Asterix v27 Asterix and Son cover detail by Albert Uderzo
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Asterix v27: “Asterix and Son”

Shock! Scandal! Outrage!  Who is this baby on Asterix’s doorstep?

Why are the Romans sneaking around to get him back?

And when he falls into a vat of Magic Potion, will he be forever in a state much like Obelix’s?

All these questions and more will be answered by Albert Uderzo in the 27th volume of the “Asterix” series…

This review has it all: Asterix, Ancient Egyptian history lessons, and Star Trek!  Read on:

Asterix v27 Asterix and Son cover by Albert Uderzo
Writer: Albert Uderzo
Artist: Albert Uderzo
Colorist: Marcel Uderzo
Translator: Derek Hockridge and Anthea Bell
Published by: Orion/Hachette
Number of Pages: 48
Original Publication: 1979
Original Title: “Le Fils d’Astérix”

What’s Going On

Asterix finds a baby at his front door.

Asterix and Obelix wake up one day to find a baby sitting at the front door.  Who is he?  Where did he come from?  Who can they return him to?  And why are the Romans so interested in the baby that they’re sending people into the Village to get him back out?

That’s what “Asterix and Son” is all about.  

As with many of the books in this series, there is a feeling of a sit-com plot taken to an extreme.  In this case, it’s the two bachelor dads doing some weekend babysitting, but with a particularly unruly baby.  They call for help, but they’re mostly stuck on their own.  Then, it turns out the baby is in danger and they have to protect him.  It turns into “Three Men and a Baby” pretty quickly.

Uderzo uses that as the structure of the plot, but turns it into something that feels distinctly like an “Asterix” story.  It carries all the usual settings and characters moments of the series, twisting a trope into something that reveals something new about the surrounding characters.

Spoiler warning: I’m going to spoil a couple major events at the end of this book in this review.  I usually hold that kind of stuff back, but there’s some Ancient Roman history to uncover, and a major event I had to talk about, so… At this point, I figure you’re all reading the books along with these reviews, anyway…

Sly Humor

This book feels the most “adult” of the series so far.  It’s still tame and all done on the sly, but Uderzo uses the sudden appearance of a baby to prompt jokes about unmarried parents, the moral outrage surrounding such a thing, and even the birds and the bees, in general.

The villagers doubt Asterix's upstanding morality in light of his new baby.

The gossip in the Village — led by Impedimenta — arches their collective eyebrow to question whether or not the baby is really Asterix’s.  There’s a wonderful sense of moral outrage on the faces of the Villagers in that moment that Uderzo sells strongly.   It feels like a throwaway gag, but it hits super hard.  You instantly feel bad for Asterix for being so badly misunderstood.  Nobody called his moral question into character before, and now this?

Asterix and Obelix are sleeping in the same house at one point in this book, which is a total Joey and Chandler “Friends” moment waiting to happen, but Uderzo leaves those jokes up to the reader.

Later on, the cross-dressing Roman pretending to be a babysitter is accused of being the true baby mama, with Asterix as the father.  Uderzo ramps up the silliness as the book goes on, as he should.

The book also begins with a discussion of the storks that deliver babies.  Obelix doesn’t quite get how it really works, which leads to a tremendously funny moment at the end of the book to button that gag up.  Asterix’s explanation of the birds and the bees is quite literal and funny.

I also like the description of this book from the Alea Jacta Est website:

Highlights the responsibilities attendant on sowing one’s wild oats in the days before family-planning allowed for preventative measures.

Plot First?

It feels to me like Uderzo is working hard to create a story here, and one where the plot comes ahead of the jokes.  You can see the plot machinations on the page, and the jokes kind of weave in around and amongst them.  Goscinny found ways to seamlessly blend that all together, while also making a point and increasing joke density.  Uderzo struggles with that here.

He maintains the secret of the baby for as long as he can in some of the most teasing writerly ways.  Scenes cut out just before we get an explanation, for example. Uderzo only returns to them after the conversation ends. The baby acts up and keeps the Villagers’ minds off what should be the focal point of the story: where did he come from?!?  

The answer turns out to be intensely satisfying both historically and within the continuity of the series. That’s a neat trick.

It’s obvious early on from the first clues that the baby is Roman. Very quickly we discover Julius Caesar’s nephew/adopted son, Brutus, marching into town for a “census” that’s likely covering up something baby-related.  There you have an early example of a B plot that quickly merges in with the A plot.

Here, it merges in quite quickly, but on television shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation (or even Seinfeld), you’d usually find some wild way the two threads come together in the third act. It’s almost meant to be surprising that the two relate.  Uderzo doesn’t hold onto that card in his hand very long.  He plays it quickly.

