My review, as posted in Tintin Books

Unfortunately, due to the circumstances of Nazi-occupied Belgium, constraints forced "The Crab with the Golden Claws" to fall back a bit, after the heights reached by King Ottokar’s Sceptre. (As someone who stayed in Belgium after the start of World War II (at the call of the Belgian King Leopold's call for people to return), Herge was setting himself up for controversy. He never sympathised with Nazis, but "Le Soir" itself was staffed by collaborators and it would be a black mark. His friend and editor Raymond De Becker resigned under Nazi oppression. But in the short term, "Le Soir" was a boon for Tintin as it heightened Herge's readership considerably.)

There is a lot to appreciate: Herge's artistry was continually improving, particularly so now that he was aware of the colour endgame that would result from each adventure. Particularly notable are the full-page drawings added to the final version.

Of course, one of the story's biggest contributions to the series was the introduction of Captain Haddock, an expletive-spewing but loveable alcoholic who would become Tintin's closest human friend. The Captain was a hit with both readers and the author himself, and would remain a presence until the series' end some forty years later. Captain Haddock has perhaps the best introduction of any character throughout the series. He is a weak, broken alcoholic who initially distrusts Tintin, going so far as to assault him in mid-flight! His gradual growth toward beloved character is noteworthy and clever. (Even now, upon re-reading, it's jarring to think that this drunk man in the ship's hold will become our second hero!)

While the depiction of the Sahara, Morocco and the ocean is beautiful and vivid, the Arab cultures are less well-defined than those of Syldavia. And it must be said that things take a while to get going. The opening pages are enjoyable to read, but give no sign of the overarching plot that never really materialises.

Herge has certainly come a long way from the days of "chase-capture-escape-chase" that prevailed in Tintin in America, and this is evident in his characters, and in the appearance of a driving plot. But at heart, there are really several set-pieces here. It's not bad, but Herge was stuck writing something less political than he was used to, and sadly it forced his writing style back a stage or two. Not a mis-step, but certainly a pause in proceedings. ( )

Cute and fun read about a young detective.

I found a few characters to be a bit annoying but overall I enjoyed the read. ( )

This was my first excursion into the world of Tintin and Snowy but it won't be my last! Hergé's artwork was excellent and the colors vivid; the Open Library's digital edition was essentially created by combining digital photographs of the 1974 Little, Brown edition (translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner). The story was the perfect blend of adventure and humor for both children and adults. ( )

Siguiendo la pista de una misteriosa lata de cangrejo, Tintín acaba prisionero en un barco de una banda de traficantes de opio… En este álbum aparecerá por primera vez el que será su gran amigo, el Capitán Haddock.

Redescubre esta mítica aventura del reportero más famoso de todos los tiempos donde conoce por primera vez con quien será su compañero de batallas para siempre.

Esta edición especial contiene la historia de El cangrejo de las pinzas de oro y ocho páginas adicionales con información sobre la creación del álbum. Destaca por su formato más grande, también en tapa dura y una nueva ilustración de cubierta. Un regalo imprescindible para los fans de uno de los personajes más icónicos del mundo del còmic.
¡Larga vida al capitán Haddock!

Wieder einmal bin ich bei einem der schwächeren und problematischeren Bände der Comic-Reihe gelandet: Tim ist auf der Spur einer Bande von Opium-Schmugglern und bereist zu Lande, zur See und in der Luft auch wieder - für die Entstehungszeit - “exotische” Orte wie Marokko, wo “die Wilden” geschmäht und von den französischen Kolonialherren “großmütig” geführt werden…

Rassistische und kolonialistische Klischees gibt es hier insofern - mal wieder - zuhauf. Bis hin zum am Rande auftretenden japanischen Detektiv, der einer bewußt rassistischen Karikatur entsprungen sein könnte.

Auch hier ist Hergé Kind seiner Zeit: Sein Land, Belgien, ist zur Entstehungszeit dieses Bandes (1940) von den Deutschen besetzt und obschon Hergé nicht kollaboriert, so wird er doch zumindest beeinflußt. Ganz zu schweigen davon, daß gerade auch Belgien eine üble Kolonialgeschichte hat.

Auch ansonsten ist die Geschichte für mich von nur geringem Interesse - allerdings, und das ist der einsame Höhepunkt dieses Bandes, taucht zum ersten Mal Kapitän Haddock auf, der Tim auf vielen weiteren Abenteuern zur Seite stehen und ihm manchmal auch die Schau stehlen wird.

Zwei von fünf Sternen.

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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam ( )