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A review by maria_zoulia
Asterix and the Secret Weapon by Albert Uderzo
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
That wasn't as good as the previous issues. Ok, there were some scenes that were actually funny, like when Bravura starts singing and she turns out to be just as bad as Cacophonix , but the story itself felt so… sexist and stereotypical.
The female bard that arrives in the village is presented as a straw man-hater feminist who harasses Asterix and treats him as a baby, because she doesn't see him as a threat (because of his height), in a similar way that a misogynistic man would mistreat and harass a woman. I'm quite sick of presenting feminist and progressive women in such a light, because it gives the false impression that all women are like this, which is not true.
And the men themselves aren't fond of the idea of women doing "manly" jobs, like being chiefs or bards or druids etc (though this was mostly because of the time period). And when the story ends,both men and women decide to return to their old ways, with the women accepting their limited role that they possessed when the plot started .
The ending was really disappointing.I has hoping to see the Gaulish women fight the Roman women in a episodic battle, like how it usually happens with the Gaulish men against the Roman men, but… the battle never occurs, because the Roman women got distracted by all these trendy shops in the village and decided not to fight but instead go shopping.
The conflict was solved without violence, which is a good message and something that Bravura herself wanted, but it's solved in such a stereotypical way, that it's just unbearable to consume .
It's those small details that keep the story away from being as entertaining as the early installments, likeCacophonix' voice being so terrible that it causes rain, dragons appearing from nowhere (yes, there're dragons in the Asterix universe now, wtf Uderzo?!) etc .
The artstyle is enjoyable and beautiful to look as always. Uderzo may not be a good writer, but he's a tremendous artist!
I wouldn't recommend it to those who have never read Asterix but want to start, because it gives a false image to the series. Start with the first 24 albums and you won't be disappointed! 😉
The female bard that arrives in the village is presented as a straw man-hater feminist who harasses Asterix and treats him as a baby, because she doesn't see him as a threat (because of his height), in a similar way that a misogynistic man would mistreat and harass a woman. I'm quite sick of presenting feminist and progressive women in such a light, because it gives the false impression that all women are like this, which is not true.
And the men themselves aren't fond of the idea of women doing "manly" jobs, like being chiefs or bards or druids etc (though this was mostly because of the time period). And when the story ends,
The ending was really disappointing.
The conflict was solved without violence, which is a good message and something that Bravura herself wanted, but it's solved in such a stereotypical way, that it's just unbearable to consume
It's those small details that keep the story away from being as entertaining as the early installments, like
The artstyle is enjoyable and beautiful to look as always. Uderzo may not be a good writer, but he's a tremendous artist!
I wouldn't recommend it to those who have never read Asterix but want to start, because it gives a false image to the series. Start with the first 24 albums and you won't be disappointed! 😉