The story begins in a village in ancient Gaul, where the druid Getafix brews a secret magic potion. The potion gives the drinker superhuman strength for a short time, and with it Asterix, Obelix (who doesn't need to drink the magic potion since he fell into the cauldron when he was a baby and it had a permanent effect on him) and the other Gauls, keep the might of the Roman Legions at bay.
There is all sort of humour, such as visual gags, puns, literary references, parody, situation comedy and fun characters.
Books :
The books come in various formats, including hardback, paperback, mini
paperback and compilation. They are published in English by Hodder Dargaud
(books 1 to 25) and Hodder Children's Books (books 26 to 32).
These are the books, in order of publication in English:
Asterix the Gaul
Asterix in Spain
Asterix in Britain
Asterix and Cleopatra
Asterix and the Goths
Asterix the Gladiator
Asterix the Legionary
Asterix in Switzerland
Asterix and the Big Fight
Asterix and the Roman Agent
The Mansion of the Gods
Asterix at the Olympic Games
Asterix and the Laurel Wreath
Asterix and the Soothsayer
Asterix and the Golden Sickel
Asterix and the Great Crossing
Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield
Asterix and Caesar's Gift
Asterix and the Normans
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (story book of film)
Obelix and Co.
Asterix and the Banquet
Asterix in Corsica
Asterix in Belgium
Asterix and the Great Divide
Asterix and the Black Gold
Asterix and Son
Asterix versus Caesar (story book of film)
Asterix and the Magic Carpet
Asterix and the Secret Weapon
How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion (story book format)
There are also some other "spin off" products, ranging from computer games
to friezes to adventure game books. However, the most worthwhile Asterix
spin off by far, in my opinion, is the Complete Guide to Asterix by
Peter Kessler and Uderzo. It is a facinating look at many aspects of
Asterix.
Review :
Asterix appeals on more than one level, often an important ingredient of success. Asterix is extremely funny, and if it doesn't make you laugh you are either sickening from something serious or have an odd sense of humour.
The pictures are generally well drawn, although the first few books aren't quite as good in that respect as later ones. The speech bubble does not merely show what is being said, it also shows how it is being said. When two people are speaking to each other coldly, the speech bubbles have icicles on them, for example.
For a funny comic strip story, there is a fair bit of historical detail. The characters swear by either Gaulish or Roman gods, depending on nationality, while there are little details that are historically accurate. In some of the earlier books Caesar's military campaigns are mentioned in order.
Overall, Asterix provides good, clean fun suitable for all ages. The artwork is very good, the humour hilarious and has good
stories. Highly recommended.
Rating :
Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Suitable for all ages that can understand it. Excellent.
Peter Kessler and Uderzo. It is a facinating look at many aspects of
Asterix.