... which I do know is spelt differently, but given my track record I couldn't know that you'd know that I knew... if you know what I mean... annnnnyyyyyyyway
I've taken a rather scatter gun approach to my love of Asterix on this board over the years and when thinking about where to post a linkie to a preview of the new volume, which I'm unreasonably excited about given how average the last one was, I decided to hell with it Asterix deserves his own thread and decided to create one to see how it flies.
So yeah since established that Asterix is better than Tintin, as fact, in a past thread (http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=39896.0 (http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=39896.0)) there's no need to go back down that route, so instead lets celebrate the most popular comic in the world (or so Rich Johnson keeps telling me) and begin with a preview (in French which rubbish at but still tells me all I need to know) of the new volume Asterix and the Missing Scroll which comes out in less than 2 weeks (22nd October).
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/10/13/julian-assange-inspired-character-in-new-asterix-was-called-wikilix-3-page-preview/ (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/10/13/julian-assange-inspired-character-in-new-asterix-was-called-wikilix-3-page-preview/)
Was the last one Asterix and the Picts? I quite enjoyed it, but nothing compares to Asterix and Cleopatra ('What a nose!') which is my gold standard.
I wait with bated breath for reviews of this one!
Yeah 'and the Picts' was the last one and I thought it was okay. I've always enjoyed stories centered around the village more and I think that's where this one sits and the art looks great, so fingers crossed this will be a real return to form?
Oh I'll review, I'll review...
I still have to watch the films.
Better than Tintin!!? Do you have a dance to back up all your foolish conceits or just the Sinister Dexter one?
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 13 October, 2015, 04:52:59 PM
Better than Tintin!!? Do you have a dance to back up all your foolish conceits or just the Sinister Dexter one?
No, no dance for Asterix better than Tintin, that is clearly just a Sinister Dexter thing. However if you'll allow to clear my throat, I do have a song...
Why not both.
Yup, another big Asterix fan here. Own the first six books (in Omnibi) and I'll add another fan to the list of folk who quite liked The Picts.
How I loved Asterix as a kid, despite not getting 90% of the jokes, but probably laughing at inappropriate things. Cacafonix? Getafix? What's funny about that? Oh look, there's an hilarious negro! Cleopatra I found 'sexy' (whatever that meant), the Soothsayer genuinely terrifying, the orgies and fondue game simply perplexing, the British and their breaks for boiling water was the funniest thing ever. But the truth is almost all the cultural humour and wordplay went completely over my head. Matters weren't helped by a half-Swiss kid who insisted I couldn't possibly grasp how funny it was in French (which is probably true).
As with most things in my childhood, including 2000ad, my main pleasure was in taking it a bit too seriously. It was the plight of that lone Gaulish village, and the menace of the Romans, their giant SPQR standard rammed into France, and their wonderful testudo, the danger that Asterix would run of potion at a critical momentor that something horrible might happen to Dogmatix, that really thrilled me. As far as I was concerned, it was all about the heroic adventures of Asterix.
Well, that and Cleopatra.
I only learned recently that Obelix's common refrain of "These Romans are crazy" translates into a Latin phrase which has the acronym of SPQR. Sonno Pazzi que Romani or something
Quote from: Tordelback on 13 October, 2015, 05:12:17 PM
As with most things in my childhood, including 2000ad, my main pleasure was in taking it a bit too seriously. It was the plight of that lone Gaulish village, and the menace of the Romans, their giant SPQR standard rammed into France, and their wonderful testudo, the danger that Asterix would run of potion at a critical momentor that something horrible might happen to Dogmatix, that really thrilled me. As far as I was concerned, it was all about the heroic adventures of Asterix.
Aye, me too. To my shame I've never revisited Asterix since reading those dog-eared books in the Primary School library!
My lady Geoffery owns a substantial chunk of the Asterix books so thankfully I get to re-read them now and again - used to adore them as a kid and get one out of the library every week :D Thought (and still think) Uderzo's art was stunning, that wonderful mix between dynamic characters and beautiful backgrounds.
Can't find a picture but in Asterix in Switzerland I think there's a scenic mountain drawing that I remember spending hours staring out. Beautiful.
