Having reduced legions of console games players to wide-eyed, slobbering wretches, Lara Croft, the voluptuous star of the staggeringly successful
Tomb Raider computer game, now makes a triumphant debut in comics. The good news is that Ms Croft's epic and explosive antics are perfectly suited to the printed page, brilliantly conveying its enticing mix of Indiana Jones-style thrills and breathless action. And, for those concerned with important details, artist Andy Park has ensured that this incarnation of Lara is just as "anatomically dynamic" as her pixellated counterpart.
The Saga of the Medusa Mask collects the first four-issue series, in which Lara and her faithful butler Harcourt embark on a search for the fabled Medusa Mask, supposedly worn by the mythical monster herself. Danger, of course, lurks in every corner and even the most unexpected place of all. Dan Jurgens (
Superman) has written a clean, fast-paced adventure, superbly realised by Park, which works very much like a James Bond film. With exotic locales and bold action sequences, Lara has ample opportunity to behave absurdly heroically, guns blazing in each hand, in classic Bond/Indy fashion. So, this is an excellent, undemanding read and will certainly increase anticipation for the forthcoming film adaptation. --
Danny Graydon
