Customer Reviews

Asterix and the Black Gold

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

This is a fun Asterix and Obelix adventure that has our entrepid heros traveling to the Middle East in search of Rock Oil. The best part of this book is the terrific sight gags built around Julius Caesar's spy Doubleosix - a Sean Connery cameo. It's fun, fast moving and funny.

Albert Uderzo, Asterix and the Black Gold (Dargaud, 1981)
Ekonomikrisis the merchant has landed at the indomitable Gaulish village, but he's fresh out of rock oil, which Getafix needs to make his magic potion. Asterix and Obelix to another globe-trotting rescue! This time the pair are headed for Mesopotamia, along with the help of Roman-Agent-disguised-as-a-druid Dubbelosix (who bears a remarkable resemblance to a young Sean Connery. These artists are crazy!). There's a great deal of Biblical messing-about, some James Bond punnery, and a good time is had by all (save, of course, the Romans). ***

First published in French in 1981, as L'Odyssée dAstérix, 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.

The book was a lot of fun to read, especially when Dogmatix barks at Obelix in the Dead Sea.