One of the best 15

Released initially in 1937 (black & white) and then redone in color in 1943, The Broken Ear is with The Blue Lotus and The Calculus Affair (and Tintin Au Pays Des Soviets), the most politicized album the whole Tintin series. If passing overwhelmingly to San Theodoros, a small country in South America imagination, the album showcases for the first time General Alcazar, and also discovers two other characters who will return in Tintin And The Picaros: the Ridgewell explorer and General Tapioca (the latter does not appear physically, that hearing we do about him). The Chaco War, which in the 30s, pitted Bolivia and Paraguay, is here implicitly evoked through war that the San Theodoros and Nuevo Rico are, because of oil. Other allusions, especially in the original version, are present.

Conciliatory wonderfully humor, twists and action, The Broken Ear, superbly designed (unlike previous, no box here has really been redone, it has just been colorized, mainly) and writes, is one of the jewels of Tintin, one of the best volumes of the series, and just one of my favorites, including one of my albums of comics in general (all styles, authors, series, ages, nationalities combined) Preferred in the world. A true wonder rich in detail and humor, to read without moderation!