Once more we go over to the craziness of General Tapioca who has taken over San Theodore. General Alcazar is getting together a band of fighters calleOnce more we go over to the craziness of General Tapioca who has taken over San Theodore. General Alcazar is getting together a band of fighters called Los Picaros (and hence the title). But they are being sabotaged by Tapioca who is airdropping crates and crates filled with drinks. Alcazar ups the game and arrests Bianca Castafiore, who is on a South America tour. Poor sods! He also arrests Thompson and Thomson and names Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Calculus as the mastermind behind a plot to overthrow him.
The set up is hilarious and any book with Bianca Castafiore is going to be great! In the meantime, Calculus is experimenting with a new drug calculated to help Captain Haddock to quit drinking, which leads to plenty of funny moments. Jollyon Wagg also puts in an appearance, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
This time, Tintin and the gang are on their way to Australia to attend a space conference. They make a stop in Jakarta, where the rich and unscrupulouThis time, Tintin and the gang are on their way to Australia to attend a space conference. They make a stop in Jakarta, where the rich and unscrupulous Lazlo Carreidas takes a fancy to them, and insists that they travel with him in his personal jet. This leads to yet another adventure for Tintin, as the plane is hijacked in the middle of the flight by Carreidas' own secretary, and diverted to a Pacific Island.
Our old friend, Rastapopoulos, makes an appearance in his nth avatar, with the aim of forcing Carreidas make over his fortune to him after he had lost his own. Both characters actually provide a lot of humour in the story, especially Carreidas. The story strides into the supernatural as a device to save Tintin and the others at the climax, which I felt was slightly weak and lazy storytelling.
I absolutely love this book! Bianca Castafiore descends on Marlinspike Hall with her whole entourage, and rumours about her "engagement" with Captain I absolutely love this book! Bianca Castafiore descends on Marlinspike Hall with her whole entourage, and rumours about her "engagement" with Captain Haddock spreads like wildfire. The Milanese Nightingale enjoys the whole drama while the Captain seethes silently at the lies spread about him, while he is incapacitated on a wheelchair, thanks to a broken step. When Castafiore loses her favourite emerald necklace given to her by the Maharaja of Gopal, all hell breaks loose!
This is probably one of the only book of the whole series where there is no criminal, no adventure, and no mystery. Instead, it's a humorous romp with a whole bunch of delightful characters in funny situations. Tintin keeps his head and helps solve the mystery of the emerald disappearance, while Captain Haddock does NOT keep his head and suffers massively. An unreliable stonemason provides a lot of giggles to the readers, but not to Haddock, obviously. Our old friend, Jolyon Wagg, makes an appearance. And dear old Calculus muddies the waters like never before!
Some drama is provided by the inclusion of a band of gypsies into the story. Captain Haddock offers them space to camp out in when he sees that they were victims of discrimination by the police and the public. This weaves into a nice plot of misunderstanding over the lost emerald. Did the gypsies take it as everyone seems to think or are they innocent and the thief is somebody quite different?
I did not expect it, but Tintin in Tibet was superlative! Tintin is getting recurring nightmares about his old friend from China, Chang Chong-Chen, isI did not expect it, but Tintin in Tibet was superlative! Tintin is getting recurring nightmares about his old friend from China, Chang Chong-Chen, is calling for help. When there is news of a plane crash in Nepal, Tintin realises that his young friend was on the plane that crashed no survivors. Tintin sets out for the Himalayas in order to search for Chang, dragging along a very reluctant Captain Haddock with him.
The story stands out in several ways. I absolutely loved that the Yeti of Tibetan tradition was depicted as a real creature in this book. I enjoyed the empathy that both Tintin and Chang had for the poor lonely Yeti, and I can only hope that he finds his true companion in the future and not be so lonely any longer. Poot little Yeti!
The research was pretty decent too. It was fun to see life in the Himalayas, with Captain Haddock for once having more sense than Tintin with respect to keeping themselves safe. Haddock had great comic moments in this one, and finally met his match in a Nepali porter who could not just match his yelling, but also did it in Hindi! This comic was sooo good that even the upon it.
