History ComicBook / Seuls

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seulsgroupe_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The [[FireForgedFriends children of Fortville]]. From left to right: [[BrattyHalfPint Terry]], [[TheLancer Leila]], [[TheLeader Dodji]], [[TheChick Camille]] and [[TheSmartGuy Yvan]].]]

''Seuls'' (''Alone'') is an on-going Franco-Belgian comic series, written by Fabien Vehlmann and drawn by Bruno Gazzotti. Its first volume was published in January 2006, with a release schedule of one volume per year. It is currently composed of thirteen volumes divided into three complete cycles, and, according to the authors, should amount to a total of twenty volumes.

''Seuls'' follows the adventures of a group of five children [[note]]Dodji, Leila, Terry, Camille, and Yvan[[/note]] from a fictional town named Campton (Fortville in French), who wake up one day to discover that everyone else has disappeared. All the adults are gone, and the only other living creatures they meet are animals and, later on, other children. Of course, the heroes attempt to discover what happened, while also trying to survive by themselves. There are many dangers to be faced, from animals gone wild to rival groups of children.

Over time, they discover that this world isn't what it seems. Mysterious forces are at work, and they end up dragged in a conflict between two warring groups, respectively called the [[LightIsNotGood First Families]] and the [[DarkIsEvil Last Families]].

A [[TheFilmOfTheBook movie adaptation]] has been released in France on February 8th, 2017.

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!!''Seuls'' provides examples of:

