Tomb Raider #8
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The good
Assertive Lara seems here to stay. Story build up and mysterious organization being given a name along with hints about how Kaz came on their radar
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The bad
Relative lack of action during story build up and clearer answers
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The ugly
- Total score
Tomb Raider #8 has Lara continuing her search for Alex’s sister, Kaz, not far from the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. She reflects on Alex’s life, and in particular, when she had to jump into the sea to rescue him so he wouldn’t drown. He didn’t intend to end up in the water as he was attempting to install wi-fi on the ship for everyone before this unfortunate accident. This was during fun times, and everyone on the ship got involved in some way as it became a humorous moment. But Lara could relate to part of him since she could recall a time in her life when she was awkward. She might’ve saved his life that day but her last memories of him was when he saved everyone else on the island so they could eventually escape. This is why she didn’t hesitate to come to this devastated land in search of Kaz. She doesn’t have a clue why Kaz would travel to this area but it’s not as deserted as she would have thought. However, that’s not necessarily a good thing since she’s being watched by a heavily armed group, and she’s unaware of this fact. Can Lara locate Kaz before it’s too late or is there a true reason why Kaz is here that would prevent them from leaving until the task is done?
I enjoyed the start of this story arc last issue and was excited about Lara exploring new territory with her restored assertiveness. And the hunt for Kaz was very intriguing with the different players in motion with all different motives. This issue did open up with another flashback but considering it supplied a little background to Lara and Alex’s relationship and why she would look for Kaz, it was cool. And the writing seamlessly segwayed back into Lara’s current situation and even gave more context to the city in an enjoyable manner. And when it was shown that Lara was being followed, and not just by friendly deer, I was excited again but this time about how things would unfold and what Lara would do. And some answers would be given when Lara found Kaz but the overall picture would still be muddy. What would be revealed about Kaz’s backstory captured my attention, and added to what has been an engrossing story so far. No real information would be given about the organization hunting Kaz but enough hints were given to discern at least the type of skills she possessed to put her in that predicament. And so the fact that there was a relative lack of action this issue would have been better if more answers were given. And with the artwork now I really enjoy the action sequences so the few movements and panels here were impressive. And it’s not just the action sequences but even the environment, which contributed to the quieter scenes being enjoyable. However, the pacing in this issue and the interesting way things were laid out gives me confidence that the build up will be rewarded throughout this story arc. And based on the conclusion it’s pretty safe to say some of those answers will start to come next issue.
SUMMARY
Tomb Raider #8 is a solid continuation for the new story arc with the mystery behind Kaz being targeted by a ruthless organization deepening with enough hints to keep it intriguing. I’m enjoying Lara’s assertiveness being back and I’m still excited about the potential in this story arc and her involvement with Kaz and the organization. And the artwork is impressive, and the deliberate pace of this issue benefits from that. I would like to see at some point every flashback not being related to the ship or island but overall it worked here. So I’m looking forward to seeing Lara in action next issue and what unfolds.
Release Date: 9/24/14
Writer: Rhianna Pratchett, Gail Simone
Artist: Derlis Santacruz
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