Asterix the Gaul

Rene Goscinny

The very first book in the Asterix series, Asterix the Gaul basically serves the purpose of introducing the various characters and setting up what would be, in essence, the plotline that the next thirty-two books have for the most part slavishly followed: there are Romans. The Romans want to capture the Gaulish village. They can't, because the Gauls are invincible. They come up with a plan and attempt to implement it. Asterix and Obelix foil the plan (normally through no fault of their own), and the Gauls celebrate once more.

It's fun stuff, if you remember them from your childhood, and the new Orion editions are very nicely printed; if you've never done the Asterix thing before, however, depending on your age, you may want to skip it. It does get repetitive, and the jokes are mostly puns.