List of Valérian and Laureline books
This is a list of all of the official Valérian and Laureline books. Each story was written by Pierre Christin, drawn by Jean-Claude Mézières and coloured by Evelyn Tran-Lé.
Albums
Every Valérian adventure from Bad Dreams to The Wrath of Hypsis was first serialised in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote. The first story to be collected in comic album format was The City of Shifting Waters which was numbered "1" in the series. When Bad Dreams was eventually collected as an album, it was given the number "0" to reflect its position as the debut adventure in the series. The dates given in the following list are the year of first publication of each story in album format:
| Order | English title | French title | Serialised in Pilote | Album published | French edition ISBN | English edition ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Bad Dreams | Les Mauvais Rêves | Issues 420 (9 November 1967) to 434 (15 February 1968) | 1983 | 978-2205078190 | – |
| When a rogue technocrat called Xombul sabotages Galaxity's Dream Service and flees into the Middle Ages, spatio-temporal agent Valérian is ordered to follow and apprehend him. | ||||||
| 1 | The City of Shifting Waters | La Cité des eaux mouvantes | Serialised in two parts. Part 1: La Cité des Eaux Mouvantes (The City of the Moving Waters), Issues 455 (25 July 1968) to 468 (24 October 1968). Part 2: Terre en Flammes (Earth In Flames) in Issues 492 (10 April 1969) to 505 (10 July 1969) | 1970 | 978-2205077452 | 978-1849180382 |
| Xombul escapes from prison and flees into the past to 1986, a time when a great catastrophe has caused the polar ice cap to melt. Searching the flooded streets of New York for Xombul, Valérian encounters sinister robots ransacking the archives of the United Nations. | ||||||
| 2 | Empire of a Thousand Planets | L'Empire des mille planètes | Issues 520 (23 October 1969) to 541 (19 March 1970) | 1971 | 978-2205046229 | 978-1849180870 |
| Valérian and Laureline are ordered to investigate Syrte-the-Magnificent, capital of the Empire of a Thousand Planets. Who are the mysterious Authorities and what is the dark secret at the heart of the empire? | ||||||
| 3 | World Without Stars | Le Pays sans étoile | Issues 570 (8 October 1970) to 592 (11 March 1971) | 1972 | 978-2205046236 | 978-1849181181 |
| A rogue planet, Zahir, threatens the newly formed Earth colonies on Uxbar. Travelling to Zahir, Valérian and Laureline discover a hollow planet ravaged by a never ending war of the sexes. Both sides must be reunited if catastrophe is to be averted. | ||||||
| 4 | Welcome to Alflolol | Bienvenue sur Alflolol | Issues 632 (16 December 1971) to 653 (11 May 1972) | 1972 | 978-2205046519 | 978-1849181334 |
| Earth's industrial colony Technorog is thrown into chaos when the planet's indigenous population suddenly turns up and claim their home, which they call Alflolol, back. Valérian and Laureline must find a way to enable the natives and the colonists to live together in harmony. | ||||||
| 5 | Birds of the Master | Les Oiseaux du Maître | Issues 710 (14 June 1973) to 722 (6 September 1973) | 1973 | 978-2205046595 | 978-1849181525 |
| Crash landing on a strange planet, Valérian and Laureline are enslaved by the minions of the mysterious Master and his terrifying Birds-of-Madness. | ||||||
| 6 | Ambassador of the Shadows | L'Ambassadeur des Ombres | Issues M14 (1 July 1975) to M17 (1 October 1975) | 1975 | 978-2205046663 | 978-1849181785 |
| While on a diplomatic protection mission, Earth's ambassador to Point Central, the vast space-station that acts as a meeting place for all the races of the cosmos, is abducted along with Valerian. Laureline travels from section to section of Point Central in search of the kidnappers. | ||||||
| 7 | On the False Earths | Sur les terres truquées | Issues M31 (30 November 1976) to M34 (1 March 1977) | 1977 | 978-2205046410 | 978-1849181907 |
