[amazon_link asins=’B077V17W57′ template=’AiPTProductAd’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’93ee2f4c-e5ae-11e7-b225-4d73bffc7aa9′]
Tomb Raider: Survivor’s Crusade #2 really amps things up in this latest installment of the new Dark Horse Series.
We start out in the present-day at Live and Let Fry, Jonah’s chipper in England. Lara has just arrived back from Cinque Terre with the Cross of Stars after defeating Trinity there and learning of the Cardinal. She’s come to visit her friend and ask for his assistance in destroying the Cardinal, avenging the death of her father, and ending Trinity once and for all. It is in this moment that Jonah confronts Lara about why they really went to Thailand a month earlier. The issue then goes into a flashback where Lara talks Jonah into going to Thailand to get away and clear his head after he almost died in Siberia and was saved by an immortal. Her true motivation, however, is to find the Temple of Buddha Receiving. She claims to have found it with modern-day tech using satellites and says that she is only interested in a fun treasure hunt.
The two climb the exterior of the temple and make their way through the treacherous trap laden interior. Inside they discover that they are not the first to enter this temple, as Lara triggers a tripwire, causing the entire temple to fall in on itself. As her and Jonah flee to escape certain death, Lara apologizes to him and breaks off to pursue the true reason she came. Lara falls deeper and deeper down into the temple, landing in a giant pool of water. As she emerges from the shore of this underground lake she finds what she came looking for, Trinity. The members of Trinity unfortunately are dead, buried under the rubble of their own trap, and can provide no real answers to why they were there. In the hand of a dead soldier, Lara finds a small corner torn off from a map with a location marked by an “X.” That location is Cinque Terre. The issue ends in the present day back at Live or Let Fry, with Jonah upset at Lara feeling deceived and used by her. He tries to reach out to her and tell her that she will lose herself if she continues with this crusade. Jonah then asks her to come inside, have a few drinks, and let the past die. Already knowing Lara’s answer, as she walks off into the night rain to continue her pursuit of Trinity, his last words to her are “goodbye little bird.”
The writing in this issue is wonderful. Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly do an excellent job of showing us the dynamic between Lara and Jonah. It really helps the reader understand why Lara had such difficulty leaving Jonah that apology voicemail in the previous issue. They tie up some loose ends between the two of them helping Lara move forward, yet alone, on her quest for vengeance against Trinity.
Ashley A. Woods does a beautiful job yet again with the artwork. The tombs, traps, and action sequences in the temple are dazzling and exciting. It is very reminiscent of the original Tomb Raider game for PlayStation. The artwork on this issue really captures the danger and excitement but also the emotion between Lara and Jonah. Michael Atiyeh’s colorings once more are bright and vibrantly complement the artwork perfectly. The look of this issue really pulls this new series into the world of Tomb Raider.
[amazon_link asins=’B077V17W57′ template=’BottomAdAIPT’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’9b1823cd-e5ae-11e7-a7c6-5d96ab800e82′]
Although this issue is more of a backstory than anything else, it does connect the series with the last video game from the franchise and brings the two together seamlessly
It is visually appealing as well as exciting and emotional, both with the story and the art work. I highly recommend this issue to any fans of the video game franchise or the comic book series that have come before it. The premiere issue was good, but this issue really gets me excited for the future of the series and this particular story.
Overall I highly recommend this issue to Tomb Raider fans or anyone interested in the franchise, whether it be the video game series or the comic book series. It addresses a lot of the questions and issues from the premiere issue and gets the reader excited for what is to come in the ones to follow.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.