Written by: Alain Jost, Thierry Culliford
Illustrations: Pascal Garray
Coloring: Nine Culliford
Publisher: Standaard Uitgeverij
De Smurfen #36 De Smurfen en de Paarse Bonen – Comic Book Review
While movies with the Smurfs in the lead seem to be quite popular still, there are also new adventures to be discovered in the form of simple, old-fashioned comic books. In their newest album, purple beans cause quite a change in the Smurfs’ village. Granted, it might sound quite strange, but just hear us out.
One morning in April, Papa Smurf comes home from a visit to his good friend, the wizard Omnibus. Last winter, the Smurfs almost suffered famine because of a disappointing harvest, due to months of draught, followed by months of rain. As Papa Smurf didn’t want to let it happen again, he went to Omnibus in search of a solution. The wizard gave him purple beans, which apparently grow in any weather condition, and quite rapidly too. It might be the perfect solution to be sure that there will be enough food for all Smurfs next winter. Now, Papa Smurf hands them to Farmer Smurf, so they can see if what Omnibus told him is actually true.
A month later, the first beans Farmer Smurf grew are already ready to be eaten. Papa Smurf is very pleased, and immediately asks Chef Smurf to make a good meal with it for all Smurfs. Despite the strange purple color of the beans, the Smurfs really like the taste. They like the beans so much that they soon hardly eat anything else anymore, but when Smurfette finds out that the beans are making them fat, she decides that it’s time to watch their diet, much to the dislike of the others.
The Smurfs simply don’t want to eat anything else any more than the purple beans of Omnibus, but unfortunately, they make them fat. There’s not much more to the story than that. While the story wasn’t bad, we did feel like it evolved quite slowly, which made it difficult to keep our attention. Nonetheless, the idea is nice, and some funny, typical one-liners made up for a lot.
We can’t really say much about the illustrations, as you will just be treated to fun illustrations of the little blue creatures, just like you would expect. What is quite a nice touch though, is how the Smurfs actually get more fat during the course of the album, and even have their trousers tailored, right above their little tail. It’s a funny sight that will undoubtedly make you smile.
Conclusion
De Smurfen #36 De Smurfen en de Paarse Bonen has an original subject, and if the storyline had had just a few more turns, it would have been a very fun album to read. As it is, it sometimes can become a bit dull as the tempo isn’t always there, but children will probably still love it anyway. If not the story, they will certainly love the illustrations.
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