| India, the 19th century, Valérian, acting as a soldier in the French Company of the Indies is part of a force attacking a Jain fort. Entering the temple inside the fort, Valérian finds an alien communications device. Reporting back to Laureline, he is surprised and shot, he plunges into a river and then straight out into space. Laureline looks on in horror – this is the 206th time she has watched Valérian die... | ||||||
| 8 | Heroes of the Equinox | Les Héros de l’équinoxe | Issues M47 (21 March 1978) to M50 (27 June 1978) | 1978 | 978-2205046380 | 978-1849182133 |
| Valérian competes, as Earth's representative, with three other champions from other worlds to find out who is the most suitable to repopulate the sterile planet of Simlane. | ||||||
| 9 | Métro Châtelet, Direction Cassiopeia | Métro Châtelet, direction Cassiopée | Issues M70 (1 March 1980) to M73 (1 June 1980) | 1980 | 978-2205046397 | 978-1849182447 |
| Valérian is in Paris, 1980 investigating mysterious apparitions in the metro. Laureline has been dispatched to the Constellation of Cassiopeia to find the source of the apparitions. What connection to they have to the two powerful multinationals Bellson & Gambler and W.A.A.M.? | ||||||
| 10 | Brooklyn Station, Terminus Cosmos | Brooklyn Station, terminus cosmos | Issues M82 (1 March 1981) to M85 (1 June 1981) | 1981 | 978-2205046205 | 978-1849182638 |
| Continued from Métro Châtelet, Direction Cassiopeia . Valérian attempts to discover where the fourth apparition will manifest. Laureline continues her search in Cassiopeia. All sides come together in Brooklyn, New York. | ||||||
| 11 | The Ghosts of Inverloch | Les Spectres d'Inverloch | Issues M110 (1 July 1983) to M117 (1 February 1984) | 1984 | 978-2205046533 | 978-1849182935 |
| Laureline is in Scotland, the guest of Lady Seal. Valérian is hunting for a native of Glapum't. Albert is in London, en route to Scotland. The Shingouz are on Rubanis seeking information from Colonel Tloc, the chief of police. Lord Seal is in the United States being updated on sabotage of the world's military hierarchy. The Chief of the Spatio-Temporal Service watches Galaxity fade into the mists of time. Who is the ghost of Inverloch Castle and why has he called this disparate group of people together? | ||||||
| 12 | The Wrath of Hypsis | Les Foudres d’Hypsis | Issues M128 (1 January 1985) to M135 (1 September 1985) | 1985 | 978-2205046588 | 978-1849183048 |
| Continued from The Ghosts of Inverloch. The team sets out from Inverloch in search of Hypsis. What consequences will Valérian and Laureline's intervention have for the future of Galaxity? | ||||||
| 13 | On the Frontiers | Sur les frontières | Not serialised | 1988 | 978-2205046656 | 978-1849183123 |
| A series of unexplained accidents at nuclear power stations alerts Valérian, Laureline and Albert that someone may be attempting to return Earth's history back onto the course they derailed in The Wrath of Hypsis. Following the trail across the borders of many countries, Valérian comes face to face with a rogue spatio-temporal agent they knew from the past. | ||||||
| 14 | The Living Weapons | Les armes vivantes | Not serialised | 1990 | 978-2205046564 | 978-1849183192 |
| Running short of money and with an astroship in need of a service, Valérian takes Laureline to the planet Blopik with a mysterious special delivery. | ||||||
| 15 | The Circles of Power | Les cercles du pouvoir | Not serialised | 1994 | 978-2205041200 | 978-1849183260 |
| Valérian and Laureline are on Rubanis, their astroship is desperate need of repair but they have no money. Reluctantly, they accept a job from Colonel Tloc, the chief of police – to find out who is controlling Rubanis from the Circle of Power. | ||||||
| 16 | Hostages of the Ultralum | Otages de l'Ultralum | Not serialised | 1996 | 978-2205042955 | 978-1849183291 |
| Valérian and Laureline are enjoying a luxurious cruise when the Caliphon, the son of the Grand Caliph of Iksaladam, is kidnapped, and Laureline with him, by the mercenary group the Mortis Quartet. Allying himself with some old acquaintances, Valérian attempts to rescue them. | ||||||
| 17 | Orphan of the Stars | L'Orphelin des astres | Not serialised | 1998 | 978-2205045673 | 978-1849183314 |
