On sale date: July 14, 2026
This iconic adventure series from the ’70s stars the bold heroine Adéle, who must contend with supernatural monsters wreaking havoc in Belle Époque Paris.
Paris, 1911. One gloomy night at the Museum of Natural History, a pterodactyl escapes from its display and wreaks havoc upon the city. Enter journalist extraordinaire Adèle Blanc-Sec, who must use her wits and firepower to get to the bottom of this bizarre mystery. An enchanting antihero, Adèle is fearless, brash, and thoroughly ill-tempered, smoking and cursing her way through the case—always barely escaping peril to tell her tale.
Masterful French cartoonist Jacques Tardi created his iconic The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec series in the 1970s. Set in the atmospheric Belle Époque Paris, the series features supernatural monsters, mad science, steampunk aesthetic, murder, humor, and delightful derring-do. This new collection of classic Adèle stories includes four episodes (previously published in two earlier volumes): “Pterror Over Paris,” “The Demon of the Eiffel Tower,” “The Mad Scientist,” and “Mummies on Parade.”
In celebration of Adele's 50th anniversary, Fantagrpahics is thrilled to re-issue these classic stories in luxuriously redesigned hardcover editions. While Fantagraphics published the first four Adele adventures 15 years ago, this new series will bring the complete 10 episode run of the series into English for the very first time. With an introduction by British journalist and comics historian Cynthia Rose.
Praise
"Plot twists aplenty, including a murder or two, as well as a parade of mysterious characters and double-crosses... In crisp drawings with just the right combination of caricature and architectural precision, Tardi wonderfully captures turn-of-the-century Paris." — Publishers Weekly
"The mysteries [in Adèle Blanc-Sec] are compelling enough, but the best is what's found around the edges: elements that spice up the proceedings by parodying disloyal henchmen, inept gendarmes, and talky exposition; the meticulously rendered Belle Époque settings... But the main attraction is Tardi's gorgeous visuals, with their supple line work and elegant compositions." — Booklist
Specs
- Pages
- 196
- Format
- Hardback
- Color
- Full color.
- Dimensions
- 8" × 10.75"
- ISBN-13
- 9798875002380