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

Started by Colin YNWA, 13 October, 2015, 01:40:41 PM

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Colin YNWA

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.

ThryllSeekyr

Perhaps, X-Files is the closest we've ever got to serious and darker Scooby-Doo!

Bad City Blue

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.
Writer of SENTINEL, the best little indie out there

Colin YNWA

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?

Minkyboy

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.
Fiddling while Rome burns

"is being made a brain in a jar a lot more comen than I think it is." - Cyberleader2000

Fungus

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  :)

Colin YNWA

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.

Colin YNWA

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!

CalHab

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.

James Stacey

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.

Colin YNWA

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/

Review of Asterix The Gaul:

http://www.pipelinecomics.com/asterix-v1-asterix-the-gaul/

Bolt-01

Great link Colin, and I must dig my Asterix volumes out- I haven't read them since my kids were little...

Krakajac

#27
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!



Also got a 1978 copy of 'Asterix and The Normans'.  I really don't need something else to collect!  :D

Bad City Blue

I got The Chariot RAce at christmas and it's actually a pretty decent read with spot on art.
Writer of SENTINEL, the best little indie out there

GaryUK

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.