In The Red Sea Sharks, the Emir of Khebed sends his son, Abdullah, to Tintin and Captain Haddock in order to keep him safe, fearing a revolution. WhenIn The Red Sea Sharks, the Emir of Khebed sends his son, Abdullah, to Tintin and Captain Haddock in order to keep him safe, fearing a revolution. When the Emir is overthrown by Bab El Er, the duo set out to find out what happened and how to help the Emir. Though Captain Haddock's not-so-secret underlying motive is to send the naughty Abdullah back to his doting father.
En route, the two encounter a host of characters that have previously shown up in the Tintin series: Rastapopoulos - the evil mastermind; J.W. Dawson - corrupt chief of police of the Shanghai settlement; Allan - mutineer and drug smuggler; General Alcazar - of the San Theodore military; Oliveira da Figueira - Portuguese merchant in Khemed; Dr. Müller - a psychiatrist and a crook; and Jolyon Wagg - a comic insurance salesman.
Apart from the Khemed revolution, there is also the matter of smuggled aircrafts. There is also quite a bit of focus on the African slave trade, which appears to be the inspiration for this story. Overall, I would say it was an experiment that did not quite work out. Parts were still enjoyable too. ...more
Finally back to single book stories! I absolutely loved this one again. The Calculus Affair centres around Calculus, who has made a new discovery thatFinally back to single book stories! I absolutely loved this one again. The Calculus Affair centres around Calculus, who has made a new discovery that makes world governments fight over him again. It can shatter glass and ceramic in the vicinity, and can be used in warfare after some perfection. Both Syldavia and Borduria agents are now after him. When he is kidnapped, Tintin and Captain Haddock go after him for effecting a rescue.
Thompson and Thomson only make a minor appearance in this story and I missed their bumbling. But their absence was made up for by my favourite, BIANCA CASTAFIORE!!! She even plays a minor role in helping our heroes escape but unfortunately, doesn't sing. It would be so hilarious if she had shattered the chandeliers with her voice, rendering Calculus' invention void! A new character, Jolyonn Wagg, provides the main humour element for this story. An insurance agent, he keeps appearing everywhere and clashing with Captain Haddock over buying insurance.
The second part of the moon landing story, the plot shows how Tintin and the gang land on the moon and face several adventures. Tintin is accompanied The second part of the moon landing story, the plot shows how Tintin and the gang land on the moon and face several adventures. Tintin is accompanied by Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus and his assistant, Snowy, and then they discover the two Thompsons on board using up their limited supply of oxygen.
Hilariousness ensues and Captain Haddock carries most of it very well. I enjoyed Calculus' triumph but it felt like the science elements dragged down the fun aspect of the story, at least for me. There is sabotage afoot though I am not quite sure what the purpose of that is. While the actual journey was shown meticulously, this sabotage plot felt rather weak. Overall, this is my least favourite story but must have been a very current topic at the time with the space race in full flow.
I must say that I am glad the two-part comics are now over. I much prefer the standalone Tintin comics since I feel these don't take themselves as seriously, and hence, more enjoyable....more
My favourite portion of the book is Calculus with his fog horn. It leads to plenty of misunderstandings and drives Captain Haddock up the wall, which then results in my favourite portion of every book: his innovative curses. It was also HILARIOUS when Calculus finally is able to hear Haddock moan about the whole project and loses his temper. It MAKES the story for me.
This is again a two-part story and is combined with Explorers of the Moon, so Destination Moon leaves us at a cliff-hanger with the crew at the base trying to reach out to Calculus and the gang. Earth calling Moon Rocket? Will there be a response? I'll find out next book.
I am rating this a three because I am not too much into SF but the story is well-plotted and interesting, so others may like it better. :)...more
War is coming! Meanwhile, cars are also exploding all over the place. There is something wrong with the petrol and when the two Thom(p)sons face this War is coming! Meanwhile, cars are also exploding all over the place. There is something wrong with the petrol and when the two Thom(p)sons face this issue, our whole gang gets involved. They get work as crew members in a ship carrying petrol and eventually find themselves in the middle of a fight between the Emir (of who knows where - UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi?) and an insurgent, Bab El Ehr. When the Emir's son is kidnapped, it's Tintin to the rescue.
