This was disappointing. If it wasn't for Idefix/Dogmatix (dogs always save the day), this would have gotten 2 stars or even less from me, something I didn't even consider possible.
I grew up with these comics, they've been a safe haven since childhood, and while I deem the previous books by the new team inferior to those from the Goscinny/Uderzo era, I did enjoy them quite a bit.
This one though? The jokes fell flat on their swollen noses, the female characters were awful (perhaps to excuse Asterix's condescending behaviour towards them? Ugh!), the cultural/historical references were forced, sometimes insulting, always bland. It was uninspired and lacks 'soul'.
I'm not giving up on the series, but I might - should the next one been just as lacklustre.

Artistically it's still top notch and a joy to look at but that just doesn't cut it.