Asterix remains arguably the best comic book series ever written. It will delight to follow the french/belgian hero together with his fat friend Obelix (and his diminutive pet dog) throughout their adventures in the ancient world. Humor is always very subtle and entertaining and never falls into vulgarity. You will also find that the plot is coherent from beginning to end and every statement has a reason to be. By now you know I am one of those "till death" Asterix supporters - but for a good reason.

These tales are of great interest to adults. Cuttin the age at 12 is a great diservice to older folk who may think that they are *kiddies* books. Far from it. There are many references that only an adult or high teen would get, but they are still fun for the younger set. I would suggest that Amazon change the reading age to 9 to (whatever). Aloha

I rate this book 5 stars because it was the best collection of Asterix comics I ever read. I was surprised when I found these sort of books at amazon.com. I am sure that from now on this is going to be my online book shop. have fun reading a lot more wonderful books at AMAZON.COM!!!!

The Romans are upto no good, this time seeking the help of a rival (but loyal to the romans) Gaulish chief to challenge our indominatble chief Vitalstatistix to a fight. The winner becomes chief of both the tribes. The romans take it upon themselves to take the druid Getafix out of commission. they succeed, to some degree. And herein lies the story. One of the all-time favs with Asterix readers, the dialog is funny, the drawings funnier - a must have, must read, must buy... Pity these comics are not very popular in the USofA. In India it is possible to find Asterix comics in almost every decent bookstore :)

Initially published in French in 1966 as Le combat des chefs , Asterix and the big fight was first published in English in 1971.
After yet another humiliating beating of Roman Legionaries , loudmouthed Roman centurion , Nebulus Nimbus , and his cunning right hand man , Felonius Caucus , decide to enlist the help of Roman puppet chief , Cassius Ceramix , a fashionable sycophantic brute who loves everything Roman , to challenge Vitalstatistix of the tribe of indomitable Gauls , to a fight.

Whoever wins the fight , in terms of an ancient Gaullish custom , will determine who takes over the tribe.
But first the Romans need to deal with Getafix the Druid , who makes the magic potion that gives the Gauls invincibility.
With the unwitting help of Obelix , the Druid receives a knock that makes him lose his memory . Now Asterix and his friends need to make other plans to defeat the Romans and their quisling , Cassius Ceramix.
Some really interesting features in this one including some really weird and wonderful potions , an ancient day Freud by the name of Psychoanalytix and a fun fair set up by nomadic barbarians.
The contrast between the traditional , brave ,tough and indomitable Gauls of Asterix' tribe and the fashionable Gallo-Romans is very interesting in this day of conflict , between the traditional and honest folk who love their culture , and those who are prepared to lose their identity to a fashionable and politically correct radical chic.
Remember this conflict was already present when the album was written during the 1960's.

This Asterix comic kicks! The characters' names are a litte wierd, but it's funny!

Two Romans, in attempt to take over the Gauls, challenge Cheif Vitalstatisix to a fight in which the winner took over the losers
village. The Gaul's druid, Getafix, loses his memory so the Gauls don't have any of the magic potion that he brews which gives the Gauls superhuman strength. It's up to Asterix and Obelix to restore the druid's memory so they can have some magic potion for the fight!

First published in French in 1975 as La Grande Traversée, it was first published in English in 1976.

Asterix and Obelix volunteer to go fishing, as Getafix needs fresh fish, which Unhigienix, the fishmonger, as usual, cannot provide.

Stormy weather blows them to a strange destination where they meet up with a strange people who they cannot quite identify (of course we have the benefit of hindsight and know that this is America and these people are Native Americans.) Before the end of the voyage they also get to run into Vikings (A slightly different breed it seems, to those we met in 'Asterix and the Normans').

As usual our friends voyage to interesting places and upside down. In the Asterix albums we have met parodies of figures such as Boadicea, The Beatles, Napoleon, Laurence Olivier and 007. In this one we get to meet up with a spoof of Harold Wilson, British Prime minister when this book was published.

Of course the theme of food also comes up quite a lot. It seems the authors of the Asterix albums had quite an obsession with food!

The Great Crossing is definitely my favorite episode, the image of Asterix as the Statue of Liberty is just amazing. If you've never read Asterix, this is maybe the episode to start with.

