Tintin, the Belgian reporter, buys a model ship on a whim in a street market, which sets off a search for ancient treasure.

This is the first volume of a two-part adventure which, along with another one, make up the basis for the Steven Spielberg movie. The movie was my introduction to The Adventures of Tintin, and this is my introduction to the comic books.

As a comic, it's cute. If I had read this when I was a kid, I would've been intrigued by it. While Spielberg's take on it changed the story a fair bit and was heavily influenced by Raiders of the Lost Ark, this is more of a bumbling adventure. There is more humor than I had expected, but it's targeted more towards pre-teen readers. It doesn't really have the broad appeal of the movie.

However, reading this as an adult is much like watching a kids' cartoon: the basic plot can be enjoyed, but the execution is tedious. The most glaring example is the overt dialogue constantly explaining what's going on.

I think it's an okay way to pass an hour if there is absolutely nothing else to do, but I could read a very rewarding novel in the time it takes to read the entire series. I'll give it 2.5 stars, dividing it as 2 stars for volume 11 and 3 stars for volume 12. I may read others in the series if I have an hour lying around.