The humour comes from the rascally 6 year old spoilt kid who is kidnapped. I thoroughly enjoyed the little twat going through life making everybody miserable. The Thom(p)sons driving through the desert was also great fun! And of course, the little Abdullah renames our brave Captain Haddock as 'Blistering Barnacles' - one of my favourite moments in Tintinverse!
Characters from previous books were revived, notably Oliveira da Figueira, a minor character in Cigars of the Pharaoh, but gets a larger role in this one. The other notable repeated character is Dr Müller, the evil German psychiatrist that Tintin outwitted in The Black Island. Excellent characters to bring out again!
Overall, a fun story with excellent humour and action. ...more
The second part of the 2-story series, Prisoners of the Sun sees our intrepid explorers actually on their way to Peru to rescue Professor Calculus andThe second part of the 2-story series, Prisoners of the Sun sees our intrepid explorers actually on their way to Peru to rescue Professor Calculus and help the seven unconscious explorers back in Belgium. They end up finding a secret Inca society avenging any desecration of their ancient relics. Tintin manages to use his wiles to escape with honours heaped upon him.
I loved the Peru landscape, no denying that! I loved the colourful ponchos everyone was suddenly wearing. The adventure itself was fast paced and enjoyable. This one was wholly Tintin's show and the other characters don't make much of an impact, though Captain Haddock is constantly by his side, creating comedy moments. His struggles with the llamas are hilarious.
I found the story smacked a bit of 'white saviour' complex. A hidden Inca society is so backward that they take Tintin as god because he uses a solar eclipse to his benefit. As a plot, it's brilliant. But hidden beneath the outer layers, it hints at a nod to colonialism and racism. I don't know why, but this annoyed me more than the outright portrayals of racism. Wouldn't a civilisation that is built around a sun god have some explanation and calculations for an eclipse?
That said, a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, lusciously drawn, with a tight and fast-paced plot. I think this is one of the best Tintin books too! Worth a read!...more
The Seven Crystal Balls is the first part of yet another two-part adventure. The story starts off with the return of seven European explorers who are The Seven Crystal Balls is the first part of yet another two-part adventure. The story starts off with the return of seven European explorers who are part of an archaeological expedition that discovered the tomb of an Inca priest. A clairvoyant predicts the illness of one of the members, but soon enough ALL of them fall ill and into a deep sleep. Fragments of a crystal ball are found near each inert body. But it is when Professor Calculus is kidnapped that Tintin gets involved.
This time the journey takes the whole gang to Peru, yayyy! It turns out that the explorers have to be punished for desecrating the Inca tomb and the last descendent of the tribe is on their trail. It's such an outdated European trope but it's great fun, so that's that. This plot was inspired by the rumours surrounding the then fresh unearthing of Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt by Carter.
I felt that the characters are slowly developing but also there are minor changes such as Snowy no longer taking centre stage, a move that I think is for the better. Captain Haddock is no longer a lush but a dapper gentleman in a suit and a monocle to match. It was the most hilarious part of the book to see the Captain try to act the aristocrat. Tintin himself does not seem to have much of a character arc throughout the series and remains the same. My favourites, Thomson and Thompson, make an appearance but are not central to the story. General Alcazar (remember San Theodoros from The Broken Ear?) also shows up!
The action is all set in Belgium so far, but I look forward to the second part, set in Peru....more
Brilliant! A great follow-up to The Secret of the Unicorn, the story is given a fitting end in this book. Red Rackham's Treasure is about finding ... Brilliant! A great follow-up to The Secret of the Unicorn, the story is given a fitting end in this book. Red Rackham's Treasure is about finding ... well, Red Rackham's Treasure! Though this can be considered standalone, it is best to be read after The Secret of the Unicorn to best appreciate the whole story. Red was an ancestor of Captain Haddock and had left a substantial treasure for his three heirs to find. Over the years, the family continued to be sailors but had forgotten all about the treasure until Tintin stumbles upon it.
Tintin and Captain Haddock set out treasure hunting along with Snowy, Thomson, Thompson, and Professor Calculus. This is the Professor's first appearance, but not his last, thankfully. We are finally seeing the series developing! With such a cast of characters, it's a rollicking and rip-roaring adventure. Thomson and Thompson excel at being themselves while the Professor gives not just his submarine to the mission but also a bunch of laughs.
