Customer Reviews

Asterix and the Big Fight

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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!

"Asterix and the Big Fight" is the seventh Asterix comic in the series, by Rene Goscinny and Albert Udzero, first published in 1966 in French. It's a pretty good one, with lots of gags and setups along the way.

There's an old Gaulish tradition where if one chief challenges another chief to a fight and wins, the winning chief gets the losers village. The Romans hear about this and get a big Gallo-Roman loving chief called Cassius Ceramix to fight against the chief of Asterix's village, Vitalstatistix. There shouldn't be any threat, but Obelix hit their druid Getafix over the head with a Menhir stone and made amnesia. Getafix can't make magic potion for Vitalstatistix's strength, because he can't remember anything. Chaos and panic follows. Will the Gallo-Romans win?

I like all the colours in this one. Worth a read.

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.

Asterix was always a favorite of my childhood (together with Tintin). My 8-year old son loves them too. We bought a bunch and give one to him every time he deserves it (like some really nice report from school, or a good action, etc). They are fun to read, and save some (I think) minor racial goofs (it is from the 60's and 70's, people were not so aware of this, I think) it is quite good.

I still laugh after all these years reading this comic. It is filled with several humorous takes on life and double entendre.

Some of the jokes are so bad in this one that even some of the characters comment on the fact, in-panel.

A Romanophile ambitious chief is being used as a pawn to take over the indomitable Gauls, who have a big problem. Obelix knocked out Getafix, and he has lost his memory, so Vitalstatistix will have to go in the contest of chiefs with no magic potion.

These comics are a must for anyone growing up on this planet

Rene Goscinny, Asterix and the Big Fight (Orion, 1966)

One of the earlier Asterix books, this one has the village's leader, Vitalstatistix, called out by a rival village leader who's become a pawn to the Romans for a one-on-one fight. All well and good, being the Vitalstatistix, like the rest of his village, is invincible, as long as he has the magic potion-- the only problem is that, thanks to a small fumble with a menhir, Obelix has transformed druid and chief potion-maker Getafix into a drooling idiot. Another druid is sent to cure Getafix, and-- you guessed it-- another fumble, another menhir, another drooling idiot. Can the boys get Getafix back into shape in order to brew up some potion for Vitalstatistix in time for the big fight?

Predictable, of course-- anyone who's watched two or three episodes of a sitcom knows exactly how to cure Getafix-- but the pleasure, as always, is in the journey, not the destination. Another great way to spend time among the gently madcap. ***

As a child, I read all of the "classic" Asterix books in Swedish. As an adult and now living in the U.S., I am reading them again to my children, but this time in English. This is an old good classic.

Asterix and Obelix live in a village in Gaul that the Romans failed to conquer. The reason for this is that the village druid knows how make a magic potion that that endows the villagers with super human strength. The Romans attempts to conquer the village by using a Gaulish tenet that states that one Gaulish chief can challenge another chief and who ever wins, rules. The Romans find their Gallo-Roman to do the work for them, and to make things worse Obelix knocks out the druid with a menhir who subsequently loses his memory, a bad start for the Gaulish village, but the continuation is exciting and hilarious. All ends well of course.

In general I find that, children the age 5-13 really enjoy these books, and so do my children. Adults can enjoy these books as well. The Asterix comic books are a great way to teach children ancient history. Naturally, the adult needs to help with the differentiation between fiction and history. From these books, my kids have learned about the Roman Empire, the ancient Greeks, the Vikings, the Goths, the Phoenicians, ancient Gaul, ancient Egypt, and the ancient Mediterranean world in general.

My ten year old started loving these books at the age of eight and he cannot get enough of them. My six year old started liking them at the age of five. Even though many Asterix puns may be a little bit above his head, my younger son still loves these stories.

In my opinion the best Asterix albums are: Asterix and the Normans; Asterix in Corsica; Obelix and company; Asterix the Gladiator; Asterix the Legionary; Asterix and Cleopatra; Asterix and the Goths; Asterix in Belgium; Asterix and the big fight; and Asterix all around Gaul. The last title is a translation from Swedish and might be wrong.