Asterix Books

Asterix is the world’s bestselling comic book series. Originally written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, the French comic series follows the adventures of a Gaul warrior named Asterix, his best friend Obelix, and for the most part it is set in the Gaulish villages. Over the course of the series, the authors have described the exploits of the indomitable Gauls at the time when they resisted the forceful occupation by the Romans.

Asterix is a relatively small man, but by taking a potion made by the village druid, Getafix, he becomes strong and defeats several Romans. This infuriates the Romans who then decide to discover the secret of his strength. The Gaul’s adventures and the Romans’ chase for the secret potion make Asterix comics highly entertaining.

The Astérix le Gaulois bande dessinée began serialisation in 1959, as part of the anthology Pilote. The first album collecting the comic strip was released in 1961, and was published in English in 1969. After Goscinny died in 1977, Uderzo took over the series as the writer as well, starting with the 25th album Asterix and the Great Divide. Uderzo sold his skate in the series to publisher Hachette in December 2008, and the books are now created by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad.

The premise of the comic books is that the Romans have conquered all of the Gauls except those in one village in the northwest. Asterix defeats four Romans who attack him in the woods. When the Romans report their defeat to their leader, Crismus Bonus wonders about the Gauls' strength and this is when the hunt for the secret of the potion begins. After much ado when the Romans finally discover the secret of the potion, Crismus Bonus drinks the potion and tests his strength but finds it unimpressive. What follows this course of events is yet another series of adventures.

The BDs are known for their uproarious comedy, outrageous puns, and pointed satire. An interesting piece of trivia about the series is that the even numbered volumes of the Asterix series take place abroad, whilst the odd numbered volumes are set in Gaul, mostly in the rural regions.

The Asterix series is one of the most famous Franco-Belgian comics in the world, alongside Tintin. The series has been translated into more than 100 foreign languages. After its tremendous success, the series has also been adapted into ten animated films and six live action movies. Several games have also been developed with the series’ characters. A theme park named Parc Asterix has also been established in Paris, and is a popular tourist attraction. By 2009, an estimated 325 million printed copies of the Asterix books have been sold worldwide. This established the authors Uderzo and Goscinny as some of the bestselling French writers.

Available in several combinations and sets, Asterix is a bestselling graphic novel series with fans worldwide. We at Books2Door have ensured you can find great value Asterix & Obelix collections here, take a look.