Tintin in America
First published in 1932, this was one of the last few Tintin adventures to be translated into English - the first edition came out in Britain in the 1960s. A reason could be its sensitive themes, including the displacement of native Americans by Caucasian settlers. This is beautifully captured in less than half a page, thanks to Herge's concise, ironic style. Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy bear witness, and also battle Chicago gangsters and corrupt police.
The Blue Lotus
First published in 1936, then redrawn and colored a decade later, The Blue Lotus brilliantly captures the tensions between China and colonial powers Japan and Europe. Tintin and Snowy track down opium traders in Shanghai even as Japan invades in the lead-up to World War II.
The Secret of The Unicorn
This 1943 adventure and the 1945 sequel Red Rackham's Treasure are the inspiration for the current animated feature, The Adventures Of Tintin. A fleamarket bargain leads Tintin and his seafarer friend Captain Haddock into a deadly treasure hunt that spans land and ocean. The sequel introduces nutty genius Professor Calculus for the first time and is a visual ode to the beauties and dangers undersea.
Click to read it online.
The Seven Crystal Balls
An ancient Inca tomb spells bad news for the archaeologists who discover it and boy reporter Tintin is hot on the case. First published in 1948, The Seven Crystal Balls and its 1949 sequel, Prisoners Of The Sun, were inspired by media hysteria over the deaths of scientists who discovered King Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt.
Tintin and the Picaros
The final complete adventure in Herge's series, this book was published in 1976. It is inspired by the career of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and sees Tintin dragged into a war between two rival guerilla troops battling to control the fictional land of San Theodoros. Though Tintin's side wins the day, Herge's quiet visual commentary makes it clear that this is not entirely a happy ending. Read to find out why.
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