Tomb Raider Comics
The Tomb Raider Comics are or were published by several different comic publishers, the most noteworthy being Top Cow, who produced close to 100 different issues and Dark Horse, who have taken on the post-reboot (Tomb Raider (2013)) storyline in their currently running comic series.
Contents
Publishers and Comics
Glenat
Before any decision was reached about who gets the rights to publish Tomb Raider comics, Eidos France gave French publisher Glenat the OK to publish comics. They published a comic called Dark Eons but not until March 1999. This comic was quickly taken off the market as at this points rights for the Tomb Raider comics lay with American publisher Top Cow.
Comics
- A French comic taken off the market.
Top Cow
After a long struggle for the rights, Top Cow got the deal to publish the official Tomb Raider Comics.
Top Cow's first venture into the Tomb Raider multiverse was in 1997 when they published a Witchblade/Tomb Raider crossover. In 1999 Lara Croft got her first own series with Tomb Raider: The Series Vol. 1.
Comics
- The first comic published by Top Cow was a crossover between Tomb Raider and their well-established Witchblade series. This issue came out in December 1997.
- Following the release of the first crossover, Top Cow published a second crossover a year later, in December 1998.
- Tomb Raider: The Series Vol. 1 (1999-2005)
- Tomb Raider: The Series Vol. 1 ran from December 1999 to March 2005 and consists of 50 issues.
- Tomb Raider Origins (2000)
- A one-shot Tomb Raider comic from 2000.
- The Tomb Raider Gallery (2000)
- A single comic issue from 2000 containing favourite images from the Top Cow comics.
- Tomb Raider: Journeys Vol. 1 (2001-2003)
- The 12 issue miniseries Journeys ran from January 2001 to May 2003.
- 2001 saw the release of another crossover, with this Tomb Raider / The Darkness Special, republished in April 2005 in The Darkness and Tomb Raider Vol. 1, Issue 1.
- Top Cow 2001 Preview Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2001-2005)
- In 2001 a preview to the ambitious Tomb Raider The Greatest Treasure of All was published.
- Fathom Vol. 1 (2002)
- In early 2002 Lara Croft appeared in three issues of the Fathom comic series.
- A one-shot Tomb Raider comic from 2003, republished in April 2005 in Witchblade and Tomb Raider Vol. 1, Issue 1.
- Tomb Raider: Ephiphany is a one-shot comic published in August 2003.
- A one-shot Tomb Raider comic from January 2004.
- Tomb Raider: Takeover is a one-shot comic published in January 2004.
- Tomb Raider: Arabian Nights is a one-shot comic published in August 2004.
- Monster War (2005)
- Monster War is a four-part comic crossover between The Magdalena, Dracula, Tomb Raider, The Wolf-Men, Witchblade, Frankenstein, The Darkness and Mr. Hyde.
- The Tomb Raider / Witchblade / Magdalena / Vampirella crossover was published in August 2005.
- October 2005 finally saw the release of the full version of Tomb Raider: The Greatest Treasure of All.
- Tomb Raider Cover Gallery (2006)
- A single comic issue from 2006 containing all Covers of the Top Cow Tomb Raider comics to date.
- Tomb Raider: The Series Vol. 2 (2007 planned, never launched)
- The second volume was planned to launch in 2007, after the release of Tomb Raider Legend, but it never came.
Dark Horse
In 2013 the rights for publishing Tomb Raider Comics were given to Dark Horse, who published Tomb Raider: The Beginning, a prequel to the reboot game Tomb Raider (2013) and their comic series Tomb Raider.
Comics
- Tomb Raider: The Beginning (2013)
- This one-shot game prequel to Tomb Raider (2013) was published 5 March 2013.
- The Tomb Raider series by Dark Horse follows the storyline established in the reboot. The first issue was published on 26 February 2014 and the last on 29 July 2015.
- The series Lara Croft and the Frozen Omen follows the storyline established in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris and Lara Croft: Relic Run. The first issue was published on 7 October 2015.
- The second Tomb Raider Series by Dark Horse has been published starting in February 2016.
- Announced in July 2017 this third series by Dark Horse will be published starting November 2017.
- The series continues Lara's search for answers to her father's death after the events in Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Characters
Top Cow
- Main article: Characters (Top Cow Comics)
Dark Horse
- Main article: Characters (Dark Horse Comics)
Artefacts
Top Cow
- Main article: Artefacts (Top Cow Comics)
Dark Horse
- Main article: Artefacts (Dark Horse Comics)
