Member Reviews
The usual masterpiece - when it comes to both the story, and the illustration work. The story is captivating and the illustrations are flawless. This is such a classic comic that stands the test of time.
I grew up reading Asterix comics and watching Asterix movies so this was a walk down memory lane! I enjoyed it very much!
'Asterix Omnibus #2: Asterix the Gladiator, Asterix and the Banquet, and Asterix and Cleopatra' by Rene Goscinny with art by Albert Uderzo is another volume collecting three classic Asterix stories.
My review copy only included the middle story, Asterix and the Banquet. The Roman army decides the only way to contain Asterix and his village is to create a wall. Asterix and Obelix take a bet that they can't escape and bring food back from all the different towns around them. What follows are typical hijinks as they evade the silly Romans.
These stories are a lot of fun, and even though I only read the middle story, I'm certain the other two are just as fun. I read Asterix and Cleopatra some time back, so I know this. This would be a fun way to introduce young readers to this great series.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Asterix and the tour of Gaul is colourfully illustrated and a funny comic book I recommend. If you are an Asterix fan you will love it. The General Lucious Overanxious isolates the Gauls from Rome so Asterix makes a promise to the Romans that he and Obelix will do a tour of Gaul and collect food items from all over Gaul. They go across Gaul trying to escape from Romans, after many twists and turns in the book which were funny, they end up hosting a banquet and displaying the food items from Gaul. I am a fan of Asterix books and look forward to reading the rest of the books.
I'm back with another comic book review and guys, this is probably my most anticipated read. Let me give you a little backstory before I begin, shall we? So child Ruby had the chance to discover comic books...erm... over 20 years ago. But she had no idea that girls read comic books, much less that it wasn't just for children. So she didn't take advantage of the chance. Because my first comic book, that I have no idea how I ended up owning, by the way, is Asterix and Cleopatra. Unfortunately I don't have it where I live now, otherwise I probably would have devoured it by now. Which brings us to today's review.
The minute I saw an Asterix comic on NetGalley, I knew I had to jump on it. I was fortunate enough to be granted my request, and here we are. Let's get started!
While the published version contains 3 stories, the NetGalley file only had Asterix and the Banquet, so that's what I'm going to be reviewing today. So this banquet. It all starts with a Roman general trying to win the last Gaul village standing. The Roman soldiers stationed there try to reason with the general, telling him stories of the great people living in that village and their strength and magic, but he doesn't believe them. While attacking the village, Asterix decides to make a bet: He will manage to get out of the village and visit all of Gaul without getting caught once to buy supplies, and once he returns, the village will host an banquet. And so the adventure begins.
I didn't expect to laugh this much while reading this story. From the silly names, like Inspector General Overanxius, to Obelix's antics, to the sarcastic Gaul villagers. Everything was hilarious, and I loved it. I also enjoyed the journey itself. I loved the fact that with each town our heroes visited, we also got to find out their modern names, and I bet that it's a cool way to learn history.
The art was awesome. I remember watching the cartoons growing up, and I loved discovering how true to the source material they were in terms of graphic design. The colors are bright, the panels weren't overly crowded, and the drawings helped bring the story together.
All in all, I enjoyed this story, and I was rather sad that only one story out of three was included. I will definitely plan on reading more of these comics when I get the chance, and maybe I'll even get to retrieve my old copy of Asterix and Cleopatra.
I thought I downloaded it on theNetGalley app but it got wiped before I could read it. I will therefore be unable to give a full review. What little I did read was entertaining. It will be more fun for fans of the series.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Asterix and the Banquet
When an inspector from Rome comes to the roman encampment near Asterix's village and, in a desperate attempt to defeat the gauls, builds a wall around them, Asterix makes a bet with him that him and Obelix will be able not only to escape the wall, but to tour all Gaul and bring back specialities from all around to have a banquet.
I really loved this adventure of Asterix and Obelix. I've grown up watching the cartoons and movies featuring the two famous characters and reading this comic made me remember how it felt back then. It made me laugh out loud in multiple occasions.
A review copy of the second story in this Omnibus, Asterix and the Banquet, was provided for review by NetGalley.
by René Goscinny (Author), Albert Uderzo (Illustrator). Published by Papercutz
For those that aren't aware, Asterix is no where near as popular in America as he is in Europe. In fact, I'm in my forties and this is the first Asterix story I've ever read. As a life long comic book geek I'm aware of him but I would be willing to bet 95% of the country has never heard of him. Which is a shame. This was an eye opener to some of the best comic work I've ever read. While American readers have become familiar with British writers and 2000 AD the rest of the continent hasn't grabbed hold across the pond. There is also an American issue of "comics are for kids". On the one hand many dark and gritty stories have been told since the 1980's to change that idea in the general culture. But there has also been a counter side accepting some comics are for kids but they are worth just as much acclaim. The same voices who spoke up to give respect to Carl Barks's work on Uncle Scrooge should also get Asterix in front of our eyes.
This story was originally published in serial form in 1963. I can't believe there are so many stories, selling millions of copies, an icon, and no footprint in the United States. What more is out there in the world for us to "discover"?
