TOMB RAIDER: SACRED ARTIFACTS #1 / Script by CASEY GILLY / Art by ANTONIO DI CAPRIO / Colors by EREN ANGIOLINI / Letters by ANDWORLD DESIGN / Cover by TAURIN CLARKE / Published by DARK HORSE COMICS

Confession: I’ve never played a Tomb Raider game, nor read many Tomb Raider comics.

I am familiar with the character of Lara Croft, of course, having been a PC Gamer back in the 1990s. And I’m aware there was a reboot that made the franchise into something more like survival horror than an action movie. But I skipped them, as I am more into RPGs than action/survival games. I also skipped the comics as the Top Cow series seemed more concerned with sexy art than solid stories.

Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts #1 is something else entirely.

This first issue acts as an introduction to the character of Lara Croft. To the world at large, she’s a rich heiress with a large mansion, a loyal butler, and an interest in philanthropy. In secret, however, she gets more hands-on in her archeology work than most would believe. Effectively, the only difference between Lara Croft and Bruce Wayne is Lara doesn’t cosplay as a bat when she works.

Recent events have seen Lady Croft staying out of the limelight, after her ancestral home nearly burned down. In her first interview in over a year, she claims she’s been soul-searching and seeking a new direction. In truth, she’s hunting a new artifact, and contesting with a new enemy.

The script by Casey Gilly does a good job of establishing Lara’s character for newcomers and the status quo for those trying to figure out where to place this on the Tomb Raider timeline. Apparently there’s some debate as to whether or not the original games and reboot share a universe and some of the media tie-ins are trying to reconcile them. I can’t attest as to how well Gilly does this, but I found this story an enjoyable bit of pulp action.

The artwork, alas, is not quite as good. Antonio Di Caprio is a fine artist in close-ups and profile shots. However, his style loses definition past the middle distance. There are some shots of Lara giving a tour of her mansion that lack definition and seem over-inked.

These moments are few and far between, however. Thankfully, most of the issue scans quite well. Oddly, the best artwork in the issue is the later action sequences, where Di Caprio’s use of shading and shadowing is astounding.

The color art by Eren Angiolini is wonderfully varied. Of particular note are the subtle palette shifts in the fight scenes, with brighter colors accenting the action. Andworld Design is also notable for placing the dialogue balloons in such a way so as to not obscure the artwork at all.

I can’t say how well Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts #1 will satisfy fans of the franchise. As a relative newcomer to Tomb Raider, however, I found this to be a welcome starting point. I believe this book will be a perfect entry point into Lara Croft’s adventures for comic readers and non-gamers.

Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on January 14, 2026.