XIII

Jean Van Hamme and William Vance launched this long-running German-language thriller series in 1988, following an amnesiac man who discovers he is the key to a vast conspiracy after being shot and left for dead. Over 29 issues, the narrative unfolds across a meticulously plotted espionage saga, with later contributions from writers Antoinette Gittinger and Harald Sachse, and artists Youri Jigounov and Jean Giraud maintaining the series' signature European ligne claire style. Published by Carlsen Comics, XIII stands as a landmark of European graphic storytelling, celebrated for its intricate, novelistic plotting and its influence on the political-thriller genre in comics.