Tintin Books

I have loved Tintin books since before I even knew how to read. Though I enjoy them all, there are a few that stand out above the rest for various reasons.

Tintin in Tibet is one of my five favorite Tintin adventures. I love the varied landscapes, the cultural references of the exotic region where the story is set, and the humor in the book. This book allows one to be taken to a far away land, one which most readers will probably never have the chance to visit in person in their lives. It also is different than most Tintin books in that there is no true villian to speak of. Instead, it turns out to be a story of hope and perseverance. In the end, it is a most satisfying adventure.

This is essentially Herge's spiritual soul searching 'hippie' book. If it had been done in the late 60s it would probably have been seen as being quite in tune with the popular culture of its time. Yet this was actually done ten years earlier in 1958, which makes it an almost visionary work. It was even orignally supposed to have had an all white cover, much like the beatles white album. All in all, one of the most enjoyable Tintin books, and also a timeless classic of 20th century popular culture.

Herge, Tintin in Tibet (Methuen, 1960)

Tintin in Tibet is a complete anomaly in the Tintin series, a diversion from Tintin's usual world of intrigue to follow a dream. Tintin finds out his old friend Chang (from The Blue Lotus) has been involved in a plane crash in Tibet, he and Haddock rush off to the crash site. Tintin is convinced Chang is still alive; everyone around him, including Haddock, tell him it's not possible. Tintin's quest to find out the truth of Chang's fate leads him into a monastery full of mystics and, ultimately, a search for the legendary yeti.

This is an amazing piece of work. It is, perhaps, the most universally lauded Tintin comic (Lofficier, in The Pocket Essential Tintin, says it's been voted the greatest French-language graphic novel of all time), and it is without doubt one of the best. ****

"Tintin in Tibet" is my first Tintin adventure. I am a librarian seeking new stories and saw this in a review. It looks like a story my older elementary students would like.

Others on the product page are long-time fans, beginning in childhood, with "Tintin in Tibet" as the favorite in the series of books written and illustrated by Herge. Not knowing anything about the back story, I will begin.

First, the book itself. It is 11 3/4 inches high and 8 3/4 inches wide with full-color illustrations on slick paper, making this a very nice looking graphic novel. The book is well worth its price. The covers of the other 24 adventures are shown on the back cover.

I'm not sure who Tintin is--maybe a teenager, or the Captain, definitely someone fond of Tintin and uncle-like, who watches out for Tintin, who in turn really doesn't need watching over. Tintin is on vacation when he learns of the plane crash of Chang, a Chinese friend his age, in the mountains of Nepal.

Tintin has a dream that Chang is alive and determines to go rescue him. Of course, the Captain goes along. Through hook and crook, they manage to put together a team to take them trekking through the mountains of Nepal to find the crash site and look for Chang. Tintin's dog Snowy also goes along. He makes me laugh with his stubborn and feisty comments. The funniest is at the beginning when he complains (in the cartoon bubbles) that his feet are going to be worn off with all this hiking on rocks. Tintin has no idea his dog has this attitude.

There are several episodes in which Tintin miraculously pulls through, along with the Captain and Snowy. Tintin is clearly a hero figure but so modest, his heroism is almost surprising. He is like a Boy Scout with courage, cleanliness, right living, and dedication to service to others. He is kind and compassionate and downright likeable. Although the Captain is a whiny complainer, he always ends up doing the right thing and thus makes himself likeable. I love his cranky faces! And Snowy! So adorable!

In addition to character positives, the book also promotes cultural exchanges in a positive light--and this back in the '60's! Geography is highlighted. This might be a graphic novel, but it contains many bubbles with words.

Teachers, librarians, parents: This is a series worth exploring, for all its positive values. Other reviewers don't recommend this as a first to buy. Please read Texas Swede's review for an excellent summary of all the Tintin books to make your decision. I will be adding several of the books to my school library, including this one!

This album was first published in 1960. It is my favorite Tintin. Tintin has a vivid dream in which his friend Tchang is in serious danger. They soon find out that his friend was on a plane that crashed in the Himalayas. There were no survivors reported, but Tintin is still convinced that Tchang is alive. Tintin and Captain Haddock flies to India and then they go to the Nepalese/Tibetan border. The adventure that follows is gripping and full of mystery and it has some great humor. The cold and harsh Himalayan Mountains provides nearly insurmountable challenges and both strange and dangerous things will happen.

Despite the hardships Tintin forges ahead against all odds and against all advice. This story is a little bit slower and more philosophical than most other Tintin adventures, and it includes some paranormal phenomena. However, it is still exciting and gripping, and the humor is superb. I always get a good laugh out of this book no matter how many times I re-read it. The story is very much about the human spirit, hope, and the power of compassion. One thing that stayed with me forever was the lonely cry of the Yeti.