* AbusiveParents:
** Dodji's stepfather used to beat him up when he was drunk.
** Implied to be the case with Edwige's parents, if the bruises on her back are any indication. That would explain [[AmbiguousDisorder her destructive behaviour]].
* AChildShallLeadThem: Justified and enforced. Since there are no adults anymore, some children take their place and assume the leadership. Saul leads a group of children and thinks he should be the only leader, even if it means getting rid of the competition. Dodji also become a leader, even though he doesn't want to. The leaders of the First Families are children too and [[spoiler: want Saul to become the champion of their empire]].
* ActionGirl:
** Leila is the second-best fighter of the group, after Dodji.
** Edwige is fearsome with a bat in hand, but the violence caused by her AmbiguousDisorder makes her somewhat of a deconstruction of the trope.
* ActionSurvivor: Basically all the children are forced to become this.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Saul is far worst in TheFilmOfTheBook than his comicbook counterpart. In the movie, his racism is far more explicit. He nonchalantly kills [[spoiler:the Master of Knives]] when the latter [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlives his usefulness]]. And his crush for Camille is displayed in a very creepy way. [[spoiler:At one point, he locks her in a cage.]]
* AffablyEvil: Anyone corrupted by the Last Families become monstrous and willing to expand their ranks on hapless victims, but they keep treating the children as friends and playground buddies.
** [[spoiler: [[BigBadFriend Camille will always treat the other children of Fortville as her friends and want them by her side]]. If only she wasn't so intent on corrupting them or cutting them limb from limb... Coincidentally, their refusal to treat her as an enemy lead them to saving her.]]
* AmbiguousDisorder:
** It's clearly shown that the Master of Knives has a mental illness, [[spoiler:with his inability to talk, the violence he can show and his reasoning which is sometimes more of a young child, in spite of the fact that he's a teenager.]] But what he has is not clear.
** Also Edwige, who can be really violent and likes to havoc apartments ForTheLulz.
* AnimalMotifs: Flying insects for the Last Families. The places they haunt is plagued by immense swarms of flies and black vermin.
** [[TheAntiChrist The "Midnight Child", (''Enfant-Minuit'' in French) anointed by the forces of darkness]], is covered with red insects usually associated with cuteness (ladybugs and butterflies) but here creepy as heck. [[spoiler: Not unsurprisingly, considering that she was the sweetest character of all before her FaceHeelTurn.]]
** Spiders for the "[[BadassLongrobe Mad Master]]" ("Maître Fou" in French), who hides hundreds of them in the cage he wears on his head. [[spoiler: Or rather, which replaces his severed head, with the spiders being part of him.]]
* AntiVillain: Several instances.
** The Master of Knives was ultimately only trying to [[spoiler:protect a baby girl from the heroes]]. A FreezeFrameBonus on one of the last comic strip boxes shows that one of the windows Leila and Yvan exploded when, while drunk, they had fun shooting with Yvan's father's gun [[spoiler:was a window of the building where he was living with the baby]].
** [[spoiler:Alexandre and Selene, who try to kill the Children of Campton. But only because they want to prevent another war between the Last Families and the First Families. They think that one of them will become the "Midnight-Child", aka the [[TheChosenOne Champion]] of the Last Families.]]
** Arguably, the less extremist leaders of the First Families are this, mostly Diane and Lucius. On one hand, they do advocate for harsh measures, they rule over a society based on a FantasticCasteSystem in which a whole group is treated as slaves and they end up antagonizing the heroes because they suspect they may be linked to the Last Families. On the other hand, they do what they think is best to protect their subjects, while having to fight an enemy that turns children into zombie-like pawns.
** Achille, the First Families' best warrior, is a NobleDemon who opposes the children of Fortville because they are suspected to be aligned with the Last Families. However, he wants to give the children of Fortville a fair chance of joining the First Families and of proving they're not a threat. A conversation between two soldiers also reveals that he strongly dislikes torture.
** [[spoiler: The creepy "Mad Master" is in fact a mentor of sorts, trying to train Dodji. Each seemingly absurd and sadistic trials he inflicts is in a disguised lesson.]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The highest in the First Families and lowest in the Last Families are the most powerful children in their side. [[spoiler: Justified in that every children appearing in Limbo has a dormant power, with only the mightiest developing, for better or worst, while the other are assimilated by the Limbo World.]]
* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: [[spoiler: The true role of the Eighth Family, whose real name is the Mediators, is to keep it intact. [[FallenHero Melchior]] prepared to become its Champion, until his disappearance. The other Families would rather avoid it, keeping them as slaves under their control.]]
* BigBadEnsemble: The First, and Second Families are opposed to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth, but both are equally dangerous {{Eldritch Abomination}}s determined to engulf everything in apocalyptic wars... [[spoiler: To the point of uniting against anyone even thinking about restoring balance.]]
** The Third Cycle has [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil Saul]] who is about to [[TyrantTakesTheHelm start a brutal military dictatorship in Neosalem]], the "[[TheBlank Mad Master]]" who abducts Dodji for his sadistic entertainment, and the "[[HumanoidAbomination Midnight Child]]" who takes control of the Last Families and prepares them for a new War of Limbo. [[spoiler: With the latter two being restored to normal at the end, only Saul remains a threat.]] And the aforementioned {{Eldritch Abomination}}s have yet to enter the fray...
* {{Bowdlerization}}: In the official English translation of the first volume, there was a panel of showing Terry fully naked, which was edited so that he was wearing [[DigitalBikini underwear]].
* BladeEnthusiast: The fittingly named "Master of Knives". He wears dozens of them on his coat and is very good at fighting with them or at throwing them.
* BrattyHalfPint: Terry often acts like a brat, at least during the First Cycle. He is forced to grow up by the trial he has to face, and all traces of it is gone by the Third Cycle.
* BreakingTheFellowship: By the start of the third cycle, the main 5 characters are separated from each other. [[spoiler:Dodji is imprisoned by the Mad Master, Leila is recaptured by the First Families, Ywan finds himself in another town after drowning while trying to escape First Family soldiers and reviving, Terry is on the run with the Master of Knives, and Camille has become the Midnight Child, TheAntichrist of the Last Families. Fortunately, they are all back together at the end of the cycle, ready to assume their true role as leaders of the Mediators.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Being stranded in a very hostile ghost town would force anyone to grow up fast to adapt and survive.
** Dodji learns to trust people and to open up towards others, and lately to overcome his crippling self-loathing.
** Leila learns to uses her ingenuity to save her skin and to seize opportunities depending on the situation to turn the tables, becoming TheStrategist.
** Yvan learns to overcome his fears and his loneliness, becoming proactive instead of a follower.
** Camille has to adapt her idealism to the grimness of the situation, and to better understand people. [[spoiler: Later, she accepts her part of darkness and resolves to discover what happened to her.]]
** Terry learns to become mature and responsible, and to take care of himself and others, becoming a skilled BadassAdorable GadgeteerGenius.
** Cruelly played with in Saul's case. He first mellows out due to [[LoveInterest Camille]]'s PositiveFriendInfluence, and starts to respect the Children of Compton during their EnemyMine to escape the Lower Lands. Alas, he is promoted leader of the [[LightIsNotGood First Families]]. Just as it seems that Camille's pleas strike a chord, he meets [[TheCorrupter Toussaint]] and spirals FromBadToWorse.
* TheChosenOne: The Last Families and the First Families each have their champion, a child with enormous supernatural powers. [[spoiler:Saul]] is revealed in the seventh book to be the champion of the First Families. In the ninth album, we learn the identity of the "Midnight-Child" of the Last Families. [[spoiler:It's Camille]].
