Universal War One

Universal War One is a six-part French comic book limited series written, penciled, and inked by Denis Bajram. The first issue, The Genesis, was initially published in France by Soleil Productions in 1998. Due to its popularity, it was translated and released in English by Marvel Comics. The genre is military science fiction, and the series deals with such ideas as time dilation and time travel.

2098 - There is a growing tension between the United Earthes Forces (a NATO-like organisation) and the wealthy corporations known as the CIC: Colonisation Industrial Companies. But, suddenly, THE WALL appeared, cuting the solar system in two. This wall is so big, so dark, so mysterious. A squadron of officers waiting for martial court must understand its secrets. At any cost.

The whole plot was crafted by Bajram beforhand, thus leaving no inconsistancy between the six books despite the time travel used by the heroes.

More information can be found here.

Tropes used include


 * Anti-Hero: the main characters (except two) are criminals waiting for a trial in martial court.
 * Anyone Can Die: it starts happening in issue #1.
 * Attempted Rape
 * Artificial Gravity: all space travelling ships use anti-G engine, most of the plot bend around them.
 * Author Filibuster: in issues #5 and #6, various characters (Kalish, Kate and Admiral von Richtburg) expose the author's political view on "american capitalism".
 * Backstory: each comic issue starts with a 3-pages backstory focusing on one of the main characters.
 * The Battlestar: the Gengis Khan.
 * Berserk Button: Mario is usually a coward, but he becomes berserk on a few occasions, when one of his friends is killed.
 * Big Bad: Paul Thin, aka
 * The Big Board: in the HQ room of the Gengis Khan.
 * Broken Ace: Balti.
 * Burial in Space:
 * Character Development: the main cast, special mention to Mario.
 * ~Chekhov's Skill~: Mario's engineering degree.
 * Cool Starship: the Gengis Khan and some other spaceships have a really cool design.
 * Dark and Troubled Past: Amina
 * Deus Ex Machina: one of the few examples where a deus ex machina ending is justified by the plot.
 * Did Not Do the Research: distances between planets are not accurate.
 * Driven to Suicide:
 * Dumb Is Good: subverted, the most intelligent man, Kalish, is a good guy,
 * Dystopia: after the fall of the United Earthes.
 * Earthshattering Kaboom played straight with
 * The Empire: the Colonisation Industrial Companies.
 * Earn Your Happy Ending: litterally.
 * The Federation: the United Earthes.
 * Geek Physiques: Kalish (fat).
 * The General's Daughter: inverted. The reason why Capt. Williamson leads a squad of 7 people is because she saved the admiral's daughter, who is also part of the squad.
 * Gratuitous English
 * Heroic BSOD: Kalish, after
 * Heroic Sacrifice:
 * Hurl It Into the Sun: subverted, the Big Bad sends a space station into the sun, not to destroy the station but to destroy the sun !
 * Mad Scientist: there is a double subversion:
 * Multinational Team: in the main cast, there are two Americans, a German, a Columbian, a Serbian, a South African and a Bahraimi.
 * One Man Industrial Revolution: Kalish.
 * Our Wormholes Are Different
 * The Professor: Kalish, and his buddies in Harvard.
 * Scenery Porn
 * Science Hero: Kalish.
 * Stable Time Loop: the whole plot is axed around this trope.
 * Starship Luxurious: most starships are huge, with plenty of empty space.
 * Supporting Leader: Admiral von Richtburg.
 * Time Travel: in fact,
 * Twenty Minutes Into the Future: the story is set 100 years into the future, but the society and technology is almost the same as today. The only major scientific advantances are atomic fusion and anti-gravity. No intelligent robots, no cybernetics. The society ? Ruled by a U.N./NATO expy. And they bombed Serbia, like NATO did in the end of the 1990ies.
 * Twist Ending: who is the Big Bad ?
 * Universe Bible: each issue's title refers to an event of The Bible and each chapter starts with a quotation of the fictional Bible of Canaan.
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds:
 * Word of God: the comic issue  was released soon after September 11th attacks. Some readers thought this was a very bad joke. The author had to write a note, explaining it was just a coincidence.
 * Wrong Time Travel Savvy
 * Zerg Rush: the 4th Fleet (dozens of cruisers and hundreds of space fighters) launches an attack against the 'Wall'