Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Genre: European Comics / Adventure / Political Satire / Classic Graphic Novel

Book Review:
''Tintin and the Picaros'' is the twenty-third adventure in the Tintin series, first published in 1975. This is the last complete Tintin book that Hergé finished before his death in 1983.

The story returns to the fictional South American country of San Theodoros, first seen in ''The Broken Ear.'' General Alcazar, Tintin's old friend, has been overthrown by his rival General Tapioca. Alcazar is now a prisoner, and his wife Bianca Castafiore (the famous opera singer) threatens to have Haddock arrested unless Tintin helps.

What makes this book different is its mature, cynical tone. Hergé was older and questioning whether political revolutions actually change anything. The Picaros (Alcazar's rebels) simply replace one corrupt regime with another. Tintin wears a garish carnival costume for most of the book – a symbol of how ridiculous the situation has become. Captain Haddock struggles with his drinking, and for the first and only time, Tintin drinks alcohol too. Not the best Tintin adventure, but a fascinating and mature final work from a master storyteller.