** [[spoiler: The FiveManBand is revealed to be "Tiger-Striped Souls", children neither Light nor Dark with vast individual powers. Furthermore, Dodji is their champion, destined to end the conflict between both factions and to open the Gates of Heaven.]]
* ConflictBall: Grabbed by Dodji and Leila at the beginning of tome 9 to justify Dodji separating himself from the rest of the group. You'd expect this kind of conflict to break out at the beginning when they didn't know each other well, not after months of surviving together.
** Partially justified in the fact that he is afraid of being the local variation of TheAntiChrist, and understandably freaked out, terrified at the prospect of being a danger to his TrueCompanions.
* TheCorrupter: Anyone transformed by the Last Families becomes a twisted, demonic version of themselves. But this is really "them", with their flaws magnified tenfold, and not a DemonicPossession.
** A brutal KnightTemplar and WarHawk like Toussaint is the worst possible advisor to a WellIntentionedExtremist slash TotalitarianUtilitarian like Saul. Not only because he brings the worst in him, but because he has the biggest chance of being listened to.
* TheCorruptible: Saul is a deeply flawed ControlFreak with bad ItsAllAboutMe tendencies, but he hides a vulnerable side and sincerely tries to protect the children in his care and improve their lives. Too bad, he finds inspiration from [[ThoseWackyNazis the Hitler Youth]]. [[FromBadToWorse Too bad, Toussaint is whispering in his ear]]...
* CosmicHorrorStory: The story starts as a suspense/thriller mixing ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies'' and ''Literature/{{Gone}}''. Then the Fifteen Families slowly show their ugly mug, resulting in a setting that would make Creator/HPLovecraft feel at home.
* CowardlyLion: Yvan is not as brave as Dodji or Leila. But, when push comes to shove, he's capable of being just as heroic. By the end of the Third Cycle, he is able to face TheDragon to [[TheAntiChrist the "Midnight Child"]] then the "Midnight Child" themselves.
* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:'''Everyone'''. The other people didn't disappear. The characters are actually dead and stuck in an afterlife called the World of Limbo.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Yvan has some moments.
-->'''Leila''': "It's a pity we don't go see that thing from closer..."
-->'''Yvan''': "Another time. We should keep some for the rest of the week. Or else we'll get bored."
* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler: Octave and Joachim join the rebels of the Eighth Family, out of disgust for what Neosalem is becoming under Saul and Toussaint.]]
* DragonInChief: Toussaint is fully loyal to Saul, who is much more powerful and does rule the First Families. But he is the one who advocates for a military dictatorship and brings the worst in him, pushing him from a TotalitarianUtilitarian right into TheCaligula zone. [[spoiler: And by awakening the "Midnight Child" instead of sealing them, he kickstarts the War of Limbo that could still be avoided/delayed.]]
* EldritchAbomination: The Dark Building appearing at the center of the Zone is horribly creepy and ominous, covered with (if not made of) billions of insects, and having God knows what inside of it. It is implied to be sentient and in control of the Red Zone. [[spoiler: It is in fact a Nadir of the Fifteenth Family, an extremely powerful ability that became independant from its wielder and the mightiest of the Last Families. Its counterpart, the Aeon has yet to appear and is stated to be equally Lovecraftian and dangerous.]]
* EldritchLocation: The Lower Lands (les Terres Basses in French), stronghold of the Last Families. They are implied to be [[GeniusLoci sentient]].
* EveryoneHasStandards: Edwige doesn't like much Leila, as she feels that Leila never truly accepted her as part of her group of friends and she considers her a rival for Dodji's affections, [[spoiler:but after seeing how Saul is treating her in tome 12, she agrees that she deserves to be helped.]]
* EvilCounterpart: The Last Families are dark reflections of the First Ones, with similar natures and powers, but completely different purpose. But while incredibly dangerous, they are hints of a grayer morality.
* FantasticCasteSystem: The First Families use a rigid social structure where the numbers of 6 (aristocrats), 7 (commoners), and 8 (slaves) are given to the incoming/[[spoiler:newly dead]] children based on their success in the game of trials.
* {{Fauxshadowing}}: [[spoiler:As the story goes on, Dodji is led to believe that he is the "Midnight-Child", the ChosenOne of the Last Families.]] But it ultimately turns out to be a RedHerring hiding the reveal that [[spoiler: it was Camille]].
* FireForgedFriends: The five children of Fortville quickly become TrueCompanions after having to survive and face threats together.
* FoeRomanceSubtext: [[TheRival Saul]] kisses [[TheHero Dodji]] during their EnemyMine moment, both as a "thank you" and to mess with his mind.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Even though at first glance, we are led to believe that [[spoiler:Dodji]] is the "Midnight-Child" of the Last Families, some clues actually point towards [[spoiler:Camille]] as soon as album four.
*** In the fourth album, [[spoiler:Camille is the more sensible to the events happening in the "Zone", aka the (at the time still not known) stronghold of the Last Families. Alexandre and Selene even suspect her first.]] Later albums don't bring up that element again, but they never exculpate [[spoiler:Camille]] either.
*** In the eighth album, [[spoiler:Camille]] is questioned by the leaders of the First Families, who use an artifact known as Alderic's Hand to try to see if [[spoiler:she]] has a connection with the Last Families. [[spoiler:One of the leaders' EvilDetectingDog starts barking]] and the Hand is reacting. [[spoiler:However, at the time, the leaders (and by extension the reader) assume that it's because of Lucy, the baby that was with Camille at the moment]].
** The revelations that the children were [[spoiler:DeadAllAlong]] and [[spoiler:the entire "World of Limbo" saga of the First Families and the Last Families]] were hinted at the second volume of the series, where Yvan remembered him being with his parents getting into the car the night to run away from "Fifteen Families" before everyone disappeared [[spoiler:without realizing that he and his parents died in a car crash]].
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Camille loves animals and is implied to not eat meat (or at least not eat the meat of the animals she raises).
* GoodCounterpart: The First Families are light reflections of the Last Ones, with similar natures and powers, but completely different purpose. But while devoted to order, they are GoodIsNotSoft at best and LightIsNotGood at worst.
* GoodIsNotNice: After his HeelFaceTurn, the Master of Knives becomes an ally of the children of Fortville. However, he's far more prone than them to use violent (and even lethal) ways to deal with their enemies.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Toussaint is a cruel and implacable KnightTemplar, as violent as the Last Families without the AffablyEvil package. [[spoiler: By revealing Camille as the "Midnight Child, he enables her to take her throne and ignite the war. Lucious points this out, but Toussaint does not care as he wants the war to happen.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: The Master of Knives, the antagonist of the second album, turns out to be [[spoiler: a child with an unspecified mental illness, who attacked the heroes because he thought they were a threat to the baby girl he was protecting. At the end, they let him go and he becomes an ally in his subsequent appearances.]]
