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In my opinion Tintin is an absolute masterpiece. The whole series is so well written and so well drawn especially at the time of its publication. I have them all in their original script, so it's French. My personal top 5 are 1 Tintin au Tibet 2 On a marché sur la Lune 3 Les Bijoux de la Castafiore 4 Vol 714 Pour Sydney 5 Le Temple du Soleil
Great list! I have a few of the Casterman facsimile editions of the original versions, including a small set in French! I don;t read French, but they were too wonderful to resist! 😁 All the facsimile videos are here: ruclips.net/p/PLf2B7UoR9NKWyI-w-6f2ifLKMNsDbTGsx and the larger Tintin playlist of videos is here: ruclips.net/p/PLf2B7UoR9NKW6ok_iGAZlXbe9YUdQWRDP in case you're intrested in checking them out! Cheers!
The Calculus Affair is also my favourite. There is just so much going on in that story. Myself, I think the later stories always had a lot more depth to them. I will say though, my second favourite is King Ottakar's Sceptre. A cracking story and fantastic artwork.
You know, I feel bad for not mentioning King Ottakar's Sceptre. It's a pretty crackling story, from the twins plot to the mechanical camera to the political shenanigans. Almost an early precursor to The Calculus Affair, I would say! 😁
@@ftloc Calculus Affair and Ottokar's sceptre are my two favourites by a mile. I think Ottokar is just a bit better. I was surprised by your choices of Black Gold and Castafiorie Emerald, not my favourites at all. I'd give honourable mentions to the moon duo, Picaros, and definitely the Red Sea Sharks!
Wow. I am surprised by your number 1 choice. I love Tintin, but your top pick (which I don't want to spoil for viewers) would be among my least favorites of the series. But even my least favorite Tintins are among my all-time favorite reads, so it's all good! And we do share some common favorites. My favorite is not a very original choice as it is the choice of many Tintin scholars (and IIRC, Hergé's choice as well): TINTIN IN TIBET. It represents Tintin at his best, both as a pure adventure story and a mystery tale with hints of the esoteric. I also have a soft spot for THE SHOOTING STAR as it is one of the very first book I remember reading as a child and the one that made me want to read more Tintin adventures. But I wouldn't consider it as one of the best albums on a rational level (far from it), it would still take the bottom position on my favorites list on a pure sentimental level. TINTIN AND THE PICAROS was the first Tintin album I owned (got it for my birthday when it first came out in french), and for that, and also because I also really consider it as one of the best and certainly the most modern of the Tintin albums, it would easily make my list. THE CASTAFIORE EMERALD would also place in a top spot because it is a bold experimental album, almost anti-Tintin: Tintin doesn't adventure away in a far exotic land and in fact never leaves home, the plot resolves around a crime/mystery that really isn't one by the end, there are no villains, no real action or danger, etc. The last spot on my favorite is the two part THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN / RED RACKHAM'S TREASURE because it's the best blend of non-stop, mystery, adventure, action, exoticism, that is all about what Tintin has come to define.
What I really appreciate about all three two-parters (I know that Cigars of the Pharoah/The Blue Lotus should also count but I always think of them separately) is how unique the two halves are, how distinct from each other. Crystal Balls is very different from Prisoners, Unicorn is very different from Rackham's Treasure, and even Destination Moon is a different beast completely from Explorers. Any of those could easily have made my list at various times in my life, I feel, and perhaps can again later! I tried to avoid nostalgia in making this list, which was very hard! I have a soft spot for Seven Crystal Balls as well as Red Sea Sharks because of when I read them in my life, and Secret of the Unicorn was also very very close for the number of times I reread it as a child. But yes, my number 1 (thanks for not spoiling!) is very clearly my favourite and has been for a while because the more I look at it, the more I admire the clockwork precision and 'completeness'. As I mentioned in the video, I may do a 'cliffhanger analysis' to try and illustrate the genius pacing of it that I really appreciate. But as you say, even the worst (though maybe not Soviets/Congo) is pretty good reading!
Its expecialy impressive how Red Rakhams tresure worked whitout any Villian. I dont know if there is any real community for fans, but I would guess prisoners of the Sun, and the Crab whit golden Claws are the most popular. Also least favorite, realy? Sure the Weapon was goofy but the Rest was pretty interesting. And its by fare superior to Volume 1-3. Not just because of the Animalabuse and Racism, more because of a lack of Story.
@@ftloc My favourite was Explorers On The Moon, simply because it was the first I read. I was 8, it was the late 1970's, and I woke up early on Christmas morning to find it under my Christmas stocking by my bed. I had no idea what it was, but started reading straight away. I just remember falling deeply into this hugely imaginative story with beautiful art. It's a magic feeling when you discover something fresh like this and it's all new to you. I hadn't even read the first part, but that heightened the mystery for me. But I think you're right. I love all of them (apart from Congo- which was never actually released in the UK when I was a kid), but the Calculus Affair is the most sophisticated story. It's a proper thriller. I appreciated that more as I got older.
@MrDragon1968 the mystery of not having read the first (or earlier) parts and being thrown into the middle of a story is a thing from our childhoods that becomes almost extinct as we get older, I think, and research and do our homework and go in sequence. I completely understand why we do it, but also miss that kind of hypnotic cluelessness you mention!
My introduction to the world of comics was through TinTin, which was, at the time when I was 9-10, accessible via a local library. The grid of covers on the back really made my childish mind curious to figure out what happened in the other books. And although I could lay my hands on the likes of The Calculus Affair, Destination Moon and The Secret of the Unicorn, there was one book which was always out of circulation. And that was - THE BLUE LOTUS. And I remember really having to follow-up with the librarian to get a hold of that book. When I finally read it, I remember being blown away by the stakes of the story and the extent of globe-trotting that is (correct me if I am wrong) perhaps featured first in this book. Plus as far as covers go - that red one is just so haunting and minimal, that it really grabbed my attention like no other. Thus for me, that will always be number 1. From the others Tibet is obviously a fantastic story. And I like Flight 714 as well for its weird narrative (and ending!). And I also have a soft spot for Cigars of the Pharaoh. In fact, I was planning to make a return to video-making with a series of TinTin videos and I opened my RUclips homepage to find your video on top of the list! More power to you, good Sir! :D
Yeah, I did feel I needed to add an apology to the Blue Lotus for leaving it out! And it's definitely the most abstract and arresting cover - I'm sure there are at least a handful of tattoos out there based on it! Something that came up in on of our video comments was that Blule Lotus was not actually part of the first 'grids' on the back of the Methuen paperbacks from my childhood. It was definitely harder to find (perhaps reprinted later) than the others (barring Soviets and Congo). On a side note, I'm glad you're looking to get back into making videos! I remember watching your Mind MGMT and other videos way back in the day and they inspired me to try myself; I've been wondering where you went!
I grew up in Canada and I could never seem to find The Blue Lotus either. Looking back I wonder if the racial portrayals were a bit too much, even then. Or perhaps the fact that it referred to drug use. And Tintin almost gets beheaded., so it might be a bit too much for children.
Thats amazing, Here's my personal Top 5: 1) Tintin Flight 714 2) Tintin and The Picaros 3) Tintin and The 7 Crystal Ball 4) Tintin and The Prisoner of the sun 5) Tintin and The Red Sea Shark
I've found that my favourite Tintin keeps changing over time. When I was younger my favourite was Red Rackham's treasure but now it's probably cigars and blue lotus along with land of black gold.
Well my favourite, The Secret of the Unicorn didn't make the cut. Would like to know how you feel about that book and where it would probably be placed on a longer list of yours.
The Secret of the Unicorn is my favorite, along with Red Rackham's Treasure. It was the first Tintin book I read. Actually, it was serialized in a children's magazine called *Children's Digest*. But one thing that always bothered me was that when the Bird brothers confessed to their crimes, their account didn't quite match the sequence of events as they had unfolded earlier in the book. Did anyone else notice this?
Yes! I knew it. Calculus is My favourite too. Hergé at the top of his game. It moves on fabulously, has a lot of humour, and all the details of the kurvi-taches everywhere is wonderful. The others a like, I suppose best, because they’re all part of the wonderful Tintin world, are Crab; the first Tintin book I read with the great first page of Snowy with the can, Broken Ear with the two very funny villains (a leetle to the left), and there’s something special about Crystal Balls/Prisoners of the sun - a new maturity in his style seems to occur moving from one book to the other. I’m not keen on Flight or Picaros; the colours seem more gaudy, and I’m not sure making the villain Rastapopulous into a figure of fun is a wise more. Best lines (we use a lot!) “without a P as in Venuzuela/with a P as in Philadelphia”.
Great list! And happy to see that my top three favorites (The Castafiore Emerald, The Black Island, and The Calculus Affair) all made your list, and for the same reasons!
@@ftloc well, thank you! :) Huuuuuge Tintin fan here. I think half of my half house could be considered a Tintin museum. Next to all the albums, I think I owe every single book written about the subject and about Hergé. I also have a first English edition of 'The Castafiore Emerald' signed by Hergé, and a small drawing of Tintin and Snowy, which he signed and drew in 1976. By the way, are you familiar with the Belgian comic series 'Natacha'? The adventures of a flight attendant, which I always considered as a female Tintin.
So difficult to decide! I have always had a soft spot for The Castafiore Emerald, as it was the first Tintin book i ever read and was hooked. I still read them Btw :-)
I still read them too (and then make videos on them 😋)! And it's incredible, even in looking through the comments here, how many people will have the first Tintin they read as their favourite or one of their favourites. It's just that kind of a series, deeply wonderful, personal, and evocative.
Hey, is there any chance you’d be able to do a full ranking of tintin? Like a list from worst to best including all 23/24 of the books ( depending on whether you want to include tintin in the Congo) Plsssss! I’d watch the hell out of that
Ooh interesting suggestion! That will take some thought and I’d want to put some sort of a ‘spin’ on it (maybe my favourite part of each book?) but I’m definitely going to start thinking about it!
Lovely to see yourself uploading again, Sir...I certainly missed your videos within the last few weeks! 😁 Brilliant "top 5"/"top 10" episode as ever and whilst I personally prefer adventures such as 'The Secret of the Unicorn', 'Destination Moon', 'Prisoners of the Sun' and/or the 'Castafiore Emerald' over books such as The Land of Black Gold for instance, this is purely due to biased reasons (such as I read many when I was much younger or appreciate certain aspects from each book such as the humour in some or the storytelling or innovative style of others). Nevertheless, I agree that books such as 'The Land of Black Gold' or 'Tintin and the Picaros' are critically and story-wise more complete and as such are more all-encompassing stories incorporating many aspects from a number of genres making them the most classic. 🤷🏼♂️ I also agree with your number one being 'The Calculus Affair'; it is truly a work of art, highlighting almost every convention which set the series as a whole apart from other rival competitors or similar comics 👌🏼 I suppose that's the trouble with a series as unbelievably rich as Tintin. Each and every book is unique and Hergé created a masterpiece within these adventures. Apologies for the long comment but this is just about my favourite comic book series of all time and it's refreshing to find others who love the series as much as I do; especially as Tintin isn't as popular outside Europe. 🤔 Regardless, I'm looking forward to your upcoming projects and more videos like this! 🙏🏼 Hamza
Thank you so very much for your support and kind words, and yes - apologies are due for my absence. I was traveling for work for a while, which kept me away from all my shelves and books! Even now, I am actually not at home (therefore the different setup in this video) but I figured it had been way too long and I needed a video up! I hope to be as regular as I possibly can be in the upcoming months, I promise. And yes, I think the reason the Tintin adventures continue, in this day and age, to resonate with folks like us has to do with a unique mixture of nostalgia and timelessness, and the sheer variety and breadth - richness, as you put it - is something else. I think almost any of the books could be supported with good arguments for why it should be #1. Also, I can see that there's a lot of love for Secret of the Unicorn, which missed my cut by a hairsbreadth. Maybe I should revisit this list every five years or so! And there should never be any apology for long comments. I don't know if you've noticed, but I always prefer more words to fewer when speaking about things we love! 😁
Dear Sir , I started reading comics for just over one year . Except for Tintin and Asterix I have read nothing else in my childhood. BTW , I have read them in Bengali ( Published by Ananda Publications) . I started reading comics again after hearing so much about Saga , which I am sorry to say I didn't like. But , I have hooked into comics again read some book by Image comic's and some classics Batman. But , your channel just opened by horizon for comics and I started to see it as a literary medium . Thanks for posting such great content in youtube. Just one request though , can you please do some video on more European comics please. P.S. : Batman is one of my favourite, if you like some of the old one please do a review on some of them like Arkham Asylum or Long Hallowen. Thanks, Jayanta
Thank you so much for your kind words and enthusiasm for our fledgling channel! I hope you enjoyed our Tintin videos and I do plan to cover some European comics/ BDs very soon! Keep checking in and I hope you keep enjoying our channel!