Know of them, but never delved anywhere too deep into any of the graphic novels I was able to find in the school and town libraries when I was younger. I think one of my old friend's used to have some of them along with Tin-Tin gn's.
I played some of the old on a friend's game-machine. I think it was a Sega. Just few simple 2D-Scrollers.
When I heard about the films being made and went to a bit of trouble look for more and more information about them on line. I think saw the first one on video or DvD and the later ones on cable. Each film was better than the last, I think. I do recall the last one being more interesting.
They were a little disappointing to me, because it's hard to accurately catch the atmosphere of this comic book character and the way he was drawn along with his companions, adversary's and the back drops of early Gaul and Rome.
It squirts out a bit too sugary-coated when they try to imitate the original look of it all and I suppose these things shouldn't be made as live action because the transition just doesn't carry over that well. To speak of the actual cartoons that have ben transformed into live action on the big screen.
Scooby-Doo, and it's name sake dog was the only character, along with Shaggy that turned out convincing enough. The other three were poorly cast and realised and the movies them selves were just a lot of what I already said about the Asterix movies.
Along with the live-action straight to television movies I have seen on the cable-cartoon network channels.
Jinky's they got the short pudgy girl all wrong and made her kind of hot and less nerdy. Then again, who would audition for that role if she wasn't. Fred was too short to be a jock (Not that I doubt Freddie Prinze's sportz prowess!) or dark haired to be the blonde jock and his sometime love interest or real life wife (Sarah Michelle Gellar!) wasn't nearly curvy enough.
Speed-Racer might have been better with out the unesessary hippy-trippy lights and back drops along with hi-tech upgrades that definitely weren't part of the original cartoon This is diabetics night night-mare. Along with the poo throwing on bad guys face. I don't care if any of that stuff was cannon.
The Flintones was so spot on, then the sequel was okay, but without Alan's well known larger brother from Home Improvement. Anyway, speaking the first one, where they even copies the introduction where Fred slides down the neck of the earth-moving Bronto, going home in his floorless conveyance on rollars being locked out of stone slab house after the cat swaps places with him and they all go to the drive in and order a side -ribs of dinosaur that tips the family rollar on it's side.
One of four isn't good enough and I wonder what if they took a more serious approach to these films with the exception of one about the stone-age family.
What if Scooby-Doo was more like CSI-Miami, Burn-Notice, or Criminal Minds?
What if Speed Racer was more like those racing films that starred Tom Cruise (Days of Thunde[/b]) or Will Farrell (Teladaega-Nights and I understand this wasn't that serious either, but possibly hilariously close to the truth!)
What if Asterix was giving the same design as Peter Jackson's work on the works of Tolkien. What if Martin Freeman was cast as the Gaulish-Berzerker, and the fellow who was Beorn as Obelix and Ian MacCallen as Getafix the Druid. (At a guess!) Just imagine that!
Lastly, what about Grue?
If this wasn't an Asterix thread I might comment that SMG and FPJr appeared together as live action versions of a cartoon series in the (rather good) Scooby Doos, and now they are appearing together in a cartoon version of a live action movie series in the (very good) Rebels. It's a funny old game. But this is an Asterix thread, and who knows what kind of wicked tarantella CYNWA will employ against us if we divert off into the sychronised filmographies of Hollywood c-list couples.
ObAsterix: I still rate the conviction factor of Julius Caesars in all media (including contemporary busts) against Uderzo's version. Ciaran Hindes is obviously a 21st C contender, but even he lacks the wry gauntness of the one true depiction of Caesar.
Looking forward to this one. I assume its a village set book as they alternate between travel and the village I think ? The last book was a good un and the new team certainly seem to get what Asterix is about. Certainly better than that one with aliens .. it still hurts.
As for Asterix V Tintin, SinDex dance or not, there is no comparison. Asterix wins hands down.
Quote from: Tordelback on 14 October, 2015, 09:30:00 AM
If this wasn't an Asterix thread I might comment that SMG and FPJr appeared together as live action versions of a cartoon series in the (rather good) Scooby Doos, and now they are appearing together in a cartoon version of a live action movie series in the (very good) Rebels. It's a funny old game. But this is an Asterix thread, and who knows what kind of wicked tarantella CYNWA will employ against us if we divert off into the sychronised filmographies of Hollywood c-list couples.
