El mal trago de Obélix

Astérix #30

by Albert Uderzo

In ancient Rome, the slaves are rebelling—and they've even stolen Julius Caesar's own warship, the finest in the Roman navy. Under the heroic leadership of Spartakis, the former galley slaves make for the small town where Caesar's old enemies Asterix and Obelix live. When they arrive, though, the slaves find the town in crisis because Obelix has drunk a magic potion that has turned him back into a child. Now everyone must sail to the wonderful continent of Atlantis to find a cure. But, the Romans are on the ocean blue, too.and the battles are about to come fast and furious. 8 1/2 X 11 1/4. all in color

Genres: Comics, Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Albert Uderzo (1928 - 2020) was a legendary French comic book artist and scriptwriter. The son of Italian immigrants, he is best known as the co-founder and illustrator of the Asterix series in collaboration with René Goscinny. He also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, again with Goscinny.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmjaa. Als Kind hat mich diese Atlantis-Storyline irgendwie mehr abgeholt. Als erwachsener Leser ist auffällig, dass sich die Storys vom Historischen zum Fantastischen entwickeln, vor allem die letzten Bände. Und ich mochte halt die Bände, die mit historischen Gegebenheiten gespickt sind, lieber.

Nachteil hier: je mehr ethnische Gruppen man in die Geschichte involviert, desto mehr Möglichkeiten hat man, danebenzugreifen. In diesem Band wurden wieder einige rassistische Stereotype bedient. Schade.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering that Uderzo did write two excellent ones by himself-Asterix and the Black Gold, and Asterix and the Magic Carpet- this is not the best Asterix book.
No doubt, Uderzo has explored some new themes, but the idea of Obelix turning into granite, and then reverting to childhood is laying it on a bit thick-come on!
To bring the great figure, Spartacus into the equation was a good idea, and I quite liked Atlantis, with the cute little angel-children and the flying cows.

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've noticed a dip in quality, be it regarding the biting humor, satire or puns in the past few Asterix stories, glaring as it was in Asterix and the Secret Weapon.

As before, the story lacks a clear direction, mixing and matching elements such as a slave revolt aboard Caesar's ship with the discovery of the mythical Atlantis. These elements just don't seem to mesh well. Taken separately, 'Asterix & the slave revolt' & 'Asterix in Atlantis' could have been great standalone stories in its own right. Especially when you consider how topically the mythical island is described in the story.

It lacked the satirical core, which made the initial Asterix stories entertaining. Anyway, onwards to the plot.

There is a slave revolt aboard Caesar's flagship; The Greek Spartakis, has freed a band of multiethnic slaves and are currently fleeing from the Roman flotilla. In crisis, they decide to sail to the indomitable Gaelic village, to seek refuge from Caesar's fleet.

Meanwhile in the village, a cauldron of magic potion left unattended, is consumed by Obelix, against Getafix's stringent warning, turning him into granite. Getafix's antidote to bring him back, turns the gentle giant into a child, as well as depowering him.

Now, captured by the Romans, Asterix, with the help of the released slaves, must rescue his lifelong friend, and give Caesar a stink eye in the process.

I'm giving it a 3 out of 5

[Norbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinque stelle, non fosse altro perché scopriamo perché Obelix non deve bere la pozione magica, e per Kirk Douglas

[Illiterate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uderzo again offers fanciful ideas, thin plot, little humor.

[Elessar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

Es una pena que Goscinny muriera tan pronto, pues el dibujo de Uderzo mejora considerablemente con el paso del tiempo. Podrían haber salido historias magistrales en este punto. Sin embargo, en este caso, pese a la ausencia del guionista, el álbum está bastante bien. Obélix se vuelve un niño tras beber una pocion y los galos se las tendrán que ingeniar para conseguir que vuelva a su estado normal. Entretenido.

[Helmut · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, wie tief kann man stürzen. Vom Comicolymp in die Untiefen des Seichten, Belanglosen, Trivialen, Dümmlichen.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleopatra reminds Julius Caesar that he still has not conquered the Gauls in Armorica. Intent on recovering Caesar’s galley overtaken by slaves heading to the village, once again the Romans and Gauls clash (really a one sided rout). Obelix unfortunately cannot resist consuming the magic potion that everyone else but him must partake with unfortunate consequences.

