Asterix and Obelix's Birthday

The album begins with a preface where Uderzo replies to the critics of his solo work, especially for the previous album, Asterix and the Falling Sky. He also says The Golden Book is not a whole story, but a succession of short stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of the hero. This was the final volume produced by Uderzo before handing over the series to a new creative team.

• Title — Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book • Foreigntitle — L'Anniversaire d'Astérix et Obélix - Le Livre d'or • Series — Asterix • Writers — Albert Uderzo • Artists — Albert Uderzo • Origdate — October 2009 • Origlanguage — French • Previssue — Asterix and the Falling Sky • Nextissue — Asterix and the Picts

The story begins in the year 1 AD, fifty years after 50 BC, when all the other books are set. The characters are introduced, but aged fifty years. Some craftsmen, tradesmen or Gallic warriors already have children or grandchildren. Uderzo appears in the strip and has a joke at the Gauls' expense, leading Obelix to hit him. Uderzo then decides that aging the Gauls 50 years was not such a good idea. Back in 50 BC, in the same village in which the birthdays of Asterix and Obelix, which happen to be the same day, are celebrated. Asterix and Obelix receive letters from their friends (Panacea, the pirates, and Edifis among others). Obelix can't read Panacea's letter, so he gets an old alphabet book from Getafix. However, he is still unable to understand what the letter says until Asterix finally helps him. Obelix, in his anger, then throws the alphabet book at Getafix. Then Geriatrix, jealous of the two Gauls, criticizes them and makes a rather negative description using a Magnetic resonance imaging picture. At a great feast, many recurring or important characters of the adventures of Asterix, from all nationalities, appear. Each one of them offers his gift to the heroes (Ekonomikrisis offers a guide Coquelus, Cacofonix his sheet music, Valueaddedtax new magic potions...) They also make some proposals for the future (clothes changing, marriage, amusement park, theater, art visual, etc., which are shown to the Gauls). Finally, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar arrive. Caesar is initially reluctant to come to the birthday party. However, he yields to the wishes of his lady after she reminds him of the protection Asterix and Obelix gave to Caesarion (Asterix and Son). Nevertheless, Caesar, being a bad loser, decides to offer the Gauls a jar of wine laced with Ricin, entrusting the mission to a group of centurions. However, Getafix outsmarts the Romans by proposing a toast to Caesar's health and then secretly tossing the contents of his glass over his shoulder. The centurions drink with enthusiasm and are then plagued with severe gastrointestinal distress for the remainder of the story.