Judging by earlier issues of Journeys, Avery seems to have a handle on the basic approach of Tomb Raider, which is light but not silly, adventurous but not empty-headed and most importantly fun. The story in this particular issue veers into the silly a couple of times, and lacks substance, but overall the cute idea of Lara, her old friend Tony Blair and her new friend Winston Churchill hanging around the home of the Prime Minister was almost enough to keep me interested. A shame I can't say the same for the artwork, which is passable but has a weakness with likenesses that cripples a book based on the idea of such well-known personalities sharing the same space.
Despite my better instincts, I like Lara Croft as a character. A well-educated adventurer with a body to kill for has always interested me, but I like her as much for what she represents for women as what she represents for men. She's an Indiana Jones for the female set, a positive female role model, as much as she can be a sex object, and Avery's take on the character emphasizes Lara Croft's intelligence and skills rather than her more, er, well known assets. I found it delightful that Lara is the lead in this book, despite being in the presence of two of the more powerful men in the world, past and present.
Indeed, though I doubt this rendition of Tony Blair is any closer to reality than Priest's intelligent version of George W. Bush in Black Panther, I like seeing these people turn up as characters in comics if they're used well. Giving Lara Croft an excuse to run around such a well-known locale seems a good use of Blair, and though it is almost too goofy, I have to admit to having a soft spot for the ghost of Winston Churchill giving Lara Croft a Mission: Impossible style briefing.
Unfortunately, while artistic license is always fair in creating stories, it seems that in this particular story, some ability to draw likenesses would have been useful. Mota and Clark do a rendition of Churchill and Blair that doesn't seem based in even the slightest on either man, and thus it's hard to really get a sense of who they are, even when the script is telling us. More importantly, the familiar and likable look of Lara Croft is gone, and she appears to be a generic babe, with none of the distinguishing features that have made her so well-loved. Half the fun of this story, and most of the point, is in seeing three famous figures together, but the art doesn't carry that sense of fun.
Unlike most issues of Journeys, this one is not a complete story in and of itself. In fact, Avery pads the story a bit, using an entire issue where a prologue in the issue probably would have done, and the conflict in the book is actually non-existent. There's plenty of promise of adventure, but there's not much actual plot delivered in this issue. Perhaps the next issue will be a bit more complete, and perhaps it will once again see the return of a recognizable Lara Croft.
