Mézières - Lot 145

Mézières JEAN-CLAUDE MÉZIÈRES VALÉRIAN The Empire of a Thousand Planets (T.2), Dargaud 1971 Original plate no. 17, prepublished in in Pilote no. 528, December 18, 1969. Signed. India ink on paper 39.8 × 49.6 cm (15.67 × 19.53 in.) Magnificent plate from one of the first albums in the series, in which Valérian enters fully into a space opera universe. Sent to Syrte-la-Magnifique, capital of an empire of a thousand worlds enslaved by the enigmatic Knowers, Valérian and Laureline must assess the power of this civilization and understand its intentions. Disguised as merchants, they discover a society dominated by a corrupt religious and political caste, which they help to overthrow by fomenting a liberating revolution. Every page of this album abounds in visual and narrative inventions, which impress with their graphic maturity. The result is a total spectacle, with a richness that will have a lasting influence on global science fiction until Star Wars: The Empire of a Thousand Planets sets the series' cruising speed, alternating between earthly tales and galactic odysseys. Luc Besson drew direct inspiration from it for the title and several ideas of his film Valérian et la Cité des mille planètes (2017), in a scenario crossed with L'Ambassadeur des Ombres. You have to admire the classic style of the scene, never dark or ostentatious. It's as beautiful as Hergé!