This is my favorite Tintin adventure because it is more than just an adventure. It was also my favorite Tintin album when I was a kid. However, younger children may like "Blue Lotus" or the "The Crab with the Golden Claws" better. I would recommend this album for adults and mature children before any other Tintin album, with the slight reservation that it is an untypical Tintin album and that you may also want to read a couple of the other albums. I should say that I loved the Tintin books as a kid and I still like them, and so does my American kids (I am Swedish). In fact my American X-Box and Wii playing kids read them all the time and like them even more than I did.

Finally I would like to list all the Tintin albums in order from my favorite to the one I liked the least. I will make this list into a list mania list next but put it here for easy access.

Skip this list if you don't want to read it (I know it is very long).

(1) Tintin in Tibet (5 stars). It was published 1960. It is my favorite Tintin. Tintin's friend Tchang (from Blue Lotus) is lost in a plane crash in Tibet. Everyone thinks he is dead, but not Tintin, who sets out to find him against all odds. It contains adventure, humor, and mystery; however, it is also about the human spirit, and compassion. Therefore it is also a very inspiring and thought provoking adventure.

(2) Blue Lotus (5 stars). This is Herge's first master piece; it is one of my favorites. This Tintin adventure from 1934 takes place in 1931 but is still the second best Tintin (after Tintin in Tibet) as far as I am concerned. Tintin is fighting Opium gangs in China when Japan invades. This adventure is dark, scary, exciting and fun. It is also a history lesson to a certain extent.

(3) Flight 714 (5 stars). This book was published in 1968. Tintin and his friends are invited to fly in the private jet of the billionaire Lazlo Careidas. The private jet is hijacked and they are taken by their kidnappers to a very mysterious Island. This adventure is filled with surprises, humor, it is fast paced and exciting, and is therefore one of my favorites.

(4) The Crab with the Golden Claws (5 stars). This was the first Tintin I read as a kid (in Swedish). It was also the first Tintin movie I saw. This is the book where Tintin met Captain Haddock for the first time. Just like the other later works by Herge it is exciting, and well drawn, but this is one is also very funny. It will make you and your kids laugh out loud.

(5) The seven Crystal Balls (5 stars). This Tintin published 1948, is eerie, mysterious, and exciting. It is the first one of a series of two, the second being "Prisoners of the Sun". In this adventure the members of an expedition that investigated the tomb of Rascar Capac an Inca King, become sick with a strange horrible disease. The mummy taken from the tomb mysteriously vanishes (escapes?) during a fierce thunderstorm.

(6) Prisoners of the Sun (5 stars). This is the second book of a series of two. Tintin and company end up in Peru. They save a boy Zorrino from Peruvian racists. Zorrino guides them to the Inca Empire which still exists underground in the Jungle. Towards the end Tintin saves himself and his company by using his knowledge of a coming solar eclipse. It was later plagiarized by Mel Gibson in Apocalypto.

(7) The Castafiore Emerald (5 stars). This adventure was published 1963. It is absolutely the funniest of them all. It is filled with a lot of good humor. However, to get all the jokes you need to be familiar with Tintin and Captain Haddock already. So I would not recommend this as your first Tintin.

(8) The Red Sea Sharks (5 stars). This adventure was written in 1958. Tintin stumbles into an organization selling African slaves (slavery still existed in the Middle East and Africa in 1958). A lot of old crooks from other books show up here, including Captain Allan, Rastapopolous, Dr. Muller, etc. This book is intensely exciting and full of action and is therefore one of my favorites.

(9) Tintin and the Picaros (5 stars). This adventure published 1976 is full of fun and adventure. Castafiore is being held by General Tapioca innocently accused of plotting against him. Well if you know Castafiore you now feel sorry for the poor old dictator.

(10) Explorers of the Moon (5 stars). Written 1954 this is the second book in a series of two. This book is a lot more exciting and fun compared to the first (Destination moon). The movie is, however, better than the comic book (they are the same but this comic makes a good movie). However, reading this science fiction style comic book is a lot of fun.

(11) Land of the Black Gold (4 stars). This book was published in 1950 (original version 1948). It takes place in the middle east and is about oil, war, and the fight against criminals like Dr. Muller (German villains were no longer taboo). Prince Abdullah the son of the Emir of the Arab Emirate of Khemed is kidnapped and Tintin and company sets out to rescue him.

(12) Red Rackham's Treasure (4 stars). This is the second book in a series of two, the first one being "The secret of the Unicorn". In this adventure Tintin and Captain Haddock goes on an expedition to find the treasure of Sir Francis Haddock. It is in this book we meet Professor Calculus for the first time. His underwater machine turns out to be invaluable, even though Tintin and Captain Haddock at first reject it.

(13) The Secret of the Unicorn (4 stars). This adventure was published in French 1943. This is the first book in a series of two (the second being Red Rackhams treasure). In this adventure it is discovered that Captain Haddocks forefather was a feisty sea captain who fought pirates and left a treasure behind. It is not as fast paced as many other Tintin adventures and contains a considerable amount of detective work.

