Part one of Herge’s true Tintin epic, where the author became so confident he decided to send his characters to the moon… and what’s more he pulled it off. We never are quite told why the Syldavian government (a) has enough money for a space program and (b) is happy for Tintin, Haddock and Snowy to go to the moon instead of someone from their own country (presumably Calculus trusts them and Tintin would make a sensible adult – but the others are bound to cause trouble and they do).Herge treats the whole thing seriously and it works extremely well – though he does fall in love with his research at times resulting in some lumpy exposition. Haddock and the Thomsons bumble their way through the story, Calculus is offended by the word “goat” and has a magnificent tantrum, and there of course are baddies out to stop the mission. The launching is extremely tense. The piece has such ambition and sweep you forgive any of its flaws.
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