Thorgal #9
Thorgal #9, 'Les Archers' (The Archers), published by Le Lombard in September 1985, is widely regarded by readers and critics as one of the finest entries in the entire series — the critic D. Aviva Rothschild singled it out as 'one of the finest pieces of heroic fantasy I have ever set my eyes on.' Its overriding claim to lasting significance is the first appearance of Kriss de Valnor, a morally complex, ruthless archer and anti-heroine who would become one of the most important recurring characters in the saga, ultimately earning her own eponymous spin-off album (tome 28) and a central role in multiple subsequent story arcs. The album also opens the five-volume 'Cycle du Grand Pays / Pays Qâ' (albums 9–13), the longest and most structurally ambitious narrative arc Van Hamme and Rosiński constructed together, marking a decisive tonal shift toward darker, more violent, and more layered storytelling. Consistently ranked at or near the top of fan popularity polls for the series, 'Les Archers' is the album most often recommended as both a self-contained entry point and a gateway into the larger mythology.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The story was pre-published in serial form in the French edition of Tintin magazine, running across issues #461 through #471, from 10 July 1984 to 10 September 1984, before being collected as a 48-page hardcover album by Le Lombard in September 1985. Writer Jean Van Hamme and Polish artist Grzegorz Rosiński had been collaborating on the series since its debut in Tintin in 1977, and by tome 9 Rosiński's painted linework had matured considerably from the earliest albums, with reviewers noting the precision of his draftsmanship and the atmospheric detail he brought to the archery tournament sequences. The Cinebook Ltd English-language reprint of this volume, like several others in the run, was subject to editorial alterations — panels depicting nudity were modified for the UK and US markets — making the original Le Lombard French hardcover the unexpurgated edition of record.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Title: 'Les Archers' (French); published in English as 'The Archers' — Thorgal album #9 in the Le Lombard series, released September 1985.
- Written by Jean Van Hamme; art and colors by Grzegorz Rosiński — the core creative team that ran the main series through volume 29.
- First appearance of Kriss de Valnor, described within the series as a young adventurer willing to hire herself out for gold regardless of moral cost; she goes on to appear across dozens of albums, anchor her own named spin-off (tome 28, 'Kriss de Valnor'), and drive major plot arcs including the Shaïgan storyline.
- First appearance of Argun Treefoot (Pied d'Arbre), the veteran fletcher and armorer, and his hot-headed nephew Tjall the Fiery — both recurring supporting characters in the subsequent Qâ cycle (albums 9–13).
- The album opens the 'Cycle du Grand Pays / Pays Qâ,' a five-volume arc (albums 9–13) that takes Thorgal and his companions across the great ocean and into the wars of the Land of Qâ.
- Pre-publication serialized in Tintin magazine (French edition), issues #461–471, July–September 1984, approximately one year before the hardcover album release.
- The English-language Cinebook Ltd reprint altered certain panels — specifically nudity in the aftermath of the assault on Kriss de Valnor — to conform to UK/US distribution standards, a documented editorial practice across multiple volumes in Cinebook's run.
- Kriss de Valnor was explicitly written as 20 years old at her introduction in this album, a detail noted in the text itself and referenced in later continuity discussions.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Thorgal #9 (1985)
Reprinted in Het Belang van Limburg #14 (2004)
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