Back in print (in English) at last!
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Last published (in English) in the mid-70s by Egmont (they translated about 8 of the series) and out of print and very scarce since then, they have been going for quite high prices on the net . . . . thank you Cinebooks for starting to publish these again! Iznogoud and his faithful servant Wa'at Alahf are the main characters in this classic from the writing skills of Goscinny.
I remember this edition from when i was a teenager (a huge Asterix fan) although it looks like Cinebooks are going to be publishing them now with new art for the covers. A huge amount of the humour is derived from punning and clever word-play, which instantly reminds me of Asterix. Although a much simpler concept in scale and style this is really energetic and fun story-telling with some great artwork to seal the deal. Recommended.
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Funny alternative to Asterix
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The character of Iznogoud was another creation of Goscinny, though less well-known than Asterix. The stories satirize life in the court of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, which was arguably the most advanced society in the world at that time. Iznogoud is an ambitious minister who wants to overthrow the lazy Caliph, expressed most amusingly as "I want to be Caliph instead of the Caliph", but he fails at each attempt.
Be warned that this item does not comprise a single 40+ page story. It is actually a number of short stories (5 or 6) that are combined to make a larger book. The book only got 4 stars as the format (6-8 page episodes) doesn't allow you to get the same sense of adventure as with Asterix stories. The drawing & colours didn't seem to be up to the same standard as you get in Asterix books either. However, it is a good introduction to our infamous minister.
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