(14) The Calculus Affair (4 stars). In this adventure Professor Calculus is kidnapped in Geneva and Tintin and Captain Haddock set out to save him. It turns out that Professor calculus is working on a secret weapon that the fictional country of Borduria really wants to have. It is an exciting adventure but not as humor filled and exhilarating as some of the other adventures. It was written 1956.

(15) The Cigars of the Pharaoh (4 stars). The Cigars of the Pharaoh is the first of the better Tintin books. In this adventure Tintin is on a holiday cruise but ends up traveling to Egypt and India on a dangerous adventure. It is an exciting and mysterious adventure that is not objectionable (unlike the three first ones).

(16) The broken ear (4 stars). This story from 1937 takes place in South America. Tintin fights dangerous crooks, gets caught up in political turmoil, is nearly executed, travels through the rain forest, encounters piranhas, and lives among the Arumbaya Indians. This is where Tintin meets General Alcazar for the first time. Lots of action but it is still not a top quality Tintin.

(17) King Ottokar's Sceptre (4 stars). Published in 1939 this book is an allegory for fascist aggression. In this adventure Tintin visits the mythical Kingdom of Syldavia. The leaders of Borduria, a neighboring country, plot to unseat King Muskar. They attempt to seize the symbol of the Syldavian monarchy, which is "King Ottokar's Scepter". This adventure was exciting but still not a favorite of mine.

(18) The Black Island (4 stars). FOUR STARS: This one was written 1937. It takes place in England and Scotland. I saw the movie version, and read the book in several languages. In this adventure Tintin is hunting down a gang of forgers. The drawings have a higher quality than "The broken ear" and the story flows smoothly. However, I find the story to be somewhat tedious and too British for me, and this is not one my favorites.

(19) Destination Moon (4 stars). First published 1953, this is the first book in a series of two (the second being Explorers of the moon). It is a very good concept, a sort of Tintin science fiction. However, it is not fast paced and at times tedious.

(20) Tintin and the lake of the sharks (4 stars). Published 1974 and based on a film from 1972, it is a little different than the other Tintin adventures. It is not directly written by Herge, but Herge supervised the creation of the film. The drawings are not typical either; they look like still pictures from the movie. It is also a little shorter. However, it is still a good adventure and my kids like it, so I give it four stars.

(21) The shooting star (4 stars). In this adventure (from 1941) the world comes close to annihilation when earth almost collides with a star. Tintin and Captain Haddock sets out on an expedition together with a team of international scientists to find a piece that broke off and landed in the Ocean. Well, stars are not solid and pieces don't brake off stars, but there are a lot more oddities in this unlikely story.

(22) Tintin in America (3 stars). Tintin in America" portrays America with an old fashioned European prejudice that is unrealistic and unflattering. His portrayal of the Indians is borderline racist, and the plot is essentially "gangster tries to kill Tintin, Tintin miraculously escapes" repeated a couple of dozen times. Having said that, the book is still entertaining, in its own way.

(23) The adventures of Tintin in the land of the Soviets (3 stars). This is anti-communist propaganda, which I don't mind; however, it does not make a good comic book. The drawings are also not that good. However, this comic book shows that people knew about the Soviet horrors back in the 1920's.

(24) Tintin in the Congo (3 stars). It was an exciting adventure with some interesting and fun twists. However, the quality is very far from that of the more modern Tintin books, and it is borderline racists.

Tintin is a great comic book ... funny, witty, adventurous, and with clean language. These are classics! I used to read them growing up in Europe, and I am glad that I can have my children read them too.

Many of us grew up on Tintin and love them for their great nostalgia value, and reminisces of childhood, as well as the brave values of a simpler, more clarified world of yesteryear.
This volume brings together three of the best loved Tintin classics in one handy volume- and for not much more than the price of one.
They are:
Land of Black Gold

An oil crisis breaks out, leading Tintin to the Arab Emirate of Khemed. There he works his way through a series of escapades in the desert and the cities of Kemekhal and Wadesdah where Tintin must deal with the thuggery of the local Arabs . Tintin meets with Emir Ben Kalish Ezab and agress to rescue his kidnapped son Prince Abdullah leadfing him to confront his old enemy Dr Muller, as well as the impossibility of dealing with his charge, the young Abdullah. Quite fast moving and without the flow of some of the Tintin books, this adventure is nonetheless jam-packed with action. We discover that behind all the troubles are agents of a foreign power (Most likely the Soviet Union, whose menace had finally been recognized by the West when this book was first written, in French, 1950. As usual the rest of the gang such as the fiery Captain Haddock and the disastrous Thompson and Thomson add to the brew!

