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...

The (false?) gods of Hypsis are once again interfering with Human history. Tired of their lower status among their peers, the trinity in charge of planet Earth opens communications with megacorporation Vivaxis at the end of the 20th century – an occurrence Valerian and Laureline’s allies report to the two ex-agents. But to what end did the Hypsians initiate such a contact? And who is the mysterious Sat who, from the depths of Point Central, also endeavours to meddle with Human affairs?

Two agents of 24th century Earth patrol space and time to safeguard both the planet's future and its past. The 12th volume of Valerian and Laureline, one of the most influential science-fiction comic series of the past 40 years!

In this sixth volume of the Collected Edition, our two former agents, now idle, create their own adventures by helping their fellow beings, and resume their quest to find Earth.

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...

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?

"Valerian on the big screen ? I blame it all on Jean-Claude Mézières and Pierre Christin ! When I was ten, every week I'd read the adventures of Valerian in Pilote... And I have to confess that I was very much in love with Laureline, even though I quite liked Valerian. It'd be great if the film could make as strong and long-lasting an impression on its viewers." Luc Besson (from his interview with J. C. Mézières and P Christin) Born out of the Wild imagination of Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières, the characters of Valerian and Laureline first appeared in the pages of Pilote in 1967. Through its creativity and daring, the series quickly became the definitive reference for all readers of science-fiction bandes dessinées.