Valerian: The New Future Trilogy

    (iBooks, 2004)
™ and © 2004 Dargaud

Valerian and Laureline once were the greatest troubleshooters for Galaxity, a 28th century organization dedicated to establishing peace and justice throughout time and space. But, without warning, Galaxity disappears, forcing the heroes into their greatest adventure: trying to make a living.

Fans of bandes dessinées (French comics) have been disappointed in the past by their American editions, and, while there are some who’ll complain about ibooks starting with more recent stories rather than beginning at the beginning, they’ve done an outstanding job of translating Valerian. It’s a jaunty series that’s Flash Gordon (the Dan Barry comic-strip version from the ’50s and ’60s) with a Rockford Files attitude toward the SF genre.

While the art is lively and expressive, it’s the characters that make this one special. The taciturn Valerian comes off like a depressed David Duchovny, always playing straight man to his partner in all things, Laureline (think Alyson Hannigan). Smart, funny and principled, she’s that rarest of European SF heroines: She manages to hold onto both her clothes and dignity.

— S. A. Bennett
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