Asterix - the French comic not the punctuation mark...

[Colin YNWA]

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!

[Colin YNWA]

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.

[rs_jr]

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

[Tomwe]

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/

Sad they’ve changed those character names! Hope the UK translations don’t go this way for future editions.

[karlos]

So, nothing too damaging - but I'll be sticking with the UK editions, I think.

[Colin YNWA]

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?

[Colin YNWA]

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/

[JayzusB.Christ]

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.

[Colin YNWA]

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

[Andrew_J]

Cheers, Colin. Looking forward to that!
"This country does not really exist today as such".
Hmm...
Any guesses?