The Adventures of Tintin: The Blue Lotus: The Adventures of Tintin In the Orient Vol.2: 02 Paperback – 9 March 2007

Okay I guess I am the first one from India to write a comprehensive review on this book. I am a die hard Tintin fan and a collector of Hergé's work.Before beginning my review I would like to thank seller Atlantic Books and Publishers for delivering this book much before the ETA in pristine, plastic wrapped condition and to Amazon for their wonderful logistics support. This book is not available in India and hence it needs to be imported from the U.S. This is an original Editions Casterman publication, distributed by Last Gasp, US.This book is in black and white entirely, unlike the colored Egmont editions. Only a collector will understand it's true value since when these comic strips came out in Belgian newspapers in the late 1930's, they were in Black and White, later when they were redrawn and colored by Studiós Hergé, many panels were modified and the page numbers got crunched from 120 to 62. This book is a facsimile edition of the 1930's comic strip. Currently these books are out of print. The first 9 Tintin books produced were in Black and White originally. The book itself is quite well bound, sturdy, you will fall in love with it instantly. Herge really had a friend named Zhang who was an art student, he taught Herge about perspective drawings, Chinese calligraphy etc. When Herge wrote this book he honored his friend by creating a character named Tchang who assists Tintin in his mission of busting an international drug cartel whose roots are linked from India to China!Now if you suddenly stumble upon this story without reading Cigars of the Pharaoh, you might not be able to grasp whats happening actually. So I'd suggest you to read it first. I won't make this review longer with the blurb, other international reviewers have done that job already.So go for it if you love Tintin, I know it's costly, but these books are worth the money. Also once again this book is in Black and White!! So people searching a colored book look elsewhere.

Having grown up in the era of news paper comic strips such as Garth etc , always loved to imagine what Tintin comic strips in black and white would have looked like and this is the answer !!

For newbies, I advice they read Tintinss as well as Asterixs'. They will understand. Its an experience