La Foire aux immortels
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Carnival of Immortals (Original: La Foire aux Immortels) is a science fiction comic book from 1980 written and illustrated by the Yugoslavian born cartoonist and storyteller Enki Bilal. It is the first part of the Nikopol Trilogy, followed up by La Femme piège (The Woman Trap) in 1986 and ending with Froid-Équateur (Cold Equator) in 1992. In 2004, Bilal directed the film adaptation Immortel (Ad Vitam), although many plot elements were changed from the comic book.
Plot
Set in the year 2023, the book follows Alcide Nikopol who returns to Paris after being frozen in space for 30 years as a punishment after refusing to fight in a war. The Paris he once knew is now ruled by fascist dictator J. F. Choublanc, the city is swarmed with aliens and is decaying and succumbing to chaos. At the same time, a flying pyramid-shaped space craft is hovering over Paris. It is inhabited by Egyptian gods who are demanding fuel from the local authorities, as their pyramid vessel is dry. The local authorities, i.e. Choublanc, are demanding something special in return for such a service: Choublanc wants immortality from the gods. One renegade god, Horus, meets up with the disillusioned Nikopol in the Metro and they agree on a certain deal for Horus to control Nikopol's body. Together they go on a journey to oppose the corrupt and megalomaniacal powers of the 21st century.