You and my son have the same favourite! Mine would be Prisoners of the Sun. Honourable mentions - The Castafiore Emerald, The Broken Ear and The Red Sea Sharks. Keep up the good work.
I want two or three Tintins in French in my collection in a large format. Will use this video as a guideline for what to pick. You hit those nerves with the types of videos you choose to do.
So glad you liked the video! I, too, would like some original Tintin hardcovers, but in English - for the handlettering by Hyslop! And speaking of large sizes, have you seen these editions, by Little Brown, in (of all places) the United States? ruclips.net/video/wMImMy-Kwt8/видео.html
I always liked King Ottokar's Sceptre a lot over the other books although others are equally great but still this book is special. Maybe because I've always been fascinated by the balkan history.
I agree with your number one choice. 'L'Affaire Tournesol' (The Calculus Affair) is an amazing story. 'L'Île Noire' (The Black Island) is my second favourite.
bro iam confused for what tintin comic i order i only read 1 comic of tintin crab with golden horns pls suggest me about (tintin in tibet) or (country of black gold)
If you think you want to read them all, just start with the Tintin in America and then follow the order shown in the back cover. Otherwise just pic on at random and go for it! Here is a link to our overview of 22 albums that shows them all in order so see what you think of that! ruclips.net/video/KgaiiEi0pGw/видео.html
There kinda costly. I wouldnt recomment bying in Order if someone isnt sure if the Series is something for him. Good thing is, most Tintin Storys are easy to understand, whitout knowing the other ones. I would suggest The Mystery of the Unicorn, despite beeing a Twoparter, Tim in Tibet, ore the Story direct before that.
My most favorites: 1. The secret of the Unicorn 2. Red Rackham's Treasure These r my MOST FAVORITES. Other favorites: 1. The Seven Crystal Balls 2. Prisoners of the Sun 3. The Shooting Star The Read sea Sharks and Destination Moon are also good. Great video.
My favourite will always remain Tintin in the soviets land. I have its first edition, living near the Casterman printing factory in Belgium, that makes me really proud as a comics owner. Most people don’t even read it because it’s weird week to week writing. Nevetheless, you can see in it the developpement of Tintin from a character involved in few almost unconnected and unfortunate events to the hero of a true adventure.
Wow, what a treasure! You're absolutely right about most people not giving it too much attention due to how different it is from what came later, but if you leave that later context out of it, I can see it as a completely enjoyable snapshot of a different time and place and approach to comics!
Tha k you! And the Blue Lotus is a book that I admire historically, but maybe because I read it later i don't have the kind of emotional attachment or appreciation of it that i do for some of the others. Maybe I'll try and rank all the adventures one day and see where it falls!
I first read the Black Island in 1982 and it’s still my favourite. The Calculus affair is a close second but in truth I love them all and still occasionally read them now.
Naturally, I those are great picks! 😋 And "I love them all" is really a valid approach, and a Top 10 (or 6) list is only an exercise for the challenging fun of it!
My Top 6: 6: The Secret of the Unicorn 5: The Red Sea Sharks 4: King Ottokar's Sceptre 3: The Shooting Star 2: Cigars of the Pharaoh 1: The Blue Lotus Loved your list! I disagree with The Land of Black Gold and The Castafiore Emerald, but all of the rest I agree are absolutely top-tier Tintin adventures.
Great list! The thing with the Tintin adventures is that apart from a couple right at the start, a case can be made for any of them to be among the best! 😁 Even the first couple have their fans, as evidenced in these comments!
Les bijoux de la Castafiore is one of the best, a story in only one place, with Hergé playing with the readers leading them to false culprits and kind of Cluedo story to find the solving issue is pure genius from Hergé!
Best Tintin Book 's list( personal selection) 1 Tintin in Tibet 2 The Black Island 3 Land of black gold 4 explores on the moon( only ) 5 The secret of the unicorn( only)
@@mithubose1405 Haha personally I don't believe in the 'this versus that' approach, and both Tintin and Asterix are childhood favourites of mine for very different reasons. I say why choose, enjoy both! 😁
@@mithubose1405 Tintin and Asterix are fantastic series. However, now you ask here are some series which can match them. Modesty Blaise Blueberry Blake & Mortimer Spirou & Fantasio Donald Duck by Carl Barks
For some odd reason my favourites have always been The Blue Lotus and Sovietunion. The earlier Tintins usually never gets much love, but I love them to death. Btw really enjoyed your video
Fede_Pede Thanks so much! And yes, you’re the first person I’ve encountered to say Soviets is one of their favourites, how interesting! Blue Lotus, on the other hand, I know a lot of people love, and even I extend it a brief apology in this video 😀. Probably what I consider to be the start of the classic structure Tintin stories, while still as madcap and chaotic in some ways as the earliest stories.
Fede_Pede Snowy is definitely an ‘MVP’ in Soviets the way he seldom got to be through an adventure later! (Also, although I don’t discuss movie versions much on this channel, I will have to say one of my favourite things about Spielberg’s version of Tintin was how integral Snowy was as canus ex machina! 😀
@@ftloc Not exact Caotic, but the Story is to much focused on sending Tintin from one Place to another. Its like Herge didnt quiet know what to write, so he paddet it. The Style of Drawing isnt as beautifull as the later ones and its not a big deal, but its kinda sad to get rid of the "nice" Rastapopulus. But it is the first well developed Story, is respectfull to foreign Cultures and shows a little bit of Culture as well. Storys like prisoners of the Sun who showcast different exotic locations are the bread and butter of this Series after all.
My absolute fav is The Calculus Affair. It was my first Tintin comic, which my great aunt gifted to me on my 7th bday. I immediately loved the art style. Although the story felt a bit complicated at the time given my age lol. But it helped me improve my vocabulary and learn English better. Calculus Affair, Black Island and Prisoners of the Sun are my top 3 fav Tintin comics.
How wonderful! My early English vocabulary also owes a lot to the Tintin comics I read, perhaps more than I can imagine. If you're up for a long livestream, this recent "total ranking" may interest you 😁 ruclips.net/user/liveUuV3lFolv0o?feature=share Cheers!
YES! I was scared you were going to skip over Calculus Affair, but when I saw the green binding, I knew it had to be Calculus. It's a testament to how good this book is because I, who've never engaged in any sort of discussion with other Tintin fans, also think that this one unquestionably rules the roost.
Tintin In Tibet was written by Herge during a period of depression had at the time, so in a way it is quite different from others in the series. It was his way of coping with some inner turmoil. My favorite is Flight 714, it's just such a mix of pure high adventure and the surreal idea of the ancient astronauts
Interesting pick for your number one. I didn't really like that book back when I was younger. Probably because I first saw the Belvision cartoon first back then and it's very different from the book. So I was kinda disappointed in the book as a kid... Anyway, I've grown to appreciate that book now. But here are my favorites (In no particular order): - Tintin in Tibet (For the same reasons you mentioned. Such a great story about friendship and not giving up. Haddock deserves an award for this one too.) - The Seven Crystal Balls (For its mystery and investigative aspects. It's a such a great thriller. Rascarcapac was scary.) - Destination Moon + Explorers on the Moon (So well-documented, so well crafted. A more serious adventure about the dream of space travel. A shocking betrayal and death near the end. These books influenced me so much that I recently bought the 30cm rocket figure.) - Flight 714 (I love how this story changes tone throughout and throws curveballs at you. And I love how Hergé dealt with the alien theme.) - The Castafiore Emerald (For the same reasons you mentioned. There is so much going on while at the same time, nothing happens. It feels like Hergé had such a blast making this one.
@@ftloc I was genuinely thrilled and curious to see your top pick before you flipped the book. :) I feel that Alph Art could have been my favorite had it been finished. It's such a shame. I really liked its mystery. But then again I think it's for the best that Hergé insisted that no new Tintin adventure would be made after his death.
Fascinating. I was very curious about your five honourable mentions. I guessed your #1 would be either Prisoners of the Sun or Tintin in Tibet, so when Tintin in Tibet was one of your honourable mentions, I assumed Prisoners of the Sun or Flight 714 would be at the top. So, with your #1 revealed, it got me thinking, what are my top six? And it really is very subjective. Even your so-called definitive best adventure - and you make a great case for it - feels very subjective. I'll need to revisit! I agree with Castifiore Emerald, such an underrated "adventure".
Absolutely, it's all subjectivity. All declarations of 'objective and absolute best' are simply hyperbolic ways of underling the conviction behind the subjective choice! 😁 I'd love to know what you end up determining as your too six! Cheers!
Destination moon I love that one. Not to mention the blue lotus some great characters. I love how weird flight 714 was made in the cartoon with the aliens haha
@@ftloc they show a spaceship that Tintin and co get in to escape from an erupting volcano. A character called Mike represents the aliens and wipes there minds so they don't remember it.
My personal favourites are the two-part 'Seven Crystal Balls' & 'Prisoners of the Sun', but yes 'The Calculus Affair' is definitely up there. I just bought today a few Tintins in Greek to help with my study of the language. I lived in India when I was 16 and, I have to say it is still possibly my favourite country in the World. Whereabouts in India are you from?
I live in New Delhi right now. It's so cool that you are using Tintin to help with learning Greek! I should do the same with learning French - a host of albums I already know by heart should make it easier, right? 😁
@@ftloc Exactly - that's my thinking too. My girlfriend is French. I lived in Vasant Vihar many, many moons ago. Good times. I have sent you an email too. Check it out भइया
Mi top 3 de las aventuras del personaje de Hergé es: 1 - Tintín en el Tíbet 2 - Vuelo 714 para Sídney 3 - La Isla negra Además tengo otros muy predilectos que no sabría poner en orden, son estos: - El asunto Tornasol (fue el primero que leí años ha y por el que comenzaría mi afición al joven reportero.) - El cetro de Ottokar - El templo del sol - Aterrizaje en la luna - Stock de coque
Does anybody know whether there is a TinTin book with a ship called Casablanca. I vaguely remember as a kid reading the same story over and over again. I'm 99% certain it was a TinTin book, but have looked online without any luck.
