Asterix and the White Iris Review (Fabcaro, Didier Conrad)

With Caesar’s legions demoralised from losing constantly to the Armorican village that perpetually resists them, his head physician, Viceversus, decides to spread his gospel of positive thinking to the region to both boost the troops’ mindset and sow dissent among the small Gaulish village. But not if Asterix and Obelix have anything to say about it!

40 volumes in and I don’t really expect to be all that wowed by Asterix anymore, especially as the original creative team have both passed away having done their best work years ago. But it’s nice to check out the occasional new book if only out of nostalgia. Writer Fabrice Caro (or “Fabcaro” as he goes by - one thing I’ve noticed about French comics creators, they love their one-word names!) and artist Didier Conrad do a solid impression of a classic Asterix book but The White Iris is unfortunately a bit of a boar.

It feels like the creative team are hamstrung from wandering too far from what they can do with an Asterix book, to the point where it just feels like they’re checking boxes off a list and producing a lifeless, uninteresting facsimile. Pirates cameo, Cacofonix tied to a tree, Asterix and Obelix fighting roman legions, boar hunting, Unhygienix and Fulliautomatix screaming at each other, references to modern day things (high speed rail, scooters) - check, check, check, etc.

Even the story feels similar to what’s gone before. The sneaky romans trying to destabilise the Gaulish village is the storyline to The Roman Agent and Obelix and Co. while a charming crook who sways the villagers - but not Asterix - is like The Soothsayer.

By Belenos and Toutatis (check and check), it’s impressive how identical Conrad’s art is to Albert Uderzo’s and the book delivers on the nostalgia from the visuals alone! The story had moments of amusement, mainly from Obelix: Vitalstatistix getting depressed and he and Obelix locking horns; Obelix being unimpressed by sophisticated Lutetian (Parisian) cuisine; and Obelix getting stage fright when he invades a theatrical performance.

The White Iris is recognisably an Asterix book but, in the same way of The Simpsons, it feels like a zombie version of what it once was; the series died years ago but it chugs on because it continues to make money. A weak addition to the series, I’d recommend the earlier volumes mentioned above over this one to new Asterix readers, and old fans, don’t expect much from The White Iris if you’re planning on checking this out.