Destination Moon

First written in 1953, 15 years before the first real moon landing in 1969!
I like these books because of their nostalgia value, good old-fashioned values of heroism, adventure good vs. evil. . I first got hold of copies of 'Destination Moon ' and 'Explorers on the Moon' when I was ten, and I was fascinated by the world which they opened up.
Tintin and Captain Haddock fly to the uranium-rich Balkan State of Syldavia, to work with Professor Calculus on his project to send a rocket to the moon, using the mountains of Syldavia as a base. You learn a lot about the fantasyland of Syldavia, and about the unusual perception of the world of his time, by the author, Herge.
This work is amazing in its futuristic scope. The super-modern (for when it was written in1953) Sprodj Atomic Research Center, and the details of the rocket where quite an amazing concept when the book was first published, 16 years before the first real moon landing by Neil Armstrong in 1969.

It is full of adventure, such as when Tintin is wounded while surprising villains at the ventilator grid in the picturesque Syldavian Mountains; and much humour such as escapades with Captain
Haddock's pipe and Professor Calculus' hearing aid , and the famous scene of an enraged Professor Calculus `acting the goat'.

It is a great adventure for all ages, a wonderful album to have.

Explorers on the Moon

This science fictional comic , written in 1954 , 14 years before the first actual moon landing , fails to disappoint , after the precedent set by its prequel , 'Destination Moon'.
This adventure sees Tintin and friends successfully go to the moon and back , defeating such problems as a rapidly depleting oxygen source and villains who have followed them into space .
I read it when I was ten and it led me to become interested in space.
I remember sitting on top of the roof of my home , reading it , and seeing a shooting star fly by. There is something intriguing about these comics.

Don't be fooled by the size of this little book. Other readers have stated how the pictures seem much to small in this more compact version of the comics we loved as children. These are just as visually stunning as the original size comics. Best of all, it is hardcover and will not get damaged (a problem I had with the originals) and they are compact enough to take on a car ride. My son is now as much of an addict as I was at his age. Happy reading!

If you are a Tintin freak, this one is for you. Just buy them

Volume 5: Land of Black Gold (1951), Destination Moon (1953), Explorers on the Moon (1954). This is the fifth instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

Land of Black Gold makes little use of Captain Haddock (it actually took form before The Crab With the Golden Claws) and is, subjectively of course, the weakest of all the Tintin adventures created after Tintin in America.

The third of the three double adventures, Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon show an amazingly detailed lunar effort, 15 years before the real moon landing, using Syldavia vs. its communist-style rival Borduria (see King Ottokar's Sceptre) as the backdrop. We see a side of Calculus that we had not suspected, a great deal of slapstick from Haddock, highly convincing moonscapes, somewhat drab colours however, but an effective layout; the moonscapes are outstanding. Tintin's friendship with Haddock requires a little tough love. Great stories, and yet exceeded by the last two in the preceding volume and the three in Volume 6.

It is a great work by a classic 20th century cartoonist. An outstanding 1930s black and white story about drug and arms smuggling. For all ages, full of mild humour, suitable for young children.

First published in Le Petit Vingtième between 8/12 1932 and 8/2 1934. The book appeared in 1934 . Redrawn in 1955. It was first published in English in 1971.

A colurful and detailed adventure , Tintin and his dog Snowy meet up with an eccentric Egyptologist on a cruise , taking Tintin on a danger-filled adventure from Egypt to Arabia to India , in a hunt for whoever is behind the mystery of the Cigars of the Pharaoh , he is framed for heroin possesion , caught up in an Arabian war and sentenced to be executed , lost in the desert , locked up in a mental assylum in India , before being led to an international ring of drug trafficers. It is amazing the amount of detail Herge worked into these adventure comics.

Many of us grew up on them and love them for the nostalgia value.
I loved the animation in the underground Pharaoh's tomb.

On a journey to Egypt Tintin meets absentminded Egyptologist Professor Siclone. The professor is in search of mystery. The only clue is a symbol drawn on a piece of parchment. Once in Egypt Tintin and Snowy follow the professor into an underground passageway marked by the symbol and find empty sarcophaguses marked with their names. They escape and find themselves pursued by mysterious criminals. All the while the mysterious symbol keeps turning up on stone walls, painted on trees, and on cigar labels...

This comic is fun because of the exotic landscapes. Tintin travels through Egypt and India which are drawn with exotic flare. Whenever he thinks he has entered the traditional untouched east, western civilization intrudes: He rescues a lady from bandits only to discover that he has just spoiled a scene from an adventure movie. He is captured by Bedouins who recognize him as a celebrity reporter and are happy to have him as a guest. He approaches two arabs to ask directions and finds that they are in fact the Thompson and Thomson team who have donned robes to blend in. The east meets west theme, inherent even in the mysterious cigars marked with an ancient Egyptian symbol, kept me guessing through the book.

The Cigars of the Pharoah maintains the quality of other books in the series. There are jokes for children and for adults, so it is a good purchase for families and public libraries. There are some loose ends which are tied up on part 2 of the story: The Blue Lotus.

