The Wicked Wiles of Iznogoud

Even if you didn't know this was written by René Goscinny who also wrote Asterix of course you would feel there is something very familiar about Iznogoud. Like Asterix it is a cleverly written comic rammed full of madcap adventures, satire and puns and clever word play in a world heavily based on Arabian Nights and similar legends. Unlike Asterix however Iznogoud is no hero.

Instead, and rather refreshingly, Iznogoud is a villain. As Grand Vizer he is endlessly scheming to remove the Caliph in the ancient Baghdad in which they both live and rule himself ("become Caliph instead of the Caliph"). Unfortunately for himself (but fortunately for the rather useless Caliph) he is too evil for his own good and often gets carried away with his schemes. Thus his cunning plans (which make Blackadder look like a beginner) always fail but that doesn't stop him trying again.

Reading Iznogoud made me laugh out loud several times, sometimes the puns and names are just have to be seen to be believed and score highly on the cheese and corn-ometer (once i'm sure there was something about the Kurds being "a-whey"). On occasion it does feel like too many puns are being crammed in and it does mess with the flow a bit, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing.

A minor niggle, its a very entertaining read.