This time, it’s an official hero’s job for Valerian! 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… Jean-Claude Mézières and Pierre Christin created “Valerian” in 1967 after working in the USA together, one as a cowboy, the other a teacher. While “Valerian” is Mézières’ only comic series, he has worked as an illustrator in many other areas, including designs and sets for “The Fifth Element,” and he was awarded the Grand Prix du festival d’Angoulême in 1984. Christin also works in collaboration with other artists such as Tardi and Bilal and writes novels and film scripts.