Got nothing against
SMG and her hubby personally. Absolutely loved watching her in her debut series (Or the one that made her very well known!)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was very attentive towards reruns of this show only few years earlier before it got pulled.
The thing about her not being curvy enough for the red haired
Scooby, but she certainly seemed to very slimmed down there. Not that I have ever seen over weight or size
SMG and as her husband. I really meant her was too short to be
Fred and not a jock. Yet,
Fred (
Fred the cartoon character and not the actor!) is a typical Jock, who is tall, and broad shouldered and
Freddie does give me the impression of more ordinary proportions. Yet, I just had a look at his bio, (Just now!) and found the guy's taller than me. Being at least over 180 cm (My apologies to FPJNR there!) and his dad was famous as well. (Although, I don't recall knowing about him otherwise!) Otherwise, I found them both entertaining in those roles and I guess the film's more accurate than I remembered, but I wouldn't have minded seeing something cartoon become something darker! (Not partically coloured!) Like, what if it was done by that
Mexican director who did the
Hellboy movies, along with
Pan's Labrynth, and now
Crimson Peak. The one who might have made
Mountains of Madness, but I think that last one was kind of it, and heavily influenced by some important woman in his life, perhaps!
Anyway....to make up for my diversion from topic here.....
I found this trailer for computer generated
Asterix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjiPfVza6X0) film.
Plus...three must have made a heap of
Asterix cartoon's that seem to be direct adaption from their papery origins.
Quote from: Tordelback on 14 October, 2015, 09:30:00 AM
ObAsterix: I still rate the conviction factor of Julius Caesars in all media (including contemporary busts) against Uderzo's version. Ciaran Hindes is obviously a 21st C contender, but even he lacks the wry gauntness of the one true depiction of Caesar.
Ha! That's so very, very true, I've never thought about it before but yeah I've seen busts of the chap and eyed them suspisious for just this reason. There is something so defining about Uderzo's Caesar it completely cements my vision of the chap.
Uderzo really is the complete artist his work is simply astonishing, truly only the work of Goscinny (I should say from my perspective with the quite brilliant Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge) could provide him a platform to create comics of simply unsurpassed quality.
Perhaps, X-Files is the closest we've ever got to serious and darker Scooby-Doo!
Asterix was brilliant, simply brilliant.
Then Goscinny died and we found out that Uderzo couldn't write to save his life, despite being a wonderful artist.
The recent incarnation looked pretty enough, but the writing standard was quite woeful. I found it painful to read at times.
They should have just let it stay as a classic, and I have no hopes of the next one being any better.
One thing I love is answering quiz questions correctly purely because of reading Asterix books. Same with Peanute cartoons, strangely.
Well there we have it, or rather, there I have it and I can safely say that Asterix and The Missing Scroll is a triumph. All be it qualified one, but its very good. Is it the best in 30 years, as the review over at Bleeding Cool suggested, well no, but then I'm a big fan of 'Black Gold', but its certainly up there and is better, by far, than the vast majority of Uderzo's solo efforts - well art aside, I mean the art is very, very good, but its not going to be up to Uderzo's standard now is it.
More importantly its a lot better than 'The Picts', which I found a disappointingly flat. It does have its problems and in one case that's a lot more significant than merely the multiple missed opportunities to have a mass village brawl, I mean come on as Asterix book missing the chance to have all the villagers brawl, when its been set up. What's all that about. Don't get me wrong of course they argue and fight, but I'm talking about the mass brawl here. Its odd 'cos in almost ever other way the book perfectly plays off all the other tropes from the series of old. It really does, the art as well, though not quite as crisp and vibrant as Uderzo's is still full of those wonderful details and little amusing moments, Dogmatix getting his fair share of nice touches.
