Asterix Omnibus Vol. 1: Collects Asterix The Gaul, Asterix and the Golden Sickle, And Asterix and the Goths

Astérix #1-3

by René Goscinny

Asterix is celebrating 60 sensational years as an international comics superstar, and in the first collected edition from Papercutz, the stories are newly translated into American English for a new generation of fans! The story of Asterix starts here. These are the first three adventures of Asterix as he defends his tiny village from the overwhelming forces of the Roman Empire. Join the short, spunky, and super-powerful warrior from Gaul and his faithful friends--including the boar-eating delivery man Obelix and the ecologically-minded canine, Dogmatix--as they battle to protect their village against impossible odds. Asterix Omnibus volume one collects “Asterix the Gaul,” “Asterix and the Golden Sickle,” and “Asterix and the Goths.” Three classic adventures in one great volume.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2020

About the author

René Goscinny (1926 - 1977) was a French author, editor and humorist, who is best known for the comic book Asterix , which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris (considered the series' golden age).

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a lot of fun to read the adventures of Asterix as he causes trouble for Romans. The art is vibrant and the action is cartoony, which makes this book a joy to read.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sta reci o ovim stripovima koje manje vise svi znaju... pa nista :) Asteriksa, Obeliksa i ostale vecina nas poznaje tako da i nema neke poente ulziti u celu pricu.

Lepi crtezi, opustene price koje nisu suvise ozbiljne al zabavne i samo prolete. Pogled na istoriju koji nema veze sa istorijom i sluzi visa kao parodija na rimljane. Ovo je naravno kolekcija koja skuplja prve tri price pa i samo pretstavlja uvid u istoriju:

1. Asteriks, galski junak za pocetak kazimo dosta ruzan dizajn nasih glavnih likova, za ne prepoznati. Al to je nesto sto vecina stripova ima u pocetku, samo pogledajte originalnog Garfilda. Drugi problem je posto je prva knjizica imamo dosta ekspozicije sto je mozda neophodno ali kvari tok price. Sem toga vse ostalo je tu, humor, glupi rimljani i naravno CEZAr.

2. Zlatni srp Posto smo se upoznali sa likovima imamo vise mesta da malo upoznamo svet koji naseljuju. Rimske patrole, razbojnici, divlje zivuljke i druge stavri koje bi mogle da prave problem da nema carobnog napitka. Al opet glavna privlacnost su likovi koje srecemo, od prefekta pa nadalje.

3. Asteriks i Goti Obozavam nacin na koji su prikazali gotski jezik koristeci gotski font. Odlicno. Plus humor koji imamo od strane samog stripa kada objasnjava psovke ili pevanje. Ti mali detalji jako puno doprinose sve ukupnom kvalitetu.

Sve u svemu odlicna kolekcija i jedva cekam sledece nastavke.

[CJ Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much silly fun.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband used to have a bunch of these in French from when he was a kid. My French was never good enough to read them, so when I saw this, I had to read it. I am not familiar with the show, so the only thing I knew about it was that my husband enjoyed it when he was a kid. But the first chapter in this book gives you the basics, so not being familiar with the story is not an issue! Basically, the Romans have captured all of Gaul with the exception of one little village that is fighting for all they're worth. Asterix is a particularly wily member of this village and his constant companion Obelix is basically the muscle. With the help of all this cunning and intelligence and a secret potion that gives the village strength (Obelix's is permanent because he fell into the potion as a child), they're able to fight off the Romans. There is plenty of humor and puns (ah yes, you either love them or you hate them) and the illustrations are wonderful. I'll definitely be interested in a full copy when this edition is published.

Thanks to NetGalley and Papercutz for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Liekos]

It's Asterix. There are Gauls, Romans, Goths, Druids, spies, bandits, awful Latin jokes, puns, a lot of comic violence (both humorous and typical of comic-books. Bang, bash, pow, anyone?). What more really needs to be said?

I have an actual paper copy of this book, which was lovely. Holding a book with pages and print is always a joy. The colour and quality were excellent. It was nice to go back to this series and read the Asterix books in order (I have never done that before. I read them in whatever order I could get hold of them growing up).

It was a really great, nostalgic read. I read it for myself, then I sat and read it with my child. We both thoroughly enjoyed the humour and adventures. It is a classic.

[Dani (ダニ ¦ 다니) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished this big junk of a book. I loved it. Obviously. It's my childhood. Can't believe those 3 stories have been released early 60's. Just epic. Loved it when I was a kid, still love it as an adult.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 bk 242. Once upon a time, in the 1970's, my high school librarian introduced us to Asterix. It was through Asterix that I realized there was a whole other part of European history that was not Anglo centric. That the areas of France, Germany, and the low country were populated with people who had their own ideas (although seemingly few women). The puns and bold drawings were very different from the U.S.'s own superhero comics, providing a glimpse into another world. Time moved on and I had all but forgotten my enjoyment of Asterix and then... a chance encounter on Amazon Smile and I have spent the last few evenings revisiting the small Gaulish village. The stories have held up well these past 50 years and are as enjoyable today as they were then. I've got the next Omnibus on order already.

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I really love how many modern jokes are in it. Recommendation to any comic book fans.

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember loving the movie when I was little but never got the chance to read the comics. So when i came across it in netgalley, I immediately requested for it and read the book the same day I was approved.

The book was awesome. I loved all the characters except Romans(because I'm team Asterix), especially Asterix & Obelix and the Gaul village people. It was an super entertaining read. The artworks are amazing and so colorful. Highly recommended!

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
Fun, fun, fun! I love the artwork in this, it is so classic. The characters are goofy and there are so many more jokes than I remember from my previous readings. I appreciate the combination of three books in one volume too. An excellent idea that will continue on for the rest of the series. I will be reading through these now that I received them as gifts for my birthday. I feel serendipitous about it. This would be a great comic series for boys.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a way, I'm quite glad that I'm reading these comics for the first time as an adult. The humor in these aged like fine wine, and the stories are as enjoyable as the animated adaptations were when I was a child.

[Brad Kennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of nostalgia reading through the first 3 stories. Looking forward to the others.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these so many times as a kid. How comfortable they are to reread, much like an old pair of sweatpants that surprisingly still fits right.

[Bay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Never read Asterix-comics as a child, but I loved the movies. Great fun, great artwork!

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Asterix. One of my favourite travel memories was happening upon an amazing shop in France that was all Asterix and even had an amazing handmade miniature Asterix village that was sadly out of my price range so I had to satisfy myself with a pic of it.

While I’ve read many Asterix, I realized that I’ve never read them in order. This omnibus is a fun way to read Asterix from the beginning. The detailed artwork is supreme, and the play on words is as funny as ever... though I miss Dogmatix in this omnibus as Obelix doesn’t have his dog in these first three stories. I can’t wait to look for tiny Dogmatix in the next omnibus.

Ratings by Story:
1. Asterix the Gaul - hilarious hi-jinks with the Romans and the beginning of it all - 5 stars
2. Asterix and the Golden Sickle - Asterix and Obelix hit the road to Lutetia and the results are fun. - 5 stars
3. Asterix and the Goths - I love a good road trip, though the font used for the Goths is hard to read. Not my fave of the three. - 4 stars

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Asterix Omnibus #1' by Rene Goscinny with illustrations by Albert Uderzo collects the first three complete stories.

My review copy only had the first story, but I've read many of these, so I know the quality is consistent. In the first story, the Romans attempt to overthrow the Gaul village where Asterix lives, but discover that the residents have some kind of super strength, so they attempt to find out the secret. What results are typical Asterix wacky hijinks and people getting knocked out.

I really like this series and getting multiple stories in one volume is pretty great. The art is fun and there is lots of humor that manages to hold up even 60 years later.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asterix the Gaul can become super strong thanks to a magic potion crafted by the village druid. This comes in handy because there are enemies on every side. This collection of humorous comics sees Asterix and his friend Oblix rescuing the druid, fighting the Romans, tracking down a golden sickle, and stopping some ferocious Goths.

This is exactly what I was expecting. I didn't laugh out loud, but I definitely smiled. I might read more, but it won't be a priority.

[H.W. Boswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel robbed that I never got to read these as a kid. This is the 2nd best selling comic book series ever internationally, and for some reason it never got big in America, and I lament that. Classic Slapstick humor, great history jokes and puns, and a colorful Artstyle lead to a really great comic. Breezy and nice, but also with nice weight to it due to the witty humor, I would recommend this to almost anyone.

[laragrace · Rating 5 out of 5]

my mummy grew up reading asterix and obelix's adventures and loved them from an early age. a love she passed down to me and i grabbed hold of ardently and have never let go of. i love asterix. you will have to pry asterix from my cold, unfeeling, dead HANDS !

[Srividhya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighthearted and fun! The character names cracked me up.

[Bronson Everett Beals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, let me begin by putting this statmenet out there: I do not normally read comic books and the only other experience I have with comic books is through The Adventures of Tintin (which I've not actually read but intend to very soon). I've always kind of considered them to be silly and I thought that I was too old for them. Man was I wrong!! Learning about the Asterix series a few weeks ago, I decided to put just one omnibus on hold at the library and I'm starting to regret just putting on hold one-I now want to read them all! Suffice to say that I went ahead and put 5 more on hold this morning. I also went back and forth about whether I include this as a book and count it towards my Goodreads reading goal. After some deliberation, I decided that I would count these, but only as the omnibus', which are collections of 3, not the individual comics. On to the review.

Vol. 1-Asterix the Gaul
This was the first in the series and I wasn't sure whether I would like it or not. I knew the basic premise of the series, but I had no idea what any of the actual comics were about on their own. I gave it a shot and I wasn't disappointed! Asterix the Gaul follows Asterix and all the other Gauls in a village in 50 BC with the Romans surrounding their small village. Asterix has some friends, Obelix, a menhir delivery man, Getafix, the druid who brews the magic potion which gives the people in the town their legendary strength, etc.. I LOVE Getafix. He's awesome and I think he is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!! When the Romans send in a spy to find out how the people of the village get all of their strength, the Roman spy finds out about the potion and relays this to his fellow legionaries. They kidnap Getafix the druid and try to make him give them the recipe to the strength potion, what ensues is out of this world funny! I won't spoil it but when I saw someone on YouTube say that you really can skip this one because the humor isn't quite there, I had to disagree with him. It's FUNNY. If you are on the fence, please read it. I don't think you'll regret it.

Vol. 2-Asterix and the Golden Sickle
I read this in the same day as Asterix the Gaul, which maybe caused me to be a bit Asterix'd out for the day, but I didn't think that this one was quite as funny as the first. Compared to the first one, which I would give a 5 stars, I would give this one a 4 star rating. However, that does not mean that I didn't like this book. The premise is brilliant and there were some parts of this book which were wicked funny. What I especially love is the names in this book, such as Navishtrix and Clovogarlix, which are knock-you-down funny, some of them, and the way that they treat the underground Golden Sickle dealers like a drug-trafficking ring. I think that this is a must read if you're going to read the Asterix series and my criticism of some parts of the book which are a bit slower should not be taken that I don't like this book. I do very much enjoy it-just not AS much as Vol. 1.

Vol. 3-Asterix and the Goths
I read half of this book yesterday night and half this morning and afternoon. When I woke up this morning, I was WAY ready for some more Asterix and instantly the jokes were funnier after they had had a chance to sit for the night. This book is tied, I think, with Asterix the Gaul because they are both incredibly written, illustrated, and tyranically funny! Of course, from the beginning I knew I was going to like it since it features so heavily Getafix, the druid, whom I've already mentioned is my favorite character in the series. The book follows Asterix, Obelix, and Getaix as they set off to the druid convention in western Gaul. Since Getafix wins the druid of the year, the Goths (Roman term for Germans) kidnap Getafix and take him back to Germania. When one of the other druids informs Asterix and Obelix of this, they are devastated and immediately set off to kidnap him back to Gaul. Antics ensue. The funniest parts are at the border and when Asterix, Obelix, and Getafix manage to turn the entire population of Germania against themselves with the goal of keeping themselves so focused on internal squabbles that they wouldn't try to invade Gaul again. This worked. I won't say too much because I think that any fan of Asterix needs to read these books.

I found out through these comics that I can enjoy reading comic books and that they do come in forms that interest me. I will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of my holds into the library and I very much hope that they continue to be just as funny and wonderful, if not funnier and better, as the ones that I just finished reading. Happy Asterix-ing!!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because De bello Gallico, juvenile humor, Latin grammar jokes, and bad puns (the antagonist in the first volume is a centurion named Crismus Bonus). I've meant to read Asterix forever. I was finally prodded to do so by a review in Confronting the Classics . If I were an upper middle-class tween from an earlier generation (one that, like a young Mary Beard, might have had a little Latin under the belt by middle school), these would be hilarious. For the pickier, somewhat more grown-up reader, the adventures sorta lack tension because of the magic potion that makes every dust-up Asterix undertakes a foregone conclusion, but the art is charming and there are more than a few chuckles to be had. Can't see myself reading all thirty five, though.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just okay. The art is beautiful but the humor not so much.Still fun just not great.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many American students can recall the adventures of Asterix the Gaul when learning French in elementary or college? I know I am one of them!

Created by Rene Goscinny & Albert Uderzo, Asterix debuted in the pages of the French comic mag Pilote in 1959. The series takes place around 50 B.C. during the Roman occupation of Gaul (now modern day France). Only Asterix's village remains unconquered by the Roman Empire. That's all thanks to a special potion that gives Asterix and his kinsmen tremendous strength and resilience.

The Roman Empire will do anything to get their hands on this secret and that's the subject of the first Asterix story. Titled 'Asterix the Gaul', readers are introduced to a tiny Gaul powerhouse that looks like a cross between Marvel Comics' Thor and a Smurf.

Asterix's best friend is the gentle giant Oberlix. As a tot, Oberlix fell into a vat of the potion and thus never needs a power up. With his massive strength, the dimwitted Oblerix always carries with him a menhir, a gigantic oblong stone carving.

The other main character of this series is the Druid Panoramix, sometimes known as Getafix in American translations. Panoramix is responsible for creating the potion that gives Asterix his strength. The Druid uses a golden scythe to properly harvest the mistletoe and other ingredients for the mighty elixir.

In the second Asterix adventure, 'Asterix and the Golden Sickle', Panoramix's blade is damaged. Needing a new one right away, least his potions lack their oomph, Asterix and Oblerix travel to another town in hopes of buying a new blade. The pair wind up mixed up in a racket to make counterfeit blades involving the Gaulish black market, petty thugs and corrupt Roman officials.

The third story, titled 'Asterix and the Goths' takes place immediately after story #2. Panoramix is able to make his special potions and attends an annual meeting of Druids. At the convention, Panoramix is kidnapped by Goths (modern day Germany) and it's up to Asterix and Oblerix to rescue their magical friend.

As of 2021, there have been 39 official stories starring Asterix. Since 2020, American kids publisher Papercutz obtained the rights to publish the tales to English audiences. So far the first 15 stories have been collected in omnibus form with a couple of modern adventures being released individually.

