am looking forward to reading the rest of her story !

[Ema · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essa HQ conta o prelúdio da primeira expedição de Lara Croft, trazendo um pouco da história dos personagens que fizeram parte da equipe do Endurance. A história termina logo antes do início do jogo de 2013.

Foi uma comic super curta, não faz diferença saber dela antes de jogar o jogo e o pior de tudo é que a Lara só apareceu em umas 5 páginas!

[BookishDramas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been a fan of the games, the graphic novels and the movies featuring Anjelina Jolie as Lara Croft and enjoyed the reboot too.
This book which predated a new game is an ok starting point story but basically spills nothing in its 50+ pages which took me less than an hours time to read and never anything engrossing.
The art is ok.

[Patience Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad to say I was very disappointed with this.. I’ve been addicted to the reboot Tomb Raider games again recently, and when I discovered this graphic novel I jumped on the chance to read it. But, it was kind of dull.. had it’s good moments too though.

[The Lost Dreamer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simplistic in every possible way. I'm quite into the Lara Croft's videogames recently, but these comics are not worth even the greatest fan's time. The writing is boring and it really doesn't ad anything to the story. The artwork is absolute average. A shame. Stick to the videogames

[Michael Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean it’s alright, and gives some more background for the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot but it’s otherwise unremarkable and certainly inessential.

[Xavfro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but just introducing the characters, nothing extra not that fun to read

[Giselle ♡.*ﾞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nada mal para ser la primera vez que leo un cómic. No tengo con qué comparar.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the script was pretty good (though there were some bits of the plot I personally didn't care for), the art was lacking.