So no the problem isn't from the new creative team not sticking to the plan, its much more about fundamental problem with the plot, or more specifically where the jeopardy is. See there's plenty of jeopardy for various Romans, a wonderfully realised Caesar amongst them, but not much for our indomitable Gauls. It all feels a bit easy and Asterix and Obelix's 'adventure' does feel a bit more of a jolly than a perilous scrap. Still that said its effortlessly entertaining and really very funny at times. It also does a wonderful job of explaining a few of the series quirks.
So yeah while we're not back to Goscinny standards yet, we're not far off at all and if the current creative team continue on their present trajectory who knows how good the next volume might be?
That is encouraging, I might give it a try then. I gave up on the modern Asterix having read all of the old one's a million times. In fact my Dad only had half of them in English so I spent years working out what was going on and gazing lovingly at the art in the French versions.
That's got to be the gold standard for comics right there: the artwork and visual storytelling being enough to hook a foreign child who can't read the words into re-reading them again and again.
Quote from: Minkyboy on 23 October, 2015, 09:51:30 AM
That's got to be the gold standard for comics right there: the artwork and visual storytelling being enough to hook a foreign child who can't read the words into re-reading them again and again.
There's something in that :)
Quote from: Minkyboy on 23 October, 2015, 09:51:30 AM
That is encouraging, I might give it a try then. I gave up on the modern Asterix having read all of the old one's a million times. In fact my Dad only had half of them in English so I spent years working out what was going on and gazing lovingly at the art in the French versions.
That's got to be the gold standard for comics right there: the artwork and visual storytelling being enough to hook a foreign child who can't read the words into re-reading them again and again.
To a degree its how I learnt to read (which people who have read any of my posts will question whether that's any sort of advert!). I was very slow to learn read, but picking up Asterix books as a kid, at first from the library, but very soon my parents were buying them with glee when they could, and having the story there in front of me encouraged me to get to grips with the pesky stuff in the word balloons, so I could put the final pieces in the puzzle. Really did help me get past some barriers. Other comics including Flesh in 2000ad in particular also added to this.
I'd always rate Asterix as the very very best comics can achieve, up there with Eisner and Kirby.
Thought there was an Asterix thread... but long neglected.What better reason to dust it off than the new Asterix volume which I've wolfed down this evening. Asterix and the Chariot Race is Ferri and Conrad's third effort and its... not bad... again. They've gone for another classic Asterix plot, full of good ideas and nice pocks at authority. It looks great and is full of laughs. Its still not up there with the best but its markedly above the worse of the series at the end of Uderzo's solo efforts.
It all feels a bit rushed like they are still nervous with the challenge of doing Asterix and thus throwing so much in. Some of the jokes also fall a little flat - though this could be because this volume has a new translator as Anthea Bell has stepped aside and Adriana Hunter steps up. Now those are some big shoes to fill. Alas my ignorance will mean I don't know how much any mistep, or indeed any gloripun is down to the translation.
All in all another passible Asterix book. I just wish this team would find that magic ingredient to move their tales up to the next level, they feel so close to. Mind given that the mighty Goscinny and Uderzo only managed perfection about 14 times maybe I need to lower my expectations!
Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 13 October, 2015, 01:46:07 PM
Was the last one Asterix and the Picts? I quite enjoyed it, but nothing compares to Asterix and Cleopatra ('What a nose!') which is my gold standard.
I wait with bated breath for reviews of this one!
The Scots edition of Asterix and the Picts is brilliant. Matthew Fitt had all the different tribes and groups speaking different Scots dialects. Very funny if you're Scottish or have lived in Scotland.
I really enjoyed it, it did feel like they made an effort to throw as much as they could at the page and hope for the best which in all fairness has been a standard Asterix tactic for years. As Colin said maybe not the finest book in the series but its certainly heading in the right direction.
The ever readable Augie De Blieck Jr is aiming to read and review an Asterix book a week over at his Pipeline Blog. Should make for fantastic reading and I can't wait... in fact I might join in along side him and try to keep up, good excuse to read them all again.
