La Quête de l'oiseau du temps
La Quête de l'oiseau du temps (The Quest for the Time Bird) is an epic fantasy Franco Belgian Comic by Serge Le Tendre and Régis Loisel. It consists of four books in the main series, plus three in the ongoing Prequel cycle. Considered a reference in its genre, both for its vivid art and powerful storytelling.
In immemorial times, the evil god Ramor was banished in a conch. However, as the witch-princess Mara finds out, Ramor is about to break free, and there is no time to renew the spell that binds it to the conch. She send her daughter Pelisse (Roxanna in the English translation) to find her old lover, the retired knight Bragon to retrieve both the conch and the egg of the time-bird, the latter allowing her to stop time so she can bind Ramor again.
The story revolves around ageing characters dealing with their past, and stepping down to find peace.
- Action Girl: Pelisse
- Adventure
- Ambition Is Evil: Mara, in the main series.
- An Axe to Grind: the most powerful warriors, Bragon and the Rige, use axes.
- Ancient Tomb: in #2 of the main series.
- Artifact of Doom: the book of Gods.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: the Rige, Bragon, Mara and some other ones.
- Badass Adorable: Pelisse's adorable pet saves the day in #2 of the main series.
- Badass Normal: Bragon, Bulrog, the Rige, ...
- Big Damn Heroes: for example, the Rige in #3 of the prequel.
- Bittersweet Ending: the main series' ending is more bitter than sweet.
- Changed My Mind, Kid: in the prequel. Bragon and Javin quarrel over Bragon's infatuation with Mara, and Javin leaves, but comes back just in time to get killed.
- Cowardly Sidekick: the Stranger, in the main series.
- Crowning Moment of Awesome: Pretty much every main character has at least one, but some of the most notable include: the Rige's death, Bulrog's sacrifice.
- Denouement: the main series has one.
- Deus Ex Machina: in fact, it is a god-killer ex machina.
- Exact Time to Failure: Ramor will break free on the night of the next turning season.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Bulrog
- I Have Boobs - You Must Obey!: Pelisse... distracts a crowd long enough to allow her, Bragon and the stranger to get away.
- Lovable Coward: the "Stranger", before he Takes a Level In Badass and gets Character Development in tome 4.
- Ms. Fanservice: Pelisse, and her mother Mara in the prequel.
- Non-Human Sidekick: Bragon gets one in the book two of the prequel. Pélisse'pet in the main series.
- Old Master: Bragon to Bulrog, the Rige to Bragon
- Reckless Sidekick: Javin in the first book of the prequel is even more reckless than teenage Bragon. It gets him killed.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Ramor
- Scenery Porn
- Worthy Opponent: How Bragon and the Rige see each other.