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A review by ravenousbibliophile
Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter by Jean-Yves Ferri
3.0
Rating: 3.5/5
Blurb: While the plot deals with teenagers, Jean-Yves Ferri's run is certainly entering maturity.
What I've always loved about Jean-Yves Ferri's run with this series is that he has done an excellent job of maturing the stories in a manner that appeals to both the old and new fans of the series. With The Chieftain's Daughter, we not only deal with the idea of the next generation of Gaulish warriors, but to my mind, it is the first time that as a reader, I have seen a tangible passage of time with the characters. While the children of the village were often the source of a funny quip or the odd mischief in the time of Goscinny-Uderzo, in this story we see a genuine role being played by the latest of crop of "crazy Gauls". It was both heartwarming and reassuring that with Ferri's run, we now have a new comedy-dynamic to explore with the villagers.
The art of Didier Conrad merits a special mention since it is exquisite and never for a moment did I feel that Asterix & Obelix is under new artistic management. The images compliment to the story beautifully and the attention to detail (although sometimes lacking) is mostly on-point.
I suppose my only criticism of the story is that in every which way it did enough to be 'good' but never enough to be 'great'. There was always a gag here or there which could've been explored but wasn't. Or even if it was, it wasn't explored to the fullest extent possible. And it is in the word-play and gags that I still feel the absence of Goscinny & Uderzo. However, it could just be the fact that I'm an old-timer within the Asterix & Obelix fandom and therefore I feel the absence more acutely than others.
Nevertheless, I look forward to Ferri's next album with the same giddy-anticipation as I did before his time. With his latest work, he has certainly given me a host of new characters to look forward to.
Blurb: While the plot deals with teenagers, Jean-Yves Ferri's run is certainly entering maturity.
What I've always loved about Jean-Yves Ferri's run with this series is that he has done an excellent job of maturing the stories in a manner that appeals to both the old and new fans of the series. With The Chieftain's Daughter, we not only deal with the idea of the next generation of Gaulish warriors, but to my mind, it is the first time that as a reader, I have seen a tangible passage of time with the characters. While the children of the village were often the source of a funny quip or the odd mischief in the time of Goscinny-Uderzo, in this story we see a genuine role being played by the latest of crop of "crazy Gauls". It was both heartwarming and reassuring that with Ferri's run, we now have a new comedy-dynamic to explore with the villagers.
The art of Didier Conrad merits a special mention since it is exquisite and never for a moment did I feel that Asterix & Obelix is under new artistic management. The images compliment to the story beautifully and the attention to detail (although sometimes lacking) is mostly on-point.
I suppose my only criticism of the story is that in every which way it did enough to be 'good' but never enough to be 'great'. There was always a gag here or there which could've been explored but wasn't. Or even if it was, it wasn't explored to the fullest extent possible. And it is in the word-play and gags that I still feel the absence of Goscinny & Uderzo. However, it could just be the fact that I'm an old-timer within the Asterix & Obelix fandom and therefore I feel the absence more acutely than others.
Nevertheless, I look forward to Ferri's next album with the same giddy-anticipation as I did before his time. With his latest work, he has certainly given me a host of new characters to look forward to.