Introduction:
http://www.pipelinecomics.com/announcing-the-great-asterix-reread-project/ (http://www.pipelinecomics.com/announcing-the-great-asterix-reread-project/)
Review of Asterix The Gaul:
http://www.pipelinecomics.com/asterix-v1-asterix-the-gaul/ (http://www.pipelinecomics.com/asterix-v1-asterix-the-gaul/)
Great link Colin, and I must dig my Asterix volumes out- I haven't read them since my kids were little...
Missed this thread the first time around, Colin. Was a big fan as a kid - but haven't been near an Asterix album for nigh on 35 years. Funnily enough, I have a full collection of vintage Tintin.
So I've rectified that. Just purchased a 1970 copy of 'Asterix The Gaul'. Should bring back some memories when it arrives!
(https://i.imgur.com/Ov1hHc2m.jpg)
Also got a 1978 copy of 'Asterix and The Normans'. I really don't need something else to collect! :D
I got The Chariot RAce at christmas and it's actually a pretty decent read with spot on art.
My love of Asterix was rekindled recently and I've started to pick up the Omnibus books (which collects 3 stories per omnibus) from Amazon. Fun stories and quite cheap too.
Well I've been reading along with the Asterix Agenda and we're on week 4 (well Augie has published 3 reviews the 4th in a day or two) and by George its such immense fun so far. I've always considered myself a big Asterix fan but its been a good number of years since I did a re-read (over 14 I think). So reading them again, and I'm on the earlier volumes which I don't remember as fondly, has firmly reminded me why I love The Gaul. Seriously just 4 books in and these are tbe funniest most entertaining comcis. Just genius. Its going to get better!
Get over tho Pipeline.com and join in!
Well sure there's been some talk about the new Asterix book on the board somewhere but can't find it so thought I'd resurrect this thread to pay homage to the best Asterix book in.... well in 38 years!
Asterix and Vercingetorix's the Chieftain's daughter
I've not enjoyed an Asterix book this much since Black Gold - the absolute highlight of the Uderzo solo works. Okay so this one is no Goscinny - what is - but its really good fun. Which was a real relief as I'd seen some damning reviews for it. I think its fresh funny and for me captures the tone and feel of Goscinny's work like almost nothing since his all too early passing. Okay a couple of the jokes really over stay their welcome - the pointless and frankly annoying lisp of Adrenalin's (the daughter of Vercingetorix of the title) guardians being prime example. The racial sterotyping still shows no signs of moving with the times either. I do wonder if the humour has either - though since I've grown up having these books in so many ways defining what I find funny that's fine with me. And I'll say it again I wish the series had taken a bolder break when Uderzo stopped doing the art, but heck if you are going to have someone ape Uderzo its hard to imagine anyone doing it as well as Didier Conrad.
The story by Jean-Yves Ferri feels tight and cohesive in a way that a number of his previous volumes haven't. And while some of the themes and points he's playing with lack the guile of execution that Goscinny at his best mastered so well, they aren't horribly done.
Overall this is a bit of a triumph of a book for me.
just finished asterix 38 and it was wonderfull.
I think the new team has improved since their first volume though the art i feel is a little too detailed
Augie at Pipeline Comics has seen some of the new Papercutz editions and has his thoughts here:
https://www.pipelinecomics.com/american-papercutz-asterix-translations-reviewed/ (https://www.pipelinecomics.com/american-papercutz-asterix-translations-reviewed/)
Sad they've changed those character names! Hope the UK translations don't go this way for future editions.
So, nothing too damaging - but I'll be sticking with the UK editions, I think.
Really interesting article. I follow Pipeline and chatted a lot when Augie was doing the Asterix Project and was wondering how he'd react to this. I think Fisticuffix is pretty poor and do think Getafix is so much better, but hey ho they need to so what works.
Its a shame we apparently won't be getting the Asterix FCBD preview of the Papercutz editions as it would have been interesting to see these in more detail. Still Augie covers it very well.
A bit of me is perversely tempted to get at least a volume or two of these editions when they come out as a more complete comparison would be fun.... but would I ever get the time to do it properly?
Dogmatix is getting his own comic - produced during lockdown. Alas I'm not sure if it'll reach over here but fingers crossed - same with the telly show (whether or not we'll get it over here).