He also adds in some complications to make the battle between the Villagers and the Romans last longer than they would otherwise.  The baby falls into a vat of the magic potion, and suddenly there’s a concern that he’s the second coming of Obelix.  But that also gives him the ability to defend himself against the Romans and anyone else who might want to do him harm. That carries the plot along.

The one part that lands with a thud is the second time Asterix is foolhardy enough to trust a stranger who just happens to stop by the village to watch over the baby.  “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on the writer for dragging this out.”

It’s good that Uderzo remembered to tell a story and not just line up a series of gags. That always makes the gags land better, but I think some of the plot machinations are a little weak, and many of the jokes just aren’t as clever as we’re used to.

The Only (Adopted) Son of Caesar?

Brutus visits the local Roman encampment

Who, historically, is Brutus?  And is he really Caesar’s son?

First of all, don’t confuse this Brutus with the “Et tu, Brute?” Brutus.  They are two different people, though they both played key roles in Caesar’s assassination.

The other Brutus was Decimus Junius Brutus. There’s a story that he’s the bastard child of Julius Caesar, though it seems unlikely to me.  Julius would only have been 15 when he was born.  But, hell, Nero was emperor at the age of 16.  They moved fast back in the day, so who am I to judge?

No, the Brutus in this book is Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger, who was a real distant cousin of Julius’.  Some even suggest that people are confusing the two Brutuses and that this one might really be his son.

Family trees in ancient Rome were gnarly beasts.

Caesar's adopted son, Brutus, is none too happy

Ancient Roman history is the world’s biggest soap opera, and people expect every aspect of it to live up to a Friday episode of “Days of Our Lives.”

They got along famously until Caesar’s thirst of power went too far. In the Civil War of 49 BC (whence Caesar crossed the Rubicon), Brutus joined Pompey against his adopted Dad. After Caesar proved victorious, he spared Brutus and granted him amnesty.  

Brutus repaid him by joining a conspiracy and assassinating Julius Caesar a few years later.

Those actions caused him to leave Italy all together, until he and his legions attacked the combined powers of Mark Antony and Augustus Caesar.  Brutus, quickly losing the battle, ran into his own sword to kill himself.

What About the Baby?

Some dispute it still, but it seems to be true that Caesar and Cleopatra created a baby in a non-stork manner.  They named him Caesarion.  

He’s also known as “Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar,” but I don’t want type that any more than you want to read it repeatedly.

Cleopatra wanted big things for the boy, so she made him co-leader of Egypt at the age of 3 to help groom him.  She is also believed to have had her younger brother killed to clear the line to the throne.

11 days after Cleopatra’s death, at the Ancient Egyptian ripe old age of 17, he was killed at the order of Augustus Caesar.

They played for keeps back then…

OK, enough of the history lesson.  Back to the laughs!

Language is Hard

Uderzo tries valiantly to stuff in puns with this volume, but most just aren’t that clever or funny. More than just the reader getting used to such wordplay, Uderzo’s choices here are either too obvious or too simple.  There are no double meanings and no rapid fire delivery to sell it.  It just feels like there’s a fair amount of sleepwalking going on in this department.  It’s there because Goscinny always chose it.

Now, I don’t know how much of that is Uderzo’s fault and how much of it is a failure of translation.  Did Bell and Hockridge have a tough go of it in their translations with this book?  Did they just not have much good material to work with?  How much credit/blame should we give to them over Uderzo? We talked about this a bit in the comments section of “Asterix and the Black Gold.”

Asterix shall do you a great injury.

The other odd thing I noticed in this book is how many word balloons felt very British to me.  Yes, this is a French book translated by a couple of Brits and published by a British publisher.  I can’t recall reading this many lines in one book that felt constructed in a foreign way.  Asterix speaking with a British accent is a little weird.  It’s not a problem with the book or anything that I would take points off on my review for, but I did notice it.  Couldn’t help it.

A Cinematic Ending?

You know how every “Star Trek” movie feels the need to be big enough, so they make sure to blow up the Enterprise every time?  It crash lands on planets. It gets blown up in space.  It has to be destroyed so that the movie has “real stakes” and major things happen.

This book ends with the Romans burning down Asterix’s village.

The Romans burn down Asterix's village.  Those thatched roofs are not good...

It almost seems obvious. Why didn’t they hurl some flaming arrows at those thatched roofs 20 books ago?  It would have saved a lot of time and money (and a whole economy, see “Obelix and Co.“) to do so.

But, here’s the thing.  The Romans destroy the village, but not Julius Caesar.  It’s Brutus who orders the conflagration.  Julius Caesar, on the other hand, offers to rebuild the Village that, up to the previous book, he only wanted to command and conquer.  Then, he invites the Gauls on board Cleopatra’s ship for a grand banquet.

