No one can deny the comely Lara Croft character plays a key role in the popularity of the Tomb Raider game, comic series, figures, et. al.  Certainly the makers of this summer's film know how to tap into the heart of the property's powerful iconography.  The latest advance film poster featuring Angelina Jolie is surely destined to decorate thousands of bedrooms and dorms throughout the world.  This stunning design is available from Scorpio Posters and will be included in many of next month's distributors' catalogs including Diamond's Previews.  When retailers think about movie-licensed merchandise, they often refer to toys and figures, which often carry the most risk of price competition from other channels.  Comics, books, posters and trading cards are often safer bets, especially in cases like Tomb Raider, where the visual component of the property is very strong.

 

Inkworks card image

 

In addition to obvious choices such as this bodacious poster, Top Cow is creating a comic adaptation of the Tomb Raider movie along with its continuing Tomb Raider title.  The wealth of great visual material also should work to the advantage of Inkworks, the manufacturer of the Tomb Raider trading cards.  With literally thousands of great images to choose from, this series should be a real knockout. 
 
 

The movie is going to be backed by a major promotional campaign (see 'Tomb Raider Campaign Set'), and in addition to the paper goods will have a line of licensed toys from Playmate (see 'Playmates Toy Preview').