Tintin in the Land of the Soviets Review

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: In Tintin's first adventure, he is sent to the Soviet Union to expose their Marxist regime.

My Thoughts: This first volume definitely suffers from early installment weirdness with its less-than-stellar crude art, simplistic gag-driven plot, and propagandistic stereotyping of the former Soviet Union which was mostly mirroring the popular views of his time and the conservative Catholic newspaper he serialized the first three Tintin books in, Le Vingtième Siècle, before Casterman picked it up. It also came before any of the memorable characters we remember the series for (besides the titular lead and Snowy) were introduced such as Captain Haddock, Thomson and Thompson, Nestor, etc. Furthermore, Tintin was more of a stealthy wisecracker similar to Bugs Bunny or Woody Woodpecker who would wreak havoc and outsmart his foes by wit or sheer luck. That being said, I still was very much entertained by the numerous slapstick jokes and quick-witted one-liners which dominated most of the book and even found myself laughing out loud at some of them.

Final Thoughts: While I would suggest first-time readers checking out Tintin in America or Cigars of the Pharaoh in lieu of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, I still would recommend this beginning entry to casual or hardcore Tintinologists as a historical reference and as a light-read.