On a journey to Egypt Tintin meets absentminded Egyptologist Professor Siclone. The professor is in search of mystery. The only clue is a symbol drawn on a piece of parchment. Once in Egypt Tintin and Snowy follow the professor into an underground passageway marked by the symbol and find empty sarcophaguses marked with their names. They escape and find themselves pursued by mysterious criminals. All the while the mysterious symbol keeps turning up on stone walls, painted on trees, and on cigar labels...

This comic is fun because of the exotic landscapes. Tintin travels through Egypt and India which are drawn with exotic flare. Whenever he thinks he has entered the traditional untouched east, western civilization intrudes: He rescues a lady from bandits only to discover that he has just spoiled a scene from an adventure movie. He is captured by Bedouins who recognize him as a celebrity reporter and are happy to have him as a guest. He approaches two arabs to ask directions and finds that they are in fact the Thompson and Thomson team who have donned robes to blend in. The east meets west theme, inherent even in the mysterious cigars marked with an ancient Egyptian symbol, kept me guessing through the book.

The Cigars of the Pharohs maintains the quality of other books in the series. There are jokes for children and for adults, so it is a good purchase for families and public libraries. There are some loose ends which are tied up on part 2 of the story: The Blue Lotus.

As you might or might not know, most early Tintin was originally published in B/W format, with old style drawing. Yes boys and girls, it wasn't the colour edition we have now in hands. The first 9 titles are sceheduled to be released in English. This Cigars of the Pharaoh is one of them.

Most early Tintin might look very old to us. The drawing weren't that smooth, compared to the later coloured edition. If you're a die-hard Tintin fan, I'm sure you really wanted to know what the book originally looked like. You will notice that the panels also changed. Not just the size, but also the sequence. Some panels were even edited or deleted. Some panels are added. In short, you can compare both editions.

The book was carefully printed and packaged. From the looks, people would already guess that this book (and also the others) is a lux book. The paper was good. The hard cover was good. The binding was good. The printing inside was also good. What more can you expect? Here the book also provided several pin-ups or covers in colour. It's a very nice gift!

If you feel you're a die-hard fan of Tintin (and Herge) then no doubt you must have all these 9 B/W original editions.

It is great to listen to a good dramatized story and imagine what is happening, the way our grandparents used to do when there was no television around! A good exercise for our minds!

Five of the six adaptations were great. The only one that could have been way better was "The Black Island", which is, by far, my favorite Tintin book. To me, that adaptation was disappointing: the story was cut too short, and Richard Pearce -the actor playing Tintin's voice- should have been more convincing. Still, one can see that "The Black Island" audio adaptation was the first one of the series. The next five stories are wonderful and all the voice talents are convincing!

This audio book set will delight any TinTin fan... I wonder when they are going to come out with the audio books for the rest of teh TinTin books.

These audio cassettes are wonderful. The actors do a terrific job bringing Tin Tin to life. My eight-year-old son loves listening to them while he plays or cleans his room or is in the car. It's like old-fashioned radio and far better than watching the TV.

This was my first Tintin tape. It includes:

"The Black Island" - Tintin tries to solve the mystery of a crashed plane.

"The Secret of the UNICORN" - An old model sailing ship that Snowy breaks will lead Tintin and Snowy to adventure.

"Red Rackham's Treasure" - Tintin, Snowy and Capt. Haddock are now searching for the wreck of the UNICORN. Introduces Professor Calculus.

"Destination Moon" - Tintin goes to the Moon. Need any more info?

"Explorers on the Moon" - The real Moon adventure.

"Tintin in Tibet" - Tintin goes searching for Chang Chong-chen, the young Chinese boy he met in "The Blue Lotus."

Good.

Stories include: Black Island, Secret of Unicorn, Red Rackham's Treasure, Destination Moon, Explorers on Moon, Tintin in Tibet. The BBC has pulled out all the stops to provide top actors having fun with the Tintin stories, plus great sound effects and appropriately exciting or scary background music. The voices are quite different from the video taped stories, and so offer a completely new interpretation. And whereas the video tapes focus on visual presentation and pretty much treat the audio as a given (fair enough), these audio tapes fully exploit the possibilities of sound. Tintin is played absolutely straight, but the other characters are somewhat camped up, to provide entertaining parodies of themselves (for instance, the East European baddies have accents worthy of a Bond movie). Be aware that the accents are all very British or are British versions of foreign accents; but very clear recordings would make them easy to follow for most non-British English speaking listeners, I'd say. The stories follow the books more or less; the title 'unabridged' may mislead, as to compress the stories to a half hour each, much has been chopped out - consequently the stories rattle along at a fast clip. What have been added are touches of humour absent from the originals, such as an evil doctor describing Tintin as having signs of mental disorder which include 'infantilism, delusions of grandeur, a dog lover, and plus fours'. I bought these tapes for my 6 year old daughter, but we both enjoy them equally though in different ways: she for the plot and the escapism of the stories, me for the subtleties of the interpretation and the humour. These tapes are a steal at this price. Next stop: volume 2 for me.

