Alix #3

L'ile Maudite really gets the Alix series off the rails. In terms of the development of the Alix series, it is clear that Martin was transitioning away from the earlier style of the first two adventures, but the writing is also still chock full of laughably untenable anachronisms like steam powered galleys and more gunpowder weapons. This time Alix is in Carthage although it was probably not as big as a metropolis at the time of Caesar, who rebuilt it to become a massive city, about the 4th biggest in the Empire. A local man of science is kidnapped and taken to the accursed isle in the title. The artwork is clearly attempting to be more in line with Herge's ligne claire style, and suffers for it, becoming very cartoony, flat and stiff. About halfway through, I fully expected Snowy or TIntin to run into the picture.The best thing to happen in this book is that (***SPOILER ALERT***) Arbaces is finally dispatched to Hades and no longer threatens this series with his pointlessness. It is only my knowledge that Alix gets much, much better interms of storytelling and artwork that made me press on with further titles. Another thing that would really help would be if these books were translated into English.