I've never read this book before, but I love Asterix books! I'll bet that this book is really funny. I hope that there are Latin phrases in this book. If you haven't taken the time to learn Latin yet, there must be something wrong with you. I'm sorry for you. :') Bye!

Julius Caesar's opponents in the Roman Senate are putting him under increasing ridicule, as a result of the continued resistance of the tiny village in the north of Gaul, which refuses to submit to Roman hegemony.
His latest plan involves the use of an agent, who has a remarkable talent to cause enmity and conflict, wherever he goes.
Before he gets to use his cunning in his attempts to neutralize the village, we get to observe his talents, with all who he comes into contact with.
Before long, Tortuous Convulvulus has sown the seeds of slander, jealousy and calumny in the Gaullish village, causing Asterix, Obelix and Getafix to leave the village.
Can our friends once more foil the Romans and preserve the independence of the village?
This Asterix album comes complete with a handy little battle guide, and once more is filled with the puns and wit we have come to expect from Goscinny and Uderzo.
In this album we get to examine the divide and rule tactics of the Roman Empire, which where used so well by the British Empire, and in the 20th century the Communist Empire. It is also used today with great effect in one party states to neutralize opposition.

This is a must read for everyone. This comics illustrates how politicians play double cross with people. Just read it for fun & then think whether the situation is same in today's real life as well!

I would recommend this book to any one. I have read several times and I enjoy it just as much every time. Not that many people have heard of Asterix, but you should really get this book!

First published in French in 1971, as Le domaine des Dieux
This album was first published in English in 1973.

Julius Caesar comes up with a new plan to try and bring the little village, on the Armorican coast, that we know so well, to heel.
He decides that the forest surrounding the village will be destroyed and replaced with blocks of flats, inhabited by well to do Romans.

He commissions Rome's most talented young architect, Squareontheyhypotenus, for this task.
A battle of wills ensues between the Gauls and Romans until wise old Druid Getafix comes up with a plan, which will teach the Romans a lesson, after making it, seem like they have got what they wanted.

Asterix and Obelix get up to some really fun tricks again, and as in 'Asterix and The Normans'; Cacofonix the Bard is instrumental in saving the day.

Once more we are treated to an amusing satire on both Ancient Gaul and Europe at the time the book was written.
As the Romans bring in a multi-national force of slaves to cut down the forest and build the flats, we get to meet Iberians (Spaniards), Lusitanians (Portuguese), Numidians (North Africans) , Belgians and Goths (Germans).
An essential part of your Asterix collection!

When I first read the book I thought it was all abpout the roman gods but then I found out what it was about, it was an exiting and comical book and I look foward to readindg more.

One of the best Asterix adventures, with a very inventive plot, hilarious one-liners. Cacofonix steals the show at the end of the book, with the reactions from the residents of the Mansion of the Gods funny beyond words.

First published in French in 1976 as Obélix et Compagnie , Obelix and Co was first published in English in 1978. Julius Caesar launches his latest plot to destroy the resistance of the Gaullish village , through the skills of business whiz kid , Caius Preposterus. He will simply infect them with greed for money and therefore in effect buy them off .
Preposterus targets Menhir man Obelix with astonishing effects . It is left up to the cunning of Asterix and Druid Getafix to once again save the day.

A delightful comic full of fun and humour but also brilliant satire of how political freedom can be compromised by economic considerations , in this post Cold War age when we are often told how good economics is the antidote to bad politics : Witness how everyone is clambering to do business with the greatest tyranny on earth - Red China - because of it's economic muscle and how dictatorships often get away with lack of political freedom through liberalizing the economy but not the polity.
Fundamentally we need to be reminded that it is freedom of spirit and not economics-whether socialist or capitalist- that sustains mankind.

As with all of the Asterix comics, which I have been reading since I was nine, this is a colorful, funny comic with witty, double-entendre dialogue and a point. This one pokes fun at materialism and commercialism, and I love the point made by another that the menhirs (pointed standing stones) that are the focus of this story, are never described as having any useful purpose. If you're collecting Asterix comics, this is a must; if you're collecting esoteric comics, this one is a must; if you're unfamiliar with Asterix comics, this one is a good starting point. I wish that more Asterix comics were more readily available, as I've lost some of mine.

