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? 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.