Asterix and the Actress

In his latest adventure the diminutive hero and his less-than-diminutive friend Obelix are celebrating with a joint birthday party back in their Gaulish village and there are some surprising faces among the guest list.

Their celebrations are cut short however when their fathers come into possession of a sword and shield belonging to Pompey, expelled from the Roman Senate by Julius Caesar. Now Pompey is thirsting for revenge, Asterix and Obelix have what he wants and only the charms of a beautiful woman who isn't all that she appears can get the weaponry back. Will Asterix fall for her womanly ways and signal the downfall of Caesar in the process?

It's a joy to see Asterix back in action after all these years and this is a worthy adventure. The great Asterix ingredients are all present and correct--great artwork, a funny script and some great gags--all leading to a satisfying conclusion. Fans will love this book and if you weren't a fan before, you'll fall head over heels for Asterix now. --Jonathan Weir

Goscinny wrote dozens of memorable stories, all of which were a part of the 'world' of Asterix that he and Uderzo created.

But Uderzo just doesn't have the skill or imagination to carry it on, so he resorts to more and more outlandish plots and characters, which just don't ring true.

Instead of building on the Asterix world, he's spoiling it.

All of us who grew up with Asterix have to thank Monsieur Uderzo for bringing such a brilliant creation to life.

But things have gone so far downhill with the last few books, it's time he left the plucky little Gaul alone.


A good book after 5 years of absence.   July 12, 2001
deiras@yahoo.com (Miami, FL, USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

I have been hearing some poor reviews of this new installation in the Asterix series, and I must admit that I disagree that this edition is a lackluster attempt at revitalizing the Asterix line of books. I have been an avid Asterix fan for many years, and although I will not say that this book is among my favorites in the series, I think Uderzo did a good job of developing a new and innovative story line. With this installation, the reader learns a lot about Asterix and Obelix's past and about their families. I disagree that the jokes and puns in this book are just reused jokes from previous books; Uderzo plays on the operatic theme of the book (making allusions to Rigoletto and other famous operas) as well as uses some jokes that have become well known staples of Asterix dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and hope that it will not take another 5 years before the next installation is published.


It's okay...   May 12, 2001
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This latest Asterix venture doesn't fare so well. To be honest, it just feels crusty. It makes a perfectly enjoyable read, but unlike the previous books, there seems to be little to make you read it again. There are very few jokes in it, and those that are there are recycled or very obvious. The art, too, has lost some of its quality. A lot of it looks a little flat, and the returning characters seem to be drawn a little differently. Personally I think they were just thrown in for the sake of it.

The whole thing feels like it's on its last legs. Since Goscinny died, the series seems to have been getting continually worse, and this latest outing does nothing to help the situation.


The Year is still 50BC!   April 24, 2001
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

After a five year gap Asterix has returned in probably one of the slightest books in the series but undoutably one of the funniest. It pails in comparison to some of the earlier books but is still highly enjoyable. Perhaps the jokes are becoming just too sophisticated for some people! Latraviata is surely one of the best creations in the series. Lets hope there are more to come.


Fun reading, but haven't we had it all before?   April 6, 2001
Wim Jacobs (Belgium)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

A new Asterix album is always something to look forward to, but since Uderzo is on his own, the series is becoming just a faint echo of its haydays, this last one being the worst ever. The story is weak and the few jokes don't offer anything new. Dragging Asterix and Obelix's parents into the plot does not help, on the contrary for me it seems to point out an author run out of fresh ideas.

If you're not a die hard fan, don't buy it, but rather complete your collection with any one of the older albums. If you have them all, well then you have to buy this one, but only to keep the collection complete.