| Continued from Hostages of the Ultralum. Still pursued by the Mortis Quartet, Valérian and Laureline reach the Asteroids of Shimballil with the Brylian. Can they find a safe haven for him there? | ||||||
| 18 | In Uncertain Times | Par des temps incertains | Not serialised | 2001 | 978-2205051865 | 978-1849183338 |
| The trinity of Hypsis attempt to prevent the multinational Vivaxis from pursuing a line of genetic research. Valérian and Laureline move closer to learning the mystery behind the disappearance of Galaxity. | ||||||
| 19 | At the Edge of the Great Void | Au bord du Grand Rien | Not serialised | 2004 | 978-2205053739 | 978-1849183345 |
| The first part of a trilogy titled "In Search of the Lost Earth". Valérian and Laureline are acting as shopkeepers while trying to discover information about the disappearance of Earth. At the same time an expedition is about to leave for the Great Void, the unknown region at the edge of the universe. | ||||||
| 20 | The Order of the Stones | L'Ordre des Pierres | Not serialised | 2007 | 978-2205057232 | 978-1849183369 |
| Part two of "In Search of the Lost Earth". The expedition enters the Great Void where Valérian and Laureline encounter the sinister Wolochs. | ||||||
| 21 | The Time Opener | L'Ouvre Temps | Not serialised | 2010 | 978-2205060263 | 978-1849183376 |
| Part three of "In Search of the Lost Earth". Valérian and Laureline, with help of their friends from all previous albums, are searching for the Time Opener, an object that can help them defeat the Wolochs and restore the lost Earth in its place. The final volume of the trilogy and the series. | ||||||
| 22 | Memories from the Futures | Souvenirs de futurs | Not serialised | 2013 | 978-2205068467 | 978-1849183383 |
| First of two volumes containing short stories and post-scripts to Valerian and Laureline's earlier adventures. | ||||||
| 23 | The Future is Waiting | L'Avenir est avancé | Not serialised | 2019 | 978-2205073836 | 978-1849184359 |
| Second of two volumes containing short stories and post-scripts to Valerian and Laureline's earlier adventures. | ||||||
With Jean-Claude Mezieres and Pierre Christin having retired from writing further Valerian & Laureline adventures in 2010, other writers and illustrators were later commissioned to create new stories.
| English title | French title | Author | Illustrator | Album published | French edition ISBN | English edition ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | L'Armure du Jakolass | Manu Larcenet | Manu Larcenet | 2011 | 978-2205067583 | - |
| Valérian switches bodies and goes AWOL. | ||||||
| Shingouzlooz Inc. | Shingouzlooz Inc. | Wilfrid Lupano | Mathieu Lauffray | 2017 | 978-2205076790 | 978-1849184014 |
| The Shingouz lose Earth in a game of cards. | ||||||
| Where Stories Are Born | Là où naissent les histoires | Pierre Christin | Virginie Augustin | 2022 | 978-1800440975 | 978-1849184014 |
| Valérian and Laurelin go to high school. | ||||||
Short stories
Seven short stories were also published in the quarterly, digest-sized Super Pocket Pilote between 1969 and 1970 and later collected in Across the Pathways of Space (Par Les Chemins De l’Espace) (1997):
| English title | French title | Published in Super Pocket Pilote |
|---|---|---|
| The Great Collector | Le Grand Collectionneur | Issue 3 (3 April 1969) |
| The Cogs of Uxgloa | Les Engrenages d'Uxgloa | Issue 4 (12 June 1969) |
| Tsirillitis the Asteroid | Tsirillitis l'asteroide | Issue 5 (23 October 1969) |
| The Sad Planet | La Planete triste | Issue 6 (25 December 1969) |
| Funny Specimens | Drôles de spécimens | Issue 7 (19 March 1970) |
| The Fflumgluff of Friendship | Le Fflumgluff de l'amitié | Issue 8 (25 June 1970) |
| Triumph of Technology | Triomphe de la technique | Issue 9 (29 October 1970) |
English translations
The American graphic magazine Heavy Metal serialized the first English translations of Valerian and Laureline with Ambassador of the Shadows in 1981. Several attempts were subsequently made to translate the series into English in book form, starting with Ambassador of the Shadows, World Without Stars, Welcome to Alflolol and Heroes of the Equinox by Dargaud imprints[1] in the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1985.