This is the very first Tintin book I have been exposed to. I read it for a University course in Children's Literature, and found the story to be fascinating and entertaining. The illustrations are detailed and marvelous -- grasping the attention of young and older readers alike. I am anticipating my next order of Tintin books!

Tintin, of course, is the intrepid reporter created by Georges Remi (1907-1983), better known as Hergé, who appeared in a series of adventures set around the world. The character first appeared in a serial newspaper strip with an adventure in the Soviet Union, then going to the Belgian Congo, America, and over a dozen other places (including a memorable two-part trip to the Moon). Tintin is usually accompanied by his dog, a white fox terrier named Snowy, an old seaman, Captain Haddock, an eccentric professor, Cuthbert Calculus, the look-alike bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson, and a cast of other colorful characters. "The Adventures of Tintin" appeared in newspaper and books all over the world and reflected Hergé's own interest in and knowledge of places around the world.

Consequently, "Tintin's Travel Diaries" are inspired by Hergé's characters and based on notebooks Tintin may have kept as he traveled on his adventures. Each book in the series take young readers (or even us older ones) to a different country visited by Tintin, exploring its geography, and the customs, the culture, and the heritage of the people living there. The books combine Hergé's original artwork from the appropriate Tintin adventure, which is usually juxtaposed with photographs showing the country as it is today, thereby combining education with a bit of fun. Other volumes in the series look at Africa, the Amazon, China, Egypt, India, Peru, Russia, Scotland, and the United States.

"Tintin's Travel Diaries: Tibet" is organized around thirty key questions designed for young readers, from "Why is Tibet called the 'Roof of the World'" to "Where is the Dalai Lama?" Each question is dealt with in a two-page spread, the left side containing artwork from Hergé's "Tintin in Tibet" and the right with corresponding photographs showing his fidelity to the actual geography, costumes, and traditions of the land. The text, by Daniel De Bruycker and Marine Noblet (translated by Maureen Walker).

Of course, it is hoped that anyone who picks up this volume has already enjoyed "Tintin in Tibet," in which our hero has a dream that his friend Chang is calling to him for help. When it turns out Chang was on an airplane that crashed in Tibet, Tintin takes Snowy and Captain Haddock with him to rescue his friend. With the original Tintin adventure serving as an introduction to the land of Tibet, this travel diary will answer the many questions young readers will have about the far off land. The back of the volume includes a glossary of key terms, both a chronology and a map of the region, along with an index and bibliography "for readers from 7 to 77."

This is the very first Tintin book I have been exposed to. I read it for a University course in Children's Literature, and found the story to be fascinating and entertaining. The illustrations are detailed and marvelous -- grasping the attention of young and older readers alike. I am anticipating my next order of Tintin books!

I'm a big fan of TINTIN and this book just put the icing on the cake for me. I can recommend this book without reservations!! It arrived quickly and in its original packaging.

The only problem with this book is that Hergé is dead and Tintin is gone. The author, Michael Farr, perhaps now *the* top ranking European Tintinologist, after his splendid "Tintin - the complete companion" (available at Amazon for under 20 dollars), continues to develop his très fantastique tintinesque series about everything tintin: all the characters, all the stories, but above all, ALL THE PHOTOS, ALL THE GLORIOUS GLOSSIES EVER TAKEN OF FATHER HERGÉ AND HIS MERRY MEN ! There were women, too - if not in the albums, where the female element is either heavily caricatured, or inexistent, the tintin-producing drawing-inking staff included lots of gorgeous feminine personnel - one of which, naturellement, Hergé fell in love with and married as soon as his divorce was granted. In a way, Michael Farr designs the sociology around the albums, with the visual documentation care of an anthropologist. Everybody is here: Hergé's lovely second wife, a fabulous photo of his first wedding, all his collaborators, his boy scout friends, his brother (model for Colonel Sponz),
mom and dad, a unforgettable shot of Hergé in a tuxedo, many photos of Chang (see Tintin in Tibet) when young and when old, the premises in Brussels, reproductions of his contemporary art collection (with some pix with Warhol, and the Warhol silk screen portraits) - it's quite complete, as "Complete Companion" had been not too long ago. As most fans realize, the posthumous "Tintin and Alpha-Art" is really bittersweet, but this 120 page tribute is not. Of course, we all wish that Hergé had not died, even if in his last adventure (Picaros) the world-reporter-detective had had his golf pants exchanged for jeans. From this angle the tribute is sad, and all the incredible photos of the lively man, and of his lively team, will certainly bring a tear, either metaphorically or the real mccoy. Still, n'importe: Tintin lives forever, even without Hergé. IF YOU ARE INTO COMICS, YOU HAFTA BUY THIS BOOK ! ! ! ON THE MIRTH-ENNUI SCALE, IT'S RATED A TEARY TOP MARK. But no boring interpretation comes with the package, for it reads like a Tintin album, sweet and mainstream, a bit conservative, and tremendous fun. A MUST REALLY. LONG LIVE MICHAEL FARR !

