The Adventures of Tintin, by Hergé

Tintin in the Land of the Soviets

1999, Casterman

2007, Egmont, 1405228946

Tintin travels to Moscow to report on the Soviet Union for Le Petit Vingtième. There is no coherent storyline as Tintin and Snowy move from situation to situation, mostly escaping through some deus ex machina. The portrayal of Soviets is biased, but in retrospect somewhat accurate. Only recommended for older readers, who will nevertheless be disappointed.

Tintin in the Congo

1946, Casterman

2007, Egmont, 1405228946

Tintin and Snowy are off to the Belgian Congo on assignment from Le Petit Vingtième. The subplot of Chicago gangsters setting up a diamond smuggling ring is very feint and takes a backseat to various non-related situations involving the somewhat colonial paternalistic depiction of Africans or the naïve representation and wholesale slaughter of wild animals. C’mon, bullets ricochetteing off a crocodile… really. Again this is only recommended for older readers to complete the “Tintin” experience.