@@ftloc Many thanks . I think at the very start Tintin finds an old lady who has been involved in an accident..when he stops to help, it's actually the baddie dressed up as an old woman. Yes, an English version.
Before I look at your ranking - here's mine. 1. Flight 714, 2. Land of Black Gold, 3. Calculus Affair, 4. Land on the Moon, 5. Prisoners of the Sun. (naturally, these all coincide with the original releases that I waited for when they came out!).
Great list, although I have also come to the conclusion that there can be no wrong list with this topic! 😁 I hope you enjoyed this video, even though it's a bit old at this point. If you have the stamina for a livestream, I recently revisited this area in greater detail; you can find the full recording here, if interested: ruclips.net/user/liveUuV3lFolv0o?feature=share
the moon ones are fantastic, the growth of hair again is brilliant, captain is brilliant; I'm a flat earther so obviously I feel sort of dirtied by them but I reckon we can let herge off he was probably as brainwashed as everyone else
Dunno if I'd agree with these picks. My 5 honourable mentions + top pick would probably be: 1. The Unicorn series 2. 7 Crystal Balls / Prisoners of the Sun 3. Land of Black Gold 4. Moon series 5. Calculus Affair (if I had more space, I'd include Cigars, the Blue Lotus, Flight 714, Picaros, Broken Ear, and Ottokar's Sceptre). *Top*: The Crab with the Golden Claws (arguably the most classic & includes Captain Haddock introduction + development) The ones I wasn't particularly fond of were: -The Castifiore Emerald -The Shooting Star -Red Sea Sharks -Tintin in America
There's really no wrong answers with a list of favourites, and I've seen so many variations in this list that it just shows me what a beloved series the entire collection is! 😁
Another great video...would love to see your take on Carl Barks and Don Rosa’s collections of Scrooge McDuck stories from fantagraphics. Keep doing the awesome work.
Vikas Sehgal Thank you! And I would love to do Barks and Rosa - I was just wondering if I should wait till all/more of the excellent Fantagraphics reprint volumes are out.
The Shooting Star, although it has its problems (politics, villain’s name, bad science), does have one advantage over Red Rackham’s Treasure, Tintin’s other treasure hunt story. It has more excitement, more action, and it has villains to push the plot and add menace.
I greatly enjoyed this presentation, and found a lot to agree with. However if I was to rank the top six I would place them in this order: 6. Tintin in Tibet. I found the artwork relating to India, Tibet and the Himalayas of excellent quality. The story was good. 5. Prisoners of the Sun. Again excellent artwork, and which I consider better than that in Tintin in Tibet. Also the jungle scenes are richer, and the idea of a functioning Inca temple excellent fantasy. I would have thought that this book is a must in any top Tintin list. 4. The Red Sea Sharks. Probably any top Tintin list would need to include a desert book. Of these "The Red Sea Sharks" is my favorite. It has high adventure along with excellent artwork. The caricature of Petra for example excites the imagination and is particularly good. 3. The Castifore Emerald. This is the most mature of all the Tintin books. In a way Herge is a bit like Lewis Carroll, wrote books for children but best appreciated by adults. However I think that the Castifore Emerald is largely an adults book, and much of the humor is sophisticated. Children probably do not in general like this book. 2. Tintin and the Picaros. Again a story set in the Amazon. Some of Herge's best artwork is probably of jungles. I suppose for the first time we see bravery in the Thompsons, when they are about to face a firing squad. Personally I would have preferred it if Tintin's clothing had remained the same, I do not like his new trousers, but that is very minor. 1. The Calculus Affair. Yes I also think this is by far the best Tintin adventure. However I think the top three stand out. Of course many excellent books have been omitted, and perhaps 4, 5 and 6 could easily be replaced by others. For example "Destination Moon" could easily have been included, as could "The Seven Crystal Balls".
Thank you so much! And that's a great list. Obviously I'm a big fan of your Top 3, but I honestly was very close to having Red Sea Sharks and Unicorn on my list as well. I completely agree with you on the jungle art, it's some of Herge's most accomplished and transportive. Prisoners ranks high because of that, but I used Picaros to represent that instead, because I also really love the tone and structure of that story 😀
Great work my friend. Agree with you with Calculus affair at no1. Its clearly the most sophisticated and tight of all the plot lines. My honourable mentions and reasons are: 1. Black Island- exactly why you said 2. Blue Lotus- the eastern themes and artwork coupled with historic context make this one sparkle 3. Seven Crystal Balls- for the atmospherics, supernatural themes and impending sense of doom 4. Red Sea Sharks- in my opinion the best middle eastern scenes and maritime sequences of the series, plus many old favourite characters returning making this a Tintin 'reunion' 5. King Ottokar's Sceptre- because I'm applying for Syldavian citizenship. Would be interesting to see a list of the least favourite adventures too.
Great choices. For me the best is Tintin in Tibet. Amazingly personal story of Herge - and no violence used. Art is absolutely stunning. Tintin an excellent alpine mountaineer despite his Belgian origins! Best cover for me is King Ottokar's Sceptre, which would get an honorable mention because of the visitor to Sylvania pullout inside the book.
I love that tourist brochure so much! And yes, a spectacular cover. Sceptre also has the spring loaded camera, one of my all time favourite things in the whole series! 😁
Agreed! Riotous lot - Capt Haddock, dect twins, Calculus. Laugh out loud moments - when Capt is trying all antics to get back Calculus's memory!!😂😂 Too good!!
Cool. Calculus Affair is great, and is generally one of the more acclaimed ones. What are your thoughts on Explorers on the Moon? That one was pretty dark.
I really love both the moon books, and you're right - Explorers does get pretty dark for a Tintin comic. I always loved the atmosphere of Destination Moon a lot; the sense of discovery and scientific pursuit are very well blended into the Tintin adventure template!
@@gravitydragon1904 I'm a fan of Flight 714, a lot of things in that book caught my imagination as a young'un. I agree that America isn't among the best in many ways, but again - I have a nostalgic attachment to the satire and irreverence in it that mainly disappears in the later books. I suppose the one I find myself least inclined to re-read is the Broken Ear, and because I read them much later in life neither Congo nor Soviets feel to me like 'true' Tintins, but of course that's purely personal
My favourite tin tin books are 1. The calculus affair . It is the best book of tin tin in my opinion 2. Tintin in Tibet. I love this mountain rescue adventure with lots of funny and I motional moments 3. The black island. I don't have to say many about this book 4. Tin tin and the picaros. I is not a fan - favorite book but to me it is a great book 5. Secrets of the Unicorn. I love the story of this book 6. Tintin in America. I know many people are not happy to see this book in the list but I love it. I love the chasing of Bobby Smiles.
Tintin in Tibet is the first one I read and got me from there when I was about 10, I still have 20 Tintin Comics. My favourite would be The Broken Ear and Land of Black Gold.
Interesting list! This would be my list: 5.Red Rackham’s treasure(pure adventure) 4.7 Crystal Balls(one of the most interesting plots) 3.Crab with golden claws 2.Black Island 1.Secret of the Unicorn My childhood was all pirates of the Caribbean along with Tintin, so secret of the unicorn was an easy #1 for me, and the aesthetic of the unicorn ship is so beautiful I need a model😭
well I for one feel a bit uneasy when captain wears "normal" clothes, affair does have that excellent sticky plaster moment though. picaros has that excellent, busy, noisy, sinister scene where they are wearing happy clown costumes but are really carrying guns or whatever.
Finished the 24 albums once again, probably my 10th time through the whole series. My top picks are 1) The Blue Lotus 2) Cigars of the Pharoah 3) Seven Crystal Balls + Prisoners of the Sun 4) The Calculus Affair 5) Tintin and the Picaros Honorable mentions include Red Sea Sharks and The Alph Art (Purely from a plot point of view, although it'd have been my top five, perhaps even my favourite if it was finished)
Reading Tintin, published by Methuen, since my schooldays. I felt elated when you chose Black Island as the No 1. I still read Tintin to get back the feelings of my old school days, and I would always start with the 'The Black Island'.
It's so very good, even all these years later. The bags of money dropping from the plane in the middle of the night continues to be one of my favourite sequences in the whole Tintin library! 😁
My personal favourite has always been tintin in tibet, and i had them all, many of them since 1961, so quite a few different editions, as well as tibet wich is my first choice would be prisoners of the sun and flight 714 to sydney, although in the edition i have it is just entitled flight 714 leaving the sydney out of the title, some of my volumes ,all the early ones where bound in a sort of cloth and those spines were only slightly worn over the years!!
@@ftloc They where the original hard copies, at the time i knew of no other copies, how i got them seemed to be the norm then, when i got flight 714 in 1968 the binding had changed, also the same for Tintin and the picaros, in 1976, thats how they where then, as i got tgem almost imediately when they where released, now i'm only left with tintin in tibet published by egmont now, the others i did have where methuen, but alas sold them when moving to live abroad, so 80% of the originals with the cavas bindings ,two with more modern bindings and one floppy copy of tintin in tibet, altogether a heavy collection as originally i had 19, all my friends read them so in many hands but inspite of all that hanflibg in a remarkable condition, i miss thrm now!
@@ftloc yes sir 😁 btw came to my attention Tintin and the red sea sharks, king ottokas Sceptre, cigars of the Pharoah, flight 714,the calculas affair, seven crystal balls, prisoners of the sun, tintin and the picaros have really striking covers my all time favorites
For me it has to be Picaros. I remember as a kid it always held a special mystique for me as it was the final story and as such I remember that I tried to read it last. I don't think I accomplished that as I would often just pick up whatever the library had available but looking back now I have to agree that it was a completely appropriate and satisfying conclusion especially with that final panel with the airplane serving not only as the conclusion to the story itself but as a send off of sorts for the characters and the series. I will never forget that plane because of the weight it carried and it made what was another great Tintin adventure into the greatest one for me because of what it meant.
What a lovely little story - thanks so much for sharing! That plane sure did a lot of work - it also underlined that life under Tapioica was no different than under the previous regime, a pretty sly remark on the politics. Like you, I thought of it as an interesting send-off for the characters but particularly because I thought that Haddock from now on would never be able to drink alcohol again! 😂
This was a wonderful watch - you're such a great speaker and naturally charming! I was just looking up Tintin videos on RUclips as I'm having a bit of a resurgence watching the 90s TV show. I haven't read the comics in a few years so I think it's time to go back. But from my memory - my top 5 would have to be (in no particular order) Tintin in Tibet The Seven Crystal Balls Prisoners of the Sun The Blue Lotus Explorers on the Moon
Thank you, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! That's a great, classic list you have there; I doubt you'll find many arguing with you on those. I'm sure you'll have a great time with your reread of the series. Tintin being such a formative comic for me, I've made a bunch of videos for the series - if you're interested, take a look at my Tintin playlist here: ruclips.net/p/PLf2B7UoR9NKW6ok_iGAZlXbe9YUdQWRDP I'd love to know what you think if you get a chance to check any out! Cheers!
Couldn't agree with you more. My own choice would be 1. The Calculus Affair 2. The Castafiore Emerald 3. The Black Island 4. King Ottokar's Sceptre 5. Tintin in Tibet
yeah the Black Island comes first for me as well, .and no two is Calculus affair and the blue Lotus , the secret of the unicorn, Red Rackhams treasure, The Seven Crystal Balls , Prisoners of the son and Tin Tin In Tibet. are my favourites. I love the whole series of Tin Tin.
