Asterix and the Black Gold (Classic Asterix paperbacks)
Reviewed with Albert Uderzo'sAsterix and SonandAsterix and the Great Divide.Gr. 4-8. The comic-book alternate history adventures of Asterix and his buddy Obelix, begun in France in 1961, has continued through 31 volumes. These books (from 1983, 1981, and 1980, respectively) are new to American publication, though they have been available in Britain. Each story is filled with broad physical humor and puns that work in English as well as in the original French, and virtually no indigenous or ethnic group escapes Uderzo's wit (at one point, the heroes are invited to bed down in a Bethlehem cowshed.). InAsterix and Son,Asterix and Obelix become guardians of a kidnapped baby who takes a potion and develops superhuman strength. InBlack Gold, the heroes travel to Mesopotamia in search of more potion. In theGreat Divide,competition between two village chieftains gives the Romans an opportunity to conquer. The cartoons are playfully round and brightly colored, and the architectural and martial details go beyond simple stereotypes. Asterix already has lots of fans; here are three new-to-America episodes that will please devotees as well as gather uninitiated readers with their mix of humor, history, and good storytelling.Francisca GoldsmithCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an alternatePaperbackedition.