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dogmatix-to-get-his-own-asterix-comic-book/ (https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dogmatix-to-get-his-own-asterix-comic-book/)
I've never read Asterix comics. But having just today watched Tony Robinson's Julius Caesar documentary, I really want to now.
And now I'm going to be the prick of an English teacher that I am - the punctation mark is an asterisk. Asterix is a play on that but spelled and pronounced differently.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 03 July, 2020, 11:32:22 PM
I've never read Asterix comics. But having just today watched Tony Robinson's Julius Caesar documentary, I really want to now.
Oh you really should. They are wonderful - but do seek out the 'Favourite Asterix Book' so you avoid a few stinkers sown amongst the gold.
ANYWAY - the reason I came here wasn't to reply to a post some 6 months old rather to celebrate the fat we have the release date for the next volume, being 21st October this year. So looonnnnggggg wait, but something to look forward to.
There's is a page which plays to the mystery of were the new book will take Asterix, Obelix and Getafix.
https://www.asterix.com/en/new-asterix-album-one-page-as-an-appetiser/?utm_source=E-mail&utm_medium=nl&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Asterix_NL_Missive64_EN_20210106 (https://www.asterix.com/en/new-asterix-album-one-page-as-an-appetiser/?utm_source=E-mail&utm_medium=nl&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Asterix_NL_Missive64_EN_20210106)
Cheers, Colin. Looking forward to that!
"This country does not really exist today as such".
Hmm...
Any guesses?
Title has been announced as 'Asterix and the Griffin' - the Griffin - on the image released doesn't seem to be the actual mythical beast but a wooden statue... we'll see though.
https://www.facebook.com/asterixandobelixofficial/photos/a.206365722839843/2141270869349309/?type=3 (https://www.facebook.com/asterixandobelixofficial/photos/a.206365722839843/2141270869349309/?type=3)
All other comics reading had stopped tonight cos NEW ASTERIX.
Now I approach a new Asterix with a delight and equal fear. Asterix hasn't aged well. Its dated in both tone and detail and the new volumes haven't been brave enough to push beyond what they were to what they could be and have just tried to emulate the past. This will never work as the past was Goscinny and Uderzo and no one is as good as them. So to try to emulate them is foolish. To not move the tales forward and re-invent leaves it bound in dangerous shorthands of old.
In that context, this book is still a triumph however, and just like the previious volume The Cheftain Daughter it works really well for what it is - even if what it is is time bound and unable to live up to its past. The art is glorious, just glorious as Conrad does his damnest to ape Uderzo. The story is also strong. Its funny, sharp and if again it relies on the same jokes rolling around they are still decent jokes.
The story has some really brilliant touches too. The magic potion is fantastically sidelined pushing other strengths of our Gallic hero to the fore. The Romans are given more time and space and are developed well. I also adore the reveal of the Griffin at the end - I'll not spoil but its based on historical theory quite superbly.
Yeah overall this does feel dated and treads a very conservative line BUT its also very good comics in that context.
So I get a regular newsletter, or missive about Asterix from the offical site and the latest teased me with a new Dogmatix book, based on the forth coming tv show Dogmatix and the Indomitables
https://www.asterix.com/en/idefix-et-les-irreductibles-pour-la-premiere-fois-lunivers-dasterix-a-la-television-en-animation-3d/ (https://www.asterix.com/en/idefix-et-les-irreductibles-pour-la-premiere-fois-lunivers-dasterix-a-la-television-en-animation-3d/)
I say teased, as it doesn't look like there is an english translation planned at this stage. I assume as there are currently plans (that I can see) to release the show in the UK. So until that happens (if it does) it would make sense to hold the book back. Shame and I really should just learn French (well I tried at school and I was RUBBISH, which given how back my English is, is probably little surprise!).
Which got me thinking again, why hasn't Asterix got the peneration in the UK martket it has across the rest of Europe. I mean its there, the new albums always come out on day of release, but its just not celebrated in the way it is elsewhere. Probably not even as much as Tintin (for example). Is it simply a resistance to its Frenchness in this country? Its a shame as while the stories and character have been with me since childhood it still feels a little niche here.