I do have Alph Art and Congo (see my video on the 90th anniversary box set), as well as the Casterman edition of Congo, but I gathered them all after I made this video. Lake of Sharks, being made from the movie stills and not really drawn or laid out by Herge or Herege studios, I have difficulty considering it a part of the main series. But I love those walkie-talkies!
Each book has its own strength. 1) The calculus affair would be my top pick too. In my opinion, it's the most relentless story. The international setting, the comedy, the chase sequences, the tension, and the ulterior motives of each side make it a blast. 2) I have a soft spot for the land of black gold too and I always find the world on the brink of war backdrop combined with the oil conspiracy to be amazing. 3) The shooting star's end of the world beginning and the seven crystal balls mystery creeped me out as a kid. 4) Ottokar's scepter has the best world-building I've seen in a Tintin comic with immaculate detail to Syldavia's history. 5) Secret of the unicorn and red Rackham's treasure has the best lore along with the 7 crystal balls and prisoners of the sun. 6) The blue lotus ties into real-world history so effortlessly it's almost scary. 7) And finally, the broken ear, red sea sharks, and black island are the finest examples of comfort adventures according to me. Quality stuff in all.
I completely agree with you! "Ranking" within the books is a purely autobiographical and subjective exercise, saying more about the reader than the books, really 😁 But great to see so many overlaps in our lists, particularly for the underappreciated Black Island! It really pained me to not give a nod to the Red Sea Sharks, but i really want to highlight Picaros, a book I've heard maligned very often, and one that I've always loved!
@@ftloc the black island is an excellent book and could have been a darker book had a different route been explored. It also echoes the calculus affair's breakneck pace as an international crime thriller. And the english countryside is a great watch. The reason I don't enjoy Tintin and the picaros as much is that I found it disturbing as a kid. The main reason behind that was haddock not being able to consume alcohol due to calculus. I always enjoyed constant tropes in the series and haddock's struggles with alcoholism were an enjoyable running gag. The way picaros stripped the familiarity was a bit jarring. Also due to the fact that I had read alph-art before it and found it quite disturbing as alph art too depicted haddock losing his taste of alcohol. That combined with the uneasy feeling that the picaros was the penultimate book made it an uneasy read especially as my brother had spoiled that Tintin might die in the next. That emotional investment carried on and still lingers as a bitter taste. My biases aside, picaros is an excellent book and the illustrations have never been better in a tintin book.
@@ftloc These adventures are partly copied and fictionalized from the original adventures. They have very bad scenarios. They are produced for commercial purposes. The same publishing house also copied the original adventures and published them in black and white. You can become a member of the site called "Cizgi Roman Diyari" and download adventures under the title "Burhan Yayinlari".
For me the golden run of Tintin’s books began with The Crab With the Golden Claws and concluded with The Calculus Affair when Captain Haddock & Professor Calculus arrived and became as popular as Tintin himself.
Roc and Ks: Ours is going to have to be Calculus Affair as well. That was our favorite book. Black Island, the Treasure series, and the Land of Black Gold are a few more of our favorites. We also like the Castafiore Emerald is another favorite due to the Clue game type story.
The albums were really amazing and still give us an incredible view of Mr Herge and his Gang. The black Island and the Blue Lotus still entrance us a lot you know
The Red Sea Sharks is my favourite Tintin book. It has all the elements of a full scale adventure. Like all Tintin books, it has a good international flavour. It has a contemporary theme in that it involves people smuggling. There is the villian Muller. General Alcazar gets a mention as does Gordonzola and of course the usual host of better known characters. Marlinspike Hall is not overlooked. There is action in the desert, at sea and in the air.
My faves: 7 - Land of The Black Gold. 6 - The Black Island. 5 - Destination Moon/Explorers on the moon. 4 - The Secret Of The Unicorn/Red Rachams Treasure. 3 - The Calculus Affair. 2 - King Ottokar's Scepter. 1 - Tintin in Tibet.
In the USA in the 1960s, Golden Press published a total of six Tintin books, so my favorites were among them - the two “Moon” books and the two “Unicorn” books. But tonight, I’m going to reread The Calculus Affair. Many thanks.
It was a terrifically fast paced story, with many pages ending in a panel that left me guessing which way the plot would turn (such as one page ending with “stick ‘em up”, only to see on the next page it’s J. Wagg joking around). I enjoyed it a lot.
@@mediumjohnsilver Ah yes, the long planned 'cliffhanger analysis' of the Calculus Affair was to be my justification for why my #1 pick is what it is. One day soon!
I also love 'L'Affaire Tournesol'. It is so clever and subtle and fun. Other favourites of mine are King Ottokars Sceptre, The Red Sea Sharks, The Seven Crystal Balls and The Black Island. I love Dr Muller...
Unfortunately I have only read a couple in English and they weren't quite to my liking, making me the wrong person to celebrate them. The goal here is to talk about books I want others to read, so my autobiography ends up playing a big role. I hope that makes sense somehow...cheers!
You know, I felt that way the first time I read it but I have grown to appreciate the subversion involved in the 'anticlimax'. Also, I think I enjoyed the tale so much, just wanted this story to keep going! 😋
I saw the first pages online but never read the whole thing. The art threw me off a so maybe that's why I didn't seek out the full book. Would you say it is worth checking out?
@@ftloc oh yeah the art was not that great. But I really enjoyed the story, especially the parts originally written down by Herge (ie first 60%). Have you ever checked out the Totally Tintin podcast?
@@pratyayghosh1717 Alas no!. Honestly, I've never really listened to podcasts. I'm such a baby that I need pictures with my reading and video with my audio! 😁 I should really give them a shot!
@@ftloc even if you don't give other podcasts a shot, I'd highly recommend that you check out at least one episode of Totally Tintin. Both of the hosts work in comic books themselves. I don't know if you have heard of them because I hadn't before I started listening to the pod - David Dedrick and Ian Boothby. One of them is a super Tintin fan and the other is read for the first time along with the podcast. They go into some fascinating background detail about the zeitgeist of then each book came out and what Herge's life was like at that point.
Interesting - I'll have to revisit these. It occurs to me to wonder if Tintin had an influence on the James Bond films (I think it was the helicopter boat chase across a lake bordering two countries that sparked the thought)
I wouldn't be surprised at all; the Bond movies, at least the old ones, have a - for the lack of a better way to put it - European touch to their Hollywood shenanigans 😁
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For me THE SEVEN CRYSTAL BALLS is the scariest tinitin comic, it is my favourite along with The blue Lotus
The Seven Crystal Balls really creeped me out as a kid, especially the mummy in the bedroom sequence!
That's a fantastic one and makes a great combo along with "Prisoners of the SUn".
@@ftloc The real mummy Hergé was inspired by can actually be seen in the Brussels art & history museum. Same with the little statue in The broken ear.
@@bluedevil3765 If I am ever in Brussels, I will have to check them out. Although I am sure there's a LOT of Tintin related stuff to see there! 😁
My favourite is the secret of unicorn!
In my opinion Tintin is an absolute masterpiece. The whole series is so well written and so well drawn especially at the time of its publication. I have them all in their original script, so it's French.
My personal top 5 are
1 Tintin au Tibet
2 On a marché sur la Lune
3 Les Bijoux de la Castafiore
4 Vol 714 Pour Sydney
5 Le Temple du Soleil
Great list!
I have a few of the Casterman facsimile editions of the original versions, including a small set in French! I don;t read French, but they were too wonderful to resist! 😁
All the facsimile videos are here: ruclips.net/p/PLf2B7UoR9NKWyI-w-6f2ifLKMNsDbTGsx
and the larger Tintin playlist of videos is here: ruclips.net/p/PLf2B7UoR9NKW6ok_iGAZlXbe9YUdQWRDP
in case you're intrested in checking them out! Cheers!
1) Vol 714 Pour Sydney
2) Coke en Stock
3) L'affaire Tournesol
4) Tintin au Tibet
5) Tintin et les Picaros
The Calculus Affair is also my favourite. There is just so much going on in that story. Myself, I think the later stories always had a lot more depth to them. I will say though, my second favourite is King Ottakar's Sceptre. A cracking story and fantastic artwork.
You know, I feel bad for not mentioning King Ottakar's Sceptre. It's a pretty crackling story, from the twins plot to the mechanical camera to the political shenanigans. Almost an early precursor to The Calculus Affair, I would say! 😁
@@ftloc Calculus Affair and Ottokar's sceptre are my two favourites by a mile. I think Ottokar is just a bit better. I was surprised by your choices of Black Gold and Castafiorie Emerald, not my favourites at all. I'd give honourable mentions to the moon duo, Picaros, and definitely the Red Sea Sharks!
And maybe I'd replace Picaros with Tibet.... At that point it's very hard to choose. They're all good!
Wow. I am surprised by your number 1 choice. I love Tintin, but your top pick (which I don't want to spoil for viewers) would be among my least favorites of the series. But even my least favorite Tintins are among my all-time favorite reads, so it's all good! And we do share some common favorites. My favorite is not a very original choice as it is the choice of many Tintin scholars (and IIRC, Hergé's choice as well): TINTIN IN TIBET. It represents Tintin at his best, both as a pure adventure story and a mystery tale with hints of the esoteric. I also have a soft spot for THE SHOOTING STAR as it is one of the very first book I remember reading as a child and the one that made me want to read more Tintin adventures. But I wouldn't consider it as one of the best albums on a rational level (far from it), it would still take the bottom position on my favorites list on a pure sentimental level. TINTIN AND THE PICAROS was the first Tintin album I owned (got it for my birthday when it first came out in french), and for that, and also because I also really consider it as one of the best and certainly the most modern of the Tintin albums, it would easily make my list. THE CASTAFIORE EMERALD would also place in a top spot because it is a bold experimental album, almost anti-Tintin: Tintin doesn't adventure away in a far exotic land and in fact never leaves home, the plot resolves around a crime/mystery that really isn't one by the end, there are no villains, no real action or danger, etc. The last spot on my favorite is the two part THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN / RED RACKHAM'S TREASURE because it's the best blend of non-stop, mystery, adventure, action, exoticism, that is all about what Tintin has come to define.
What I really appreciate about all three two-parters (I know that Cigars of the Pharoah/The Blue Lotus should also count but I always think of them separately) is how unique the two halves are, how distinct from each other. Crystal Balls is very different from Prisoners, Unicorn is very different from Rackham's Treasure, and even Destination Moon is a different beast completely from Explorers. Any of those could easily have made my list at various times in my life, I feel, and perhaps can again later!
I tried to avoid nostalgia in making this list, which was very hard! I have a soft spot for Seven Crystal Balls as well as Red Sea Sharks because of when I read them in my life, and Secret of the Unicorn was also very very close for the number of times I reread it as a child.
But yes, my number 1 (thanks for not spoiling!) is very clearly my favourite and has been for a while because the more I look at it, the more I admire the clockwork precision and 'completeness'. As I mentioned in the video, I may do a 'cliffhanger analysis' to try and illustrate the genius pacing of it that I really appreciate. But as you say, even the worst (though maybe not Soviets/Congo) is pretty good reading!
Its expecialy impressive how Red Rakhams tresure worked whitout any Villian.
I dont know if there is any real community for fans, but I would guess prisoners of the Sun, and the Crab whit golden Claws are the most popular.
Also least favorite, realy? Sure the Weapon was goofy but the Rest was pretty interesting. And its by fare superior to Volume 1-3.