The plot itself is decent and throws a LOT of surprises our way. What with finding the lost ship, discovering the true heritage of Captain Haddock, and finding Francis Haddock's statue in a remote island, the actual treasure almost becomes a side quest. Not a bad thing, really! It is also interesting that there are no real villains in Red Rackham's Treasure and it's a pure adventure story; a quite enjoyable one at that!...more
The story of the Unicorn starts when Tintin visits a flea market and buys a ship model (called The Unicorn) as a gift for Captain Haddock. Little doesThe story of the Unicorn starts when Tintin visits a flea market and buys a ship model (called The Unicorn) as a gift for Captain Haddock. Little does he know that several others are after the same ship model as well. But why? When Tintin's home is burgled twice in a single day, he begins to find clues that may have been hidden inside the model ship. Meanwhile, the two policemen are after a pickpocket who steals wallets.
The Secret of the Unicorn is one of the best plotted of the series so far! Tintin and the Captain join hands to solve the mystery. After all, it is related to Captain Haddock's ancestor, who also was a captain! Their search leads them to Marlinspike Hall, which would soon become a sort of headquarters for our heroes. The end is predictable and is sort of left in limbo for the next book, where the duo set out to complete the quest that they discovered in this book. Best to read the two together!
Though lacking a little in the humour department than usual, it still has a lot of fun scenes, especially involving Thompson and Thomson. Their search for a pickpocket is extremely hilarious. Captain Haddock's attempt to show how thirsty his ancestor was funny too.
A pretty decent read, but the next one sets up a lot of the canon info on the Captain, so I like that one better. ...more
The Shooting Star is the tenth story of the Tintin series. I found it to be pretty different than the previous comics and not as interesting. The storThe Shooting Star is the tenth story of the Tintin series. I found it to be pretty different than the previous comics and not as interesting. The story revolves around a giant meteoroid that crashes into the earth. It falls into the sea but Professor Decimus Phostle realises that it has created a new metal, which he names phostlite. This, by the way, is one of the rare puns in this book, in a series which is usually filled with witty sayings.
The Professor, along with a bunch of scientists, Tintin, Captain Haddock, and a religious nutcase called Philippulus, set off to find the metal for the sake of research. But they are in competition with Mr. Bohlwinkel, who is out to profit from the crash. Of course, Bohlwinkel creates hurdles for the scientists, which Tintin helps overcome. This is a classic fight between greedy capitalists out for personal gain and people fighting for science and the greater good.
The highlight of The Shooting Star remains Philippulus, who used to be a scientist but has become a crazy religious fanatic. A lot of scenes revolving around his prophecies remain hilarious. But apart from this, I did not enjoy it too much. It lacked the usual adventure - mystery - politics feel of the comics and practically bordered on sci-fi (with atrocious scientific background). I think this has to be one of the weakest book of the series, with ordinary characters, and a piss-poor plot. ...more
In this one, Tintin is actually consulted by Thompson and Thomson regarding a case. A man drowned at sea is found with five counterfeit coins on him. In this one, Tintin is actually consulted by Thompson and Thomson regarding a case. A man drowned at sea is found with five counterfeit coins on him. But it is the picture of the crab with the golden claws that catch Tintin's attention. He realises it is from tinned crab and there is the word 'karaboudjan' written on it. This sets him off on another adventure, a nautical one this time. The counterfeiting ring somehow turns into a opium smuggling ring, but that's life for you!
The Crab with the Golden Claws is a remarkable development in the series since it introduces the alcoholic and potty mouthed Captain Haddock. Henceforth, it will be a pleasure to learn new swear words from him! Next time I want to curse out someone, I'll do it by shouting 'anthracite' or 'coconut' or 'blackbird' or even 'slave-trader'. Brilliant insults without using actual nasty words!
Unfortunately for Tintin, Captain Haddock is worse at deterring him than the actual criminals! He gets drunk all the time and does silly antics, adding to the fun. I especially enjoyed their trek through the desert with Tintin trying to manage a drunk and dehydrated Haddock. The final speech by Haddock on the perils of alcohol was simply hilarious.
