“Tintin: The Complete Companion” opens with a short introduction on Herge before recounting the creation of each of the 24 cartoon adventures, beginning with the rather primitive “Tintin in the Land of the Soviets in 1929 and ending with “Tintin and Alph-Art”, left incomplete at Herge’s death in 1983. Farr identifies the background of each story, especially the meticulous research into person and place that produced such richly detailed art and plot.

Farr also notes the progression of the cartoon itself, as Herge masters his craft and his character. This progession includes the growth of Tintin’s unofficial family over time: his faithful dog Snowy, his seafaring friend Captain Haddock, the bumbling detectives Thompson and Thomson, and the hilariously deaf Professor Calculus. Farr documents the recurring characters, especially the villainous Rastapopoulus and his henchman Allan Thompson, but including the opera singer Castafiore.

Inevitably, when writing over such a huge swath of the 20th century, some storylines become archaic or politically incorrect. Farr documents the changes as stories were edited and redrawn when republished over the years. The improvements are generally for the good. The first three adventures featuring Tintin in the Soviet Union, the Congo, and 1930’s America contained the most stereotypes. Many later stories contain allusions to the Second World War or the Cold War that may be less apparent to the modern reader.

Behind the stories is Herge himself, who suffered the misfortune of living in twice-occupied Belgium, and of being the target of critics over the years for various real and imagined faults in the Tintin adventures. Nevertheless, the stories have held up well and continue to be popular among fans of all ages. “Tintin” The Complete Companion” is highly recommended to those fans.