[Peter Toth · Rating 4 out of 5]

They finally re-printed this in 2025, otherwise it was impossible to get hold of here in Hungary. I have never read this, but contrary to some of the late volumes, this was actually fun. It does not live up 100% to the original 10 or 15 first volumes, but it's also not as lukewarm as the newest ones, probably because this still has Uderzo's work in it. Obelix turning into granite and especially what happens after is a little weird, but overall there's a lot of fun references, tribute to Kirk Douglas and many other things reminiscent of the earlier books that I loved and laughed a lot, hence my 4-star rating!

[Marta sans-H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dobrych kilka tygodni temu, zanim TO (dla potomności COVID dziewiętnaście) pogroziło człowiekowi palcem i wysłało do kąta, przy bibliotecznym kontuarze stanęłam obok dzieciaka, który pod pachą dzierżył chyba z dziesięć (lub 19) tomów „Asteriksa”. Nagle zalała mnie niepohamowana, niestosowna dla mojego zaawansowanego wieku fala zazdrości, na którą lekarstwem mogło być tylko wzięcie z półki własnej porcji przygód ilustrowanych słynnego Gala. Kartkując, widzę, że nie wszystko tu dobrze się zestarzało, jednak to wciąż spory rozweselacz i pociecha w tym trudnym czasie.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heehee!
Uderzo's more whimsical and fantastical turn of mind shows through as Asterix and co. meet Spartakis the escaped slave who's stolen Caesar's Galley, deal with the consequences of Obelix stealing magic potion and visit a mythical realm somewhere off the coast of Africa.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harmless fun, though there’s an overabundance of punning and without Goscinny the story lacks any real direction. That said, Uderzo’s illustrations remain exemplary. Along with the familiar Asterix motifs, we are presented with a whimsical Atlantis and see Obelix revert to childhood.

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 2 out of 5]

Εεεε... Δεν. Δεν έχει μια ατάκα που να με συγκινεί αυτό το τομάκι. Κρίμα. Πολύ μπερδεμένη πλοκή, μάλλον άνοστα αστεία... Απλά δεν.

[Renato Pereira]

Português, 2009, Leya.

[Joost Brokamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vrienden helpen Vrienden. Een gedachte die we zelf snel soms vergeten.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. Love the puns.

[Biondatina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most funny of this issue the young Ovelix! The second funniest is the Greek revolted slave Spartakis that looks like Kirk Douglas! Have you ever seen a galley in a Roman Army camp?

[Amy Carter]

Always loved these books

[Sudakshina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun but not as entertaining as the most.

[Miku · Rating 5 out of 5]

W "Galerze Obeliksa" Obeliks spełnia swoje marzenie i wypija cudowny magiczny wywar do którego wpadł będąc dzieckiem. Jednak okazał się zbyt zachłanny i wypił cały kocioł. W konsekwencji zmienia się w kamienny posąg, a reszta mieszkańców osady z Asteriksem i Panoramiksem na czele muszą znaleźć antidotum.

Jak zawsze nie mam za wiele do powiedzenia. Bawię się wybornie przy tych komiksach i to miły przerywnik między dłuższymi lekturami. Leci piąteczka.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one’s wild. Obelix turns into a granite statue after overdosing on potion, and the gang ends up on a surreal sea journey involving pirate ships, runaways, and a Spartacus-style slave revolt on the isle of Atlantis. Uderzo lets loose with myth, metaphor, and pure madness.

I read this during a low patch in 2012, when I needed escape. This book delivered. It’s messy, chaotic, and full of weird choices—but watching Obelix regain his spirit in a world of dreamlike marble halls? That gave me hope. Sometimes healing isn’t linear—it’s an ocean away.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolting slaves led by Kirk Douglas lookalike Spartakis steal a Roman flagship and seek asylum with the Gauls, hotly pursued my Caesar's men. Obelix ODs on magic potion with dramatic consequences. Naval adventures ensue and trip is made to the remaining colonies of Atlantis (or it could be the Canary Islands). Surprisingly wistful Asterix adventure.