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Saul alternates between an enemy of the children of Fortville and a reluctant ally. [[spoiler:The reveal that his crush Camille was the "Midnight-Child" all along and his subsequent JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope cements his status as an antagonist.]] Having [[KnightTemplar Toussaint]] as his most trusted advisor does little wonder to his worsening mental state.
* ImprobableInfantSurvival: Ultimately PlayedWith and {{Subverted}}. [[spoiler:It turns out that the children were all DeadAllAlong. However, in the World of Limbo, since they are already dead, they can't die again. Those who die always come back.]] It's later revealed, however, [[spoiler:that it's possible to die for real in the World of Limbo.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Anton]] suffers his Last Death at the hand of Saul.
* KnightTemplar: The leaders of the First Families, to varying extents. The worst in that regard in Toussaint, their military leader, as he is the one who advocates for the most violent methods. Subverted with Diane, who's open to hear Anton's theories even though they are iconoclast. She does warn him to not talk about them to Toussaint, or else he might burn his works. And him with them.
* LightIsNotGood: The First Families, what with their use of slavery and FantasticCasteSystem.
* TheLoad: Because of his young age, Terry is often useless in battle and sometimes even puts himself in danger by being too reckless. He grows out of it after a solid serving of CharacterDevelopment.
* LonelyRichKid: Yvan came from a wealthy family, which his father happened to be a banker. Though he has schoolmates, his parents are often absent as they were too busy. [[spoiler: At least he was with his parents in a car accident during the night where he and the children went to World of Limbo/died]].
* ManChild: [[spoiler: The Master of Knives is actually a teenager whose disability made him more in level with the children in terms of mental maturity. Despite the World of Limbo accepting young children who died in tragic ways, his status as a teenager in such realm make it one of the mysteries on how it operates.]]
* MindOverMatter: Saul develops extremely powerful telekinesis as TheChosenOne of the First Families. It is hinted that he would be a full-fledged RealityWarper at full capacity.
* MoralityPet: Camille, for Saul, doubling as PuppyLove. Even discussed in-universe at one point, when Camille points out that Saul seems less harsh when she's with him.
* MrExposition: Several people explain our hero what is going on.
** The Council of Sages, especially Diane, explains Anton the nature of Limbo and the opposite nature of the First and Last Families.
** [[spoiler: Melchior, once freed]] becomes the poster child for the trope, explaining everything that was left to know about the Fifteen Families, the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil, and most importantly the "Tiger-Striped Souls" and their PersonalityPowers.
* NiceGirl:
** [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold Camille]] is the nicest of the group.
** Also Zoe, who is met in the third album and later joins the group.
* NobleDemon: Achille, one of the leaders of the First Families and their best warrior. He wants to give the children of Fortville a fair chance of joining the First Families and of proving they're not a threat. A conversation between two soldiers reveals that he strongly dislikes torture.
-->'''Gaspard:''' "We can win some time... I'll make them say where their friends are."
-->'''Soldier:''' "Forget it Gaspard. You know Achille wouldn't like that."
* PersonalityPowers: Each "Tiger-Striped Soul" wields a powerful ability, fitting their character.
** [[spoiler: The headstrong and determinate Dodji becomes able to make things happen by force of will.]]
** [[spoiler: Leila who plans ahead and worries about the future becomes able to see it in advance.]]
** [[spoiler: Yvan, the voice of reason who tried to advocate for peace, becomes able to restore victims of the Last Families to normal.]]
** [[spoiler: Terry, with his vivacious imagination, can bring things to existence with his mind.]]
* PuppyLove: Romance isn't the focus of the story, but there are some instances of this trope, even though they're very discrete.
** Edwige and Leila both show an interest in Dodji. In the seventh album, they both kiss him.
** Between Camille and Saul.
** Between Yvan and Zoe. Clear on Yvan's part, but she seems more [[ObliviousToLove oblivious]]. However, in the seventh album, she [[SleepCute sleeps]] [[ShipTease on his lap]].
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:The children never physically age in the World of Limbo (with the exception of their hair which become lighter and their eyes which become pale blue), but some of them are there since a long time. For instance, it's implied that the leaders of the First Families, like Lucius, are from Antiquity. And Achille and Toussaint may be even older.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Diane is the most willing to welcome the Children of Compton and to explore new theories about their predicament, warning against ruling through fear and worrying about the WarHawk Magisters. Lucius is this as well, to a lesser extent.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Some animals have become feral and attack humans on sight. They're recognizable thanks to their red eyes. [[spoiler:We later learn that this happens to those who've been corrupted by the Last Families]].
* TheReveal: Each Cycle ends with one.
** At the end of the fifth album, we learn that [[spoiler:everyone has been DeadAllAlong and that the world they are in now (called the World of Limbo) is some kind of afterlife]].
** At the end of the ninth album, we finally learn that [[spoiler: the "Messiah" and champion of the Last Families is '''not''' Dodji, as we were led to assume, but Camille]].
** The thirteenth album introduces the titular "[[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil Tiger-Striped Souls]]."
* SealedGoodInACan: [[spoiler: Melchior's head is imprisoned inside a chest, only accessible by the "Mad Master".]]
* TheSmartGuy:
** Yvan is the smartest of the five children of Fortville.
** Anton, who's met in the third album and later joins the group, is even smarter.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: [[spoiler: It would be easier to think of the "Midnight Child" as a separate entity, but a restored Camille is adamant that it was this, and is understandably shaken.]]
* ThinkingUpPortals: The villainous "Mad Master" owns a key that can open doors out of thin air, leading to wherever he wants. [[spoiler: Dodji turns the tables on him by stealing it from him.]]
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Leila (Tomboy) and Camille (Girly Girl).
* TotalitarianUtilitarian: Saul regards himself as a benevolent dictator, convinced that the greatest kindness is to strike fast and true. While he genuinely believes in his view and thinks there is no other way, his newfound power and position of authority causes him to be SlowlySlippingIntoEvil.
* TrueCompanions: The Five Children of Fortville, later joined by defectors of Saul's clan and the First Families.
* YourMindMakesItReal: [[spoiler:Anton theorizes that Limbo is formed by the collective consciousness of all the children who entered it after death.]]
** [[spoiler:Terry's power in a nutshell.]]
* WarHawk: Toussaint is the only one thrilled more than worried by the prospect of the upcoming War of Limbo, convinced that modern weaponry will win it.
* WhamEpisode: Each Cycle ends with one, coupled with TheReveal for further shock.
** The 5th Album was an entire surprise to the cast of the storyline, [[spoiler: which it was revealed that the protagonists were actually dead and ended up in the World of Limbo]].
** The 9th Album reveals who is the Midnight Child.
** The 13th Album explains the real nature of the Eighth Family and the titular "Tiger-Striped Souls", [[spoiler: neither "good" nor "evil" and with the potential to bring peace between the First and Last Families.]]

