For those who've never seen an Asterix book before, it's not about the adventures of an *. It's a comic book series (nothing like the Marvel comics, but it's cartoons in differentiated cells, so I guess it must be classed as a comic) about the adventures of the eponymous hero, Asterix, a cunning little warrior. He is always accompanied by his best friend Obelix, a menhir delivery man. While perfect for children, there is a lot about the books that can appeal to adults as well. The stories are set in Gaul (approximately equivalent to modern-day France) in the first century, where all Gual is under Roman occupations...

Well, all except one...



There is a little village in Gaul that remains undefeated by the Romans. This is due to the incredible strength they receive from magic potion brewed by the Druid Getafix. With the upcoming Great Annual Conference of Gaulish Druids coming up, now would not be a time to break his sickle… which is of course what happens. And good sickles don’t grow on trees, you know – the only ones he considers worth using are those made by Obelix’s distant cousin Metallurgix in faraway Lutetia. So, off go Asterix and Obelix to Lutetia… but all is not what it appears… and Metallurgix is nowhere to be found…

Asterix and the Golden Sickle is classic Asterix. The drawing is well up to scratch and just as energetic as you’d expect, and the humour consistently hits the spot. Early on when while walking through part of the forest known for dangerous bandits, Asterix and Obelix have a conversation while absent-mindedly bashing the bandits. On seeing an Aquaduct being built, Asterix complains that the Romans are ruining the countryside with their engineering. A Roman in a chariot rushing past on the road, only to be pulled up for speeding. Heavy traffic congestions pinch points are known as “amphora-necks” instead of “bottle-necks”. Obelix leaving his menhir in the cloak room with a dainty female attendant who surely couldn’t have lifted it… and poor old Cacofonix (the bard) continues to have his musical.. um… genius unappreciated…

Though the Asterix series is really seen as something for children, for a quick (okay, very quick), enjoyable read, it’s great for adults as well. There are many little things that you will notice (some of those mentioned in the preceding paragraph, for instance) that a child simply would not understand, or at least would fail to understand why it was funny. The attention to detail in these books is fantastic, and you may have to read it several times before every nuance of the text or tiny detail in the drawings will be apparent. Even the names are funny, but how funny they are depends on how much you know – for instance, when I read this as a child, the name “Metallurgix” was just a name, but now of course I know that Metallurgy (Metallurgics) is the process of developing, testing, and refining metals. So if you ever read some of the Asterix books when you were young and still have them, try reading them again – I’m sure you’ll see them quite differently.

Overall

There’s nothing really that could have been better about this. Goscinny and Uderzo’s creations continue to be one of the most enduringly popular series of comic books (or, for that matter, any books) ever made – and with good reason. Asterix and the Golden Sickle is another one no fan of the series would want to miss out on.


Well, I had said I was going to try for 5 Asterix reviews today, but I think I’m going to leave it at 3 (it’s not as easy as it looks!). But the others will come… oh yes, they will come… BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA……….




Erm, right. Related links:

My Other Asterix Reviews

Books


Asterix in Britain

Asterix and Caesar’s Gift

Asterix in Switzerland

Movies

Asterix in Britain: The Animated Movie



Recommended: Yes