Jean van Hamme Books

In the wild and inhospitable European far north, in the land of Scandinavian myth and runic legend, Viking warriors discover a child in a space capsule. Leif Haraldson adopts him and gives him the names of his gods: Thorgal Aegirsson, son of Thor (god of lightning) and son of Aegir (master of the sea). Upon Leif's death, the Viking chief Gandalf the Insane isolates Thorgal from others. Only the friendship of Aaricia, the daughter of Gandalf, brightens Thorgal's solitary childhood. Their mutual affection quickly turns into true love. The tale takes place in the seventh century and draws its narrative power from the imaginary world of magic spells and legends, where men and gods still mix. More than a simple adventure story, this series is a true apology for freedom and the fight against the arbitrary, because what stands out most in Thorgal's personality is his deep sense of humanity ...

Three more short stories to illustrate the dangers of a welfare state running amok.

When the notion of welfare state gets out of control, where will bureaucratic absurdity stop in its quest for universal happiness? Ages 12+

The 15th adventure of the reluctant tycoon! Largo Winch is a rare breed of man: a multi-billionaire who distrusts money. Being rich does have advantages, but it also brings headaches, troubles, conspiracies, murder attempts and other despicable behaviour in competitors and underlings. Largo has to stay on top of it all...

"Several months after the end of the Third World War - won thanks to the Swordfishes, the formidable jet bombers designed by Professor Mortimer - England is dismantling its base in the Makran, from which the final counter-attack was launched, and where the surviving airplanes are still kept. But in the shadows, devious schemes are being hatched, and while Mortimer is busy preparing his Swordfishes for repatriation, Blake is in Ireland, where rumour has it the IRA has some sinister plans - and even worse allies..."--Provided by publisher

When the notion of welfare state gets out of control, where will bureaucratic absurdity stop in its quest for universal happiness? This series of vignettes depicts slices of life from different people - different destinies that will all come together for the terrible conclusion.

Thorgal runs afoul of a local tribe. When an old woman offers him a chance to escape the hostile villagers, he accepts. But there's more to the bargain: she says that if he can find the Invisible Fortress, he'll be able to erase his name from the Stone of the Gods, cancelling his destiny and giving him the chance of a normal life.

1848. In Ottoman-occupied Montenegro, young doctor Vanko Winczlav is one of the leaders of a popular uprising. Betrayed, wanted by the authorities, he flees the Balkans for the United States in the company of a Bulgarian refugee, Veska, whom he marries to allow her to enter New York legally. So begins the history of a family closely entwined with that of a still new country going through many transformations

In their island fortress, Kriss and Shaigan still reign over their band of pirates and raiders. But Shaigan is beginning to have doubts, and when a prisoner who knew him calls him Thorgal, the child of the stars begs the gods of Asgard to give him back his name and his destiny. In return, the gods require that Thorgal travel to the kingdom of giants and steal from their ruler... and then Thorgal will be Thorgal again. He's a child of the stars, beloved of the gods and touched by destiny, but also a reluctant hero, a simple man with simple dreams. Thorgal: an extraordinary Viking saga with strong elements of science fiction, by one of the master scriptwriters of Franco-Belgian comics. Already 13 volumes available from Cinebook!