Herge famously started work on this comic before the war and was using it to attack imperialism again – notably the presence of the British in Palestine, with the Irgun featured. War intervened and in coming back to it later Herge rewrote the story so it was set in a fictitious Arab country. (This long gestation period explains why Haddock is hardly in the story at all).All that aside this is a real first-rate Tintin – the basic idea (mysterious explosions to oil disputing the world economy) is excellent, the pacing superb, the villain (Col Muller) is worthy adversary (dangerous, smart and ruthless), the Thomson Twins have never been better particularly facing mirages (Tintinologists have pointed out this was a wonderful last hurrah for them as main supporting actors – the role of bumbling sidekick was soon hogged by Haddock), the Arab settings are wonderful and most of all there is Abdullah, the brattish prince whose antics make for a hilarious and thrilling final chase sequence, one of the best in the whole series.
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