Yet another brilliant installment of the wonderful Asterix series. This book is a lovely satire of capitalism and the corruption of power. When Caesar realizes he can not defeat the Gauls by sword, he turns to gold to do his dirty work. He theorizes that if the Gauls become so concerned with monetary pursuits they will no longer care to hold out against the Roman Invaders.

So the Gauls are paid to make menhirs. I love how these books often refer to menhirs and never attribute a practical purpose to them. After all, who knows what those solitary standing stones were used for 5,000 years ago? A link to the past is formulated within this book as people are swayed by constant advertisement and feel compelled to buy the menhirs. After all, isn't this very true today, as society feels a great need to accumulate junk?

This is an important adventure as it goes into the background of certain facts that keeps getting mentioned in all other adventures like Alesia, Vercingetorix.

This book fell apart after one reading. Just a word of caution. The comic itself is good, but all of our Asterix books have fallen apart after 1 or more read-throughs. They need to improve their glue. Now I have to have it spiral bound.

The humorous depiction of the adventures of the inhabitants of one small village in Gaul, (modern day France) which defies Roman occupation in 50 BC with the superhuman power of a magic potion. Its full of beautiful visuals and excellent pun, especially the play of words in conversation and names of characters. Its gentle satire pokes fun on modern life, art and politics with caricatures of Napoleon, Shakespeare, Zorro and even James Bond.

In this adventure, the Gaulish Chief Vitalstatistix is sick-because of eating and drinking too much. He is advised by Druid Getafix to go on a diet at a famous slimming & health spa at Averne. Asterix and Obelix who accompany him, go touring Averne and get into trouble with Romans. After hearing about the trouble, Caesar decides to humiliate the Gauls by being paraded on the shield of Vercingetorix, the leader of the Gauls whom Caesar defeated in the battle of Alesia, which remains till date, the most bitter memory for the gauls.

But the famous shield is missing. Along with the Romans, Asterix and Obelix start hunting for the Shield for their procession with Vitalstatistix. The hunt for the shield ends when a slimmed down chief comes back and its indeed easy to guess who rides on the shield in the end.

Great fun to read. A must have for Asterix fans & collectors.

In this enthralling tale the lovable Gaulish duo hitch a ride on a magic carpet with the village bard, Cacofonix to the mystical land of India. And yet in this far away country, the natives have heard of the "village of madmen where a voice makes it rain" - a man that the Indians could use to end the long spell of drought that they have fallen under. Finally! An audience that appreciates the (incredibly annoying) vocal talents of Cacofnix! But as luck may have it, the great bard loses his voice...

With the life of a princess at stake, a race against the clock to get the bard's voice back and dodging evil fakirs at every corner, this is an adventure to remember - an episode in which the oft-neglected bard comes in to his own.

Although the book was well laid out with a funny, interesting plot, some of the laughter comes at the expense of an ethnic stereotype. As long as it is understood beforehand that life in India doesn't follow such a pattern, this book would be a whole bunch of constructive fun. For that reason alone I felt the need to drop a star from my rating.

Most Asterix titles are aimed at a teen/adult audience and they cleverly integrate many historical events in to their plots. There is also a deeper satirical presence throughout these books, and for that reason I feel that children under the age of 12 or so would not quite appreciate the humor. The violence is more along the lines of black eyes, dented armor and missing teeth, and hence should not worry a parent too much. This is another good Asterix comic - I recommend it!

Despite the fact that this comic is written by Mr. Uderzo, as well as illustrated by him, it is quite as good as any of the classics, like Asterix and Cleopatra or Asterix and the Goths. The art is up to the old standards, the pacing and flavor remain the same, and the same excruciating-yet-oddly-satisfying puns are sprinkled throughout the text. It's a rollicking, good-natured adventure from first to last.

A couple of notes here. In the first place, it IS interesting to see an Asterix comic focused on Cacophonix, rather than just sticking the bard in an introductory cameo and showing him tied up at the feast at the end. In the second place, it's good to see Dogmatix, Obelix's pet pooch, play an active and sometimes important role in the story .... okay, so I'm a dog lover, but it is good to see another character being used, rather than just being an afterthought like he was in Asterix and the Belgians (my only quibble with that excellent comic).

