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Tintin #4-6
The Adventures of Tintin: Volume 2: Cigars of the Pharaoh/The Blue Lotus/The Broken Ear
BOOKS
- GenresComicsBande Dessinée
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1984
5 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Hergé
1,028 books1,940 followersGeorges Prosper Remi (22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist.
His best known and most substantial work is The Adventures of Tintin comic book series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, leaving the twenty-fourth Tintin adventure Tintin and Alph-Art unfinished. His work remains a strong influence on comics, particularly in Europe.
"Hergé" is the pseudonym of George Remí, making a game with the initials of his name inverted. Throughout the evolution of his star character, Tintin, we can see the progress of this author: from the first titles marked by the ultraconservative doctrine of the director of the newspaper Le Petit Vingtième, to the breaking of conventions embodied from The Blue Lotus , as well as the evolution of the society of his time. The research carried out by Hergé to historically contextualize his Adventures, as well as his implicit social criticism, have made Tintin a masterpiece of the 20th century.
Series on Goodreads:
* The Adventures of Tintin
* Quick & Flupke
* The adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko
His best known and most substantial work is The Adventures of Tintin comic book series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, leaving the twenty-fourth Tintin adventure Tintin and Alph-Art unfinished. His work remains a strong influence on comics, particularly in Europe.
"Hergé" is the pseudonym of George Remí, making a game with the initials of his name inverted. Throughout the evolution of his star character, Tintin, we can see the progress of this author: from the first titles marked by the ultraconservative doctrine of the director of the newspaper Le Petit Vingtième, to the breaking of conventions embodied from The Blue Lotus , as well as the evolution of the society of his time. The research carried out by Hergé to historically contextualize his Adventures, as well as his implicit social criticism, have made Tintin a masterpiece of the 20th century.
Series on Goodreads:
* The Adventures of Tintin
* Quick & Flupke
* The adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 1, 2020
It's been a while since I last read Tintin, and it's interesting to see how my appreciation has changed as an adult. The casual racism of the series is overwhelmingly present across all three books here. Plot-wise, Cigars of the Pharaoh is the first really engaging Tintin adventure - the excitement of which is diluted a little in the unnecessary sequel of The Blue Lotus. The Broken Ear, though, is a real mess, and pretty tedious by the end.
March 21, 2025
This comprises three Tintin "volumes" - Cigars of the Pharaoh, The Blue Lotus, and The Broken Ear. These are actually vols. 4 - 6 of the original series, and these have been colorised and incorporate the clear line technique. Having read the original #1 B & W version, I can say these are vastly superior in artwork. I classified this as "young adult" but the actual level might be pre-teen. The reader must suspend disbelief and just go along for a wild ride. Each double page spread was an episode in a magazine serial, and ends with a cliffhanger. Tintin and Snowy are in a car crash or plane crash, or a boat is sinking. They may be shot at by baddies, drugged and imprisoned, threatened with execution by firing squad or beheading, or threatened with the cutting off of Tintin's famous quiff.
Tintin himself is very good at fighting, even against multiple opponents, but he is a lousy driver who often crashes into trees or other objects. His nickname must be "Lucky" - even when his car is blown up, he may well land in another one belonging to the baddies, and therefore continue his escape. He's a bit of an innocent, who almost always gets on the wrong side of some crook, while helping a weaker person. The crook is after him from then on, but the one he helped secretly helps him back.
His dog, Snowy, is not just a typical mutt. The reader sees his thoughts, and his facial expressions also give clues to the coming action. He's been known to dress in a tiger suit to frighten the crooks, or another tiger. He's usually hungry, and complains often about having to wait for his dinner.
Snowy is one of the elements of humour that run through the stories. Others include the use of names which are bastardised forms of well-known words - the tomb of Kih-Oskh. There are mad professors, dumb crooks and police, and the ever-present Thomson and Thompson who chase Tintin everywhere for some unknown reason, but usually fall flat on their faces. Language is over-the-top - "This is my boat and I'll blow it sky high before I surrender". There is often humour in the illustrations. Tintin crashes a plane, and a first aid kit drops from the tree above onto his head. "all we are missing is the user manual", he says. A large book with a red cross on the cover then drops and again hits him on the head.
On the drawings, they are very detailed, and show types of vehicles and dress from the period. Sometimes signs have some humorous meaning.
There is casual racism throughout, again being considered normal in the period.
English translations are not fully accurate, as the words have occasionally been trimmed to fit the dialogue bubbles. Sadly, the English versions don't do it for me. The stories and action are too ridiculous, and often the font is hard for me to read. In future, I think I'll stick to the French versions to further my study of the language. They aren't easy to come by, though.
These are classics, loved by millions throughout the world. When I tried to extend the loan beyond the basic month, there were already other holds which prevented it.
Rating 3.7.
Tintin himself is very good at fighting, even against multiple opponents, but he is a lousy driver who often crashes into trees or other objects. His nickname must be "Lucky" - even when his car is blown up, he may well land in another one belonging to the baddies, and therefore continue his escape. He's a bit of an innocent, who almost always gets on the wrong side of some crook, while helping a weaker person. The crook is after him from then on, but the one he helped secretly helps him back.
His dog, Snowy, is not just a typical mutt. The reader sees his thoughts, and his facial expressions also give clues to the coming action. He's been known to dress in a tiger suit to frighten the crooks, or another tiger. He's usually hungry, and complains often about having to wait for his dinner.
Snowy is one of the elements of humour that run through the stories. Others include the use of names which are bastardised forms of well-known words - the tomb of Kih-Oskh. There are mad professors, dumb crooks and police, and the ever-present Thomson and Thompson who chase Tintin everywhere for some unknown reason, but usually fall flat on their faces. Language is over-the-top - "This is my boat and I'll blow it sky high before I surrender". There is often humour in the illustrations. Tintin crashes a plane, and a first aid kit drops from the tree above onto his head. "all we are missing is the user manual", he says. A large book with a red cross on the cover then drops and again hits him on the head.
On the drawings, they are very detailed, and show types of vehicles and dress from the period. Sometimes signs have some humorous meaning.
There is casual racism throughout, again being considered normal in the period.
English translations are not fully accurate, as the words have occasionally been trimmed to fit the dialogue bubbles. Sadly, the English versions don't do it for me. The stories and action are too ridiculous, and often the font is hard for me to read. In future, I think I'll stick to the French versions to further my study of the language. They aren't easy to come by, though.
These are classics, loved by millions throughout the world. When I tried to extend the loan beyond the basic month, there were already other holds which prevented it.
Rating 3.7.
June 10, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed reading all 3 books in the volume, with the second being in continuation to first. I must admit that I found The Blue Lotus to be a bit confusing, as I’m unaware of the China-Japan history.
The pictures in every frame are so detailed and expressive.
The pictures in every frame are so detailed and expressive.
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July 18, 2021Archives Hergé
January 8, 2022
Long before Indiana Jones there was Tintin! These stories are lots of fun.
June 15, 2023
Goood💝
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews