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Tintin #12-14
The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 4: Red Rackham's Treasure / The Seven Crystal Balls / The Prisoners of the Sun
Three classic graphic novels in one deluxe hardcover edition: Red Rackham's Treasure , The Seven Crystal Balls , and Prisoners of the Sun .
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 1991
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389 people want to read
About the author
Hergé
1,041 books1,955 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 16, 2016
***Wanda's Summer Carnival of Children's Literature***
This volume of Tintin is a 3-fer, containing 3 stories. I was unfamiliar with Red Rackham’s treasure, a lovely escapist little adventure, but it does introduce the reader to Professor Cuthbert Calculus, a rather deaf and very absent-minded academic. Like Tintin, who is a reporter who never seems to report to any news franchise, Prof. Calculus doesn’t seem to have a university to answer to and can spend his time dowsing with a pendulum, in pursuit of whatever the Tintin bunch have on the go.
Where my nostalgia was engaged was the two remaining stories, The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun. These two stories were serialized in a children’s magazine that I read in the 1970s and I remember being rather creeped out by some of the details (for example, a seemingly animated Peruvian mummy). I seem to recall that each month’s offering would end on rather a cliffhanger, too, leaving the young readers to agonize until the next installment.
Reading it now, as an adult who has been to Peru, I can appreciate a lot of the artwork and the detail that I didn’t properly notice as a youngster. It’s obvious that Hergé had familiarity with and love for Peruvian culture. I remember as a child loving the spitting llamas, poor old Captain Haddock being their chief target.
Another trip down memory lane.
This volume of Tintin is a 3-fer, containing 3 stories. I was unfamiliar with Red Rackham’s treasure, a lovely escapist little adventure, but it does introduce the reader to Professor Cuthbert Calculus, a rather deaf and very absent-minded academic. Like Tintin, who is a reporter who never seems to report to any news franchise, Prof. Calculus doesn’t seem to have a university to answer to and can spend his time dowsing with a pendulum, in pursuit of whatever the Tintin bunch have on the go.
Where my nostalgia was engaged was the two remaining stories, The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun. These two stories were serialized in a children’s magazine that I read in the 1970s and I remember being rather creeped out by some of the details (for example, a seemingly animated Peruvian mummy). I seem to recall that each month’s offering would end on rather a cliffhanger, too, leaving the young readers to agonize until the next installment.
Reading it now, as an adult who has been to Peru, I can appreciate a lot of the artwork and the detail that I didn’t properly notice as a youngster. It’s obvious that Hergé had familiarity with and love for Peruvian culture. I remember as a child loving the spitting llamas, poor old Captain Haddock being their chief target.
Another trip down memory lane.
April 24, 2023
This is prime Tintin!
Red Rackham's Treasure is the second part of the adventure begun in The Secret of the Unicorn, and the remaining stories in this volume–The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun–comprise another two-part adventure. Hergé is a master of bringing exotic (by European standards) locales to life, and the details enhance the adventures greatly. I don't know how he researched his stories–in the USA, Carl Barks famously relied on National Geographic for many of his Donald Duck stories set in other lands–but he clearly had good sources.
The cast continues to expand, with the introduction of Professor Calculus. And he becomes an essential cast member at least as quickly as Captain Haddock, appearing in all three stories in this volume.
The Tintin books are classics of European comics, and these 3-in-1 volumes are an excellent introduction to the series. Highly recommended!
Red Rackham's Treasure is the second part of the adventure begun in The Secret of the Unicorn, and the remaining stories in this volume–The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun–comprise another two-part adventure. Hergé is a master of bringing exotic (by European standards) locales to life, and the details enhance the adventures greatly. I don't know how he researched his stories–in the USA, Carl Barks famously relied on National Geographic for many of his Donald Duck stories set in other lands–but he clearly had good sources.
The cast continues to expand, with the introduction of Professor Calculus. And he becomes an essential cast member at least as quickly as Captain Haddock, appearing in all three stories in this volume.
The Tintin books are classics of European comics, and these 3-in-1 volumes are an excellent introduction to the series. Highly recommended!
February 3, 2023
Professor Calculus is the best character in fiction!
February 23, 2018
Always enchanting to drop in on Tintin and Snowy.
November 1, 2012
The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 4, books 10-12
Red Rackham's Treasure: Book 10. Sequel and conclusion to The Secret of the Unicorn. Professor Calculus is introduced. Tintin and friends search for the treasure hidden by Capt. Haddock's ancestor. Despite some red herrings, such as the escape of Max Bird and the possibilty of cannibals, the tale is fairly tame compared to Tintin's usual adventures.
The Seven Crystal Balls: Book 11. Scientists recently returned from a Peruvian expedition fall under an Incan mummy's curse. Professor Calculus gets kidnapped. To be continued in Prisoners of the Sun. It should be noted that Herge is sympathetic to exploited lands like South America and Egypt from page one as seen by the musings of a European wondering how Europe would feel if other contries raided the tombs of Europe's kings.
Prisoners of the Sun: Book 12. Sequel and conclusion to The Seven Crystal Balls. Tintin and Capt. Haddock endure an arduous South American journey to rescue Professor Calculus only to wind up prisoners of Incan descendants. Through cunning and luck they escape their death sentences, retrieve Prof. Caluclus, and cure the curse upon the explorers that caused the trouble all with the Incans blessings.
March 29, 2024
This set continues the two-part format of Tintin adventures. Recurrent characters like Haddock, Calculus, the Thompsons, etc are now a mainstay.
January 18, 2013
This was a re-read of a much-beloved book I haven't read in several years. I understand why Secret of the Unicorn wasn't included, but I wish it had been; the Unicorn/Rackham two-parter is one of my favorite Tintin storylines, and I wasn't able to re-read Unicorn first.
Red Rackham's Treasure holds up extremely well to re-reading ("My whisky is in separate pieces?"). The Seven Crystal Balls/Prisoners of the Sun storyline, not so well; I was really quite disappointed with the story's climax, which I'd forgotten, since it completely ignores the fact that the Classic Inca - whose civilization Hergé obviously intends to be preserved in its entirety by the secret Inca in the Temple - had many competent astronomers in their own right and would be quite unfazed by an intended sacrifice ALSO knowing when a solar eclipse would occur. That was sloppy writing, or possibly sloppy research. The use of voodoo dolls and the convenient fact that destroying the dolls releases, rather than kills, the explorers represented was also pretty sloppy.
Stars breakdown: five for Red Rackham's Treasure; three for The Seven Crystal Balls; one for Prisoners of the Sun, whose main effect was to make me want to re-read Tintin In Tibet (due to the prevalence of snow and mountains in the artwork). Average, three stars.
Red Rackham's Treasure holds up extremely well to re-reading ("My whisky is in separate pieces?"). The Seven Crystal Balls/Prisoners of the Sun storyline, not so well; I was really quite disappointed with the story's climax, which I'd forgotten, since it completely ignores the fact that the Classic Inca - whose civilization Hergé obviously intends to be preserved in its entirety by the secret Inca in the Temple - had many competent astronomers in their own right and would be quite unfazed by an intended sacrifice ALSO knowing when a solar eclipse would occur. That was sloppy writing, or possibly sloppy research. The use of voodoo dolls and the convenient fact that destroying the dolls releases, rather than kills, the explorers represented was also pretty sloppy.
Stars breakdown: five for Red Rackham's Treasure; three for The Seven Crystal Balls; one for Prisoners of the Sun, whose main effect was to make me want to re-read Tintin In Tibet (due to the prevalence of snow and mountains in the artwork). Average, three stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2012
At this point, Herge's storytelling has matured to the level that there's a definite flow to each story. I do find myself a little annoyed that these collections chose to collect three stories, the first of which is the direct sequel to a prior story. The other two are joined as well, but at least appear in the same volume. There is a passing reference made to Tintin having met the opera singer multiple times in the past and yet the continuity is such that I do not believe that one of those cases has even occurred yet. That aside, my only other gripe is that Tintin invariably chances into his next clue in every story. There's a desperation that seems to indicate that Herge could not come up with a rational way to move the plot along at times.
One other item of note, perhaps due to its age, but the presentation of these comics is lacking. Snowy, in particular, is clearly a dog, yet has English thoughts and rationale, almost to the point where the reader could mistake his thoughts for speech.
One other item of note, perhaps due to its age, but the presentation of these comics is lacking. Snowy, in particular, is clearly a dog, yet has English thoughts and rationale, almost to the point where the reader could mistake his thoughts for speech.
August 2, 2011
The Tintin stories for anyone who has read them and understands their history can't be viewed as anything other than groundbreaking. The beginnings of these stories have been around as long as the Lord of the Rings, the illustration and environments in the Tintin books are accurate and extremely detailed. Anyone who has spent even a little time exploring Herge (Georges Remi) can see the painstaking research and adversity he worked through to compose the world around Tintin. His ideas were ahead of his time (Exploring the moon, Industrialization, South American political conflict, modern slave trade, extraterrestrial life) and he made certain every detail for every object would be realistic (after the third book at least). Herge's work can certainly be cited as an influence for any modern day graphic novel or comic book.
July 11, 2007
Tintin was the greatest guy ever. When I was yonger, I thought Tintin was a yonug journalist (kinda like a young nancy drew) due to the drawings. As I re read them over and over I realized he was probably in his twenties. haha. Tintin comics never get old, no matter how many time you read them. When you're with Tintin, you are caught up in the moment, you feel his adreniline and you always feel a sense of accompishment when HE solves a mystery/puzzle. Tintin is a legitament reason to be late to work.
Read
January 6, 2009Volume 1 of 7 volume series, each of these contain three Tintin books. I like these books because they're compact and don't take a lot of shelf space. The printing quality is very good: rich color ink on nice, smooth paper. The only complaint I have is with the physical dimensions of the books, which are 45% smaller than the traditional albums. That said, they are no substitute for the original albums if you are a serious Tintin fan or collector, as I am.
April 4, 2012
Ok....I LOOOOOOOOOOOVED Tintin!!! omgosh!!! even though I saw the movie first, I fell in love with the characters!! but after reading 3 different adventures...I fell even MORE in love and...omgosh! I really don't read graphic novels but these are very well written and actually humorous. Not laugh out loud but chuckle funny! Now I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope Speilberg does another Tintin Adventure!!!! I'm now a Tintin fan!!!!
April 22, 2012
This volume is another of my favorites in the series. I love the two part story of the Incas since I'm drawn to ancient cultures. The conclusion of the Unicorn story was very nice as well. One of my favorite characters, Professor Calculus, also features heavily in these books which makes them even more enjoyable for me. I have great memories of reading these books as a kid and it's wonderful to revisit them to enjoy them all over again.
April 21, 2013
Without a doubt Herge is up there with the best storytellers of all time. His masterful artwork, memorable characters and exciting stories create a world that is at once imaginative and historically rich, classic and timeless for children and adult readers today. Red Rackham's Treasure is definitely one of the best Tintin tales - a must read. Herge was one of those rare perfectionists who managed to achieve what he set out to do. These books are works of art.
October 25, 2011
I might have really enjoyed reading these Tintin adventures stories twenty years ago but at present time I found the material somewhat expectedly to be a bit out of my age group — I could however still very much appreciate the artwork and illustrations.
January 26, 2008
Great adventures, but I can never forget that Herge was a vehement racist.
February 3, 2015
Mencari Volume 5,6 dan 7 nyaaa!!!
Tintin terbitan Methuen ini...
Tintin terbitan Methuen ini...
September 1, 2010
My favorite volume so far!
November 12, 2010
I read Red Rackham's Treasure. This got two stars because it was okay.
I've had enought Tintin for now and don't want to read any more for a while.
I've had enought Tintin for now and don't want to read any more for a while.
February 8, 2012
I have a crush on Captain Haddock. He's a drunk, and he flails, and I still can't figure out why I find him so adorable.
June 22, 2012
really good!
May 15, 2013
The first time I ever read a Tintin was when I bought it for my children and I fell in love with him as much as they did...
November 20, 2008
Hilarious! Cool! Totally Awesome!!:)
July 19, 2009
Reminiscing childhood reading after a nice visit to Tintin stores in Brussel :-)
October 28, 2012
So Much Fun to Read! I was in suspense every moment!!!!
August 18, 2013
I have read through all of the Tintin books many times. They are wonderful!
December 27, 2022
When my sister gave me this book for the Holidays, I was totally psyched. I've read all the Tintin books at least once- but these are three that I did not remember that well. In Red Rackham's Treasure , Tintin and Captain Haddock find treasure with the aid of Professor Calculus, in The Seven Chrystal Balls, Professor Calculus is kidnapped, possibly by Inca Indians- and in Prisoners of the Sun, we go to South America to get the Professor back. All are drawn and written by Herge, real name Georges Remi, a Belgian cartoonist whose series are all European bande desinee/graphic novel classics. I found myself just as transported as I did when I discovered these adventures in both English and the Original French at a friends' house in London in the 1960s. The works are still compelling, although they also betray their age.
For the modern reader looking for flaws-there are many. Indigenous people are portrayed as simpletons or evil cunning- or perhaps a bit of both. At the same time that Herge is taking great pains to give real respect to the Inca Art and Architecture- he's using the indians as classic trope bad guys. Tintin uses an Eclipse to intimidate the Natives- and gain his freedom- in a classic White Hero maneuver. But if you think back that these books were written in the 1940s- and some of them for a Collaborating Publication in Occupied France- it gives perspective. Hard to judge a book written during the last gasp of Colonialism itself by modern standards. Back then, Tintin's protection of an Indian boy- making a friend who will guide him for the last half of the book was seen as the height of inclusiveness and racial harmony. On Balance, I think the fun of the adventures still makes these book worth reading- although some parents may find it dated.
These books were originally presented as strips in a Belgian Catholic youth magazine , so there are no adult themes of graphic violent passages, making this fine for a Junior reader over about 6/7 years. For my Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast- this book is not for you- unless you need a break. There are some RPG games based on the Tintin Characters,(blistering barnacles- I want to be Captain Haddock!!) as well as some board games- and the minis are available- but This is not King Ottakar's Sceptre- that has a coup and other military scenes. Some of you may be freaking out that I even look at Fiction/Graphic novels at all!. After all that, this is a straight recommendation from me- toujours Tintin!
For the modern reader looking for flaws-there are many. Indigenous people are portrayed as simpletons or evil cunning- or perhaps a bit of both. At the same time that Herge is taking great pains to give real respect to the Inca Art and Architecture- he's using the indians as classic trope bad guys. Tintin uses an Eclipse to intimidate the Natives- and gain his freedom- in a classic White Hero maneuver. But if you think back that these books were written in the 1940s- and some of them for a Collaborating Publication in Occupied France- it gives perspective. Hard to judge a book written during the last gasp of Colonialism itself by modern standards. Back then, Tintin's protection of an Indian boy- making a friend who will guide him for the last half of the book was seen as the height of inclusiveness and racial harmony. On Balance, I think the fun of the adventures still makes these book worth reading- although some parents may find it dated.
These books were originally presented as strips in a Belgian Catholic youth magazine , so there are no adult themes of graphic violent passages, making this fine for a Junior reader over about 6/7 years. For my Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast- this book is not for you- unless you need a break. There are some RPG games based on the Tintin Characters,(blistering barnacles- I want to be Captain Haddock!!) as well as some board games- and the minis are available- but This is not King Ottakar's Sceptre- that has a coup and other military scenes. Some of you may be freaking out that I even look at Fiction/Graphic novels at all!. After all that, this is a straight recommendation from me- toujours Tintin!
August 20, 2022
This collects three more Tintin adventures. The first, Red Rackham's Treasure, is a continuation/conclusion to the story started in The Secret of the Unicorn and sees the actual treasure hunt. It also introduces us to Professor Cuthbert Calculus, a brilliant but nearly deaf professor. It also sees Captain Haddock acquire his ancestral home of Marlinspike Hall.
The next two form one story. The Seven Crystal Balls, sees an archeological expedition to Peru who recently returned with an Inca mummy all struck down with a mysterious illness, the only evidence being some small crystal shards. Towards the end, Professor Calculus is kidnapped because he put on an Incan bracelet. The third story, Prisoners of the Sun, sees Tintin and Haddock follow the kidnapped Calculus to Peru. There they befriend a young peruvian boy who leads them through the mountains and jungle to the Temple of the Sun and the survivors of the Inca.
A good collection with some good stories. The Seven Crystal Balls was the only Tintin I wasn't allowed to read as a kid because crystal balls are associated with witchcraft, and Prisoners of the Sun was the one Tintin (apart from the very first two that weren't easy to get from my library) that I owned. Good stories with intriguing plots and much more cultural sensitivity than Hergé's early works.
The next two form one story. The Seven Crystal Balls, sees an archeological expedition to Peru who recently returned with an Inca mummy all struck down with a mysterious illness, the only evidence being some small crystal shards. Towards the end, Professor Calculus is kidnapped because he put on an Incan bracelet. The third story, Prisoners of the Sun, sees Tintin and Haddock follow the kidnapped Calculus to Peru. There they befriend a young peruvian boy who leads them through the mountains and jungle to the Temple of the Sun and the survivors of the Inca.
A good collection with some good stories. The Seven Crystal Balls was the only Tintin I wasn't allowed to read as a kid because crystal balls are associated with witchcraft, and Prisoners of the Sun was the one Tintin (apart from the very first two that weren't easy to get from my library) that I owned. Good stories with intriguing plots and much more cultural sensitivity than Hergé's early works.
October 14, 2019
After a VERY rocky start, the Tintin comics are finally starting to grow on me. I don't have the nostalgia many feel for this series (I didn't read them as a child), so I occasionally have a hard time seeing them as anything other than a product of their time, but as I make my way through the series, it's getting easier and easier to just let go and enjoy the ride.
I think the #1 reason I'm enjoying myself more is because of Captain Haddock now being part of the main cast. His alliterative expletives ("thousands of thundering typhoons!"; "billions of blistering barnacles!") and creative insults ("you infernal impersonations of abominable snowmen!" - a *literal* quote btw - is one of the best things I've ever read) inject so much humour and fun.
More of my favourite Haddock moments:
• reviving himself after getting pummeled by an avalanche with whiskey
• slapping a llama in the face
• asking his butler for a monocle, just because he can
• promising to keep a secret by swearing he'll "ration [his] rum and barbecue [his] beard" if he doesn't (#iconic)
Onwards to the next volume.
I think the #1 reason I'm enjoying myself more is because of Captain Haddock now being part of the main cast. His alliterative expletives ("thousands of thundering typhoons!"; "billions of blistering barnacles!") and creative insults ("you infernal impersonations of abominable snowmen!" - a *literal* quote btw - is one of the best things I've ever read) inject so much humour and fun.
More of my favourite Haddock moments:
• reviving himself after getting pummeled by an avalanche with whiskey
• slapping a llama in the face
• asking his butler for a monocle, just because he can
• promising to keep a secret by swearing he'll "ration [his] rum and barbecue [his] beard" if he doesn't (#iconic)
Onwards to the next volume.
November 15, 2020
Although this is billed as three stories, it's really one-and-a-half.
"Red Rackham's Treasure" continues the previous story about the Unicorn and it's treasure, but notable for introducing Professor Calculus. "The Seven Crystal Balls" and "The Prisoners of the Sun" are really one story about treasure hunters falling under an Incan curse while Tintin and the Captain travel to Peru to rescue Calculus and solve the mystery. Tintin escapes the Incans with a lucky break first used by Mark Twain.
Entertaining, but not outstanding.
"Red Rackham's Treasure" continues the previous story about the Unicorn and it's treasure, but notable for introducing Professor Calculus. "The Seven Crystal Balls" and "The Prisoners of the Sun" are really one story about treasure hunters falling under an Incan curse while Tintin and the Captain travel to Peru to rescue Calculus and solve the mystery. Tintin escapes the Incans with a lucky break first used by Mark Twain.
Entertaining, but not outstanding.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews