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mediatoon March 2019
 
Early spring releases from MFR
 
Dear publishers,

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair starts next week, and some of you have already heard from us about our stellar kids’ series. But in the meantime, there are plenty of other comics and graphic novels to get excited about. Who needs spring cleaning when it’s so easy to get distracted by a kaleidoscopic thriller like “Le Dernier Atlas“? Or plunge into the strangely profound animal universe of “Sabre,” the silent graphic novel about a saber-toothed tiger very much unlike the others in his pack?

These and many more are out this March from our publishers. Speaking of brand-new releases, we invite you to visit this link to download PDF presentations of the series our publishers are launching in 2019, including those already published this year and previews of those to come…

The MFR Team

Compilations & special editions

BEST-SELLERS

 
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Le dernier Atlas

Le dernier Atlas (1)

By Tanquerelle, Blanchard, Vehlmann & de Bonneval

Mainstream Comics
Publisher: Dupuis
Genres: Suspense & Thrillers 

This trilogy is set against the background of recent history and weaves themes of national identity, migration, and social responsibility into a dense and complex tapestry of life. At the same time, it playfully combines the conventions of the detective story, sci-fi drama, and psychological thriller, without ever descending into sociological analysis. “Le Dernier Atlas” is above all an adventure story with charismatic characters, a kaleidoscopic work with, at its heart, a deep-thinking hero (sometimes anti-hero) called Ismaël Tayeb.


 
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Tom Clancy's The Division

Rémission (one-shot)

By Morvan & The Tribe

Mainstream Comics
Publisher: Les 2 royaumes
Genres: Action & Adventure 

In the video game The Division 2, a devastating virus takes over the city of Washington, cutting off access to indispensable services like water and food sources. The Division is the secret unit sent to manage the quickly mounting chaos caused by looters and violent factions. In this comic book, Bruce, a Division operative, finally finds out the truth behind a childhood drama, while interacting with two of his friends who have made different choices in this brutal new world.


 
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Le Retour à la terre

Les Métamorphoses (6)

By Larcenet & Ferri

Graphic novel
Publisher: Dargaud
Genres: Humor, Drama 

What happens when someone from the Parisian suburbs decides to move out to the countryside — surrounded by farmers, livestock and… greenery?! Well, it’s culture shock, to say the least! He’ll have to decipher the regional dialect, learn how to handle the local liquor and, above all, change his city-boy mindset. A thoroughly amusing series based on Larcenet’s own experience.


Graphic novel

 
 
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Sabre

Sabre (one-shot)

By Feres

Publisher: Dargaud
Genres: Action & Adventure 

In the year 15,000 B.C., when ice and snow still cover a large part of the world, three saber-tooth tigers are born. With his yellow and fragile body, his one tooth and very long tail, one little “Sabre” stands out from the pack. Despite reluctance from the adult tigers, the newborn tiger takes part in every adventure. Like the others, he hunts buffalo and mammoths, heads off in search of faraway lands, and learns to survive. But who really is Sabre? What is the cause of his strange appearance? Like a subliminal image, Eric Feres answers these questions with clues skillfully hidden throughout the story…


 
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La Princesse de Clèves

La Princesse de Clèves (one-shot)

By Catel & Bouilhac

Publisher: Dargaud
Genres: Literary adaptation 

Barely sixteen, Mademoiselle de Chartres makes her debut at the court of French king Henri II, and discovers the gossiping, scheming and affairs that take place there every day. The Prince of Clèves soon falls in love with her, and even though this love is unrequited, she accepts to marry him. The new Princess of Clèves meets the Duke of Nemours and enters into a passionate yet platonic relationship. Consumed by guilt, she confesses this illegitimate love to her husband, and he dies of a broken heart. The Princess of Clèves refuses to marry the Duke and withdraws to a convent to become the master of her destiny. This classic 17th-century French novel by Madame de Lafayette is told here in impressive graphic novel format.


