Tomb Raider, Witchblade, Magdalena and Vampirella.
Issue #1 (August 2005)
Regular Cover - Billy Tan (50% of print run) $2.99
Regular Cover - Joyce Chin (25% of print run) $2.99
Regular Cover - Art Adams (25% of print run) $2.99
Tomb Raider: Sphere of Influence [Writer, Kevin McCarthy; Artist, Joyce Chin]
Lara Croft rescues a young girl's doll from some bullies. The girl gives Lara the doll saying she doesn't need it anymore as she intends to be a brave, strong woman like Lara.Later, at an auction, Lara buys an artifact in a bidding war with another woman. As she leaves the other woman's henchmen approach Lara who fights them off. During the struggle the artifact is broken. The woman intervenes and explains that the artifact has trapped her daughter's soul and it has to be returned to free her daughter. Lara agrees to help and returns the only undamaged part of the artifact, a gemstone.
Nothing happens, and Lara realises that the gem needs a "host" so she uses the doll she was given at the start of the story and the daughter is saved.
Convergence [Writer, Gail Simone; Artist, Joyce Chin] (from Witchblade/ Magdalena/ Vampirella #1)
Released by Top Cow and Image Comics, this thirty two page comic features all four characters in two black and white stories illustrated (extremely well) by Joyce Chin.
OK, fair enough, there is a Tomb Raider story, but the Witchblade, Magdalena and Vampirella story is a reprint of a year old comic. Not only that but the cover artwork for two of the three issues has already been used on the Witchblade/ Magdalena/ Vampirella series!
I can't be sure (as I do not collect Tomb Raider comics - though I have enjoyed both the games and the films), but the Tomb Raider story may be a repeat as well.
Add these three cover variants to the dozen or so from the Witchblade/ Magdalena/ Vampirella series and the poor impoverished Vampirella collector has a whole bundle of comics to buy for one story!
Value for money or mugging the punter?