Book Reviews for the Semi-Literate

While it's one of the earlier Tintins, this one already bears many classic hallmarks of the series. Tintin is in constant danger, and always escapes by the skin of his teeth. In many instances, the reason for his escape is something wonderfully ridiculous and improbable. Oh, and these occur every few pages! While it might seem contrived and repetitive at first (and it is!), one quickly realizes that it is also a large part of the humor and appeal of Tintin.

The comics never take themselves seriously, and Tintin's absurd escapes are a constant source of their humor. What insane method will he use to get out of the next jam?

In terms of other series standbys, Snowy, Tintin's awesome pet dog, is an important companion, although he hasn't been given much personality yet. Also, Rastapopoulos, the chief villain of the series, makes a brief cameo appearance at the very end.

Overall, this is not as good as most later Tintins, including the very next in the series, "Cigar of the Pharaohs".

The transitions between panels often seem haphazard, and there is no coherent, unifying story. Nor is there any mystery to solve, something later Tintins would thrive on. And of course, it will be a while yet before we meet Professor Calculus and my childhood favorite of the series, Captain Haddock!

Still, it's an early, fun Tintin. The series should never be confused for literature (they're just cool comics for kids), but I loved them in my youth.