Not just because of the Animalabuse and Racism, more because of a lack of Story.
@@ftloc My favourite was Explorers On The Moon, simply because it was the first I read. I was 8, it was the late 1970's, and I woke up early on Christmas morning to find it under my Christmas stocking by my bed. I had no idea what it was, but started reading straight away. I just remember falling deeply into this hugely imaginative story with beautiful art. It's a magic feeling when you discover something fresh like this and it's all new to you. I hadn't even read the first part, but that heightened the mystery for me. But I think you're right. I love all of them (apart from Congo- which was never actually released in the UK when I was a kid), but the Calculus Affair is the most sophisticated story. It's a proper thriller. I appreciated that more as I got older.
I like tintin in Tibet , secret of the unicorn and prisinors of the sun and seven crystal balls
@MrDragon1968 the mystery of not having read the first (or earlier) parts and being thrown into the middle of a story is a thing from our childhoods that becomes almost extinct as we get older, I think, and research and do our homework and go in sequence. I completely understand why we do it, but also miss that kind of hypnotic cluelessness you mention!
The Blue Lotus and The Calculus Affair are my personal favorites.
Excellent picks, of course 😀!
Me too.
Edit: honourable mentions
5. Land of Black Gold.
4. Cigars of the Pharoah.
3. The Black Island.
2. The Broken Ear.
1. Tintin in America.
Right
Probably the least original top 2, but I agree haha!
@@HugoIshiodori Absolutely, but they're the cliché picks for a reason.
Calculus affair is my favourite to, surely crab with the golden claws deserves an honourable mention.
Its so hard deciding, but I know fine folk like you will pick up my slack! 😁
THE CRAB WITH THE GOLDEN CLAWS was the first Tintin book I ever read
Davy Jones The first usually ends up the favourite.
My introduction to the world of comics was through TinTin, which was, at the time when I was 9-10, accessible via a local library. The grid of covers on the back really made my childish mind curious to figure out what happened in the other books. And although I could lay my hands on the likes of The Calculus Affair, Destination Moon and The Secret of the Unicorn, there was one book which was always out of circulation. And that was - THE BLUE LOTUS. And I remember really having to follow-up with the librarian to get a hold of that book. When I finally read it, I remember being blown away by the stakes of the story and the extent of globe-trotting that is (correct me if I am wrong) perhaps featured first in this book. Plus as far as covers go - that red one is just so haunting and minimal, that it really grabbed my attention like no other. Thus for me, that will always be number 1. From the others Tibet is obviously a fantastic story. And I like Flight 714 as well for its weird narrative (and ending!). And I also have a soft spot for Cigars of the Pharaoh. In fact, I was planning to make a return to video-making with a series of TinTin videos and I opened my RUclips homepage to find your video on top of the list! More power to you, good Sir! :D
Yeah, I did feel I needed to add an apology to the Blue Lotus for leaving it out! And it's definitely the most abstract and arresting cover - I'm sure there are at least a handful of tattoos out there based on it! Something that came up in on of our video comments was that Blule Lotus was not actually part of the first 'grids' on the back of the Methuen paperbacks from my childhood. It was definitely harder to find (perhaps reprinted later) than the others (barring Soviets and Congo).
On a side note, I'm glad you're looking to get back into making videos! I remember watching your Mind MGMT and other videos way back in the day and they inspired me to try myself; I've been wondering where you went!
I grew up in Canada and I could never seem to find The Blue Lotus either. Looking back I wonder if the racial portrayals were a bit too much, even then. Or perhaps the fact that it referred to drug use. And Tintin almost gets beheaded., so it might be a bit too much for children.
Thats amazing, Here's my personal Top 5:
1) Tintin Flight 714
2) Tintin and The Picaros
3) Tintin and The 7 Crystal Ball
4) Tintin and The Prisoner of the sun
5) Tintin and The Red Sea Shark
I am always thrilled to see Red Sea Sharks on any list, and every list seems a great little snapshot of tastes and preferences! Thanks for sharing!
@@ftloc yeah off course, your welcome😁
I've found that my favourite Tintin keeps changing over time. When I was younger my favourite was Red Rackham's treasure but now it's probably cigars and blue lotus along with land of black gold.
Although my #1 has not changed in many many years, the Top 10 definitely keeps shifting for me! 😁
Yes Cigars of the Pharoah was another great book.
The Red sea sharks
Always been a tintin fan , initially starting from the calculus affair but surely the SEVEN CRYSTAL BALL was my favourite, really scary and captive
Also one of the best covers, in my opinion! 😁
Well my favourite, The Secret of the Unicorn didn't make the cut. Would like to know how you feel about that book and where it would probably be placed on a longer list of yours.
Arindam Sen It’s very very close. Unicorn probably falls just outside the five mentions, very likely at six! 😀
The Secret of the Unicorn is my favorite, along with Red Rackham's Treasure. It was the first Tintin book I read. Actually, it was serialized in a children's magazine called *Children's Digest*. But one thing that always bothered me was that when the Bird brothers confessed to their crimes, their account didn't quite match the sequence of events as they had unfolded earlier in the book. Did anyone else notice this?
An eloquently and very well-presented countdown of your favourite Tintins. Subscribed.
A very warm welcome to the channel, and thank you so much - thrilled you liked the video!
'The shooting star' is my favourite
It's a great one, and very often underrated, I feel.
Yes! I knew it. Calculus is My favourite too. Hergé at the top of his game. It moves on fabulously, has a lot of humour, and all the details of the kurvi-taches everywhere is wonderful. The others a like, I suppose best, because they’re all part of the wonderful Tintin world, are Crab; the first Tintin book I read with the great first page of Snowy with the can, Broken Ear with the two very funny villains (a leetle to the left), and there’s something special about Crystal Balls/Prisoners of the sun - a new maturity in his style seems to occur moving from one book to the other. I’m not keen on Flight or Picaros; the colours seem more gaudy, and I’m not sure making the villain Rastapopulous into a figure of fun is a wise more. Best lines (we use a lot!) “without a P as in Venuzuela/with a P as in Philadelphia”.
I also love "with a P like in psychology" 😁
Great list! And happy to see that my top three favorites (The Castafiore Emerald, The Black Island, and The Calculus Affair) all made your list, and for the same reasons!
You have impeccable taste! 😁
@@ftloc well, thank you! :) Huuuuuge Tintin fan here. I think half of my half house could be considered a Tintin museum. Next to all the albums, I think I owe every single book written about the subject and about Hergé. I also have a first English edition of 'The Castafiore Emerald' signed by Hergé, and a small drawing of Tintin and Snowy, which he signed and drew in 1976. By the way, are you familiar with the Belgian comic series 'Natacha'? The adventures of a flight attendant, which I always considered as a female Tintin.
So difficult to decide! I have always had a soft spot for The Castafiore Emerald, as it was the first Tintin book i ever read and was hooked. I still read them Btw :-)
I still read them too (and then make videos on them 😋)!
And it's incredible, even in looking through the comments here, how many people will have the first Tintin they read as their favourite or one of their favourites. It's just that kind of a series, deeply wonderful, personal, and evocative.
Who is better tintin or asterix ??
Tintin : like
Asterix : comment
👲👲👲
good choices. My top 5 are:
1) Les bijoux de la Castafiore
2) L'affaire tournesol
3) L'île noire
4) Au pays de l'or noir
5) tintin au Tibet
Excellent list, I see we have very similar tastes! 😁
not enough people are talking about tin tin. Thank you
Thank *you* and glad youre enjoying the videos!
Always love coming across Tintin fans. A classic masterpiece for sure 👌🏼
So glad you enjoyed it! Check out my Tintin playlist of interested!
@@ftloc I will do, thank you for making these videos! 😊☺️🥰
Hey, is there any chance you’d be able to do a full ranking of tintin? Like a list from worst to best including all 23/24 of the books ( depending on whether you want to include tintin in the Congo)
Plsssss! I’d watch the hell out of that
Ooh interesting suggestion! That will take some thought and I’d want to put some sort of a ‘spin’ on it (maybe my favourite part of each book?) but I’m definitely going to start thinking about it!
For the Love of Comics that sounds pretty good, I’m rereading every tintin book and then I’ll have my list in a few days. Thanks
I look forward to it! 😀
For the Love of Comics - I’ll post my list in the comments if you do that video, if you don’t, I’ll post it here
Lovely to see yourself uploading again, Sir...I certainly missed your videos within the last few weeks! 😁
Brilliant "top 5"/"top 10" episode as ever and whilst I personally prefer adventures such as 'The Secret of the Unicorn', 'Destination Moon', 'Prisoners of the Sun' and/or the 'Castafiore Emerald' over books such as The Land of Black Gold for instance, this is purely due to biased reasons (such as I read many when I was much younger or appreciate certain aspects from each book such as the humour in some or the storytelling or innovative style of others). Nevertheless, I agree that books such as 'The Land of Black Gold' or 'Tintin and the Picaros' are critically and story-wise more complete and as such are more all-encompassing stories incorporating many aspects from a number of genres making them the most classic. 🤷🏼♂️
I also agree with your number one being 'The Calculus Affair'; it is truly a work of art, highlighting almost every convention which set the series as a whole apart from other rival competitors or similar comics 👌🏼
I suppose that's the trouble with a series as unbelievably rich as Tintin. Each and every book is unique and Hergé created a masterpiece within these adventures. Apologies for the long comment but this is just about my favourite comic book series of all time and it's refreshing to find others who love the series as much as I do; especially as Tintin isn't as popular outside Europe. 🤔
Regardless, I'm looking forward to your upcoming projects and more videos like this! 🙏🏼
Hamza
Thank you so very much for your support and kind words, and yes - apologies are due for my absence. I was traveling for work for a while, which kept me away from all my shelves and books! Even now, I am actually not at home (therefore the different setup in this video) but I figured it had been way too long and I needed a video up! I hope to be as regular as I possibly can be in the upcoming months, I promise.
And yes, I think the reason the Tintin adventures continue, in this day and age, to resonate with folks like us has to do with a unique mixture of nostalgia and timelessness, and the sheer variety and breadth - richness, as you put it - is something else. I think almost any of the books could be supported with good arguments for why it should be #1. Also, I can see that there's a lot of love for Secret of the Unicorn, which missed my cut by a hairsbreadth.
Maybe I should revisit this list every five years or so!
And there should never be any apology for long comments. I don't know if you've noticed, but I always prefer more words to fewer when speaking about things we love! 😁
Dear Sir ,
I started reading comics for just over one year . Except for Tintin and Asterix I have read nothing else in my childhood. BTW , I have read them in Bengali ( Published by Ananda Publications) . I started reading comics again after hearing so much about Saga , which I am sorry to say I didn't like. But , I have hooked into comics again read some book by Image comic's and some classics Batman. But , your channel just opened by horizon for comics and I started to see it as a literary medium . Thanks for posting such great content in youtube. Just one request though , can you please do some video on more European comics please.
P.S. : Batman is one of my favourite, if you like some of the old one please do a review on some of them like Arkham Asylum or Long Hallowen.
Thanks,
Jayanta
Thank you so much for your kind words and enthusiasm for our fledgling channel! I hope you enjoyed our Tintin videos and I do plan to cover some European comics/ BDs very soon! Keep checking in and I hope you keep enjoying our channel!
tbh the red sea sharks is one of the most underrated tintin books
It's a terrific book and makes my Top 10 easily!
@@ftloc it's very exciting and action-packed!
You and my son have the same favourite! Mine would be Prisoners of the Sun. Honourable mentions - The Castafiore Emerald, The Broken Ear and The Red Sea Sharks. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! And your son has excellent taste! (yours is pretty good too 😁)
My top 6 -
6. The Calculus Affair
5. King Ottokar’s Sceptre
4. Prisoners Of The Sun
3. The Black Island
2. The Red Sea Sharks
1. The Broken Ear
Wow good to see the Broken Ear get some more love in these comments! It tends to be overlooked most of the time! 😁
I want two or three Tintins in French in my collection in a large format. Will use this video as a guideline for what to pick. You hit those nerves with the types of videos you choose to do.
So glad you liked the video! I, too, would like some original Tintin hardcovers, but in English - for the handlettering by Hyslop! And speaking of large sizes, have you seen these editions, by Little Brown, in (of all places) the United States? ruclips.net/video/wMImMy-Kwt8/видео.html
I always liked King Ottokar's Sceptre a lot over the other books although others are equally great but still this book is special. Maybe because I've always been fascinated by the balkan history.
I really like it too! And as a kid I was particularly fascinated by that two=page brochure spread giving the history of Syldavia! 😁
I agree with your number one choice. 'L'Affaire Tournesol' (The Calculus Affair) is an amazing story. 'L'Île Noire' (The Black Island) is my second favourite.
Great mind think alike! 😁
bro iam confused for what tintin comic i order i only read 1 comic of tintin crab with golden horns pls suggest me about (tintin in tibet) or (country of black gold)
If you think you want to read them all, just start with the Tintin in America and then follow the order shown in the back cover. Otherwise just pic on at random and go for it! Here is a link to our overview of 22 albums that shows them all in order so see what you think of that! ruclips.net/video/KgaiiEi0pGw/видео.html
There kinda costly. I wouldnt recomment bying in Order if someone isnt sure if the Series is something for him. Good thing is, most Tintin Storys are easy to understand, whitout knowing the other ones.
I would suggest The Mystery of the Unicorn, despite beeing a Twoparter, Tim in Tibet, ore the Story direct before that.
My most favorites:
1. The secret of the Unicorn
2. Red Rackham's Treasure
These r my MOST FAVORITES.
Other favorites:
1. The Seven Crystal Balls
2. Prisoners of the Sun
3. The Shooting Star
The Read sea Sharks and Destination Moon are also good.
Great video.
Great list!
Tintin in Tibet and The Calculus Affair are my top picks, happy to see one of them got chosen for yours ^_^
And the other one features in the Top 6 too! 😋
My favourite will always remain Tintin in the soviets land. I have its first edition, living near the Casterman printing factory in Belgium, that makes me really proud as a comics owner. Most people don’t even read it because it’s weird week to week writing. Nevetheless, you can see in it the developpement of Tintin from a character involved in few almost unconnected and unfortunate events to the hero of a true adventure.
Wow, what a treasure!
You're absolutely right about most people not giving it too much attention due to how different it is from what came later, but if you leave that later context out of it, I can see it as a completely enjoyable snapshot of a different time and place and approach to comics!
I love your video and your first choice is very surprising and well defended. What about the blue lotus ?
Tha k you! And the Blue Lotus is a book that I admire historically, but maybe because I read it later i don't have the kind of emotional attachment or appreciation of it that i do for some of the others. Maybe I'll try and rank all the adventures one day and see where it falls!
I first read the Black Island in 1982 and it’s still my favourite. The Calculus affair is a close second but in truth I love them all and still occasionally read them now.
Naturally, I those are great picks! 😋
And "I love them all" is really a valid approach, and a Top 10 (or 6) list is only an exercise for the challenging fun of it!
Black Island is one of my fav too. Love the comedy there! I love that there is an actual gorilla there too 😂
My Top 6:
6: The Secret of the Unicorn
5: The Red Sea Sharks
4: King Ottokar's Sceptre
3: The Shooting Star
2: Cigars of the Pharaoh
1: The Blue Lotus
Loved your list! I disagree with The Land of Black Gold and The Castafiore Emerald, but all of the rest I agree are absolutely top-tier Tintin adventures.
Great list! The thing with the Tintin adventures is that apart from a couple right at the start, a case can be made for any of them to be among the best! 😁 Even the first couple have their fans, as evidenced in these comments!
Les bijoux de la Castafiore is one of the best, a story in only one place, with Hergé playing with the readers leading them to false culprits and kind of Cluedo story to find the solving issue is pure genius from Hergé!
Best Tintin Book 's list( personal selection)
1 Tintin in Tibet
2 The Black Island
3 Land of black gold
4 explores on the moon( only )
5 The secret of the unicorn( only)
That's a good list!
Please tell me Who is better than tintin and asterix????
@@mithubose1405 Haha personally I don't believe in the 'this versus that' approach, and both Tintin and Asterix are childhood favourites of mine for very different reasons. I say why choose, enjoy both! 😁
@@mithubose1405 Tintin and Asterix are fantastic series. However, now you ask here are some series which can match them.
Modesty Blaise
Blueberry
Blake & Mortimer
Spirou & Fantasio
Donald Duck by Carl Barks
For some odd reason my favourites have always been The Blue Lotus and Sovietunion. The earlier Tintins usually never gets much love, but I love them to death. Btw really enjoyed your video
Fede_Pede Thanks so much! And yes, you’re the first person I’ve encountered to say Soviets is one of their favourites, how interesting! Blue Lotus, on the other hand, I know a lot of people love, and even I extend it a brief apology in this video 😀. Probably what I consider to be the start of the classic structure Tintin stories, while still as madcap and chaotic in some ways as the earliest stories.
@@ftloc I think what makes me enjoy Soviet so much, is the humor provided by Snowy and also the intesity of that one
Fede_Pede Snowy is definitely an ‘MVP’ in Soviets the way he seldom got to be through an adventure later! (Also, although I don’t discuss movie versions much on this channel, I will have to say one of my favourite things about Spielberg’s version of Tintin was how integral Snowy was as canus ex machina! 😀
@@ftloc Not exact Caotic, but the Story is to much focused on sending Tintin from one Place to another.
Its like Herge didnt quiet know what to write, so he paddet it.
The Style of Drawing isnt as beautifull as the later ones and its not a big deal, but its kinda sad to get rid of the "nice" Rastapopulus.
But it is the first well developed Story, is respectfull to foreign Cultures and shows a little bit of Culture as well. Storys like prisoners of the Sun who showcast different exotic locations are the bread and butter of this Series after all.
If you download the pdf of Tintin in the Congo, his arrival and departure from the Congo is so funny.
My absolute fav is The Calculus Affair. It was my first Tintin comic, which my great aunt gifted to me on my 7th bday. I immediately loved the art style. Although the story felt a bit complicated at the time given my age lol. But it helped me improve my vocabulary and learn English better. Calculus Affair, Black Island and Prisoners of the Sun are my top 3 fav Tintin comics.
How wonderful! My early English vocabulary also owes a lot to the Tintin comics I read, perhaps more than I can imagine.
If you're up for a long livestream, this recent "total ranking" may interest you 😁 ruclips.net/user/liveUuV3lFolv0o?feature=share
Cheers!
I think this is your best video. Thank you very much. And... cheers from Belgium !
Much appreciated! Best wishes from India! 😁
YES! I was scared you were going to skip over Calculus Affair, but when I saw the green binding, I knew it had to be Calculus. It's a testament to how good this book is because I, who've never engaged in any sort of discussion with other Tintin fans, also think that this one unquestionably rules the roost.
Even after all these years, I find no change at all to my conviction! Cheers!
Tintin In Tibet was written by Herge during a period of depression had at the time, so in a way it is quite different from others in the series. It was his way of coping with some inner turmoil.
My favorite is Flight 714, it's just such a mix of pure high adventure and the surreal idea of the ancient astronauts
Seven Crystal Balls, Calculus Affair, Castafiore Emerald, Red Rackam's Treasure, Tintin in Tibet, Destination Moon
Solid, solid list!
Interesting pick for your number one. I didn't really like that book back when I was younger. Probably because I first saw the Belvision cartoon first back then and it's very different from the book. So I was kinda disappointed in the book as a kid... Anyway, I've grown to appreciate that book now.
But here are my favorites (In no particular order):
- Tintin in Tibet (For the same reasons you mentioned. Such a great story about friendship and not giving up. Haddock deserves an award for this one too.)
- The Seven Crystal Balls (For its mystery and investigative aspects. It's a such a great thriller. Rascarcapac was scary.)
- Destination Moon + Explorers on the Moon (So well-documented, so well crafted. A more serious adventure about the dream of space travel. A shocking betrayal and death near the end. These books influenced me so much that I recently bought the 30cm rocket figure.)
- Flight 714 (I love how this story changes tone throughout and throws curveballs at you. And I love how Hergé dealt with the alien theme.)
- The Castafiore Emerald (For the same reasons you mentioned. There is so much going on while at the same time, nothing happens. It feels like Hergé had such a blast making this one.
Great picks, - oe could almost say there's no real 'wrong list' to make with this series 😁
@@ftloc I was genuinely thrilled and curious to see your top pick before you flipped the book. :)
I feel that Alph Art could have been my favorite had it been finished. It's such a shame. I really liked its mystery.
But then again I think it's for the best that Hergé insisted that no new Tintin adventure would be made after his death.
Fascinating. I was very curious about your five honourable mentions. I guessed your #1 would be either Prisoners of the Sun or Tintin in Tibet, so when Tintin in Tibet was one of your honourable mentions, I assumed Prisoners of the Sun or Flight 714 would be at the top. So, with your #1 revealed, it got me thinking, what are my top six? And it really is very subjective. Even your so-called definitive best adventure - and you make a great case for it - feels very subjective. I'll need to revisit! I agree with Castifiore Emerald, such an underrated "adventure".
Absolutely, it's all subjectivity. All declarations of 'objective and absolute best' are simply hyperbolic ways of underling the conviction behind the subjective choice! 😁
I'd love to know what you end up determining as your too six! Cheers!
Destination moon I love that one. Not to mention the blue lotus some great characters. I love how weird flight 714 was made in the cartoon with the aliens haha
I have not seen the Flight 714 cartoon! DO they actually show the aliens on screen?
@@ftloc they show a spaceship that Tintin and co get in to escape from an erupting volcano. A character called Mike represents the aliens and wipes there minds so they don't remember it.
My personal favourites are the two-part 'Seven Crystal Balls' & 'Prisoners of the Sun', but yes 'The Calculus Affair' is definitely up there. I just bought today a few Tintins in Greek to help with my study of the language. I lived in India when I was 16 and, I have to say it is still possibly my favourite country in the World. Whereabouts in India are you from?
I live in New Delhi right now. It's so cool that you are using Tintin to help with learning Greek! I should do the same with learning French - a host of albums I already know by heart should make it easier, right? 😁
@@ftloc Exactly - that's my thinking too. My girlfriend is French. I lived in Vasant Vihar many, many moons ago. Good times. I have sent you an email too. Check it out भइया
Mi top 3 de las aventuras del personaje de Hergé es:
1 - Tintín en el Tíbet
2 - Vuelo 714 para Sídney
3 - La Isla negra
Además tengo otros muy predilectos que no sabría poner en orden, son estos:
- El asunto Tornasol (fue el primero que leí años ha y por el que comenzaría mi afición al joven reportero.)
