As Tomb Raider prepares to return to consoles in March, Dark Horse and Crystal Dynamics have announced a comic-book homecoming for Lara Croft beginning with the video-game prequel Tomb Raider: The Beginning.

Written by game scribe Rhianna Pratchett and illustrated by Nicolas Daniel Selma and Andrea Mutti, the 48-page, six-part hardcover omnibus "follows the story of how the crew came together for The Endurance's fateful mission to discover the lost Japanese kingdom of Yamatai. Originally intended to feature as the latest installment of Dr. James Whitman's successful archaeology show, Whitman's World, the show-biz archaeologist gets more than he bargained for when he enlists the help of Captain Conrad Roth. As Roth's unique and eccentric crew gradually come together and share their stories and secrets, the expedition faces unexpected threats before it's even begun."

The Beginning will be available as a bonus when players pre-order Tomb Raider at Best Buy. Details of the new series are promised following the March 5 release of the game.

"The bold new vision of the game demanded we bring an equally fresh approach to the comics," Dark Horse editor Dave Marshall said in a statement. “We’re excited for Tomb Raider fans to experience a new side of Lara Croft as they accompany her on the earliest parts of her first adventure.”

Lara Croft previously appeared in a series of Tomb Raider comics published between 1999 and 2005 by Top Cow Productions.