The previous installment of this story, The Seven Crystal Balls, left Tintin ad Captain Haddock in pursuit of kidnappers on a ship bound for Peru. In Peru Tintin catches a brief glimpse of the professor but is unable to rescue him. He and the captain continue the investigation. Local Indians are uncooperative, until Tintin rescues a local boy and finds sympathetic people who point him toward an Incan curse...

This comic is very much the second half of a mystery. Unless you have read The Seven Crystal Balls first you are likely to miss some major plot points. So read that and this together. In Peru the Captain has ongoing problems with lamas. These pack animals spit when upset and find the captain very unsettling. Jungle shots and scenes set in an Incan temple mean that the drawings here are very exotic and colorful. This is a good action and humor filled adventure story, although the last few pages are perhaps a bit abrupt (4 pages for the Tintin world to return to normal come after 120+pages of increasingly complex mystery).

If you are reading this to help learn Spanish, Tintin comics are good for reading at a Spanish 2 level. There are a lot of words that aren't basic vocabulary but it is still easy to follow the story because the writing and pictures tend to reinforce each other. However this is a two part mystery and you are going to be reading two books, so if this is overload then try another Tintin comic instead. Also be aware that the professor is unaware of his surroundings. The things he says make no sense - thats the joke. He is a minor character so as long as you know this you should be able to follow the plot OK.

"El Templo del Sol" ("Prisoners of the Sun") concludes the epic Tintin adventure that begins in "Las Siete Bolas de Cristal" ("The Seven Crystal Balls"). If this is not the peak of las Aventuras de Tintin, then it is at least on the great plateau that defines the heights of one of the great comic books of all time. The Sanders-Hardiman Ethnographic Expedition had returned from a trip to Peru and Bolivia exploring Inca burial chambers when all seven members fell into comas induced by mysterious crystal balls. Tintin is already involved in the mystery when Professor Tornasol is kidnapped and put aboard a steamer bound for Peru. With Milu and Captain Haddock in tow, Tintin arrives in South America ready to rescue his friend and solve the mystery of the curse of the Incas. This involves a journey through the Andes Mountains and the jungles of the rain forest.

There is a seriousness to the events that happens in "Las Siete Bolas de Cristal" and "El Templo del Sol" that reflects a significant turning point in Hergé's work. The lesson that Europeans need to respect the cultures of other peoples is not only explicitly articulated by Tintin in these volumes, but is reinforced by the attention to details he puts into Tintin's visit to each and every foreign land. The ability of Hergé to grow as a storyteller over the course of his distinguished career is impressive and these stories deserve the accolades they have received and the affection with which they have been embraced by generations of readers. I have always liked his foray into science fiction with the two-part Moon story, but Hergé never did anything any better than this Incan epic. "El Templo del Sol" also has one of Hergé's best running gags: no, not the perpetual confrontations between Captain Haddock and the llamas, but the attempt by Hernandez & Fernandez to use dowsing to help solve the case.

In the previous volume Tintin and Captain Haddock put together a 200 year old mystery left by Haddock's ancestor, Sir Francis Haddock. Now they are off to recover Red Rackham's Treasure. But Max Bird, the antiques dealer turned criminal, has escaped from prison. Will he make an appearance?

This was my favorite book when I was younger and Captain Haddock was my favorite character. This is a little disturbing because the captain is an alcoholic. At least he gets liver disease in this one, so it isn't totally glamorized. This is still a great comic to read as an adult. There is slapstick for kids, but also much more complex humor for adults. Even though this is the followup to The Secret of the Unicorn and builds from that plot, Red Rackham's Treasure makes sense and holds together read by itself. If you are going to get just one Tintin book it should be this (my favorite) or The Blue Lotus (very good for history so many prefer it).

If you are reading this to help learn Spanish, Tintin comics are good for reading at a Spanish 2 level. However, one of the major characters in this book is Professor Calculus. The running joke is that he is extremely hard of hearing and always mistakes what other characters are saying to him. So he replies to questions that aren't asked and has conversations that frustrate those around him. As you can guess this is likely to leave you as confused as the characters who must deal with the professor. Skip this specific comic until you are fluent or at least very very proficient in Spanish.

Make sure you read the previous Aventuras de Tintin, "El Secreto del Unicornio" ("The Secret of the Unicorn"), otherwise you will really not know all about the background on "El Tesoro de Rackham el Rojo" ("Red Rackham's Treasure"), despite the fact Hergé offers a bit of a recapitulation in the form of a conversation overhead in a bar. The main thing is that having collected all the clues regarding the titular treasure, Tintin and Captain Haddock are prepared to go forth and find it. However, almost as important as the search for the treasure is our introduction to the final pivotal member of the Tintin family, as Professor Tournasol offers the service of his small shark-proof submarine for exploring the ocean floor. Tintin refuses the offer, but it turns out that Professor Tournasol always hears something other than what somebody is really saying. Adding to the fun are Hernandez & Fernandez, who come alone with orders to protect Tintin.

