Years after the demise of its creators, the adventures of Asterix and his rotund partner Obelix continue with their 39th graphic novel. 

In Asterix and the Griffin, the famous Gauls, created by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, meet the mythical Sarmatian people in modern-day Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It's fair to assume some of the druid Getafix's famous strength-giving magic potion will feature, too. 

Writer Jean-Yves Ferri and designer Didier Conrad have kept the series alive after the death of the creators. And Ferri said the new voyage follows the eponymous hero as he travels to help the "Barbarians ... a somewhat mythical people" defend themselves against the series' villains, the Roman Empire.

But the story isn't just a fun exploration of Europe's past – it has a modern message on the environment, too. 

"The Romans represent a little of the 'Western' attitude towards nature, the way of serving themselves. While the Sarmatians are presented as respectful of their nature, animals in particular. And the Gauls are a little between the two," Ferri explained. 

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But it's not a clean break from Asterix's history and the publisher Editions Albert-Rene (formed by Goscinny and Uderzo to keep control of their creation) said it was not a departure or a reimagining of the series. 

In fact, it was the final edition over which Uderzo could cast his eye. According to his daughter Sylvia, the illustrator was able to see the beginning of the script and Conrad's first sketches before his death in March 2020.