Jean Pécheux

Empire of China. 12th century. The King Demons terrorize the land. To defeat these monsters, one needs the courage of a hundred tigers, the strength of a thousand buffalo, the cunning of as many snakes... and have the luck of the devil. All young Prince Duan has are fanciful illusions and stoutness. All Zhang-the-Perfect has is his monk's staff and a bunch of incomprehensible proverbs. All the little beggar Pei Pei has is the gift of the gab and a large appetite. But, most of all, Prince Duan, the old monk and the little beggar girl didn't know that it is impossible to defeat the King Demons. So they did it!

In 1916, laconic adventurer Corto Maltese is in Paramaribo, Surinam visiting his mystic female friend Java. He helps a young heir haunted by voodoo spirits, delivers some weapons to rebels in Brazil and hunts for treasure with Rasputin.

In 1913, laconic sea captain Corto Maltese, adrift in the Pacific, gets rescued by his bandit friend Rasputin who's taking two rich shipwrecked teens to an island where his boss the Monk will hold them for ransom. WWI complicates things.

Elegant, daring, generous, Corto Maltese travels around the world wherever his current whim tales him. In every exotic locale his code of honor leads him to battle on behalf of the poor and the weak, battles he win due to his sparkling wit and daring.

Followed by Ursus, small furry creature and biggest chatterbox of all time, Rahan, a young prehistoric hunter, pursues the dream that one day "those-who-walk-upright" will live in peace.