It would almost be a solid ending for the series as a whole. The Gauls and Caesar are now friends, breaking bread and sharing smiles, politics in the rear view mirror.  The Village will be rebuilt to return to normalcy and to provide one last major peace offering from Caesar.

Nah, they’ll be back to their battling ways in time for the next book…

No Pleasing All the Fans

That said, some people complained that the banquet wasn’t in its traditional location.  And then there’s this quote from Uderzo from the book, “The Complete Guide to Asterix”:

I came in for a lot of criticism over that. The readers insist on the traditions being maintained.  It’s very difficult, because when I start a new adventure I have to create something fresh as well as keeping all the leit-motifs.  If I leave out the pirates, or the fish fights, or any other traditional ingredient, people complain.  It’s not easy.  But it’s a job.”

Sounds like Uderzo was writing a Marvel/DC book, when he puts it like that.

And I know I’m a “critic” so I’m not the “average reader,” but I’m fine with skipping some of those tropes.  Uderzo should try new things, and not be held back just for the sake of repeating the same gag the two dozenth time to maintain tradition.

It’s too late now to worry about that, though. This book is thirty years old, and Uderzo retired a decade back.

When I’m done with these Uderzo books, I’ll be re-reading the Ferri/Conrad books with a new set of eyes…

Best Name in This Book

As far as funny names goes, this book doesn’t provide a bounty of choices.

Crismus Cactus

Come to think of it, I can’t remember there even being any past Chrismus Cactus.

Oh, wait, there’s Bucolix, which works well as a name, too.  His look matches his name.  He should probably be the winner, but the odd spelling of “Chrismus” appeals to me for some reason, so I’m giving it to him.

Recommended?

Asterix v27 Asterix and Son cover by Albert Uderzo

Not as much as the previous book, but it’s still good, with lots of charm. Things feel like they’re slowing down now and some of Uderzo’s shortcomings are starting to show up.  But the book is still funny with lots of great moments.  The wordplay is a little weak in this volume, and there’s a tonal shift that’s interesting but that might not interest everybody.

As someone who’s fallen in love with Ancient Rome over the course of reviewing all these books, I like the historical tie-in. That might color my opinion a bit favorably towards the book.

I can live with that.

— 2018.080 —

One Last Thing

Uderzo really loves animal humor.  He’s been adding more of it in with recent volumes.  I wonder if this was a new interest of his in the late 70s/early 80s, or if it’s something that he wanted to do, but wasn’t something Goscinny thought fit into the world.  Who knows? 

I like it, but I think it works best in very limited doses, and most often as background gags or brief asides.  When it becomes the focus of a page or a sequence, it feels a little forced.  Uderzo is walking a thin line here for me, but that’s just personal preference.

Uderzo loves to draw talking animals in Asterix

Next Book!

Asterix and Obelix ride on a magic carpet

Uderzo added talking animals and a shrinking Roman soldier and, next, he’s going for a flying carpet.

It’s “Asterix and the Magic Carpet,” as they take a ride to the Eastern Kingdom. Riding a chariot would take way too long. It’s a Whole New World.

And if Uderzo wants to draw an Asian adventure, he needs the help…


What do YOU think? (First time commenters' posts may be held for moderation.)

25 Comments

  1. This is the first one I remember coming out and although nowadays the critical narrative is to look at the Uderzo-only titles as part of a steady decline, I remember there being a real buzz about this book when it appeared. Everyone was talking about a new Asterix title, and we were amazed.
    I also think the twist about the baby’s parentage is much more surprising for a child reader than for an adult one, and they are the target market, after all. I can still remember the panel where it is revealed and I haven’t seen this book for decades. Of course, they partly get away with this by a glaring weakness in the plot. The baby looks nothing like its mother.

  2. That doesn’t bother me. Mixed race kids do sometimes completely take after one side in their appearance.

      1. I’m sure Caesar is sometimes drawn as blond in Asterix. Maybe it is inaccurate though. I don’t know about Mediterranean people, but it’s quite normal for dark haired people (me included) to be blond when they’re babies.