- El cetro de Ottokar
- El templo del sol
- Aterrizaje en la luna
- Stock de coque
¡Grandes listas! Me complace particularmente ver más amor por el Vuelo 714
(Estoy usando Google Translate, ¡espero que esto funcione!)
Does anybody know whether there is a TinTin book with a ship called Casablanca.
I vaguely remember as a kid reading the same story over and over again. I'm 99% certain it was a TinTin book, but have looked online without any luck.
Hmm, that doesn't sound familiar to me immediately, but I'll see if I can find anything. Would it have been in English that you read it?
@@ftloc Many thanks .
I think at the very start Tintin finds an old lady who has been involved in an accident..when he stops to help, it's actually the baddie dressed up as an old woman.
Yes, an English version.
Before I look at your ranking - here's mine. 1. Flight 714, 2. Land of Black Gold, 3. Calculus Affair, 4. Land on the Moon, 5. Prisoners of the Sun. (naturally, these all coincide with the original releases that I waited for when they came out!).
Great list, although I have also come to the conclusion that there can be no wrong list with this topic! 😁
I hope you enjoyed this video, even though it's a bit old at this point.
If you have the stamina for a livestream, I recently revisited this area in greater detail; you can find the full recording here, if interested: ruclips.net/user/liveUuV3lFolv0o?feature=share
The top one is bit different from mine.. I feel Destination Moon series can be on top 5 ... amazing video as always :)
So glad you enjoyed it! And yes, the mon adventure definitely makes many, many people's Top 5 and is very often right at the top!
the moon ones are fantastic, the growth of hair again is brilliant, captain is brilliant; I'm a flat earther so obviously I feel sort of dirtied by them but I reckon we can let herge off he was probably as brainwashed as everyone else
Dunno if I'd agree with these picks. My 5 honourable mentions + top pick would probably be:
1. The Unicorn series
2. 7 Crystal Balls / Prisoners of the Sun
3. Land of Black Gold
4. Moon series
5. Calculus Affair
(if I had more space, I'd include Cigars, the Blue Lotus, Flight 714, Picaros, Broken Ear, and Ottokar's Sceptre).
*Top*: The Crab with the Golden Claws (arguably the most classic & includes Captain Haddock introduction + development)
The ones I wasn't particularly fond of were:
-The Castifiore Emerald
-The Shooting Star
-Red Sea Sharks
-Tintin in America
There's really no wrong answers with a list of favourites, and I've seen so many variations in this list that it just shows me what a beloved series the entire collection is! 😁
Another great video...would love to see your take on Carl Barks and Don Rosa’s collections of Scrooge McDuck stories from fantagraphics. Keep doing the awesome work.
Vikas Sehgal Thank you! And I would love to do Barks and Rosa - I was just wondering if I should wait till all/more of the excellent Fantagraphics reprint volumes are out.
Good list, my favorite books are Red Sea Sharks, The Crab with the golden claws, The Shooting star, Red Rackam's treasure and Landing on the moon.
Every list seems like a great list! 😁
The Shooting Star, although it has its problems (politics, villain’s name, bad science), does have one advantage over Red Rackham’s Treasure, Tintin’s other treasure hunt story. It has more excitement, more action, and it has villains to push the plot and add menace.
I agree! Especially the sense of both doom and adventure is a very unique mix!
I greatly enjoyed this presentation, and found a lot to agree with. However if I was to rank the top six I would place them in this order:
6. Tintin in Tibet. I found the artwork relating to India, Tibet and the Himalayas of excellent quality. The story was good.
5. Prisoners of the Sun. Again excellent artwork, and which I consider better than that in Tintin in Tibet. Also the jungle scenes are richer, and the idea of a functioning Inca temple excellent fantasy. I would have thought that this book is a must in any top Tintin list.
4. The Red Sea Sharks. Probably any top Tintin list would need to include a desert book. Of these "The Red Sea Sharks" is my favorite. It has high adventure along with excellent artwork. The caricature of Petra for example excites the imagination and is particularly good.
3. The Castifore Emerald. This is the most mature of all the Tintin books. In a way Herge is a bit like Lewis Carroll, wrote books for children but best appreciated by adults. However I think that the Castifore Emerald is largely an adults book, and much of the humor is sophisticated. Children probably do not in general like this book.
2. Tintin and the Picaros. Again a story set in the Amazon. Some of Herge's best artwork is probably of jungles. I suppose for the first time we see bravery in the Thompsons, when they are about to face a firing squad. Personally I would have preferred it if Tintin's clothing had remained the same, I do not like his new trousers, but that is very minor.
1. The Calculus Affair. Yes I also think this is by far the best Tintin adventure. However I think the top three stand out.
Of course many excellent books have been omitted, and perhaps 4, 5 and 6 could easily be replaced by others. For example "Destination Moon" could easily have been included, as could "The Seven Crystal Balls".
Thank you so much! And that's a great list. Obviously I'm a big fan of your Top 3, but I honestly was very close to having Red Sea Sharks and Unicorn on my list as well.
I completely agree with you on the jungle art, it's some of Herge's most accomplished and transportive. Prisoners ranks high because of that, but I used Picaros to represent that instead, because I also really love the tone and structure of that story 😀
Great work my friend. Agree with you with Calculus affair at no1. Its clearly the most sophisticated and tight of all the plot lines.
My honourable mentions and reasons are:
1. Black Island- exactly why you said
2. Blue Lotus- the eastern themes and artwork coupled with historic context make this one sparkle
3. Seven Crystal Balls- for the atmospherics, supernatural themes and impending sense of doom
4. Red Sea Sharks- in my opinion the best middle eastern scenes and maritime sequences of the series, plus many old favourite characters returning making this a Tintin 'reunion'
5. King Ottokar's Sceptre- because I'm applying for Syldavian citizenship.
Would be interesting to see a list of the least favourite adventures too.
Very good list, full of favourites. One day I will make a video specifically on the Calculus Affair and what makes it so great!
Great choices. For me the best is Tintin in Tibet. Amazingly personal story of Herge - and no violence used. Art is absolutely stunning. Tintin an excellent alpine mountaineer despite his Belgian origins! Best cover for me is King Ottokar's Sceptre, which would get an honorable mention because of the visitor to Sylvania pullout inside the book.
I love that tourist brochure so much! And yes, a spectacular cover.
Sceptre also has the spring loaded camera, one of my all time favourite things in the whole series! 😁
That's my current favourite too! My list would be very similar to yours with perhaps Flight 714 in there instead of The Black Island.
There's definitely a lot of nostalgia attached to The Black Island for me, but leaving The Red Sea Sharks and Flight 714 off my list really hurt...😁
Oh! A tintinologist spotted!! Btw my favourite book is destination moon and its sequel, explorers on moon!!!
Great choices - they're classics for a reason!
Agreed! Riotous lot - Capt Haddock, dect twins, Calculus. Laugh out loud moments - when Capt is trying all antics to get back Calculus's memory!!😂😂 Too good!!
Cool. Calculus Affair is great, and is generally one of the more acclaimed ones.
What are your thoughts on Explorers on the Moon? That one was pretty dark.
I really love both the moon books, and you're right - Explorers does get pretty dark for a Tintin comic. I always loved the atmosphere of Destination Moon a lot; the sense of discovery and scientific pursuit are very well blended into the Tintin adventure template!
@@ftloc agreed. Also out of curiosity, do you have a least favorite Tintin? To me, America and Flight are a cut below the rest
@@gravitydragon1904 I'm a fan of Flight 714, a lot of things in that book caught my imagination as a young'un. I agree that America isn't among the best in many ways, but again - I have a nostalgic attachment to the satire and irreverence in it that mainly disappears in the later books. I suppose the one I find myself least inclined to re-read is the Broken Ear, and because I read them much later in life neither Congo nor Soviets feel to me like 'true' Tintins, but of course that's purely personal
Totally agree with Calculus Affair for number one
It's top notch! If you enjoy livestreams, you may like my attempt at a Tintin tier list: ruclips.net/user/liveUuV3lFolv0o?feature=share
My favourite tin tin books are
1. The calculus affair . It is the best book of tin tin in my opinion
2. Tintin in Tibet. I love this mountain rescue adventure with lots of funny and I motional moments
3. The black island. I don't have to say many about this book
4. Tin tin and the picaros. I is not a fan - favorite book but to me it is a great book
5. Secrets of the Unicorn. I love the story of this book
6. Tintin in America. I know many people are not happy to see this book in the list but I love it. I love the chasing of Bobby Smiles.
Great list! 😁
Tintin in Tibet is the first one I read and got me from there when I was about 10, I still have 20 Tintin Comics. My favourite would be The Broken Ear and Land of Black Gold.
The Broken Ear has really grown on me over the years!
agree, broken ear and black gold are definitely in my top 6
Interesting list!
This would be my list:
5.Red Rackham’s treasure(pure adventure)
4.7 Crystal Balls(one of the most interesting plots)
3.Crab with golden claws
2.Black Island
1.Secret of the Unicorn
My childhood was all pirates of the Caribbean along with Tintin, so secret of the unicorn was an easy #1 for me, and the aesthetic of the unicorn ship is so beautiful I need a model😭
That ship is gorgeous; I'd love a model too! Great list by the way 😁
Love Flight 714 ❤️
I do too! 😁
well I for one feel a bit uneasy when captain wears "normal" clothes, affair does have that excellent sticky plaster moment though. picaros has that excellent, busy, noisy, sinister scene where they are wearing happy clown costumes but are really carrying guns or whatever.
Finished the 24 albums once again, probably my 10th time through the whole series. My top picks are
1) The Blue Lotus
2) Cigars of the Pharoah
3) Seven Crystal Balls + Prisoners of the Sun
4) The Calculus Affair
5) Tintin and the Picaros
Honorable mentions include Red Sea Sharks and The Alph Art (Purely from a plot point of view, although it'd have been my top five, perhaps even my favourite if it was finished)
Nice list! So interesting to see Alph Art as an honorable mention too!
Did you know that Moulinsart would never let anyone complete that comic?
Reading Tintin, published by Methuen, since my schooldays. I felt elated when you chose Black Island as the No 1. I still read Tintin to get back the feelings of my old school days, and I would always start with the 'The Black Island'.
It's so very good, even all these years later. The bags of money dropping from the plane in the middle of the night continues to be one of my favourite sequences in the whole Tintin library! 😁
My personal favourite has always been tintin in tibet, and i had them all, many of them since 1961, so quite a few different editions, as well as tibet wich is my first choice would be prisoners of the sun and flight 714 to sydney, although in the edition i have it is just entitled flight 714 leaving the sydney out of the title, some of my volumes ,all the early ones where bound in a sort of cloth and those spines were only slightly worn over the years!!
Oh do you mean you got them custom bound or you had hardcover bound volumes from the publisher? Would you remember if those were Methuen?
@@ftloc They where the original hard copies, at the time i knew of no other copies, how i got them seemed to be the norm then, when i got flight 714 in 1968 the binding had changed, also the same for Tintin and the picaros, in 1976, thats how they where then, as i got tgem almost imediately when they where released, now i'm only left with tintin in tibet published by egmont now, the others i did have where methuen, but alas sold them when moving to live abroad, so 80% of the originals with the cavas bindings ,two with more modern bindings and one floppy copy of tintin in tibet, altogether a heavy collection as originally i had 19, all my friends read them so in many hands but inspite of all that hanflibg in a remarkable condition, i miss thrm now!
