Asterix and the Actress (2001)

Asterix and the Actress Review

Asterix and the Actress is the 31st volume of the Asterix comic strip series that was written and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. It was published in 2001 and it’s one of the weakest volumes.

This volume is a mess. It features two storylines, but the more important one is unfortunately the lesser of the two. The whole getting Pompey’s belongings back to Caesar narrative was not great. Sending an actress to impersonate Panacea was a solid premise that led to some amusing moments, but eventually this storyline was overly convoluted.

The better story is the subplot about the duo’s mothers. Their parents were sidelined and their subplot wasn’t the greatest, but the mothers got to shine in the first act. Asterix and Obelix get a surprise birthday visit from their mothers. The fact that they were born on the same day was revealed here and it was hilarious. Asterix’s mother bringing him women to make him get married was hilarious, especially for his hardcore refusal to do so.

The illustrations here are fantastic. Some of the landscape shots of the village were particularly outstanding in their immense detail and lush imagery. By this point, the series has become stronger in the visual than the narrative department for sure. This volume is better than its predecessor due to it being infinitely less fantastical and thus more in line with the Goscinny era of Asterix comics back when they were grounded in reality.

That was wonderful to witness here, but missing was the magic of those entries and the great humor and dialogue. Some of the lines were pretty strong, but for the most part I did not see myself laughing. The first act with the mothers was so witty and fun that the rest felt like an afterthought.