I feel like there are a lot of influences on adventures of Asterix. The rapid-fire dialogue is straight out of 1930s Hollywood comedies. The goofy characters invoke thoughts of Herge's TinTin. The swashbuckling aspects remind me of the Uncle Scrooge tales of Carl Barks and Don Rosa. The fluid artwork has touches of Disney and Peyo. And the name puns and inside jokes usually involving creative fonts is all very British. So I felt very at home with this book.

The irony of Asterix is that the real hero of Gaul is Oberlix. He never has to refill on the magic potion. So, Oberlix could just wipe all the Romans off the face of Gaul and be done with it. If he was vindictive enough, Oberlix probably could become the new village chieftain. But deep down all Oberlix wants is to fill his belly with boar and beer. Is that all of us, really?

The tales of Asterix are fun reads for all with a little something for everyone. There's adventure, magic and humor. And maybe even a little educational what with the phrases in Latin and encounters with historical figures like Caesar and Cleopatra. Sometimes the plot seems to go in circles. Especially with the main 3 characters winding up in prison a lot. But there's enough creativity to keep those running jokes from getting stale.

Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo hit upon a magic formula in Asterix. Could it be in the art?Is it the storytelling? Heck, it might be the Druid's mistletoe! Regardless, these stories are a timeless delight that will enchant any reader!

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, memories from my childhood. So happy that Papercutz is coming out with this collection of Asterix Omnibuses. The three in one format make them really affordable and they are a must read for children and children of any age.
This first collection isn't the series at its best but it is a great start to the classic 24 book run (more were made after Goscinny's death. Already the art is amazing (but it would get even better) and the characters and gags are starting to be fleshed out. Asterix isn't a fully developed character yet and Obelix doesn't have his dog yet and the village with its many inhabitants are just background but the three stories are still great.
You get the opening story which sets up the idea of the Magic serum which allows Asterix and his village to resist the Roman Legion.
You get the Magic Sickle which is a nice tale of travel (some of the best stories are) where Asterix and Obelix travel to get a new sickle for the village Druid.
And finally you get a tale where the druid gets captures by some Goths and our heroes must rescue him while avoiding capture by the Roman army.
Nice, simple, cute and at times funny tales. Very highly recommended.

A few words of caution - the paperback omnibus I got is roughly the size of a regular trade paperback graphic novel - which means they are smaller than the original books from the 1970's. This makes the art and words slightly smaller. I could still enjoy it fine but you should be warned.
Also - the new translation leaves something to be desired. I wish they hadn't done it but I guess the editor Jim Salicrup (he used to be a Marvel comics editor) felt the need to leave his mark on this edition. Maybe there was even a copyright issue to using the old translation. The new names...meh. Even in the old translation the puns were lost on my half the time and these new ones seem to be even worse. Instead of the Druid being Getafix he is Panoramix. We could argue if one is better or worse but my sense of nostalgia wishes they had kept the old names and translation.

But the stories and art are still great. The reproduction of the art and the new colours look amazing. And I am super happy to revisit this historic series from my past. It should be on every comic collector's bookshelf.

[Nicholas Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am trying to get around to reading a lot of classic and modern comics from around the world and basically broaden my horizons as far as my comics reading goes, as well as get a better idea of some of the most popular comics from history. Asterix definitely stands up there as one of the most influential and popular comics from France, and I have heard it brought up many, many times. Here are some thoughts about the first omnibus.

Art is fantastic, with really nice coloring, and very well-rendered and consistent characters. My only complaint was that sometimes I wished the minor characters in the backgrounds were a bit more distinct I guess? But still, that's a minor fuss.

The humor was a bit hit or miss. I like puns, and so I tended to like some of the pun-related humor, but a lot of the individual gags (such as the names of the characters) felt a bit much for my particular taste. Maybe I just have to adjust my expectations, though.

The world--this was interesting, and different from the kinds of comics I usually read. A book set in Roman times, with a small tribe of Gauls fighting against other tribes, using magic potions? The setting, for me anyway, is so unexpected that it grabs my attention.