"El Tesoro de Rackham" is mostly a pure adventure story, with Tintin using the small submarine and a deep sea diving suit to look for the treasure of the Unicornio. But there is still some detective work left to be done to decipher the final cryptic clues left by Sir Francis Haddock (the good captain's ancestor) concerning the treasure's location. I still like Hergé's two-part adventure that sent Tintin to the Moon, but this two-parter is not far behind. This is the last of the Tintin stories Hergé wrote during World War II, and after this point we will definitely see his stories become much more allegorical in terms of post-War Europe. Just remember, it is never too late to start reading this classic comic book series.

One night a star appears to get larger and larger and a strange heat wave strikes. Tintin goes to the observatory to inquire, where he finds that the falling star, a meteor, will soon strike earth and cause the end of the world. The meteor strikes but earth is still OK, and so a scientific expedition is launched to find and study the meteor. What will they find?

As you can see they find huge mushrooms. This adventure is very humorous with an insane astronomer. Captain Haddock and Snowy play slightly bigger roles than usual for some comic relief. Spiders, which terrify Snowy, keep pooping up throughout the story. Its pretty weird, but fun as always.

If you are reading this to help learn French, Tintin comics are good for reading at a French 2 level. There are a lot of words that aren't basic vocabulary but it is still easy to follow the story because the writing and pictures tend to reinforce each other. This one is fun and the vocabulary tends to be practical, with words such as "oil" and "plane".

In 1942 the continent of Europe was totally embroiled in World War II, which may well explain why Hergé offers up the most fanciful of les aventures de Tintin, told in the grand tradition of Jonathan Swift. In fact, nothing else comes as close to "L'Etoile Mysterieuse" ("The Shooting Star"), which begins with the world about to end because of a collision with a giant comet and ends with Tintin dealing with giant mushrooms. In between there is a race to find a meteorite that contains a new element of great scientific importance (another case of Hergé's remarkable premonitions based on meticulous research no doubt). Tintin is aided and abetted in this adventure by Captain Haddock, who we first met in the previous tale, "Le Crabe aux Pinces d'Or." But I must say the supporting character who caught my attention was the seaplane pilot who helps our hero in the throughout the episode and in the thrilling climax. You do not usually see such as a realistic, levelheaded, intelligent person helping out Tintin. I find it to believe Herge did not even give this fellow a name, who more than makes up for the eccentric college of eggheads whom Tintin is trying to help. "L'Etoile Mysterieuse" is one of the best of les aventures de Tintin and his adversary is more often the elements than the bad guys trying to beat the good ship "Aurora" to the meteorite. The contrast of Hergé's simple drawing of characters against more realistic backgrounds finds several excellent sequences in this story, the first to be originally printed in color.

While on a walk in the countryside Tintin sees a small plane make an emergency landing in a field. When he approaches the pilot to offer help he is shot at. Later he returns to investigate and follows a trail of counterfeit money to Scottland. Tintin is suspicious about what is going on on the Black Island. Natives say that a monster lives on the island and that those who travel there never come back. But Tintin must investigate...

Snowy explores the deadly sin of gluttony in this book: He spends the beginning of the book persistently dragging around a large bone and then a roasted chicken while Tintin scolds him. Snowy also discovers alcohol when he finds a leaky wine container in the cargo car of a train. Later Snowy drinks beer from a keg in a Scottish bar. Tintin is up to his usual quality, and fans of Snowy will especially like this one. The dog is super cute!

If you are reading this to help learn French, Tintin comics are good for reading at a French 2 level. There are many words that aren't basic vocabulary but it is still easy to follow the story because the writing and pictures tend to reinforce each other.

While on a walk in the countryside Tintin sees a small plane make an emergency landing in a field. When he approaches the pilot to offer help he is shot at. Later he returns to investigate and follows a trail of counterfeit money to Scottland. Tintin is suspicious about what is going on on the Black Island. Natives say that a monster lives on the island and that those who travel there never come back. But Tintin must investigate...

Snowy explores the deadly sin of gluttony in this book: He spends the beginning of the book persistently dragging around a large bone and then a roasted chicken while Tintin scolds him. Snowy also discovers alcohol when he finds a leaky wine container in the cargo car of a train. Later Snowy drinks beer from a keg in a Scottish bar. Tintin is up to his usual quality, and fans of Snowy will especially like this one. The dog is super cute!

If you are reading this to help learn French, Tintin comics are good for reading at a French 2 level. There are many words that aren't basic vocabulary but it is still easy to follow the story because the writing and pictures tend to reinforce each other.