Adventures of Spirou and Fantasio----The Robot Blueprints and other Stories by André Franquin

Title: Adventures of Spirou and Fantasio----The Robot Blueprints and other Stories
Author: André Franquin
ISBN: 9788128614804
Publisher: Euro Books 2007
Pages: 67/Graphic Novel

Spirou and Fantasio is a Franco-Belgian comic strip whih was first written in 1938. The series has many common elements with humorous adventure comics like Tintin and Asterix. It is one of the most popular classic Belgian comic strips and, unlike Tintin, new Spirou books continue to be published to this day. Spirou and Fantasio are the series' main characters, two adventurous journalists who run into fantastic adventures, aided by Spirou's pet squirrel, Spip.

I had read a lot of Spirou books and forgotten all about those, as I did not own any. I picked this book last Sunday when I bought 4 other books. Looking at these graphic novels made me nostalgic and I had to buy it. I will pass it on to my nephew as I did with my Tintin and Astrix books.

This book contains four stories: The Robot Blueprints, Spirou in the Ring, Spirou goes Riding and Spirou with the Pygmies.

The Robot Blueprints is the usual kind of story where certain bad elemments want to lay their hands on a bluepring of a Robot. It has been made by a mad scientist to help the mankind but those bad elements have other plans. Spirou, along wioth his friend, Fantasio foils their plan. Frankly it had nothing much new in this. However, the visual was good. The chase, the hiding, the beating, everything.

In Spirou in the Ring, Spirou is challenged by a well known boxer to fight with him. The other boxer is a bully and over-confident of his winning. Spirou takes the help of his friend Fantasio and starts practising for the Big fight which is the talk of the town. Meanwhile, Bert tries to stop him on his tracks. However, despite heating, Spirou wins and also wins over Bert.

Spirou goes Riding is funny where our dear friend goes riding on a eccentric horse. Read it and find out how! I adored this story! And fell in love with the horse!

And finally Spirou and the Pygmies has him and Fantasio visit a place called Rangapanga in Africa. There are two tribes, Browns and Backs there who are eternal enemies. A chance discovery leads to the fact that the blaks ar infact browns. The age old war is resolved! This story starts with a Leopard following Spirou!

All the four adventures are well depicted. One is pulled into the stories and comes to love the characters. I am definitely going for more Spirou books!

Asterix in Spain (gautami)

Title: Asterix in Spain
Author: Goscinny and Uderzo
ISBN: 0340183268
Publisher: Hodder Dargaud/1971
Pages: 48
Genre: Comic books/Graphic Novels

This is another re-read after 20 years! I am now going through my collection of Asterix, randomly.

Romans capture Pepe, the son of the Hispania chief. He is quite a handful. While taking to hide him someplace, they lose him and he is found by Asterix and Obelix. They take him to their village where Pepe is to live with Obelix as his sacred guest. Now Pepe is a holy terror and Obelix can't stand him. However, he has to look after the boy. Meanwhile, there is a fight with the fishmonger, Unhygienix because of Pepe.

Aserix has a brainwave and sends Pepe to the bard, Cacofonix's place. Pepe abnd the bard hit it off and Cacofonix sings for him all night. The Gauls can't take it any more and decide to deliver the boy to his father. Asterix and Obelix venture out in Unhygienix's boat. As usual they meet the Pirate's ship and rob them of all the food. Obelix, that is!

On their way, they meet caravans, all going to the druids' procession. One of the Romans sees Pepe and want him back. To cut a long story short, Pepe is delivered to his father after much trouble. And our heroes return to Gaulish Village for more merry making, fights and squables.

The books are worth reading, re-reading because of the pun, wit and great graphics. I am on a binge!

Asterix and the Great Crossing (gautami)

Title: Asterix and the Great Crossing
Author: Goscinny and Uderzo
ISBN: 0340247142
Publisher: Knight books/1979
Pages: 48
Genre: Graphic Novel

I have been an Asterix fan since very long, I think, from my school days. I have read most of the series although I do not recall much of it. Those were known as comic books and now are renamed as graphic novels.I picked this out randomly from my collection.

As usual this starts in the tiny village of the Gauls. Hygienix, the fish monger is selling bad fishes. Vitalstatistix, the chief of the tribe protests. Then there is a free for all fight. The druid needs fresh fish. So Asterix and his friend, Obelix volunteer to go and then they get lost in the sea. They meet pirates who offer them food.

Their boat is destroyed and with the help of a branch they land up in a village which consists of another tribe, maybe Iberians or Cretans. The people are so taken in by the two that the chief offers his daughter for marriage with Obelix. Therefore, they run away in the dead of night in a leaky Boat! Again they are caught by people who they think, are Romans. Just before they are to be sacrificed, one of the slaves is a Gaul and tells thm about the plan. So they run away, again in boat and are welcomed by their village, minus the fish! Back to their old ways of eating, fighting and merry-making until the next encounter with Romans!

Reading Asterix series is a pleasure. There is satire, wit and humour. The visuals are all very good and the characters are so lovable. Asterix, Obelix and their dog, Dogmatix are inseparable. Not to be missed at any cost. Not only this but any of the series!