111 of 112 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An imperfect collection but you can't beat its value, December 19, 2008
This review is from: The Adventures of Tintin: Collector's Gift Set (Hardcover)
The long-awaited Tintin gift set is here and it comes with its fair share of positives and negatives.
First, the good news. By far the best thing about this set is the price. Getting 21 Tintin adventures in one set for under $100 is hard to beat. The presentation of the books, aside from their size, is nice and they look great in the box set.
Now for the bad news....yes, it's true, the books are small. I was pretty disappointed to find out that the books were similar in size to the previous 3-in-1 edition that was released. Now this wouldn't be a problem if it didn't detract from the art and the enjoyment of reading these books. Little Brown should take a cue from DC Comics and release their most beloved graphic novels in extra large HC format (or in this case their original format) instead of shrinking it down to about 2/3 their original size. Problems with the smaller format can be seen in the "Secret of the Unicorn" where fine lines - such as the rigging of the model ships - begin to disappear off the page because they are so thin and in various sequences throughout the series where a lot dialogue is stuffed into a single panel. I sorta got used to the smaller format after a while but it doesn't do Herge's ligne claire art style full justice.
It's also a shame that 3 Tintin adventures were left out of this collection: "Tintin in the Congo", "Land of the Soviets" and the unfinished "Alph Art." Political over-correctness from a vocal minority wins out (apparently "Congo" isn't meant to be read by impressionable young children OR the adults buying this set) and instead we have Michael Farr's "Tintin and Co." - not a total loss but I would rather have the 3 stories which I've never read.
In spite of its shortcomings, I still like this set because it offers Tintin fans an affordable way to collect the entire series (except for the aforementioned books). However, if cost is not an issue I highly recommend the singular larger editions over this set as it showcases this seminal work the way it's meant to be viewed.
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202 of 214 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Honey, I Shrunk The Box Set, November 29, 2008
This review is from: The Adventures of Tintin: Collector's Gift Set (Hardcover)
As the owner of the gorgeously produced
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes) and
The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set) box sets, I was excited to hear that Tintin would be getting the high end box set treatment as well. But when I actually saw the set in person, my enthusiasm evaporated. Like the Grinch's heart, this box set is 3 sizes too small. OK, to be fair, it's 20% too small -- that's the difference between the standard 11.5 X 8.5 inch size of the single books and the size of these volumes, which are only marginally bigger than the "3 in 1" Tintin reissues. The result of this is an attractive package which no doubt the serious Tintin collector will want to own, but for actual reading, it's an occasion for serious eye-strain. (Less bothersome is the politically correct omission of the controversial Tintin in the Congo; let's face it, even setting aside the cringe-inducing racism, the book is pretty dreadful in the story and art department.) Frankly, I'd rather spend more money replacing my paperback editions of the books with more durable hardcover editions than spending money on this pretty but useless edition.
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100 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Going blind reading these, December 2, 2008
This review is from: The Adventures of Tintin: Collector's Gift Set (Hardcover)
What were they thinking? I really want a complete Tintin collection in a a box, but the letters on these books are way too small for reading. Disappointed.
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