Asterix and Cleopatra (1965)
Asterix and Cleopatra Review
Asterix and Cleopatra is the sixth volume of the Asterix comic strip series that was written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. It was published in 1965 and it is among the greatest books in this series.
A Gallic soldier and his friends must build the most beautiful palace in Egypt or be eaten by crocodiles. This is as good as it gets when it comes to travelogues. This comic depicts Ancient Egypt in such a detailed, intriguing manner that the result is a world that becomes very much alive. As a huge fan of Egypt, I just loved every strip and frame of this comic book with the highlights being those set within the pyramid.
That is just one of many great moments that can be found in Asterix and Cleopatra. Dogmatix is wonderfully realized here. How he helped them get out of the pyramid was instantly iconic and so was that final gag where the dog “brings” news to Cleopatra, but it is Asterix who does that while carrying the dog. That was such a hilarious gag. The gag about her nose was also funny, though repeated ad nauseam. Cleopatra wasn’t too developed here, but she was still memorable as this icy, imposing, competitive queen. Her competition with Caesar was so much fun. Obelix arguing with Asterix was funny, and Edifis was also a strong new personality.
The comic is also gorgeously drawn with the Egyptian imagery being beautiful throughout. As always, so many lovely historical gags and details are present here. The one about slaves building the pyramids was very funny, especially because it was so truthful. The comic isn’t perfect as it could have been even grander in world building, but for the most part they delivered the goods.
