Asterix the Gaul by René Goscinny Illustrated by Albert Uderzo

Asterix is a character that I know I should have become acquainted with sooner. My dad has a huge collection of comics at home, but I never got around to asking him to read any of them. I was in the graphic novel part of the library when I came across this book, and figured this was the perfect opportunity to read it. I don’t even have to attempt to get anything out of a dusty hiding spot back home.

            Right off the bat, there is so much colour in this book. It’s a little overwhelming at times. It’s a very classic cartoon style that reminds me a little of Looney Tunes. It’s a nice style, but personally I find the colours a bit much.

            I knew the characters had puns for names, but I didn’t know that they worked so well in English (Asterix is a French comic originally). There’s the village druid, Getafix, and the chief of the tribe is Vitalstatistix. I’d love to know how the puns work in the original, too.

            The footnotes throughout the book are wonderful. I find them reminiscent of Terry Pratchett, which is always a plus for me. They’re all fantastically funny; I adore them. When I saw the first one, I thought it might be a one off, but seeing more later in the book was a really nice surprise.

            I love the tiny wee kid running out of a hut with a knife because she’s been trained to fight off Romans. I think it’s the look of absolute determination in her face that gets me.

            I did really enjoy reading this book, but I can’t say I’ll be rushing out to read a load more. I’ll read more if I find them in the library again, but that’s about it.