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* KnifeNut: The fittingly named "Master of Knives". He wears dozens of them on his coat and is very good at fighting with them or at throwing them.

** [[spoiler: [[BigBadFriend Camille will always treat the other children of Fortville as her friends and want them by her side]]. If only she wasn't so intent on corrupting them or cutting them limb from limb...]]

* AffablyEvil: Anyone corrupted by the Last Families become monstrous and willing to expand their ranks on unwilling victims, but they keep treating the children as friends and playground buddies.

* FoeYay: [[TheRival Saul]] kisses [[TheHero Dodji]] during their EnemyMine moment, both as a "thank you" and to mess with his mind.

* BreakingTheFellowship: By the start of the third cycle, the main 5 characters are separated from each other. [[spoiler:Dodji is imprisoned by the Mad Master, Leila is recaptured by the First Families, Ywan finds himself in another town after drowning while trying to escape First Family soldiers and reviving, Terry is on the run with the Master of Knives, and Camille has become the Midnight Child, an eldrich abomination of the Last Families.]]

** Cruelly played with in Saul's case. He first mellows out due to [[LoveInterest Camille]]'s PositiveFriendInfluence and to respect the Children of Compton during their EnemyMine to escape the Red Zone. Alas, he is promoted leader of the [[LightIsNotGood First Families]]. Just as it seems that Camille's pleas strike a chord, he meets [[TheCorrupter Toussaint]] and spirals FromBadToWorse.

** The Third Cycle has [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil Saul]] who is about to [[TyrantTakesTheHelm start a brutal military dictatorship in Neosalem]], the "[[TheBlank Mad Master]]" who abducts Dodji for his sadistic entertainment, and the "[[HumanoidAbomination Midnight Child]]" who takes control of the Last Families and prepares them for a new War of Limbo. [[spoiler: With the latter two being restored to normal at the end, only Saul and his DragonInChief Toussaint remain a threat.]] And the aforementioned {{Eldritch Abomination}}s have yet to enter the fray...

