With a penchant for addictive action and fantasy, Jean Van Hamme is one of Belgium's most successful contemporary novelists and comic-book writers. Since 1968, his most popular successes have been Thorgal (illustrated by Rosinski), Largo Winch (illustrated by Francq), and XIII (illustrated by Vance), all published in English by Cinebook. By 2003, Philippe Aymond, a 34-year-old artist, had already published 13 books. Enticed by Aymond's neat and restrained drawings, Van Hamme entrusted him with the graphic destiny of "Lady S.," which possesses all the assets of a great series.