Reviews

It has been 50 years since Goscinny & Uderzo first published the tales of Asterix the Gaul. What have been our heroes been up to in the meantime. After all, beating up romans and hunting boars doesn't make much of a retirement plan. This combined with the abysmal social skills of the duo mean that Asterix & Obelix are looking for a quite depressing retirement life. Sic, why bother, when you can punch the author and turn back the clock to the ever static comic book pages, where no one ages, and there are no consequences.

The Golden Book, is a menagerie of tales which don't quite mesh well with all of its Self-Author Inserts, meta jokes, and fourth wall breaking. For one, it doesn't have a cohesive narrative you can follow; and the stories being mentioned seem like rehashed versions of ones already published.

Moreover, it feels like an Asterix Almanac, with all the fashion advise, travel guide, relationship advise and meta commentary. Too much to take in, and properly enjoy.

Rating it 3 out of 5

jadejade's review

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Full disclosure, I grew up on this series so my opinion is necessarily biased.

I'm of the view that there is no such thing as a bad Asterix book ... but some volumes, like this one, is okay ... but squarely aimed at fans. This is an eclectic collection of short pieces, with a vibe not unlike [book:Asterix and the Class Act|1847143].

I don't pick up this volume very often but I appreciate the many homages to other artists throughout.

Content Warnings