[Math le maudit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un peu mieux que "La rose et le glaive", cet épisode reste un cran en dessous du niveau originel de la série...

N'eut été le passage Atlante, vraiment too much, ça aurait pu être un bon album. Là, c'est juste moyen, mais on arrive à s'en contenter. Faute de mieux...

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh naughty little Obelix sneaking in a cauldron of magic potion which he has always wanted, only to discover the effects were disastrous and he turned into solid granite and was taken back to his childhood.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niin se vaan on, tytöt ja pojat, etteivät fantasia-ainekset oikein istu Asterixin maailmaan. "Obelixin kaleeri" on sarjan yksi vaisummista seikkailuista.

[Nath Kapsid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ αστείο, αξίζει να το διαβάσει κάνεις.

[Lucian Bogdan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi-a plăcut, dar... cam atât.

Spartacus și camarazii săi fură galera lui Cezar și caută adăpost în satul galilor nesupuși. Acolo, însă, Obelix încalcă regula de a nu bea din poțiunea magică și consumă întregul conținut al cazanului, ceea ce duce la împietrirea lui în primă fază și, apoi, la transformarea în copil.

După o serie de albume bune și foarte bune, de data asta mi s-a părut că lui Uderzon nu prea i-a ieșit. Sunt multe idei cu care se joacă, unele dintre ele foarte interesante. De exemplu, ce s-ar întâmpla dacă Obelix ar bea poțiune, deși nu are voie, fiindcă a căzut în cazan când era mic. Există un episod în care a luat o gură de poțiune magică - în „Asterix și Cleopatra” - dar totul fusese făcut cu mare precauție. De asemenea, introducerea în poveste a lui Spartacus (cu celebra bărbie a lui Kirk Douglas), apoi călătoria spre miticul tărâm al atlanților, precum și încercarea lui Cezar de a-și recupera galera sunt toate elemente capabile să ducă la o poveste savuroasă.

Din păcate, tocmai de aici mi se pare că i se trag ponoasele acestui album. Este un fel de șaorma cu de toate, bună să-ți astâmpere foamea, dar căreia nu-ți dai seama ce îi dă cu adevărat savoare. Îi lipsește o direcție clară. Da, povestea galerei furate pare să fie firul principal, pe care se țes celelalte, dar este unul destul de subțire. Povestea lui Obelix fură atenția, însă este destul de haotică. Ideea de a vedea un copil mic în locul imensului Obelix, incapabil să mai bată pe cineva, frustrat că nu mai poate mânca decât un mistreț, conduce la episoade amuzante, dar, per total, desfășurarea evenimentelor în ceea ce o privește n-a fost „wow!”. În plus, deznodământul a părut genul care scade miza în loc s-o crească. Potențialul apariției duetului Cezar-Cleopatra (care a pus în mișcare superbul album „Asterix și Cleopatra”) nu este exploatat, rămânând la nivel de decor. Nici Atlantida nu mi s-a părut altceva decât o pată exotică (un pic cam stranie pe gustul meu), dar fără prea mare importanță față de potențialul introducerii ei în poveste.

Există și elemente bune în acest album, episoade reușite, umor spumos pe alocuri, planșe menite să-ți taie răsuflarea, dar, în ansamblu, impresia pe care mi-a lăsat-o a fost de proiect prea ambițios față de ceea ce a reușit să pună în scenă artistul. Poate cu o miză mai mică, dar exploatată la maxim, rezultatul ar fi fost mult mai bun.

[Simbasible Comics · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asterix and Obelix All at Sea is the 30th volume of the Asterix comic strip series that was written and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. It was published in 1996 and it was the weakest installment up to that point in the series’ history.

Caesar tries to retrieve his stolen galley from the slaves while Obelix drinks the potion and transforms into a child. Eventually, the Gauls go to Atlantis. This is such a messy installment. Uderzo threw so much into this story while not sticking to anything of real substance. What this volume is all about is beyond me. It has no discernible historical or any other significant angle whatsoever.

Uderzo also imbued the story with so many fantastical elements that the end result is a series that has now become a full fantasy world. The section set in Atlantis even included human-animal hybrids reminiscent of ‘Fantasia’. It was a totally unnecessary inclusion that wasn’t even all that enjoyable. These scene were rushed and there wasn’t enough time to do proper world building.

