While I wish they'd have placed the "Presque le paradis..." story where it made more sense chronologically in the volume, and perhaps put the various rather spoiler-filled articles at the back rather than the front, this is otherwise a fine collection of the first three "Thorgal" albums. Being a newcomer to the stories and the character, I'm pleasantly surprised by what's basically a sword and sorcery character (from the 70s, no less) who views violence as a distasteful and last resort. The protagonist gets to be cool and clever at least once (usually twice or thrice) per story, as does other characters (including his love interest), is always kind and considerate in spite (or perhaps because) of the gritty and harsh world around him, and doesn't just automatically prevail by being stronger and faster than everyone. The artwork is very nice, and while the layouts and pace might feel the forty years at times, the artwork itself, and the dialogue, has aged surprisingly well. Finally, the four stories themselves are fine adventure tales. I'm not invested enough in the narrative yet for them to be much more than that, but I hope to get to continue reading these stories -- if they continue to flesh out the world and the protagonist both, I could grow to really love this comic. ( )

Standard adventure story. The female main character more of a plot device than a person. ( )