Tomb Radier: Sacred Artifacts #1 is written by Casey Gilly and published by Dark Horse. Artwork is by Antonio Di Caprio, colours by Eren Angiolini and letters by Andworld Design. Main cover art (left) is by Taurin Clarke.
Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts #1 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Adventurer, archaeologist, socialite, survivor…legend. Lara Croft’s life is anything but boring! She’s survived a shipwreck, betrayal, ancient traps, prophecies, and paparazzi.
When Croft Manor goes up in flames, it forces Lara to take stock of her life and figure out what was important to her. But a confrontation with a mysterious foe who has gotten their hands on a dangerous and familiar artifact provides some clarity as it launches Lara on a cross-continental journey doing what she does best…raiding tombs and questing for legendary relics.
Review
Prepare to enter the Croft-renaissance. After a lengthy absence from comics and with only remastered games releasing in stores, Lara Croft has mostly been absent from pop culture for much of the last decade. But all that is about to change. With two new games on the way and a live-action series coming to Prime Video the Tomb Raider franchise is on the up. Before all of that, Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer writer Casey Gilly is bringing Lara back to comics for a four-part adventure with connections to the past and the future.
The road ahead is a long one. Lara first rose to prominence in the era of Cool Britannia, becoming an overnight cover star. But with no new comic books in almost a decade and no new video game since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider fans have been starved of new adventures. The franchise recently earned two world records: the best-selling video game heroine of all time with over 100 million units sold and for the most magazine covers for a video game character with over 2,300 by April 2025. The legacy is undeniable. Now it’s just time for Lara to prove she’s still got what it takes.
That idea of legacy is something which clearly matters to Gilly. Sacred Artifacts has ties to both 2009’s Tomb Raider: Underworld and the legendary Tomb Raider 2 from 1997. Lara’s latest writer finds a nimble way to break in to the story following the near-destruction of Croft Manor. What easier way to reintroduce Lara is there than by bringing a TV crew to her house? It immediately opens up the narrative to allow our heroine to retell parts of her story and set the scene swiftly and effectively.
Gilly enters the world of Tomb Raider at a turning point affectionately labelled by fans as Unified Lara. For the uninitiated this is a conscious effort by Lara’s creators to honour her past. The initial run of six games featured a specific backstory for Lara. The Survivor Trilogy updated her backstory in 2013 when it reintroduced the character to a new audience. Moving forward into this year’s Legacy of Atlantis and next year’s Catalyst, Lara’s history will feature elements from both timelines. Gilly capitalizes on that for Sacred Artifacts. The foundations feel solid and seeing the connections instantly cements this series’ place in Tomb Raider canon.
Admittedly as a long-time fan since 1996, I was excited just to have a new Tomb Raider story in my hands. But Gilly’s embrace of Lara’s wealth and philanthropy alongside the difficulty of her past experiences was gripping. The strength of character built in the Survivor Trilogy stands shoulder to shoulder with her extravagant origins for the first time and it works well. Despite still featuring some tomb raiding action, this first issue functions more as a reintroduction of the character and in that respect it’s faultless.
Whilst Gilly has one eye on the past the other is firmly on the future. Sacred Artifacts #1 sets up a new villain, The Postulant, ready for future issues. As this is a four-part series the pacing has no choice but to be brisk. That being said there’s no rush to explore who The Postulant is – be it a single person or a group – rather instead using issue #1 to setup their intent. It strikes a pleasing balance for the opening issue. Teeing up plenty of intrigue as the story moves from setup to action.
The series combines artist Antonio Di Caprio with colourist Eren Angiolini and letterer Andworld Design. Through its games Tomb Raider already has a well established visual language. So Di Caprio is somewhat beholden to character design in that respect. But by introducing a new villain they’re still able to find moments of originality amongst bringing the world of Tomb Raider back to life. Lara’s classic costume feels like the perfect mix of old and new which reflects the balance that Gilly has found in the storytelling. The Tomb Raider games were never strikingly colourful in the beginning and became even less so during the Survivor era. Angiolini taps in to a very real-world level of colour which fits well with the overall style.
Verdict
Just like heroine Lara Croft, writer Casey Gilly has been able to unearth the sweet spot between legacy and adventure. Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts starts strong by honouring nearly three decades of franchise history whilst simultaneously setting up a new chapter which feels ready to snare a whole new generation of fans.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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