Thorgal

1980

Thorgal is an excellent fantasy series published in Belgium from the early 1980s onward. The series was created by Belgian comic book writer Jean Van Hamme and artist Grzegorz Rosinski. Thorgal is still in publication, edited in French by Le Lombard and Cinebook in English.

The series is set in Medieval Europe, predominantly in Scandinavia, though, like any good adventurers, Thorgal does travel a lot (he even ends up in pre-Colombian America). The series deftly combines historical accuracy with elements of high fantasy and science-fiction.

Thorgal Aegirsson is a skald (aka a bard in Viking cultures), living in a small village. Unlike others, however, Thorgal is not interested in coquest, combat or pillaging. Which makes him appear weak in the eyes of other men, including Gandalf the Mad, his chieftain and father of the woman he loves, Aaricia.
In reality, Thorgal is an alien, whose people crashed on Earth years ago. The only survivor of the crash, Thorgal was raised as a viking, but he is not one of them.

One of the things that separates Thorgal from other adventurers of his ilk, is the fact that Thorgal doesn't want to be an adventurer at all! He just wants to live happily with his wife, Aaricia, and his two children Jolan and Wolf Cub. This is thread running through most of the series. Events conspire to send Thorgal into one scrape after another, mostly to reunite with his estranged family. Thorgal doesn't care about his alien heritage, of the fact that he and his family seems to have some sort of destiny to fulfil.

After the 29th volume of the series, Van Hamme left the writing to Yves Sente, though Rosinsky's fabulour art is still the defining factor in this series. There's also several spin-off books focusing on other characters.

(L to R) Jolan, Thorgal, Aaricia & Wolf Cub

List of Thorgal's Books in English

The Cinebook edition combines two separate issues of the French edition.

1. Child of the Stars
2. The Three Elders of Aran
3. Beyond the Shadows
4. The Archers
5. The Land of Qa
6. City of the Lost God
7. The Masters of the Mountain
8. Wolf Club
9. The Guardian of the Keys
10. The Sun Sword
11. The Invisible Fortress
12. The Brand of the Exiles
13. Ogotai's Crown
14. Giants
15. The Cage