** The Master of Knives was ultimately only trying to [[spoiler:protect a baby girl from the heroes]]. A FreezeFrameBonus on one of the last comic strip boxes shows that one of the windows Leila and Ivan exploded when, while drunk, they had fun shooting with Ivan's father's gun [[spoiler:was a window of the building where he was living with the baby]].

** Leila learns to uses her ingenuity to save her skin and to seize opportunities to turn the tables, becoming TheStrategist.

* EldritchLocation: The Lower Lands (les Terres Basses in French), stronghold of the Last Families. They are implied to be [[GeniusLocci sentient]].

** The revelations that the children were [[spoiler:DeadAllAlong]] and [[spoiler:the entire "World of Limbo" saga of the First Families and the Last Families]] were hinted at the second volume of the series, where Ivan remembered him being with his parents getting into the car the night to run away from "Fifteen Families" before everyone disappeared [[spoiler:without realizing that he and his parents died in a car crash]].

* LonelyRichKid: Ivan came from a wealthy family, which his father happened to be a banker. Though he has schoolmates, his parents are often absent as they were too busy. [[spoiler: At least he was with his parents in a car accident during the night where he and the children went to World of Limbo/died]].

** Between Ivan and Zoe. Clear on Ivan's part, but she seems more [[ObliviousToLove oblivious]]. However, in the seventh album, she [[SleepCute sleeps]] [[ShipTease on his lap]].

** Ivan is the smartest of the five children of Fortville.

* SuperPoweredEvilSide: [[spoiler: It would be easier to think of the "Midnight Child" as a separate entity, but a restored Camille is adamant that it was this, and understandably shaken.]]

''Seuls'' follows the adventures of a group of five children [[note]]Dodji, Leila, Terry, Camille, and Ivan[[/note]] from a fictional town named Campton (Fortville in French), who wake up one day to discover that everyone else has disappeared. All the adults are gone, and the only other living creatures they meet are animals and, later on, other children. Of course, the heroes attempt to discover what happened, while also trying to survive by themselves. There are many dangers to be faced, from animals gone wild to rival groups of children.

** [[TheAntiChrist The "Midnight Child", (''Enfant-Minuit'' in French) anointed by the forces of darkness]], is covered with red insects usually associated with cuteness (ladybugs and butterflies) but here creepy as heck. [[spoiler: Not unsurprizingly, considering that she was the sweetest character of all before her FaceHeelTurn.]]

** Arguably, the less extremist leaders of the First Families are this, mostly Diane and Lucius. On the one hand, they do advocate for harsh measures, they rule over a society based on a FantasticCasteSystem in which a whole group is treated as slaves and they end up antagonizing the heroes because they suspect they may be linked to the Last Families. On the other hand, they do what they think is best to protect their subjects, while having to fight an enemy that turns children into zombie-like pawns.

* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: [[spoiler: The role of the Eighth Family of "Mediators" is to keep it intact. [[FallenHero Melchior]] prepared to become its champion, until his disappearance.]]
* BigBadEnsemble: The Third Cycle has [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil Saul]] who is about to [[TyrantTakesTheHelm start a brutal military dictatorship in Neosalem]], the "[[TheBlank Mad Master]]" who abducts Dodji for his sadistic entertainment, and the "[[HumanoidAbomination Midnight Child]]" who takes control of the Last Families and prepares them for a new War of Limbo. [[spoiler: With the latter two being restored to normal at the end, only Saul and his DragonInChief Toussaint remain a threat.]] And the [[EldritchAbomination First, Second, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Families]] have yet to enter the fray...

** Yvan learns to overcome his fears and his loneliness, becoming pro-active instead of a follower.

* TheCorruptible: Saul is a deeply flawed ControlFreak with bad ItsAllAboutMe tendencies, but he hides a vulnerable side and sincerely tries to protect the children in his care and improve their lives. Too bad, he finds inspiration in the Hitler Youth. [[FromBadToWorse Too bad, Toussaint is whispering in his ear]]...
* CowardlyLion: Ivan is not as brave as Dodji or Leila. But, when push comes to shove, he's capable of being just as heroic. By the end of the Third Cycle, he is able to face TheDragon to [[TheAntiChrist the "Midnight Child"]] then the "Midnight Child" themselves.

* DeadpanSnarker: Ivan has some moments.

-->'''Ivan''': "Another time. We should keep some for the rest of the week. Or else we'll get bored."

** [[TheAntiChrist The "Midnight Child", anointed by the forces of darkness]], is covered with red insects usually associated with cuteness (ladybugs and butterflies) but here creepy as heck. [[spoiler: Not unsurprizingly, considering that she was the sweetest character of all before her FaceHeelTurn.]]

** [[spoiler:Alexandre and Selene]], who try to kill the children of Campton, but only because they want to prevent [[spoiler:another war between the Last Families and the First Families]]. [[spoiler: They think that one of them will become the "Midnight-Child" (''Enfant-Minuit'' in French), aka the [[TheChosenOne champion]] of the Last Families.]]

** [[spoiler: The creepy "Mad Master" ("Maître Fou" in French) is in fact a mentor of sorts, trying to train Dodji. Each seemingly absurd and sadistic trials he inflicts is in a disguised lesson.]]

