Blek & Asterix – Two Comic Comebacks That Feel Like Childhood

Blek and Asterix are back. Two Greek-translated comics I grew up reading — one borrowed from a cousin, the other discovered by chance during a summer holiday. Different paths, same joy. So glad to read them again.

I’m so glad that these two comics have made a comeback. Blek is published by Μικρός Ήρως and Asterix by Μαμούθ Comix.

I don’t remember which of the two I read first, but Blek and Asterix were two comics I would read occasionally when I was a kid. Both were translated into Greek as ΜΠΛΕΚ and Αστερίξ.


Asterix

The very first time I read Asterix was when I was about 11. My cousin lent me all the issues that had been published up to then.

What a blast. The art was amazing and the stories were such humorous adventures. It was a sad day when my cousin — after repeatedly asking me to give the comics back — finally came over and picked them up herself. She had actually borrowed them from her best friend, who understandably wanted them back.


Blek

Blek was a comic I picked up by chance because I didn’t have anything else to read during my summer holiday at my dad’s village. It was an anthology of comics — I wasn’t that interested in Blek’s adventures, but I was amazed by several other comics featured in it, like Aria and The Leopard from Lime Street.


Why I Read Them Occasionally

The reason I read them only occasionally was simple: my pocket money wasn’t enough to buy all the comics that were coming out. Later, they stopped being published altogether.

So I’m happy that I can read them again now — as an adult who still feels as excited as a kid.

The Comic That Hooked Me – X-Men Issue #14

One comic changed everything. X-Men #14, translated into Greek by ΜΑΜΟΥΘ COMIX in 1987. Bigger format, stunning art, three stories. Magneto on the first page. I’ve never looked back.

The comic book that got me hooked on superhero comics was X-Men issue #14.

It was a Greek translation published by ΜΑΜΟΥΘ COMIX (Mamouth Comix) way back in 1987. It was so different from all the other comics I was reading at the time — the format was bigger, it had coloured pages, and it featured three superhero stories.

The stories were written almost a decade before I got the chance to read them, but they still felt so fresh. The art was stunning.

On the cover was the original artwork from New Mutants #4 — an amazing cover by Bob McLeod, featuring the whole team with horror on their faces as they tried to escape a collapsed building.

The first story was from The Uncanny X-Men, written by Chris Claremont and drawn by John Byrne. I vividly remember the first page: Magneto in a powerful, commanding stature.

I was hooked, inspired, and entertained — ever since

I still love reading it after all these years.