Michel Vaillant's new season is named in reference to the presence of a new writer, Denis Lapière, and two new illustrators, Marc Bourgne and Benjamin Bénéteau, led by Philippe Graton, who today is in charge of the future of the series created by Jean Graton. This fourth episode takes the Vaillant family into the world of mergers and acquisitions (between Vaillante and Leader, specifically), with its economic stakes and "backdoor dealings." Before leaving the reader to discover these surprising adventures, let's look back at a rivalry that has fueled some of Michel Vaillant's greatest undertakings.

Ferrari-Ford, Ferrari-Porsche, Ferrari-Matra, Porsche-Renault, Porsche-Jaguar, Audi-Peugeot, Audi-Toyota, Audi-Porsche...the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is largely based on great duels. And Vaillante-Leader is a part of that. At the 13-kilometer Le Mans circuit takes place the first episode of the big confrontation, in the eerie atmosphere of the album "Le Fantôme des 24 Heures," with the elusive Leader. A saga that continued at Le Mans with "Un pilote a disparu," "Une histoire de fous" and "La prisonnière"...not to mention "Pour David," the album adapted from the story written by Luc Besson and Gilles Malençon for the film "Michel Vaillant," in part filmed by Louis-Pascal Couvelaire at the 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the era of the hybrid, will the Vaillante-Leader alliance amount to a turning point in the already long history of Michel Vaillant, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans or elsewhere? The mounting intensity of "Collapsus" reveals nothing so far, and leaves the door open for all kinds of possibilities. 

Tickets to the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans will be available for purchase on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 (for ACO members) and on Friday, November 6, 2015 (for the general public).

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: The Leader armada from the "Fantôme des 24 Heures" is available in Art Strip version, to be displayed in one's living room.