"On the Frontiers," "The Living Weapons," and "The Circles of Power", translated by Timothy Ryan Smith, were collected in a single volume under the title Valerian: the New Future Trilogy,[1] published by iBooks in 2004.
Hardcover collection
During 2017 and 2018 the British publisher Cinebook Limited published a hardcover collection of the series titled; Valerian: The Complete Collection, spread over seven volumes, with three to four stories in each book. These volumes are in full original color, printed on glossy paper and measure 220 mm × 290 mm.[2][3]
| Vol. | Title | Included stories | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 1 | 0-2: (Bad dreams, The City of Shifting Waters, Empire of a Thousand Planets) | May 2017 | 978-1-84918-352-9 |
| 2 | Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 2 | 3-5: (The Land Without Stars, Welcome to Alflolol, Birds of the Master) | July 2017 | 978-1-84918-356-7 |
| 3 | Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 3 | 6-8: (Ambassador of the Shadows, On False Earths, Heroes of the Equinox) | July 2017 | 978-1-84918-357-4 |
| 4 | Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 4 | 9-12: (Chatelet Station - Destination Cassiopeia, Brooklyn line - Terminus Cosmos, The Ghost of Inverloch, The Wrath of Hypsis) | April 2018 | 978-1-84918-391-8 |
| 5 | Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 5 | 13-15: (On the Frontiers, The Living Weapons, The Circles of Power) | June 2018 | 978-1-84918-400-7 |
| 6 | Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 6 | 16-18: (Hostages of Ultralum, Orphan of the Stars, In Uncertain Times) | August 2018 | 978-1-84918-411-3 |
| 7 | Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 7 | 19-21: (At the Edge of the Great Void, The Order of the Stones, The Time Opener) | October 2018 | 978-1-84918-416-8 |
Other publications
- Les Habitants du Ciel: Atlas Cosmique de Valérian et Laureline (literally "The Inhabitants of the Sky: The Cosmic Atlas of Valerian and Laureline") (ISBN 2205039210) is an illustrated encyclopedia that gives further background detail to the many alien creatures Valérian and Laureline have encountered in their travels, first released in 1991 by parent publisher Dargaud. It has seen several translations into other languages as well, including a 2017 one in English by Titan Books as Valerian: The Illustrated Treasury (ISBN 9781785656965), but adhering to the format set by Cinebook for its hardcover collection.[4]
- Les Extras de Mézières ("Mézières' Extras") (ISBN 2205044435) compiles various miscellaneous Valérian related works including stamps, murals, images from the pilot episode of the proposed animated series in 1991 and Laureline's Playboy spread as well as other non-Valérian related artwork.
- Les Extras de Mézières No.2 (Mon Cinquieme Element) ("Mézières' Extras No.2 (My Fifth Element)") (ISBN 2205047515) primarily covers the work Mézières did on the 1997 Luc Besson film The Fifth Element but does also show where that film was influenced by the Valérian albums. Like the first outing, it is primarily an art book and neither has therefore seen any translated editions as of 2019.
References
- ^ a b Thompson, Kim. "Introduction," Valerian: the New Future Trilogy, pp. 1-2, iBooks, second edition, November 2016.
- ^ Valerian: The Complete Collection, Volume 2 (review), Comics Review August 8, 2017. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
- ^ https://www.retrozap.com/valerian-the-complete-collection-volume-1-review/ Retro Zap - Review - Retrieved 2018-09-29
- ^ "Les habitants du ciel: Atlas cosmique de Valérian et Laureline". Stripinfo.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 June 2019.; Also lists international editions.