Perfect 👌🏾 I also like King ottoka's Sceptre, Flight 714,Red Sea Sharks
All very solid choices! 😁
@@ftloc yes sir 😁 btw came to my attention Tintin and the red sea sharks, king ottokas Sceptre, cigars of the Pharoah, flight 714,the calculas affair, seven crystal balls, prisoners of the sun, tintin and the picaros have really striking covers my all time favorites
For me it has to be Picaros. I remember as a kid it always held a special mystique for me as it was the final story and as such I remember that I tried to read it last. I don't think I accomplished that as I would often just pick up whatever the library had available but looking back now I have to agree that it was a completely appropriate and satisfying conclusion especially with that final panel with the airplane serving not only as the conclusion to the story itself but as a send off of sorts for the characters and the series. I will never forget that plane because of the weight it carried and it made what was another great Tintin adventure into the greatest one for me because of what it meant.
What a lovely little story - thanks so much for sharing! That plane sure did a lot of work - it also underlined that life under Tapioica was no different than under the previous regime, a pretty sly remark on the politics. Like you, I thought of it as an interesting send-off for the characters but particularly because I thought that Haddock from now on would never be able to drink alcohol again! 😂
There r 24 serries but new was decover please tell me
This was a wonderful watch - you're such a great speaker and naturally charming! I was just looking up Tintin videos on RUclips as I'm having a bit of a resurgence watching the 90s TV show. I haven't read the comics in a few years so I think it's time to go back. But from my memory - my top 5 would have to be (in no particular order)
Tintin in Tibet
The Seven Crystal Balls
Prisoners of the Sun
The Blue Lotus
Explorers on the Moon
Thank you, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the video!
That's a great, classic list you have there; I doubt you'll find many arguing with you on those. I'm sure you'll have a great time with your reread of the series.
Tintin being such a formative comic for me, I've made a bunch of videos for the series - if you're interested, take a look at my Tintin playlist here: ruclips.net/p/PLf2B7UoR9NKW6ok_iGAZlXbe9YUdQWRDP
I'd love to know what you think if you get a chance to check any out!
Cheers!
Couldn't agree with you more. My own choice would be
1. The Calculus Affair
2. The Castafiore Emerald
3. The Black Island
4. King Ottokar's Sceptre
5. Tintin in Tibet
Great list, but you knew I'd say that! 😁 Cheers!
yeah the Black Island comes first for me as well, .and no two is Calculus affair and the blue Lotus , the secret of the unicorn, Red Rackhams treasure, The Seven Crystal Balls , Prisoners of the son and Tin Tin In Tibet. are my favourites. I love the whole series of Tin Tin.
That's a great list! And yes, I really do love all the books so these lists/ rankings are purely for 'higher praise within high praise' purposes! 😁
Your number one choice is my number one choice too. It was so amazing.
Yay! Great minds think alike? 😁
Do you have the unfinished book "Tintin and the Alph Art"? Also "Tintin in Congo" and "Lake of the Sharks" are missing!!!
I do have Alph Art and Congo (see my video on the 90th anniversary box set), as well as the Casterman edition of Congo, but I gathered them all after I made this video. Lake of Sharks, being made from the movie stills and not really drawn or laid out by Herge or Herege studios, I have difficulty considering it a part of the main series. But I love those walkie-talkies!
Each book has its own strength. 1) The calculus affair would be my top pick too. In my opinion, it's the most relentless story. The international setting, the comedy, the chase sequences, the tension, and the ulterior motives of each side make it a blast.
2) I have a soft spot for the land of black gold too and I always find the world on the brink of war backdrop combined with the oil conspiracy to be amazing.
3) The shooting star's end of the world beginning and the seven crystal balls mystery creeped me out as a kid.
4) Ottokar's scepter has the best world-building I've seen in a Tintin comic with immaculate detail to Syldavia's history.
5) Secret of the unicorn and red Rackham's treasure has the best lore along with the 7 crystal balls and prisoners of the sun.
6) The blue lotus ties into real-world history so effortlessly it's almost scary.
7) And finally, the broken ear, red sea sharks, and black island are the finest examples of comfort adventures according to me.
Quality stuff in all.
I completely agree with you! "Ranking" within the books is a purely autobiographical and subjective exercise, saying more about the reader than the books, really 😁
But great to see so many overlaps in our lists, particularly for the underappreciated Black Island! It really pained me to not give a nod to the Red Sea Sharks, but i really want to highlight Picaros, a book I've heard maligned very often, and one that I've always loved!
@@ftloc the black island is an excellent book and could have been a darker book had a different route been explored. It also echoes the calculus affair's breakneck pace as an international crime thriller. And the english countryside is a great watch.
The reason I don't enjoy Tintin and the picaros as much is that I found it disturbing as a kid. The main reason behind that was haddock not being able to consume alcohol due to calculus. I always enjoyed constant tropes in the series and haddock's struggles with alcoholism were an enjoyable running gag. The way picaros stripped the familiarity was a bit jarring. Also due to the fact that I had read alph-art before it and found it quite disturbing as alph art too depicted haddock losing his taste of alcohol. That combined with the uneasy feeling that the picaros was the penultimate book made it an uneasy read especially as my brother had spoiled that Tintin might die in the next. That emotional investment carried on and still lingers as a bitter taste. My biases aside, picaros is an excellent book and the illustrations have never been better in a tintin book.
Do you know about the adventures of "Tin Tin" drawn in Turkey in the 60s? For example; "Ten Ten Marmara Canavarı"
No, I don't know of these! Were these fan-made? And they had regular circulation? Wow!
@@ftloc These adventures are partly copied and fictionalized from the original adventures. They have very bad scenarios. They are produced for commercial purposes. The same publishing house also copied the original adventures and published them in black and white. You can become a member of the site called "Cizgi Roman Diyari" and download adventures under the title "Burhan Yayinlari".
How very interesting! 😊
For me the golden run of Tintin’s books began with The Crab With the Golden Claws and concluded with The Calculus Affair when Captain Haddock & Professor Calculus arrived and became as popular as Tintin himself.
Indeed a great streak!
Roc and Ks: Ours is going to have to be Calculus Affair as well. That was our favorite book. Black Island, the Treasure series, and the Land of Black Gold are a few more of our favorites. We also like the Castafiore Emerald is another favorite due to the Clue game type story.
I see our tastes match quite closely! 😁
@@ftloc
Roc and Ks: yeah, they do! :)
I love Tintin and love watching all his movies, I also have around 16 comic books.📚
Nice! Will you be getting the rest too? Or are you fine with 16?
i have 25 pdf
The Black Island and The Calculus Affair are also my favorites!
Ahem, great taste there! 😁
The albums were really amazing and still give us an incredible view of Mr Herge and his Gang.
The black Island and the Blue Lotus still entrance us a lot you know
So tough to make selections from so many wonderful, but those two definitely make many many lists!
@@ftloc Yeah Thanks for the comment.
The Red Sea Sharks is my favourite Tintin book. It has all the elements of a full scale adventure. Like all Tintin books, it has a good international flavour. It has a contemporary theme in that it involves people smuggling. There is the villian Muller. General Alcazar gets a mention as does Gordonzola and of course the usual host of better known characters. Marlinspike Hall is not overlooked. There is action in the desert, at sea and in the air.
That is honestly one I absolutely hated to leave out of this list. If I revisit this list some day, Sharks may unseat one of these!
My faves:
7 - Land of The Black Gold.
6 - The Black Island.
5 - Destination Moon/Explorers on the moon.
4 - The Secret Of The Unicorn/Red Rachams Treasure.
3 - The Calculus Affair.
2 - King Ottokar's Scepter.
1 - Tintin in Tibet.
That's a fine list!
Ottokar's always feels underappreciated, even by me to myself! 😁
@@ftloc ) thank you :)
In the USA in the 1960s, Golden Press published a total of six Tintin books, so my favorites were among them - the two “Moon” books and the two “Unicorn” books. But tonight, I’m going to reread The Calculus Affair. Many thanks.
I'd love to know what you think when done rereading it!
It was a terrifically fast paced story, with many pages ending in a panel that left me guessing which way the plot would turn (such as one page ending with “stick ‘em up”, only to see on the next page it’s J. Wagg joking around). I enjoyed it a lot.
@@mediumjohnsilver Ah yes, the long planned 'cliffhanger analysis' of the Calculus Affair was to be my justification for why my #1 pick is what it is. One day soon!
The black islands my favourite!
Have you seen the older editions/versions of it?
Yes I have! I think the 1938 is the best! ( in my opinion )
I also love 'L'Affaire Tournesol'. It is so clever and subtle and fun. Other favourites of mine are King Ottokars Sceptre, The Red Sea Sharks, The Seven Crystal Balls and The Black Island. I love Dr Muller...
I know that Rastapopulous gets all the glory, but Muller is my favourite villain too!
(Also, I would have loved to see more of Bobby Smiles!)
Can you please provide the complete work of Tintin in one pdf ?
Apologies, not what I do. I'm just a reader, in hardcopy.
Please review some raj comics too. Narak nashak Nagaraj or Nagayan CE
Unfortunately I have only read a couple in English and they weren't quite to my liking, making me the wrong person to celebrate them. The goal here is to talk about books I want others to read, so my autobiography ends up playing a big role. I hope that makes sense somehow...cheers!
I love your #1, but the ending seemed rushed somehow, like they where just wanting to finish.
You know, I felt that way the first time I read it but I have grown to appreciate the subversion involved in the 'anticlimax'. Also, I think I enjoyed the tale so much, just wanted this story to keep going! 😋
Have you ever checked out the unofficial completed version of Tintin and Alph Art?
I saw the first pages online but never read the whole thing. The art threw me off a so maybe that's why I didn't seek out the full book. Would you say it is worth checking out?
@@ftloc oh yeah the art was not that great. But I really enjoyed the story, especially the parts originally written down by Herge (ie first 60%).
Have you ever checked out the Totally Tintin podcast?
@@pratyayghosh1717 Alas no!. Honestly, I've never really listened to podcasts. I'm such a baby that I need pictures with my reading and video with my audio! 😁
I should really give them a shot!
@@ftloc even if you don't give other podcasts a shot, I'd highly recommend that you check out at least one episode of Totally Tintin. Both of the hosts work in comic books themselves. I don't know if you have heard of them because I hadn't before I started listening to the pod - David Dedrick and Ian Boothby. One of them is a super Tintin fan and the other is read for the first time along with the podcast. They go into some fascinating background detail about the zeitgeist of then each book came out and what Herge's life was like at that point.
@@pratyayghosh1717 Sounds very interesting, I'll have check it out!
For me , either secret of the unicorn or red Rackham's treasure
Yes, i think if i look at the comments here, Unicorn seems to be the runaway favoruite!
My favourite one is also the calculus affair along with the Red sea sharks, although it's very hard to choose because all 24 are good
Yes, I feel the same way - the choosing is only a mental exercise; in reality, you need them all! 😁
@@ftloc exactly
Interesting - I'll have to revisit these.
It occurs to me to wonder if Tintin had an influence on the James Bond films (I think it was the helicopter boat chase across a lake bordering two countries that sparked the thought)
I wouldn't be surprised at all; the Bond movies, at least the old ones, have a - for the lack of a better way to put it - European touch to their Hollywood shenanigans 😁
Is which spot would you have kept tin tin secrets of the unicorn and tin tin in america
One day I will do a 'Every Tintin album ranked!' video 😁
Thank you