  3. To keep up with your reviews, that I find always enjoyable, I decided earlier that I would force myself to read this book, since that’s pretty much where I let go of the series initially. Turns out that after a few pages I started to remember actually reading it, a long time ago, as it was probably hanging out on a pile in some friend’s toilet, or a dentist’s office, something like that. Up until last week I’d completely forgotten about this volume entirely, that’s how much of an impression it left on me then.
    Only one feeling came back up, that the whole setup relies on the fact that the baby is white and blond, which couldn’t possibly be, considering who his mother is (you didn’t spoil it so I’m trying to not do it either). That’s what I thought at the time, probably why I discarded it from my memory.
    Upon rereading it now, of course, perspective kicks in and I appreciate your history lesson, I remember learning about Caesarion in school, vaguely, however I never knew there were two Bruti (my years of latin are also kicking back and I remember how to conjugate properly hehe).
    Second thought I’m getting now is that there is absolutely no way that Uderzo came up with this on his own. For me, this is the definite proof that he had secret helpers, at least for plotting. I’m sure he contributed the puns himself, they are very much in line with the two previous volumes, fairly lame and innocuous. Second, given the date it was published, my guess is that someone way younger than him came up with the idea for the treatment, as French society was just coming out (see what I did there) with that notion of openly gay couples having children of their own. The comedy is still very much old-school, very 70’s, in the vein of The Birdcage, the celebrated Jean Poiret play. Yet you see here glimpses of a more serious, more modern treatment and I’d bet that Uderzo, way into his fifties by then I think, didn’t write that on his own.
    Also, your eye is sharper than mine on this, doesn’t the art feel different to you in this one? I don’t know, just me maybe.
    By the way there are a couple of typos in the piece, that’s unlike you Augie, so you might want to give it a quick reread.

    1. I had to approve it, but it’s up there now. Might be cached. Like Dan said, try refreshing your browser, or shutting it down completely and starting again.

      (And thanks for the typo note. I fixed a few of them already. This is what happens when I keep writing while doing my “final” proofread and it’s too late at night to be doing that..)

      1. Thanks a lot.
        I know, night writing does that to you. I always reread my stuff the next morning with fresh eyes, always good policy.
        I’m on a PC but I removed Windows to put Linux on it, so weird reactions happen sometimes.

        1. And I have an “old” Windows 10 machine that I wiped Windows off to put Linux on for programming practice purposes. I used Linux as my primary operating system for a couple years at home about 15 years ago, and it amazes me how far it’s come since then. Everything I had to work hard to set up now just works out of the box. (I remember installing packages to get dial-up connections working for the internet…)

  4. I should love this comic. It has all the ingrediants. Its a village book, there’s some great use of the romans as just more than villains, it has a go at social commentry, great Pirate stuff… its got a plot that has a lot of room to be fun. After all the potion isn’t the solution, in fact it exaggerates the challenge, one that wonderfully vexes Asteric in a way I di enjoy… but…

    …if I’m honest… it was just a bit…

    … Dull.

    I mean I just didn’t engage that much, I didn’t laugh that much, if anything I winced a few times. The drama that should have been there just didn’t come through. I got tired of the super-powered baby. Once was enough of that. There was nothing intrinisically bad about the whole thing, but the elements didn’t gell.

    I think Augie gets to some of it.

    “Uderzo tries valiantly to stuff in puns with this volume, but most just aren’t that clever or funny. More than just the reader getting used to such wordplay, Uderzo’s choices here are either too obvious or too simple.”

    And the discussion as to whether the problem sits with the translation, after all if we hailed it last time, is it fair not to blame it this? I don’t know enough to say. The problems are however deeper than that. A prime example, I mean the night time burning of the village should have been powerful, gripping even, it looked superb, but everyone just seemed so relaxed it robbed it of the drama.

    Yep for me it commited the cardinel sin for Asterix as I say I just found it a bit dull. And for that reason, for the first time in Project Asterix I give a score that throws an Asterix comic into the realm of regular comics, by which I mean the 90% of comics I read which I’ve compacted to in scores 1 – 5 /10 giving Asterix comics all the room they need to score as the very, very best… this one however is down amongst the mainstream with a

    4/10

    Details. I do like and approve of the feast on the boat. Always fun to play with tradition.

    Best pun… well Augie covers it alas but I’ll give it to Bucolix.

      1. Where’s your write up Dan? I’ve been really looking forward to seeing what you had to say as its clearly contradictory to mine and that’s always fascinating

    1. I love this one. Far far better than Asterix and the Black Gold. Actually, in my ever growing list, it made it just in to the top half of all of the Asterix books so far. A solid 4/5. And from what I remember, the last really good Asterix book.

      The jokes didn’t fire quite as fast as in some books, but I still find a lot to love here.

    2. I didn’t particularly notice the British speech patterns outside of that one Roman legionary who spoke like a Londoner. I grew up in London, but that still felt a little odd, considering the character was supposed to be Roman – but maybe he was actually a Londiniumer who’d joined the Roman army.

      Pun names were a bit thin on the ground, but I give it to Fotogenix, with Aromatix close behind. I would have given it to Crismus Cactus, but we’ve already had Crismus Bonus in the first book.

        1. Oh wow I had no idea this is how it works, thanks for educating me Dan!
          Some of those words are so bland. Try using the french version Coq 😉