 
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Tête de gondole

Tête de gondole (one-shot)

By Nicoby & Tronchet

Publisher: Dupuis
Genres: Humor 

A supermarket manager in a town in Brittany, whose wife insists he does an RAK (random act of kindness) each day; the thieving Rasta his daughter falls in love with; a Parisian security guard who takes his boss hostage; and the head of the supermarket chain, who is plotting to fire the aforementioned manager, though there were at Business School together– these are the ingredients of “Tête de Gondole.” Just mix them all together in Didier Tronchet’s brain blender and you have a contemporary comedy concoction only he knows how to dish up.


Mainstream

 
 
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Avant

Mumu la bâtarde (1)

By Lereculey & Yann

Publisher: Dupuis
Genres: Humor 

 A humorous take on the appalling decadence of the pre-historic period. Back then, if you were a tribal chief, you could walk around with nothing on, have several wives, and exchange them for goats. Back then, if you were a kid, you could throw rhino dung at other kids, sleep with cuddly animals (real ones), love and care for them, and then cook them on a spit till they were done. Back then, if you only had two legs, you could get eaten alive by a saber-toothed tiger or trampled to death by a herd of mammoth. Ah, those were the days! In fact, life was a whole lot more fun… back then.


 
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Le Maître Chocolatier

La Boutique (1)

By Chetville, Gourdon & Corbeyran

Publisher: Le Lombard
Genres: Suspense & Thrillers 

Alex Carret is a talented young Brussels chocolatier whose life takes a drastic turn when he quits his job and agrees to partner with a friend of a friend named Ben. He’s a little wary of him at first, but when Ben comes up with a business plan, a space, a brilliant branding idea and a 100,000-euro loan from a “bank,” Alex can’t resist the temptation of seeing his lifelong dream come true, and soon he and his team are selecting the finest chocolate from countries around the world and getting ready for their launch party…. where not all the guests will be of the invited kind.


 
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Étoilé

Chariot de dessert (3)

By Brahy, Lehericey & Desmarès

Publisher: Dupuis
Genres: Action & Adventure 

The “Étoilé” series takes a foray into the world of gastronomy through characters who could easily be inspired by real people. The series ranges from a TV celebrity chef and his oenologist wife, to a kooky self‐taught cook, a Sri Lankan commis chef, the manager of a Turkish café, and a wealthy investor. These personalities all gravitate around the restaurant “Samuel,” which becomes the backdrop to various encounters, ambitions, disappointments, passions and power, each character outdoing the last in the race for recognition and the much‐coveted Michelin stars.


 
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Une Histoire de France

La Dalle rouge (1)

By Jef, Kotlarek & Onfray

Publisher: Le Lombard
Genres: Historical fiction 

Lyon, present day. The esteemed lawyer, Franck Pirondelis, talks with his client, Romain Vischere, who’s been in custody for 24 hours after being charged with terrorism. During the thirty minutes that are authorized by the law, he can’t seem to get anything out of him. Puzzled, the lawyer decides to call Romain’s father, a well-known intellectual, who’s used to dealing with the media and socializing in powerful circles. His father, upset with the situation, insists that he gets in contact with the rest of the family.


Dupuis
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La véritable histoire vraie

Attila (6)

By Pixel vengeur & Swysen
Biography & Memoirs, Humor
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Dupuis
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La véritable histoire vraie

Hitler (5)

By Swysen & Ptiluc
Biography & Memoirs, Humor

Children's & family

 
 
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Le Monde selon Kev

C’est qui le patron? (1)

By Minte & Chico

Publisher: Le Lombard
Genres: Humor 

“Stop that, come over here, set the table, don’t eat with your fingers, go brush your teeth, stand up straight…” The list of rules adults impose on kids is as long as it is useless. Kev is convinced of this and that’s why he thinks a change is much needed! In his opinion, the world of grown-ups sucks, so why put up with them? After all, he’s already 10, has an unlimited imagination and not enough time to do everything he has planned! His mom, his teacher, and his little brother certainly won’t stop him. If you’ve read Titeuf, there’s a chance you’ll love Kev.