When Tintin comes in contact with Professor Alembick, a researcher of wax seals, he is drawn into yet another mystery. He realises that the professor When Tintin comes in contact with Professor Alembick, a researcher of wax seals, he is drawn into yet another mystery. He realises that the professor is being spied upon and begins to investigate. The trail leads to a Syldavian restaurant, and ultimately to the fictional country of Syldavia where a rebellion is underway and a plan is underfoot to make the king abdicate by stealing his sceptre. Tintin intervenes and saves the day, and is given a knighthood in return.
I found King Ottokar's Sceptre forgettable. The story is based on the late 1930s European drama unfolding, and both Syldavia and Borduria are names taken from a hypothetical analysis of European politics of the time. Despite all this, the fun element was missing. Or maybe because of this? Can't have been fun with all the WW2 stuff actually happening in real time! I did giggle at the villain being called Müsstler, a wonderful amalgamation of the names of everyone's two favourite dictators.
The characters and even villains are mostly forgettable. The only one that stands out for me was Professor Alembick. The plot device concerning him was predictable but I still enjoyed it. However, this story shines in one respect: the introduction of Bianca Castafiore, my favourite ever character in these comics! ...more
This time Tintin makes a trip to England to bust a counterfeiting gang. The story begins with a plane crash and Tintin being shot at. Once he discoverThis time Tintin makes a trip to England to bust a counterfeiting gang. The story begins with a plane crash and Tintin being shot at. Once he discovers a mystery is afoot, he leaves the hospital and goes to England. So do Thompson and Thomson, lol! With a lot of drama, Tintin finally manages to capture all the villains. The book also introduces Dr Müller, a villain that Tintin encounters more than once in the series.
There is a lot of action in this one, and Snowy shines for a change. I enjoyed the presence of the chimp, and how Tintin finally befriends him. A massive, massive change from the earlier books where Tintin couldn't be bothered with any animal other than his dog. Another favourite of mine was the Thompson & Thomson duo winning the aerobatics competition! This book was funnier than usual.
The action doesn't always make logical sense, but I don't really care. The humour was fantastic, and the characters were well-built. The fake mental asylum, the 'ferocious' beast, etc. all added to the charm. Not the best in the series, but well worth a read!...more
Now Tintin is off to South America! In this book, he visits the fictional country of San Theodoros, which had just undergone a revolution, LOL! The stNow Tintin is off to South America! In this book, he visits the fictional country of San Theodoros, which had just undergone a revolution, LOL! The story actually starts in Belgium when Tintin discovers that a sacred tribal statue has been replaced. Turns out a couple of thugs are also on the lookout for the same statue. As are others! But why is this statue so important?
The two thugs are hilarious, but once Tintin reaches San Theodoros, the story becomes even more funny. He is arrested as a spy and sentenced to be shot. On the nick of time, he is saved by a revolution toppling the old government. He is also made colonel and ends up in the middle of a war between San Theodoros and neighbouring Neuvo Rico. He meets the Arumbaya tribe but it is back in Belgium that he solves the mystery.
The story lacks some coherence in some places but is still not a bad one. The names of some of the characters are odd ... Tapioca? Tortilla? Really? Seriously funny, though. I very much enjoyed this one....more
Unfortunately, Tintin meets a crazy archaeologist who is searching for the tomb of Pharaoh Kih-Oskh, a theme influenced by the recent finding of Tutankhamen's tomb. In helping him, Tintin meets a mystery, gets locked up in a tomb, lands up in the Middle East in a coffin and then escapes to India on a plane. Yeah, you need to go with the flow here! It is in India that he meets the Maharaja of Gaipajama, and finally realises that his adventures are connected to an opium ring.
My favourite characters, Thomson and Thompson, make their first appearance in this book. They first arrest Tintin but eventually are convinced of his innocence, and thus begins a long comradeship between the three. There are the mandatory fakirs who go up magic ropes and sit on nails, highly stereotypical but also written in a highly humorous manner. I also loved that in this book, Tintin is a better person and saves an elephant instead of killing it. Already this series is better!
Tintin saves the maharaja and his family, but the conclusion is left open ended as the ringleader of the drug cartel dies (or escapes?), taking Tintin to China. Let's see what The Blue Lotus has in store for us!...more
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