Valerian: Official Trailer Debuts, here’s a Cinebook Checklist

The word of mouth has been building for a while now, with a lot of activity to promote this new film – but now, the first Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets trailer has been released… and as you’d expect from director Luc Besson, director of The Fifth Element, the visuals are simply breathtaking. But don’t forget the graphic novels it’s based on, which are being published in English by Cinebook.

Rooted in the classic graphic novel series, Valerian and Laureline- visionary writer/director Luc Besson advances this iconic source material into a contemporary, unique and epic science fiction saga.

Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe.

Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. Alpha’s seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time – uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all.

Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these same objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger…

Valérian and Laureline (known in French as Valérian et Laureline), also known as Valérian: Spatio-Temporal Agent or just Valérian, is a best-selling French science fiction comics series, created by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières. First published in Pilote magazine in 1967, the final instalment in a 22-book graphic novel series was published in French by Dargaud in 2010, and Cinebook began publishing the series in English shortly afterwards, although they have some way to go to complete the series.

All of the Valérian stories have been collected in graphic novel album format, comprising some twenty-two volumes. The award-winning series was adapted into an animated TV series, Time Jam: Valerian and Laureline, which debuted on Canal+ Family in France in 2007, with 40 episodes made.

• Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets stars Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu

• More about the film here on Facebook: facebook.com/ValerianMovie | follow the film on Twitter @ValerianMovie | Instagram: @valerianmovie

Valerian and Laureline: Ambassador of Shadows (Deluxe)The Graphic Novels

Note: Cinebook’s collections reprint the Darguad album releases in French

Les Mauvais Reves (The Bad Dreams)
First published in Pilote, Issues 420-434, 1967 – available in French

La Cite des Eaux Mouvantes
First published in Pilote, Issues 455-468, 1968 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume One: The City of Shifting Waters

Galaxity, capital of the Terran Empire in the 28th century. Valerian and Laureline are agents who protect mankind from rogue time travellers. Now they are sent to New York in 1986 to intercept Galaxity’s worst megalomaniac, Xombul – except that in 1986 the world is in ruins and New York is about to be swallowed by the ocean. The two agents must navigate the shifting waters of the past to make sure that the future will exist.

Terre en Flammes (Earth In Flames)
First published in Pilote, Issues 492-505, 1969

L’Empire des Mille Planetes
First published in Pilote, Issues 520-541, 1970 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Two: The Empire of a Thousand Planets

Valerian and Laureline are exploring Syrte, captial planet of a system of 1000 worlds. Their mission is to discover whether the Syrtians could present a danger to Earth. What they find is a decaying empire led by decadent aristocrats, a population ripe for revolution and a mysterious caste of masked wise men who discreetly pull the strings from hidden fortresses. Swept up by the winds of history, the agents of Earth will have to choose a side…

Le Pays Sans Etoiles
First published in Pilote, Issues 570-592, 1971 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Three: The Land Without Stars

When a rogue planet threatens a new Human colony, Valerian and Laureline are sent to investigate and discover a barren, rocky surface…and a whole world beneath it! The people who live inside Zahir have never seen the stars. Divided along gender lines, torn by a senseless and bloody war, they are unaware that their planet is hurtling towards disaster. To stop it, the two agents of Galaxity will have to infiltrate both sides and force a reconciliation.

Available here from amazon.co.uk

Bienvenue sur Aflolol
First published in Pilote, Issues 632-653, 1972 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Four: Welcome To Alflolol

Technorog is a planet essential to the economy of the Terran empire. For 200 years, it has been a centre of industry, research and agriculture. Suddenly, the indigenous population – believed long extinct – comes back to the planet they know as Alflolol. Earth’s laws are strict: They must be allowed back on their ancestral grounds. But when Valerian and Laureline are assigned to facilitate their ‘reinsertion’, they see the difference between the letter of law and its spirit.

Les Oiseaux du Maitre
First published in Pilote, Issues 710-722, 1973 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Five: Birds of the Master

Valerian and Laureline’s ship has crash-landed on an uncharted planetoid. The two castaways quickly discover a vast ship cemetery, leading them to believe that their arrival was not an accident. Before long, they make contact with a population whose sole purpose seems to be to gather and produce food for a mysterious “Master’. The Terran agents aren’t going to be turned into slaves easily, but the Master enforces his will through his terrible agents; the Birds of Madness.

L’Ambassadeur des Ombres
First published in Noveau Pilote, Issues Nos. 14-17, 1975 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Six: The Ambassador Of The Shadows

Point Central is a multicultural space station that serves as a sort of United Nations to the galaxy. Tasked with protecting the new ambassador from Earth, Valerian is kidnapped alongside his charge in a lightning commando attack. It’s up to Laureline to do all the heavy lifting and slog through the seedy bowels of the station as she tries to locate and rescue them – and figure out who kidnapped them and why.

Sur les Terres Truquees
First published in 1977 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Seven: On the False Earths

Valerian, shot to death in an Indian fortress. Valerian, dead in 19th century London. Valerian, gunned down in San Francisco’s Chinatown… And Laureline, paired up with an unpleasantly arrogant historian from Galaxity, forced to witness every demise of the man she loves on a succession of re-enacted pieces of human history. A very strange case that will take the two spatio-temporal agents to the limits of their endurance as they hunt down the mysterious architect of the false Earths….

Les Heros de l’Equinoxe
First published in 1978 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Eight: Heroes Of The Equinox

Every 100 years or so, the infertile people of Simlanne send their champions to the sacred island of Filene, where the best among them, chosen via a series of tests, will find and bring back the next generation. This cycle, though, the local heroes seem to fail repeatedly, and the aging Simlannians have sent for heroes from other worlds. Valerian, chosen to represent Earth, will have to overcome the tests and his competitors in a dangerous odyssey.

Metro Chatelet
First published in 1980 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Nine: Chatelet Station, Destination Cassiopeia

Our two spatio-temporal agents are on a new mission, but this time the duo is split up. While Laureline flies solo from planet to planet, on the trail of arms dealers and forbidden technologies, Valerian is on 20th century Earth, teamed up with the eccentric Mr Albert. And he, too, is hunting down technologies incompatible with the era. What is the link between the two cases, separated as they are by centuries and light-years?

Brooklyn Station
First published in 1981 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume Ten: Brooklyn Line, Terminus Cosmos

The two Galaxity agents’ investigation into the elemental forces appearing on Earth continues. While Laureline, dogged and efficient, follows a promising lead somewhere in outer space, Valerian is struggling to unravel the mysterious events plaguing our 20th century. Demonstrations of fantastic phenomena follow in quick succession, pushing poor Valerian to his limits. And matters will have to be settled simultaneously in New York and on an asteroid on the edge of the galaxy to save our world…

Available form amazon.co.uk here

Les Spectres d’Inverloch
First published in 1984 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume 11: The Ghosts Of Inverloch

Galaxity’s orders are rather bizarre, lately. Laureline has been left on stand-by in a Scottish castle. Valerian, haunted by recurrent nightmares, has been sent to capture a sentient being as if it were a wild animal – an unsavoury task, to say the least. And on Earth in the 1980s, members of the military and political elites are descending into madness one by one. What future does our planet still have … and who’s so bent on changing it?

Les Foudres d’Hypsis
First published in 1985 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume 12: The Wrath of Hypsis

The head of Galaxity’s Spatio-Temporal Service himself has joined Valerian and Laureline at Inverloch Castle. There, among various human and alien allies, he explains to them the threat that looms over Earth: all of the recent incidents, all those important people gone mad and threatening to bring about the apocalypse… All of that is due to the malicious influence of the mysterious planet Hypsis. But Hypsis is a world that moves from system to system – it’ll need to be pinpointed first…

Sur Les Frontieres
First published in 1988 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume 13: On The Frontiers

On an interstellar cruise ship, a mysterious individual in full environmental suit is working hard to get to Earth. On Earth, meanwhile, another person in a spacesuit is exploring a nuclear reactor on behalf of its owners. That second man is Valerian, and since the disappearance of Galaxity, he’s been forced to make a living by putting his advanced knowledge and equipment to good use. But what he’s discovered inside the plant is extremely worrisome.

Les Armes Vivantes
First published in 1990 – published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume 14: The Living Weapons

Valerian and Laureline, no longer members of any organisation, are down to doing space deliveries. With Galaxity gone and money getting scarce, their aging spaceship is becoming a hazard, which is pushing Valerian into accepting questionable cargo. After a somewhat rough landing, our two ex-agents, on their way to deliver their goods, meet some individuals with very surprising gifts who claim to be itinerant artists. But is that really all they are?

Les Cercles du Pouvoir

First published in 1994 – to be published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume 15: The Circles of Power in February 2017

Broke, without a job, their ship almost a scrap heap, Valerian and Laureline are stuck on Rubanis, unable to pay for repairs. So when a trio of old acquaintances introduces them to the head of the local police, who is looking for independent agents for a risky – but well-paid – mission, they accept readily enough. But Rubanis is the most corrupt planet in the entire galaxy. How are they to find out who really holds the reins of power there?

VALÉRIAN TOME 16 - OTAGES DE L'ULTRALUM

Les Otages de l’Ultralum
First published in 1996 – – to be published by Cinebook as Valerian Volume 16: Hostages of Ultralum in July 2017

Valerian and Laureline take a break from adventuring and go on a cruise, but Valerian feels uncomfortable among the idle and the powerful. He’s not bored for long, though, because when a quartet of mercenaries board the cruise ship to kidnap the son of the Caliph of Iksaladam, they end up taking Laureline as well. With the almighty Caliph offering a massive reward for his son’s return, Valerian’s quest to rescue his girl is suddenly hindered by every bounty hunter in the galaxy.

Volume 17: L’Orphelin des Astres (The Orphan From The Stars)
First published in 1998 – published by Dargaud in French

After having retrieved the son of super-rich caliph of Iksaladam from his kidnapper, the vile Quatuor Mortis, Valerian and Laureline find themselves, quite by accident, on the Shimballil asteroid. This space-California seems to be a magnet for the rich and beautiful. Our space-travelers meet all kinds of characters there, from the much-celebrated psychologist, Dr. Scharz-Metterklume, to film producer Ty Koün, who hires Laureline for a steamy episode of “kinosaga.”

Volume 18: Par des Temps Incertains (In Uncertain Times)
First published in 2001 – published by Dargaud in French

Volume 19: Au Bord du Grand Rien (At the Edge of the Great Nothing)
First published in 2004  – published by Dargaud in French

Volume 20: L’Orde des Pierres
Published by Dargaud in French

Volume 21: L’OuvreTemps
Published by Dargaud in French

Volume 22: Souvenirs des Futurs
Published by Dargaud in French

Other short stories have also been published

Valerian titles available on Amazon.co.uk

More about Valerian on the Cinebook web site

More about Valerian in French on the Dargaud web site

 



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