Mind we are getting these soon
https://www.playmobil.co.uk/onlineshop/products/asterix (https://www.playmobil.co.uk/onlineshop/products/asterix)
Bit of a cynical ploy if the only way to get Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix is to buy the £150 set.
Quote from: CalHab on 11 March, 2022, 09:56:16 AM
Bit of a cynical ploy if the only way to get Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix is to buy the £150 set.
There is the much cheaper wild boar hunting set with all 3 in.
Thanks! I missed that (unless its just been added).
Quote from: CalHab on 22 March, 2022, 02:30:40 PM
Thanks! I missed that (unless its just been added).
I think its just been added. I'm sure it wasn't there when you first mentioned it.
Next volume has been announced. Same artist, new writer.
Its enigmatically named Asterix and the White Iris, coming out October 26th and has its own website. (https://asterix40.com/en/?utm_source=E-mail&utm_medium=nl&utm_content&utm_campaign=Asterix_NL_Missive84_EN_20230320).
Interesting cover that suggests it will be village based, which I always like. Very excited to see how this one turns out.
Will it be in the same size as all the ones I bought as a kid and still have - I'll have to source these to complete the series
What size did you get as a kid? All the volumes I've bought lately have been of a consistant size. When I was a kid however there was some variation. There was these half(ish) size 'mini' albums and then even a couple of black and white digest format. These days its a pretty safe bet they will be typical BD album size. So I believe that'd be 28.5 by 21.5 (ish)
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 21 March, 2023, 03:15:49 PMWhat size did you get as a kid? All the volumes I've bought lately have been of a consistant size. When I was a kid however there was some variation. There was these half(ish) size 'mini' albums and then even a couple of black and white digest format. These days its a pretty safe bet they will be typical BD album size. So I believe that'd be 28.5 by 21.5 (ish)
Yep that's the size I have - just measured it
Was in Paris last year and decided as well as Disney land we'd do Parc Asterix. And let me tell you: it was amazing. As a bloke in his mid 50s it was such a thrill to get a photo with Obelix. Disney does very little for me, but to wander around the indomitable gaul village and see big chief Vitalstatitix's house and much much more. Amazing. But all in French. (Though easy enough to find people who speak English, I got the impression asterix is more for the French than Disney is...)
I still dream of going to Asterix Parc. It looks amazing!
Parc Asterix is on my bucket list been wanting to go for a long time.
Asterix and the White Iris is here. Its a promising start for new writer Fabcaro, but not quite there yet.
Its starts off well enough as White Iris sets up his plan to fill both Romans and our Gaulish village with positivity. The Romans to give them a positive out look so they have confidence for the fight. The Gauls to pacify them and take the fight out of them.
Its genuninely funny stuff and Asterix knows there's trouble when he arranges a concert from Cacofonix and the entire village, gathered to watch is... supportive! At this point the only problem with the volume is its sails a little close to past classics, Secret Agent, Soothsayer and Obelix and co. But its good stuff.
As if he realises this problem half way through the new writer takes a different tack and the story moved to Isivertuus - the White Iris of the title, convincing Impedimentia to go to Lutetia with him so he can hand her over to Caesar and... well I'm not quite sure why that would be a victory. Vitalstatistix is devastated and so joins Asterix and Obelix in travelling to Lutetia to get his wife back... and its not that challenging.
And there hangs the problem in Pari... I mean Lutetia I think the adventure is meant to hark back to other classics like Cauldron and Laurel Wreath and the mix of the two types of adventure should work well in giving me something new which I always claim to carve.
The thing is it dispells the threat from the first half of the story - and quite why I don't know it all seemed to be going quite well for Isivertuus, the Romans were hankering for a fight for once, the Gauls becoming increasing passive, his plan seemed to be working. And the challenge in the second half is virtually no existant.
To be fair the laughs are consistant and those plot based issues aside its a really good volume.
Oh and the art by Conrad remains an absolute triumph.
So yeah looking back the last three nuAsterix books have been pretty good. None have been perfect but they are better than any volumes Black Gold... I mean that's not a high benchmark and Black Gold is very, very good so difficult to get over, so the series isn't doing bad of late and this one gives me even more hope for the future.