* BigBadEnsemble: The Third Cycle has [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Toussaint]] who is about to [[TyrantTakesTheHelm start a brutal military dictatorship in Neosalem]], the "[[TheBlank Mad Master]]" who abducts Dodji for his sadistic entertainment, and the "[[HumanoidAbomination Midnight Child]]" who takes control of the Last Families and prepares them for a new War of Limbo. [[spoiler: With the latter two being restored to normal at the end, only Toussaint remains a threat.]] And the [[EldritchAbomination First, Second, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Families]] have yet to enter the fray...

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Toussaint is a callous, cruel and implacable KnightTemplar, as violent as the Last Families without the luxury of being AffablyEvil. [[spoiler: By revealing Camille as the "Midnight Child, he enables her to take her throne and ignite the war. Lucious points this out, but Toussaint does not care as he wants the war to happen.]]

* AntiVillain:

** [[spoiler:Alexandre and Selene]], who try to kill the children of Campton, but only because they want to prevent [[spoiler:another war between the Last Families and the First Families]]. They think that one of them will become the [[spoiler:"Midnight-Child" (''Enfant-Minuit'' in French), aka the [[TheChosenOne champion]] of the Last Families]].

** [[spoiler: The creepy "Mad Master" ("Maître Fou" in French) is in fact a mentor of sorts, trying to train Dodji. Each seemingly absurd and sadistic trials he inflicts is in fact a lesson.]]
* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: The role of the [[spoiler: Eight Family of "Mediators"]] is to keep it intact. [[spoiler: Melchior]] prepared to become its champion, until his disappearance.
* BigBadEnsemble: The Third Cycle has [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Toussaint]] who is about to [[TyrantTakesTheHelm start a brutal military dictatorship in Neosalem]], the "[[TheBlank Mad Master]]" who abducts Dodji for his sadistic entertainment, and the [[HumanoidAbomination "Midnight Child"]] who takes control of the Last Families and prepares them for a new War of Limbo. [[spoiler: With the latter two being restored to normal at the end, only Toussaint remains a threat.]] And the [[EldritchAbomination First, Second, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Families]] have yet to enter the fray...

** Camille has to let go of her idealism in the face of the grimness of the situation, and to understand people. [[spoiler: Later, she accepts her part of darkness and resolves to understand what happened to her.]]

** Cruelly played with in Saul's case, he first mellows out due to [[LoveInterest Camille]]'s influence and to respect the Children of Compton during their EnemyMine to escape the Lower Lands. Alas, he is promoted leader of the [[LightIsNotGood First Families]]. As it seems that Camille's pleas strike a chord, then he meets [[TheCorrupter Toussaint]].
* TheChosenOne: The Last Families and the First Families each have their champion, a child who has supernatural powers. [[spoiler:Saul]] is revealed in the seventh book to be the champion of the First Families. In the ninth album, we learn the identity of the "Midnight-Child" of the Last Families. [[spoiler:It's Camille]].
** [[spoiler: The FiveManBand is revealed to be "Tiger-Striped Souls", children neither Light nor Dark with enormous individual powers. Furthermore, Dodji is their champion, destined to end the conflict between both factions and to open the Gates of Heaven.]]

* EldritchAbomination: The Dark Building appearing at the center of the Zone is immensely creepy and ominous, and is implied to be sentient and in control of the zone. [[spoiler: It is in fact a Nadir of the Fifteenth Family, an extremely powerful ability that became independant from its wielder and the mightiest of the Last Family. Its counterpart, the Aeon has yet to appear and is stated to be equally Lovecraftian and dangerous.]]

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Toussaint is a callous, cruel and implacable KnightTemplar, as violent as the Last Families without the luxury of being AffablyEvil. [[spoiler: By revealing Camille as the "Midnight Child, he enables her to take her throne and ignite the war. Lucious points this out, but he wants the war to happen.]]

** [[spoiler: Yvan, the voice of reason who tried to advocate for peace, becomes able to restore victims of the Last Family to normal.]]

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:The children never physically age in the World of Limbo (with the exception of their hair which become lighter and their eyes which become blue), but some of them are there since a long time. For instance, it's implied that the leaders of the First Families, like Lucius, are from Antiquity. And Achille and Toussaint may be even older.]]

* TheReveal:

* SealedGoodInACan: [[spoiler: Melchior's head is imprisonned inside a chest, only accessible by the "Mad Master".]]

* WhamEpisode: Each Cycle ends with one.

* AChildShallLeadThem: Justified and enforced by some characters. Since there are no adults anymore, some children take their place and assume the leadership. Saul leads a group of children and thinks he should be the only leader, even if it means getting rid of the competition. Dodji also become a leader, even though he doesn't want to. The leaders of the First Families are children too and [[spoiler:they want Saul to become the champion of their empire]].

