Tintin is one of those characters that I was aware of but never really got into when I was young. I remember watching the cartoon series back in the day, but that's about it. It really wasn't until the new movie came out that my interest was piqued.

So, here we have the second collected volume of original Tintin stories. Tintin is very much a boy scout, which is exactly what Herge meant for him to be, with his ever-faithful dog Snowy always along for the ride. The three stories in this collection are The Broken Ear, The Black Island, and King Ottokar's Sceptre.

The Broken Ear is a crazy ride which starts off with the theft of a statue from a local museum, and ends with a trip to a lost South American tribe. It is actually similar to a Sherlock Holmes story, which might be where Herge got the initial idea. Exciting, but a bit long.

Next up is The Black Island. This one starts with Tintin noticing a plane in distress and nearly getting himself shot when he goes to offer aid. It ends on a small Scottish island where a gang of crooks have set up shop and have a "great beast" protecting them. I won't give away what this beast is, but it's a bit silly. Still, an enjoyable tale.

Finally we have King Ottokar's Sceptre, a tale of political intrique that starts innocently enough with Tintin finding a returning a man's briefcase. By the end of it, Tintin is trying to keep a revolution from deposing a king of an Eastern European country. This one is high adventure with almost everyone Tintin meets a threat as they turn out to be in on the plot. Definitely my favorite of the three.

I'll have to pick up the remaining Tintin collected works soon. ( )

Tintin = a masterpiece for all ages. ( )

While The Black Island has to be one of the silliest Tintin stories, this volume is redeemed by the inclusion of King Ottokar's Sceptre, which is one of the best of the Tintin adventures.

That said, the art in The Black Island is wonderful in parts, especially the depictions of a lonely, abandoned castle on the Black Island itself. And then the gorilla enters the story and the whole thing goes downhill rapidly, but the story as a whole is not without it's merits.

The Broken Ear is mediocre at best, despite the charming and antiquated views of early twentieth-century revolutionaries in South America. A frothier brew of sombreros and ethnic stereotypes has rarely been seen outside of these pages.

But then we have King Ottokar's Sceptre, one of the best of the bunch. What I like about this sotry is both it's lovely (yet respectful) evocation of an Eastern European monarchy (remember those?) paired with a storyline that actually grants the Thompson twins a moment of dignity (among many other moments of slapstick tomfoolery) and even gives Bianca Castafiore a brief chance to shine. The central mystery of "how was the sceptre stolen?" provides an intriguing puzzle for Tintin to solve, and even Snowy gets a little extra time in the spotlight in this adventure. Overall, a true Tintin classic, and well worth the price of admission. ( )

Another collection of 3 books