Tomb Raider: Spore

Legend tells of a mushroom able to grant immortality, and Lara Croft is hot on its trail. Unfortunately for her, so is the shadowy Knighthood of the Dark Spore. Croft must weave her way through mythic and mundane places as the Knighthood uses every trick in its bag to stop her. Celebrated scribe Tamaki (This One Summer) writes a delightfully prickly Croft who chafes against the dress codes academia imposes upon her and sits at the bottom of Olympic pools to test her lung capacity. Her pragmatism grounds what is otherwise a fairly standard adventure to mysterious lands full of legendary artifacts; one might not care about the fell machinations at work, but Croft herself is a heroine one can’t help but root for. Sevy’s artwork is bright and dynamic, setting a breakneck pace for scenes of action through inventive panel layouts. Though the book is mostly of interest to those already invested in Lara’s world, it gets the job done. (Nov.)