The only storyline here that I mostly enjoyed was the Obelix one. He finally got to drink the magic potion and he became a baby. This is a tired cartoon concept of turning an adult into a child, but here it worked because Obelix was very funny in those moments. Some of his lines were terrific.

The illustration work here is stupendous. The details are fantastic, the colors vibrant and a lot of the imagery is quite beautiful. It’s a shame, then, that the plot is so problematic. The subplot with Caesar and the slaves was entirely underutilized, which was a shame as it had solid potential. The title would suggest that this is some sort of nautical adventure, but there was very little of it in the actual story.

Asterix and Obelix All at Sea is a mess. Obelix was great and quite funny here and his story mostly worked. But the rest of the volume was chaotic in structure and narrative with no discernible purpose to be found anywhere.

[Tuomas Lähteenmäki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uderzon kuudennessa sooloalbumissa vitsit alkavat olla vähissä.

Uderzo ei ollut Goscinnyn veroinen tarinankertoja, ja tämä valitettavasti näkyy hänen albumeissaan, erityisesti kotikylään sijoittuvissa tarinoissa. Matkaseikkailuissa Uderzo onnistui paremmin (Harharetket, Asterix Intiassa), mutta tällä kertaa tarinaan ei oikein missään vaiheessa synny kummempaa vetoa.

Albumi lähtee kiinnostavasta asetelmasta: mitäpä jos Obelix kaikista kielloista huolimatta joisikin taikajuomaa? Tulos nähdään: kylän jättiläismäinen sankari muuttuu ensin luonnollisen kokoiseksi kivipatsaaksi ja sitten - kyllä vain - pikkulapseksi. Samaan aikaan kylään saapuu joukko kapinaan nousseita, turvapaikkaa etsiviä orjia johtajanaan kovasti Kirk Douglasia muistuttava Spartacus. Näistä lähtökohdista kehkeytyy merellinen seikkailu, joka vie sankarit aina tarunhohtoiseen Atlantikseen saakka.

Idea lapseksi muuttuneesta Obelixista edustaa Uderzon albumeille tyypillistä hölmöhuumoria eikä juuri naurata. Tarinan kaari on hento ja tuntuu lähinnä sitovan toisiinsa kohtauksia, joissa roomalaiset saavat eri tavoilla päihinsä. Tietysti merirosvotkin ovat mukana, tällä kertaa hieman tavallista isommassa osassa. Atlantis-episodikin jää irralliseksi muutaman sivun piipahdukseksi. Goscinnyn nerokkaasti punotut juonet, älykköhuumori ja satiiriset pistot ovat enää vain kaukainen muisto.

Piirtäjänä Uderzo hallitsee edelleen hommansa. Näemme komeita kuvia Caesarin palatsista, palavista laivoista ja Atlantiksen arkkitehtuurista. Myös hahmojen kuvaus on edelleen elävää ja yksityiskohdat kekseliäitä. Visuaalinen puoli kompensoikin jonkin verran albumin vaatimatonta sisältöä. Kaiken kaikkiaan teos on kuitenkin Asterixien bottom 5 -osastoa.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, set well into the series [in fact, after the passing of one of the creators] is bizarre humor at its best. Don't mind the inconsistencies that will pop up, just run with it and laugh. As usual, the English translation of this graphic work, originally written in French, is hilariously weird, with things like an official saying “I may be responsible, but I'm not guilty,” when faced with retribution for one of his many wrongdoings.
In this story, you have Obelix trying one too many times to get magic potion [which is forbidden to him since his childhood accident of falling into a vat of it], Roman slaves stealing a galley belonging to Julius Caesar himself, a trip to Atlantis, Cleopatra in Rome on a throne next to Caesar's, Caesar correctly figuring out odd things, the uttering of which makes him look crazy to Cleopatra and her leopard...the list goes on. Because this story involves ships, the pirates who appear in several volumes in the series get to make an appearance here, too, and with no better results than usual.
There is a lot of cartoony violence but no bloodshed, and the book is suitable for kids and adults, although very young children will ask confusing questions. Trust me, so will anyone with a knowledge of Roman history…