The stories, for me, were a weak point. I had a hard time getting into them or caring much about the characters. I often felt like the stories weren't very clever--the heroes generally can just smash and bash their way out of any scrapes. The humor sometimes elevates the stories though.

Translation I think was pretty good, but I found the use of Latin... confusing. Sometimes their Latin sayings didn't seem to match the action that well, and I often wondered why they were using Latin at all like that. I liked how the Goths were presented with a "gothic" script, although it was a little hard to read sometimes.

Overall very interesting! I might read more, but I am going to take a break first to jump into some other titles!

[Susan J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed the Asterix books, and I have learned a lot from them, too, over the years, in a clever tongue-in-cheek way. This new release of the original comics are meant to be updated, with more modern language and attitudes. Its great that these books are still loved and available. This is set in 50BC when all of Gaul is under Roman control, under rule by Caesar, except for this little village, where live a rebellious group of heroes who will not give in. And it's funny, because they have a secret potion that allows them to beat up Romans as they wish. That is, as long as they take the potion, which is both delicious and empowering. This is a big part of the humour and charm.

As for the characters, Asterix is a little guy, and Obelix, his buddy is a big guy who doesn't need the potion because he fell in a cauldron of it as a baby. So Obelix is kind of a superhero that the Gauls can always fall back on.

The updated jokes and names of the characters are one updated change. All the names of the Gaulish characters end in the suffix "ix". I noticed that the name of the druid who brewed the potion was changed to Panoramix, rather than Getafix as I originally knew it. That was the first joke I loved in these comics. These books are fun to read and most would enjoy them even if they don't entirely get what is going on, which was me, when I was younger. However, one big thing to be aware of in this day and age is that the original books like this is where stereotypes are taught. Again, part of the humour is from recognizing the stereotypes, satirizing them, and knocking them down whenever possible. I am afraid that if these books become more politically correct they might not be as funny and astute as they were previously. But if anyone can do it, its this series. They have always changed things a bit to market to different languages and cultures.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Papercutz, for a complimentary copy of this graphic novel!!!

I used to read these comics in Germany back when I was a kid. I devoured every one of them and had high expectations when I started reading this English version. Honestly, they did a fantastic job turning the names of the characters with puns (that can only be understood if you speak the language in which you are reading the comic) into English characters with puns. While I was sad not to see the familiar names (e.g., of the druid), I laughed a lot when I read the English version of the names.

So, here is my overall opinion of this comic...GOOOOOOO and reading it NOW!!! If you love comics, you will love this one! Asterix and Obelix are two of the greatest comic heroes in the world!

Now I really want to go and read the author's Lucky Luke comics in English to see if they are just as great!

[Daniel Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asterix Omnibus vol.1 was a book I bought about six years ago in Singapore, and now I'm here as an 18-year-old dude revisiting the comic. This comic has a lot of words, and I don't think 10-year-old Daniel took the time to read them. But now that I've finished the book, in addition to the speech bubbles and concise descriptions, I can say that the book is not much different, with or without the additions of words. There's no deep philosophy like that comic with the tiger and blonde human, but Asterix's constant mention of delicious boar meat creates a fun and pleasant aesthetic. Art evokes emotion, and while Asterix failed to provide me with valuable knowledge or a good ol' sob, reading Asterix Omnibus vol.1 was enjoyable, concise, and, most importantly, memorable.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asterix belongs to a village of Gauls who are not yet taken over by Rome. This omnibus is a collection of three tales of the bravery of Asterix and his friend Obelix against the Romans and the Goths with the help of a magic potion prepared by the druid of their village, Panoramix.

As a child, I saw the movies based on this book series and loved them. This was my first book that I read based on the character. I loved the illustrations and the development of the plot. I like the character of Obelix who also serves as a comic relief thinking of boar meat even in times of trouble. Loved the book.