The only other thing that strikes me is that certain other reviewers have remarked on the "ethnic stereotypes of Indian life" that appear in this comic. I'll admit that I'm hard-pressed to see this. I suppose that to the hypersensitive, merely mentioning India or Indians makes the book some kind of ethnic horror-show of lies and stereotypical fabrications. Lighten up, guys! Other than showing the Hindus bathing in the Ganges (which you can see in any National Geographic with an article on India) and wearing Hindu clothing (which is hardly a 'stereotype,' any more than showing a businessman wearing a suit) it doesn't show much of the "Indian way of life" at all. All this talk of stereotypes boggles me, since only the most convoluted, tortured logic could squeeze any type of ethnic slur out of the story.

All in all, a fine addition to a fun and light-hearted series! :)

The Kingdom of the Ganges, ruled by the good King, Rajah Watzit, is in crisis.
Not one drop of rain has fallen during the monsoon season.
The evil Guru, Hoodunnit that if no rain falls before the end of the Monsoon season, then the Rajah's daughter, the sweet and lovely Princess Orinjade, must be sacrificed to appease the wrath of the gods.

The only hope lies in the plan by the wise Fakir Watziznehm, who has heard that in far-off Gaul, there is a bard who's singing causes rain. So Watziznehm, flies on his magic carpet to Gaul where he enlists the help of Cacofonix, Asterix and Obelix (and who wouldn't want to rescue the gorgeous Princess Orinjade)

So our friends for the first time travel by air, and after an exciting journey, in which, among other things, they engage in an aerial attack on the Scythian pirates.
When they land in India, they have to deal with various snags, before they can save the Princess.

Asterix and Obelix really get to travel and explore exotic locations. And while the India, the authors of Asterix write about in no way of course, resembles the real Ancient India, neither the other Asterix albums resemble the locations our friends visit. It is all tongue in cheek, and pokes fun at everyone, but in a gentle way.
Asterix and the Magic Carpet is great fun.

Someplace growing up I ran into the Asterix titles, with a four volume set beginning with Asterix the Gaul. As a child I enjoyed the antics; as an adult I enjoy the puns and historical allusions. It continually amazes me to realize that this is originally a French production, and yet translated into English and some 20 other languages, and the puns *still* translate! That's not easy to do. And while later episodes decline in quality and are suitable more for children, stories like Asterix the Gaul are great for children of 30 years too.

The very names provide example of brilliant use of dialogue. Asterix- a small, seeming addition. Obelisk, who delivers menhirs. Getafix, the Druid. (Remember, this series began in the 60's.) Cacaphonix, the Bard, and Vitalstatistix, the chief. In the same vein, the authors use contemporary differences between cultures and play them upon the ancient Gaulish-Roman dispute. This is about the only place one can find swearing in Latin- "ipso facto", "sic", etc. Or the taking of Toutanis' name in vain.

Asterix The Gaul was first published in French in 1961 and in English only in 1969.
The first of the Asterix books , it is a very clever and witty piece of work on the Roman occupation of Gaul in 50 BC-with a fair amount of Latin quips in too -read Asterix and you'll soon become familiar with 'Quid' , 'Vae victo , vae victus' and 'Morituri te salutant'.
It begins with the familiar scene of well thumped Roman legionnaires reporting their defeat to an incensed Roman centurion (in this case Crismus Bonus) who then hatches a plan to deal with the Gauls which our heroes always in the end foil.

It also includes such recurring themes as Cacofonix and his hated singing , the magic potion (and why Obelix cannot have any ) and a guest appearance by Julius Caesar.It ends as always without he Gauls feasting their heroes 'under a starry sky...victorious over their enemies , thanks to magic the protection of the gods and low cunning'.

Unlike all of its successors in this book , Obelix does not even offer to accompany Asterix on his adventure (which is so unlike the Obelix we know from all of the other Asterix books).
There are some gaps in the dialogue and there is unusually not one woman or girl in the first book . drawbacks which will be made up for in the other Asterix books.

Nevertheless it is a great start to your Asterix collection and an amusing little book.

