Cigars of the Pharaoh (1932)
Cigars of the Pharaoh Review
Cigars of the Pharaoh is the 4th volume of The Adventures of Tintin comics series by Belgian cartoonist Herge. It was published in 1932 and it is the first great entry in the series.
Tintin and Snowy travel to Egypt where they discover a pharaoh’s tomb filled with dead Egyptologists and boxes of cigars. Pursuing the mystery of these cigars, they travel across Arabia and India, and reveal the secrets of an international drug smuggling enterprise. This volume saw the series establish itself as one of the greats.
The illustration work here is much more polished and fluid with the backgrounds being particularly dazzling. The larger panels were gorgeous and meticulously detailed too. The illustrations still have to reach pure greatness, but this was the first big step in the right direction.
As for the story, it is overly complicated and even convoluted at times. Too many characters and villains in particular pop in and out of the story, leaving you as a reader confused. With that being said, it works as a spirited adventure as we get to visit so many wonderful locations here, ranging from Egypt to India.
The action is also significantly improved here. Yes, it was overwhelming at times, but every single fight, dangerous situation and/or mix-up with Tintin and the villains was so well executed and just so much fun that I’ve experienced a lot of joy while reading it. The villains in particular were so well developed and fun here.
This is the first story where Thompson and Thompson make an appearance and they were an utter delight as these two buffoonish detectives who first chased Tintin and then joined him in his pursuit of the criminals. They were an instantly funny and iconic comedic duo in this volume. Snowy was a bit sidelined here, though still charming, but Tintin was very likable and heroic throughout.
