The Black Island (The Adventures of Tintin)

I prefer books like this that are not full of blood, guts, tortured darkness, sex, etc. I mean I look forward to handing down my comics/sharing my comics with my son. I don't buy books that lean on those cheap tricks to tell their story. A good writer can build suspense and action and adventure without devoting 10 panels straight of fighting. I was desensitized to that stuff I saw so much of it in movies and books for awhile, and I am happier having trimmed it out of my life to a great extent. Now I seek items like this book that can tell a great story without grossing me out.Having said that this book is good clean adventure. It goes to a great locale in Scotalnd, and the artist does a fine job of giving you some flavor of the region. He does great with the accents too. Now Tintin gets shot, but it is a minor scene without blood, like the old west shows. This is a most enjoyable adventure.Now at times the dialog goes from full and interesting to too simple (jarringly so) as if the writer had worked on it on different timeperiods, and sometimes does not seem fluid. But that makes me wonder how much is just lost in the translation from the original French language. TinTin races or maybe rushes from one mini-adventure into the next at a breathtaking pace that does not always allow for the characters motivations to be explained and so some stereotyping does occur. The thought ballons of the dog are not neccesary and cheapen the story, to my view.Even with these minor complaints this is a fun book. Reading it maeks you feel as if you have stumbled onto secret treasure since these books are notnpart of the American mainstream. The art is great, and the locales, even the costumes are obviously researched with a very period sense. The castle is very well drawn and the draftsmanship of buildings, vehicles, and landscapes are superb. This softcover edition has great paper, strong cover material, good binding, and very nice color job in inking.While I think that the story development/plotlines and dialog work of comic book artist/writer Carl Barks is superior, I really enjoyed this book.I understand that of the 20 plus Tintin books, there are some real jewels. This book was enough to hook my interest.I look forward to reading the rest.

I remember these books in French when I was a child. Because they are drawn in a cinematic flow with a minimum of detail, but a maximum expression Anybody can follow the story and understand what's going on. In addition the dialog that is included is explained by the picture. they come in just about every language and are truly good stuff.When kids come over to visit us, they make a beeline for the Tintin books and we hardly hear a word from them as they plow through the colorful panels.I highly recommend them.

The Black Island has the unusual distinction of existing in two different color versions. The first color version appeared in 1943 and the second color version appeared in 1966. The primary reason for the revision was to make the background "set" more authentic and up to date. Herge's assistant Bob de Moor went on a research expedition to Britain in 1961 to gather information for the revision. The second color version is the one that is more widely available and familiar to most Tintin fans.The present review is concerned with the first color version, which is what I purchased. (I feel I have to state this explicitly because Amazon typically lumps reviews of different versions together.) I've read a couple of expert opinions comparing the two versions and the consensus seems to be that the earlier version is superior, having a freshness and sparkle that is lacking in the later version. But I personally don't agree. In most cases I feel that the change has been for the better. The plot and dialogue are almost identical, with only incidental variations here and there. But there is more detail and texture in the new version, enhancing the reading experience without being distracting. There is a certain quaintness associated with the older technology in the first color version (airplanes, cars, and even the fire alarm) but unless you are a dedicated Tintin aficionado, the more widely available second color version is the one I would recommend.

Trying to rebuy all the Tintin books in English for my sons. Almost have all of them! Perfect condition !

Reading the Tintin adventures when I was a kid changed my life. It was my first exposure to the graphic novel experience. back then you got them a chapter at a time, later in complete book form like this. They were adventure stories with exciting action, mysterious puzzles, hilarious characters, and real world concepts I could understand. I buy them now for my nieces and nephews to read when they come over, but I have to read each one again as well. I very much like this extra-large softcover edition. The art work is much better presented and you can really put you whole focus into the story. I can't afford the hardcover editions so this is the next best thing. Not a one of these is bad. I'm working on collecting them all.