Asterix and Obelix are part of a Gaul village that will not bow to Roman rule. They constantly frustrate Roman leaders and have adventures at home and across the world of 50 BC. In this tale, Inspector General Overanxius has a stockade built surrounding the village to contain them and prevent their rebellious ways from spreading to the rest of Gaul. Asterix says no barrier can contain him and bets Overanxius that he and Obelix can go on a tour of Gaul, collect a culinary delicacy from each region, and safely return for a banquet. Overanxius agrees to raise the stockade if Asterix and Obelix are successful. And from there the fun starts.
This was loads of fun too. I loved every bit of this comic and will now be seeking out all 38 (so far) Asterix stories. Plus the movies, and if I find some toys I'll go nuts. For some reason the tales of Asterix and Obelix reminded me of another cartoonish warrior. Groo. But a much smarter version of Groo. Adventures and misadventures, strength, rolling with what life throws at them. It would not surprise me if Sergio Aragnoes also enjoyed Asterix and some of that filtered into his Groo comics.
There's humor, adventure, history, politics, and so much more here. This is a newer American translation for Papercutz and I'm sure some things don't translate perfectly but that's like arguing whether a 6 foot 11 person is or isn't 7 feet tall. At that point it's close enough and we're debating something that's overall unimportant to the greater work. And the greater work is that this country is sleeping on Asterix. One story and I'm convinced this is a treasure trove of new to us material. Hopefully these new volumes will help push these characters into American pop culture.
Highly recommended book.
Thank you for providing me with this book!
I always enjoy Asterix stories since little. And this one translated in English is neat! It is true that the comic itself is one that is quite hard to translate, not only the french to english term that can be difficult, but also the names of the people.
Asterix, being that (*) sign, a small insignificant mark on your pages, is as small as the hero. And his best friend Obelix who is as big as an obelisk. And Panoramix the druid.
But the rest changed. Abraracourcix (à bras raccourcis literally — "with shortened arms") changed to Vitalstatistix. You have to translate them in order to make sense with the -ix ending for the Gaulish village people. And the -us for the romans, their biggest enemy. While those names got a meaning in themselves.
Still, this translated version is very entertaining as always.
I have read the original version of this comic. So, reading this new version was very interesting. I sort of compared the two versions. I realized that this new version has all new dialog and some new art work. I realized it was probably to fit the newer generation better.
Asterix stories follow a reliable formula. The Gauls have an encounter with Romans. The Romans a determined to prove themselves superior. The Gauls, through simple living and natural superiority, win out. The humor is consistent and always worth a look.
I grew up with these comics and am so happy that they are being re-released in a new format for a new generation. These are family friendly with slightly punny characters and plenty of slapstick humor. A great addition to a graphic novel library.
How can European history be fun?
Well, you should just travel around with little gallic Asterix, his mighty friend, Obélix and their puppy companion, Ideafix. Along their travelling adventures, the reader will discover the ancient world, their dynamics, social an politic interactions, the rule (or not) of the Roman Empire and much more, all setup with a little felt gallic magic.
This comic will bring joy and knowledge to both young and all. An all time favourite that should be present in each school and house hold!
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for granting my request.
Asterix & Obelisk is a childhood favorite. I don't remember reading the stories included in this omnibus so it was really nice getting to "spend time" with my favorite Gauls.
Who doesn't love Asterix and Obelix? In this Omnibus you'll find three adventures of the Gauls and the Roman conquerers. It's perfect for anyone who loves revisiting the duos adventures over and over.
I'll be short: I love Asterix and was happy to read two stories I didn't read before.
It's a fun read and it made me laugh out loud.
Strongly recommended because it's a great read.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Asterix cartoons are a great stressbuster and what a fun way to relax!
Asterix conquered Europe ironically by keeping his tiny village in Gaul from being conquered by the Roman Empire.
Asterix and his fellow villagers have a secret weapon, a potion that gives them all super strength.
But the Romans aren’t about to give up no matter how many times Asterix and his friends fend them off. this was filled with humour as they all go on an adventure
I grew up with Asterix, Tintin and Lucky Luke and find them all well worth reading as an adult as well. While the chapter provided in this ARC is actually my least favourite of the three (I'd hoped for "Asterix and Cleopetra") it was still an enjoyable visit with my favourite Gauls.
I hadn't read any of the Asterix comics since high school French class, but a recent trip to the Comic Arts Museum in Brussels got me interested in them again. The one story that I got to preview was fun, and I would recommend it to all age groups, particular families who enjoy graphic novels. I look forward to reading more the Asterix adventures in the future.
I was always curious on what kind of comic Asterix and Obelix was to experience. While the copy I received only had one story instead of three like advertised, it was still an enjoyable romp. Whether it's the cartoony action, or how everyone interacts to a situation, I can't help but have fun. Not to mention I like how the translators keep the Belgian puns in the form of close enough translations. Also I'm not sure about the entire historical context, but the short but sweet battles that seem to go actually seem to fit the real world Gauls. I'm definitely going to keep up with Asterix and Obelix in the future.