** Edwige, but the violence caused by her AmbiguousDisorder makes her somewhat of a deconstruction of the trope.

* AdaptationalVillainy: Saul is far worst in TheFilmOfTheBook than his comicbook counterpart. In the movie, his racism is far more explicit. He nonchalantly kills [[spoiler:the Master of the Knives]] when the latter [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlives his usefulness]]. And his crush for Camille is displayed in a very creepy way. [[spoiler:At one point, he locks her in a cage.]]

** The Master of the Knives was ultimately only trying to [[spoiler:protect a baby girl from the heroes]]. A FreezeFrameBonus on one of the last comic strip boxes shows that one of the windows Leila and Ivan exploded when, while drunk, they had fun shooting with Ivan's father's gun [[spoiler:was a window of the building where he was living with the baby]].
** [[spoiler:Alexandre and Selene]], who try to kill the children of Campton, but only because they want to prevent [[spoiler:another war between the Last Families and the First Families]]. They think that one of them will become the [[spoiler:"Midnight-Child", aka the [[TheChosenOne champion]] of the Last Families]].

* BrattyHalfPint: Terry often acts like a brat, at least during the First Cycle. He is forced to grow up by the trial he has to face.
* TheChosenOne: The Last Families and the First Families each have their champion, a child who has supernatural powers. [[spoiler:Saul]] is revealed in the seventh book to be the champion of the First Families. In the ninth album, we learn the identity of the "Midnight-Child" (''Enfant-Minuit'' in French) of the Last Families. [[spoiler:It's Camille]].
** [[spoiler: The FiveManBand is revealed to be "Tiger-Striped Souls" with enormous individual powers, neither Light nor Dark, and that Dodji is their champion, destined to end the conflict between both factions and open the Gates of Heaven.]]

* CowardlyLion: Ivan is not as brave as Dodji or Leila. But, when push comes to shove, he's capable of being just as heroic.

* {{Fauxshadowing}}: [[spoiler:As the story goes on, Dodji is led to believe that he is the "Midnight-Child", the ChosenOne of the Last Families.]] But it ultimately turns out to be nothing but a RedHerring to hide the reveal that [[spoiler:it was Camille]].

* HeelFaceTurn: The Master of Knives, the antagonist of the second album, turns out to be [[spoiler:a child himself, with an unspecified mental illness, who attacked the heroes because he thought they were a threat to the baby girl he was protecting. At the end of the album, they let him go and, in his subsequent appearances, he becomes an ally.]]
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Saul alternates between an enemy of the children of Fortville and a reluctant ally. [[spoiler:The reveal that his crush Camille was the Midnight-Child all along and his subsequent JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope cements his status as an antagonist.]]

* TheLoad: Because of his young age, Terry is often useless in battle and sometimes even puts himself in danger by being too reckless.

** The 13th Album explains the real nature of the Eighth Family and the titular "Tiger-Striped Souls", [[spoiler: neither "good" nor "evil" and with the potential to bring peace between the Light and Dark Families.]]

''Seuls'' (''Alone'') is an on-going Franco-Belgian comic series, written by Fabien Vehlmann and drawn by Bruno Gazzotti. Its first volume was published in January 2006, with a release schedule of one volume per year. It is currently composed of ten volumes divided into three cycles, and, according to the authors, should amount to a total of twenty volumes.

''Seuls'' follows the adventures of a group of five children [[note]]Dodzi, Leila, Terry, Camille, and Ivan[[/note]] from a fictional town named Campton, who wake up one day to discover that everyone else has disappeared. All the adults are gone, and the only other living creatures they meet are animals and, later on, other children. Of course, the heroes attempt to discover what happened, while also trying to survive by themselves. There are many dangers to be faced, from animals gone wild to rival groups of children.

* BrattyHalfPint: Terry often acts like a brat.

* KnifeNut: The fittingly named "Master of Knives".

* WhamEpisode:

''Seuls'' ("''Alone''") is an on-going Franco-Belgian comic series, written by Fabien Vehlmann and drawn by Bruno Gazzotti. Its first volume was published in January 2006, with a release schedule of one volume per year. It is currently composed of ten volumes divided into three cycles, and, according to the authors, should amount to a total of twenty volumes.

** Between Ivan and Zoe. Clear on Ivan's part, but she seems more [[ObliviousToLove oblivious]]. However, in the seventh album, she [[SleepCute sleeps]] [[ShipTease on him]].

A [[TheMovieOfTheBook movie adaptation]] has been released in France on February 8th, 2017.

* AdaptationalVillainy: Saul is far worst in TheMovieOfTheBook than his comicbook counterpart. In the movie, his racism is far more explicit. He nonchalantly kills [[spoiler:the Master of the Knives]] when the latter [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlives his usefulness]]. And his crush for Camille is displayed in a very creepy way. [[spoiler:At one point, he locks her in a cage.]]

* InfantImmortality: Ultimately PlayedWith and {{Subverted}}. [[spoiler:It turns out that the children were all DeadAllAlong. However, in the World of Limbo, since they are already dead, they can't die again. Those who die always come back.]] It's later revealed, however, [[spoiler:that it's possible to die for real in the World of Limbo.]]