ASTERIX AND THE ACTRESS By R.Goscinny and A. Uderzo, Orion, £ 5.25 Not so long ago, comic books carried on them a kind of stigma. It was supposed to kill the imagination of young readers and teach them slang. Even if one finds such statements to be bordering on the absurd, it has to be admitted that the picture stories that went by the name westerns or love comics were hugely entertaining but not particularly edifying. Reading them was a lazy mind's perfect pastime, made exciting by the taboo attached to them. Things changed when the Gauls, Asterix and his friend, Obelix, appeared on the scene sometime in the Seventies. It was evident from the text and the pictures of Uderzo and Goscinny that the adventures of Asterix and his friends had no similarities with what went by the name of comics. The similarity ended with the fact that both varieties told a story through words and pictures. The adventures of Asterix broke the age barrier in reading. Children and adults competed to read about the little village in Gaul and its inhabitants who held out against Julius Caesar. The arrival of a new Asterix is thus a source of unalloyed joy. When Goscinny died, it was assumed that the indomitable Gauls had had their last bash and pax Romana prevailed in Gaul. But Asterix watchers can rejoice again. The title page carries the name of both Goscinny and Uderzo but the small print tells readers that this one is written and illustrated by Uderzo. There are moments in the text when Goscinny's presence is somewhat missed but that shouldn't be a cause of complaint for a gift worthy of old Julius himself. The familiar figures are all here with their idiosyncrasies. Obelix is still not allowed to have the magic potion and he still grumbles about it. He is still shy and retiring, especially in the company of pretty women. Getafix is still brewing potions that have amazing effects. (He says here, 'I may have invented a potion which gives people superhuman strength and another which turns them into granite and makes them revert to childhood. But do you expect me to work miracles?'). There are contemporary resonances which the attentive reader will enjoy. There are good puns and plenty of Roman bashing. There is a happy ending, of course, in the village we know so well, there is a banquet and Cacofonix, the poor bard is, as usual, tied up. There are some surprises which need not be revealed in a review. One of the great sources of joy in Asterix has been the names of some of the side characters. Who can forget the British chief Mykingdomforanos or the Romans with names like Raucushallelujachorus. The new adventure has its share of unforgettable proper names. There is a prefect called Bogus Genius and an alcoholic Roman soldier called Tremensdelirius. A cart driver up to no good is named Fastandfurious. One slip up. Obelix & Co saw the village celebrating Obelix's birthday. We weren't told then that he shares his birthday with his dearest and lifelong friend. But this is amply made up by Obelix's comment on their joint birthday: 'I got in first by a few minutes. I carried more weight.' Who else but the most lovable of characters could say such a thing?