 
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Dans les yeux de Lya

En quête de vérité (1)

By Carbone & Cunha

Publisher: Dupuis
Genres: Suspense & Thrillers 

Lya is a beautiful young woman of 21. She has everything going for her… except that she’s been paralyzed from the waist down since the day before her 17th birthday, when she was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. Ever since then, Lya has been fighting to come to terms with her condition and rebuild her life. But what really drives her is a secret desire to find the man who left her for dead and make him pay for his cowardice.
Helping Lya in her quest is Antoine, her best friend and would-be lover, who’ll do anything for her. But her thirst for revenge will lead her down dangerous avenues, and her journey will be full of surprises. 


 
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La Belle Endormie

La Belle endormie (2)

By Karina

Publisher: Dargaud
Genres: Romance 

At the very end of the 19th century, there is a performance of the ballet “Sleeping Beauty” in a famous theater. The director tells one of the dancers that, when the curtain falls, he will be dismissed. To get his revenge, the dancer puts a curse on the director’s daughter, the ballerina playing Aurora. She falls asleep onstage, and remains so for one hundred long years. A hundred years later, Oxana wakes up with no memory, in a world where everything has changed. The young woman goes to great lengths to become part of the dance company, and to try to understand who she is and what happened to her. Along the way, she meets the mysterious and romantic Leonidas, his depraved half‐brother Ludwig, and an elegant young woman, Aria…


 
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Le fil de l’Histoire raconté par Ariane & Nino

Les samouraïs (18)

By Savoia & Erre

Publisher: Dupuis Jeunesse
Genres: Non-Fiction 

This is an educational collection for young readers interested in history. Starting out with a real‐life situation (such as a snowball fight in the yard), Ariane and her little brother Nino get talking about historical subjects. Each subject is covered in 32 panels, followed by educational appendices to complete the discussion (portraits of historical figures, maps, timelines, etc). This latest release deals with the rich history of the samourais, the military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan.


Illustrated books

 
 
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Un autre paysage

Un autre paysage (one-shot)

By Blutch

Publisher: Dargaud
Genres: Illustrated book 

On the occasion of three simultaneous exhibitions in Strasbourg in fall 2019, this is a gorgeous monograph dedicated to one of the finest artists working today: Blutch. This lovely book is dedicated exclusively to drawing, with writings from world-renowned specialists, a wide-ranging interview, and never-before-seen drawings by the artist.


 
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Une vie en dessins

Walthéry (1)

By Walthéry

Publisher: Champaka Brussels
Genres: Illustrated book 

The elegant collection “Une vie en dessins” (A Drawn Life) published by Éditions Champaka Brussels dedicates each publication to a different major comics author. Each artbook features a new reference text about the author in addition to a series of commented images drawn from his or her original works. The first book in the collection is dedicated to François Walthéry and presents more than 200 fac-similes of original, scanned panels from Walthéry’s collected works. Natacha, the Smurfs, Benoît Brisefer, and all of Walthéry’s other beloved characters are the stars of this impressive coffee-table book.


Compilations & special editions

COMPILATIONS AND SPECIAL EDITIONS

 
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Les Petits Hommes – L’intégrale

Les Petits hommes 2000-2003 (10)

By Seron

Mainstream Comics
Publisher: Dupuis
Genres: Sci-Fi 

A strange meteorite falls in the middle of France and provokes a surprising epidemic: all those who touch it are transformed into creatures only a few centimetres tall. This is how the society of Small Men is created, a peaceful society that is very advanced technologically but is always cautious not to be discovered by the ‘Big Ones’… On Earth as in Space, the Small Men, with Renaud at their head, are always ready to dive into adventure. Small Men existed before these albums came out. Short stories published in Spirou at the end of the 60s were the first to tell the story of the Small Men’s world and adventures. Assembled here at last, they form the genesis of a Dupuis classic, to (re)discover for the first time in 40 years.


 
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Intégrale Bob Morane nouvelle version

Intégrale Bob Morane (11)

By Coria & Vernes

Mainstream Comics
Publisher: Le Lombard
Genres: Action & Adventure 

Multi-talented, multi-lingual, an ex-commandant in the airforce, a traveler and a ladies-man, Bob Morane hunts down the bad guys in all their forms and at any latitude. He can always count on the help of his most loyal friend, the colossal Scotsman, Bill Balantine. Rediscover Bob’s adventures in this chronological compilation.