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A review by jason_pym
Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter by Jean-Yves Ferri
2.0
In 2009, Uderzo handed over the series to Ferri (writer) and Conrad (illustrator), and they have produced four books so far, each of which vacillates between mediocrity and travesty.
The plot to the Chieftain's Daughter is a derivative mix between Asterix in Spain and Asterix and the Normans - ferrying around an ungrateful child. Derivative plot is fine, if a team is taking over from the original author I'd rather have more of the same. It's the characters and dialogue that is truly, shudderingly awful.
We have a an awkward mix of a girl who wants to look 'Goth'; a 70s flower child pastiche ('Peacenix'); kids saying 'don't even' and fist bumping; when Obelix wants to speak like the teenagers he uses a jarring Catherine Tate 'Am I bovvered'; a bad guy called 'Binjwatchflix' (as in 'Binge Watch Netflix'); pirates singing Karma Phoenician (instead of Karma Chameleon (which I have to admit I thought was pretty funny, but to get the reference you have to be half a century old, surely). Just a grating mess of references from last year and five decades ago.
For the old Asterix books, the Goscinny and Uderzo ones, you could read them as a child or an adult, I read them to my son, and they were always a joy no matter what your age. Warm, funny, witty, erudite, they made it look so easy, but I think this shows just how difficult to produce work like that is.
So why not one or no stars? Because I'm a sucker for more Asterix, it's always good to have more, even of poor quality. And the art by Conrad is fine - if you look closely it is not as technically accomplished as Uderzo's and doesn't have that warmth, but it does the job, and in another few books time he could be there. So don't give up on them yet.
The plot to the Chieftain's Daughter is a derivative mix between Asterix in Spain and Asterix and the Normans - ferrying around an ungrateful child. Derivative plot is fine, if a team is taking over from the original author I'd rather have more of the same. It's the characters and dialogue that is truly, shudderingly awful.
We have a an awkward mix of a girl who wants to look 'Goth'; a 70s flower child pastiche ('Peacenix'); kids saying 'don't even' and fist bumping; when Obelix wants to speak like the teenagers he uses a jarring Catherine Tate 'Am I bovvered'; a bad guy called 'Binjwatchflix' (as in 'Binge Watch Netflix'); pirates singing Karma Phoenician (instead of Karma Chameleon (which I have to admit I thought was pretty funny, but to get the reference you have to be half a century old, surely). Just a grating mess of references from last year and five decades ago.
For the old Asterix books, the Goscinny and Uderzo ones, you could read them as a child or an adult, I read them to my son, and they were always a joy no matter what your age. Warm, funny, witty, erudite, they made it look so easy, but I think this shows just how difficult to produce work like that is.
So why not one or no stars? Because I'm a sucker for more Asterix, it's always good to have more, even of poor quality. And the art by Conrad is fine - if you look closely it is not as technically accomplished as Uderzo's and doesn't have that warmth, but it does the job, and in another few books time he could be there. So don't give up on them yet.