Sadly, Square Enix hasn’t put out any single-player story-centric DLC for this year’s reboot of Tomb Raider So fans who enjoyed playing through Lara Croft’s re-imagined origin story have been out of luck as far as seeing her continued evolution. But a new Dark Horse comics series due out later this year on 02/26/14 will be revealing what’s next for the newest iteration of one of gaming’s most recognizable heroines.
https://kotaku.com/tomb-raider-the-kotaku-review-5986619
Comics luminary Gail Simoneâwho’s written stellar runs for Wonder Woman, Deadpool and Batgirlâwill be working on the new Tomb Raider series. She’ll be at Dark Horse’s Art of Video Games panel at Comic-Con at 4:00 p.m. today but was kind enough to answer a few questions over e-mail about her love of Lara Croft.
Kotaku: I interviewed Greg Rucka recently and it sounds like damn near everyone in his house plays video games. How much gaming is happening in your household?
https://kotaku.com/comics-writer-greg-rucka-will-cut-a-throat-to-work-on-m-504799342
Simone: Oh, a pathetic, disturbing amount. I have virtually every video game system released in the U.S. in the past couple of decades and several imports. I have a mint condition Vectrex on my desk next to my computer.
When I am really, truly struck on a script, I play games for a while to sort of start unthinking, to make up a terrible word, about that storyâŚthat little break has saved many a plot in the past.
In particular, I love fighting games, third-person adventure games, RPGs, and puzzle/strategy games. I have to be careful about sims and MMOs because I can get a bit addicted, and then itâs more of a liability than an asset.
Kotaku: The new Tomb Raider game reboots Lara Croft and her world in a much darker vein, with elements of horror providing much of the tension. How are the new comics going to reflect that?
https://kotaku.com/the-hardcore-horror-flick-that-turns-up-in-tomb-raider-5989988
Simone: I chose to do this series solely because I loved the game so much, so weâre definitely keeping the tone of the game. Iâve always loved the classic, cool Lara Croft, but this feels like her origin story, like weâre seeing her before she becomes the icon, and itâs very compelling to me.
The storytelling in the game hooked me instantly. The biggest difference is, the game told a claustrophobic story in an isolated setting. We are going globetrotting.
Kotaku: When does this series take place with respect to the events of the new game? Will this still be a new Lara who’s just starting out as an adventurer?
Simone: Very much so, we start just a few weeks after the end of the game, and this is all in continuity, it will be Tomb Raider canon, and lead DIRECTLY into the sequel. This is what got me excited; we get to be part of Lara Croft history.
Kotaku: The first Tomb Raider games donât give Lara much motivation for doing what she does. She existed to be controlled and looked at. What do you see as Laraâs core defining trait? What drives her to do what she does?
Simone: Itâs true that the earliest games didnât really give deeply emotional motives to the characters, but damn, they were fun. And groundbreaking in several ways.
The way I see Lara now is, sheâs not after treasure. Sheâs not really after thrills. Sheâs a questioner, sheâs an explorer. She wants answers.
The thing is, sheâs completely unstoppable. Thatâs what I love. Everyone underestimates her, and that is a terrible mistake to make.
Simone: “All weâre doing here is showing the journeyâhow does a British schoolgirl become this adventure icon, this magnificent, dangerous woman?”
Kotaku: What’s one thing about Lara’s previous iterations that annoyed you or puzzled you? Will there be a way for you to resolve that in writing this new title?
https://kotaku.com/why-the-new-tomb-raider-works-5987067
Simone: I donât really feel any need to remove myself from the previous versions of Lara. When youâre a video game fan, like I am, and suddenly you have a great game with a female lead who kicks a ton of ass and has James Bond levels of coolâŚthatâs a big deal, and thatâs what I felt playing those first Tomb Raider games. I had a blast playing them. I suppose some might complain about cheesecake, but I never felt thatâs what Lara was about at her core.
All weâre doing here is showing the journeyâhow does a British schoolgirl become this adventure icon, this magnificent, dangerous woman?
Kotaku: Has there been anything that you’ve been able to do while writing Tomb Raider that you wouldn’t get away with on, say, Batgirl or your other regular writing assignments?
Simone: Well, yeah, I love to travel. My job is wonderful because I am invited around the world to conventions and speaking engagements, and I meet this amazing variety of people and cultures. I was just at a Maori town that is built on a platform of boiling hot natural gas springs that geyser upâŚthey cook their food in iron boxes over this sulfurous gas and itâs around them in every direction.
I love Gotham City, but I would never get to talk about this sort of thing in Batgirl. Our Lara goes everywhere and does everything.
Kotaku: Have you spoken to Rhianna Pratchett and the other creators who worked on the most recent Tomb Raider game? What was the big takeaway from those talks?
Simone: I absolutely have, and what a joy it is to count her as a friend, now. She is simply an astonishing storytellerâŚthe writing in the Tomb Raider game is so natural and believable and convincing, you really feel Laraâs pain and struggle. A lot of that is pure Rhianna.
https://kotaku.com/the-tomb-raider-prequel-comic-puts-lara-croft-on-a-tv-s-5980624
I loved her work so much I have asked her to participate with me on a comics mini-series, Legends of Red Sonja. Sheâs been an invaluable and remarkably generous ally in this. And her writing has a message of commitment and integrity to the characters.
To contact the author of this post, write to [email protected] or find him on Twitter @EvNarc