It is impossible to understand, from Amazon's slim and anemic presentation, the breadth and impact that this series has had upon generations of children in France, Europe, and America--remember, France has a thriving Asterix theme park a la Disney, and it's a premier destination site for French families with young children.

But quite possibly this is the sort of book that still sells most of its copies in bookstores--because it's the kind of read where one might pick it up because of the pictures, and then, as one gets deeper in, one realizes "Hey, this is amazingly silly, intelligent, and fun. I'm halfway through and already I know I'm going to have to read it again because there are still some new jokes for me to pick up on. I'd better buy it and bring it home so I can read it through a second time." And when you bring it home--it's quite possible for Asterix to become an obsession, and you find yourself returning, time and time again, to the bookstore, to try to find copies of other books in the series.

The early books in the series are without question the best (I say "books" advisedly, these are short graphic novels ie classy comic books). As the series ballooned in popularity, the stories began to fall into an established pattern that is less interesting than the brilliant twists and turns that are hallmark of, say, Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and Cleopatra, and Asterix and the Olympic games (certain 'tics' were possibly brought on by aggressive fan mail, one can't help but feel). The puns and wordgames of these earlier books range from subtle to screaming and are a sort of "gift that keeps on giving"--some of them will certainly pass you by until you pick up some scraps of Latin and Classical history and advanced education in general. Better still, the historical material is slipped in in such a sly way that as one reads it, one starts asking questions. "Did Cleopatra really have a big nose?" "What *was* the Roman occupation of Gaul really like?" The series sparks a lovely desire to know more--and is also, I would suggest, an unacknowledged idea source, a la Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, for many fantasy writers actively working today.

But what none of my words above capture is the sheer demonic sense of FUN in these books. Read these books--you may not even like them the first time through. Try them again later--suddenly you'll get it. Like most classical works of art and literature, it is how you perceive these books over time that matters--and over time, Asterix holds up.

Indomitably so.

First published in French in 1981, as L'Odyssée d'Astérix, Asterix and the Black Gold, was first published in English in 1982.
Julius Caesar, at the advice of his spymaster M Surreptitius, dispatches the villainous Druid, Dubbelosix, as a spy, to finally destroy the Gaullish village that has become the bane of his life.

Meanwhile, it happens that the Druid Getafix is right out of rock oil, which is a vital ingredient of the magic potion. So Asterix and Obelix se t out for Mesopotamia with Phoenician merchant, Ekonomikrisis, who our friends met in 'Asterix the Gladiator', and unfortunately also, with Dubbelosix.
Their search for rock oil takes them past the coast of Phoenicia, where they come under fire, and to Judea (where they enjoy the hospitality of the only people who have ever to this day been indigenous to that land, the Jews), and sleep over at a little stable in Bethlehem. Then it is into the desert where they get caught in the crossfire of the Akkadians, Hittites, Assyrians and Medes, who are all at war with each other.
After that they have to face the heat and thirst of the desert, in their search.

Dubbelosix is something of a parody of James Bond (and looks like Sean Connery) Perhaps the French author Uderzo, wanted to poke a little fun of this British national hero.
But then he also covers up his evil plans evil plans by pretending to be dedicated to helping the weak and helpless ' which we know was the typical ploy of the Communists in the 20th century and still is today. So what we have here is a mix between Lenin and 007, in the character of Dubbelosix. Asterix albums have a lot of parody and satire in them, which is only apparent to older readers.
After the rather weak 'Asterix and the Great Divide' which was the first Asterix book written solely by Uderzo, 'Asterix and the Black Gold', is a superb example that like Goscinny, Uderzo too knew how to write good comic scripts.

Asterix is a traditional French comic tale, depicting early life with the romans in a funny way. This particular story is certain to be cherished by all that read it! It may not be well known, but it's funnier than some of the other stories that are about a little kid.Asterix is probabaly for the slightly older audience.[10-as long as you can read it]It is funny and at the same time, wild in every imaginable way.

Out of all Asterix books this is a must get. When Getafix runs out of oil (an ingredient for the magic potion) Asterix and Obelix must travel to Asia to get some. However a Roman spy is on their trail (who looks like sean Connery and acts like him) to find out the ingredients of the potion for Julius Caesar. One of the most funny things about this book is that it contains some Bible references to it. Read it and you'll love it!