Les Mondes d'Aldebaran

A serie of Franco-Belgian comics, created by the Brazilian artist Leo, consisting of three main cycles of albums, plus a spin-off one, published by Dargaud. Each of the mains is name after a separate planet colonised by humans and set on it.

Quite "hard" science-fiction, with attention given to the technology of the colonists and the native life of each planet; a few breaks such as FTL and perhaps the powers of the mysterious "Mantrisse".

Each series follows a handful of characters as they face problems both personal and affecting the entire planet. Tends to have a tragic tone, with many of the problems arising from "the follies of humanity". The partial regression of technology among the colonists gives it a visual Space Western feel.

The serie is constituted so far^[when?] of

• Aldébaran cycle:
  • La Catastrophe (The Catastrophe-1994)
  • La Blonde (The Blond-1995)
  • La Photo (The Photo-1996)
  • Le Groupe (The Group-1997)
  • La Créature (The Creature-1998)
• Bételgeuse cycle:
  • La Planète (The Betelgeuse Planet-2000)
  • Les Survivants (The Survivors-2001)
  • L'Expédition (The Expedition-2002)
  • Les Cavernes (The Caves-2003)
  • L'Autre (The Other-2005)
• Antarès cycle:
  • Episode 1 (2007)
  • Episode 2 (2009)
  • Episode 3(2010)
  • Episode 4 (2011)
• Survivants - Anomalies quantique (Survivors - Quantum anomalies) spin-off cycle:
  • Episode 1(2011)

Tropes used in Les Mondes d'Aldebaran include:

• Absent Aliens: While each world has its own native life (And how!), there are no intelligent aliens; except, perhaps, the Mantrisse.
  • Averted by the last volume of the Betelgeuse cycle: a sentient alien from the Mantrisse home-world appears.
    • Averted also by the iums, a semi-sentients species.
  • Also averted in the spin-off serie Survivants: the planet where the heroes crash had some sentient aliens.
• Action Girl: Kim Keller, after being the Tagalong Kid in the first albums, become The Hero of the serie.
• All There in the Flyleaf: Many informations about the planets or events from the first space colonization are done out of the narration.
• Bizarre Alien Biology: One of the main appeal of the serie is the various and strange alien fauna.
• Cool Old Guy and Lovable Rogue: Monsieur Pad.
• Corrupt Church: Aldebaran itself (the first colonised planet) became a theocracy shortly after colonisation. The series describes itself as "humanistic".
  • More obvious with the third serie, Antares, with the heroes regularly clashing with the extremely religious colonists they are supposed to help.
• Doomed Hometown: The first series starts with a stranger coming to the heroes' village, warning them of the imminent arrival of a massive, incredibly dangerous sea creature which will cause the annihilation of their village. And of course, the villagers don't trust him...
• Eldritch Abomination: The Mantrisse appears as this. It is certainly has no ill-will towards humans, it simply doesn't realise they are any different from other forms of life.
• Generic Cuteness: You have to take the characters' word about who is more attractive.
• Green Aesop
• Half-Human Hybrid: Kim's daughter, Lynn.
• Idiot Hero: Marc Sorensen, in the first cycle.
• No Biochemical Barriers: Lynn's father is an alien. See Half-Human Hybrid.
• Numbered Homeworld: Aldebaran-4, Betelgeuse-6 and Antares-5 respectively, though for the sake of convenience, the number is dropped in everyday conversation, when it's clear that one means the planet and not the star.
• Pandaing to the Audience: The iums
• Phlebotinum Breakdown: The FTL communication with Earth breaks down after landing on Aldebaran and is not up again a hundred years later, when its series is set.
• Single Biome Planet: Aldebaran-4 is mostly ocean with a few scattered islands, Betelgeuse-6 is a desert world with most of the vegetation confined to deep river canyons. Averted with Antares-5 which has a varied biosphere.
• So Beautiful It's a Curse: Kim Keller have trouble dealing with it once grown up, mostly because of her chest.
• Time Travel: Quantum FTL jump do that. Each planet is placed in a different "place" on the timeline and FTL jump jump in time according to that position.
• Touched by Vorlons: The few human who have encountered the Mantrisse have become fonctionally immortal.
• Wham! Episode: Aldebaran Cycle, "La Photo" (The Picture), third album in the series. Specifically, the last page.