Les Aventures De Tintin – On A Marché Sur La Lune – The Adventures Of Tintin – Explorers On The Moon – First Edition – 1954

Author: Hergé
Price: £300.00
Publisher: Casterman
Publication date: 1954
Format: Original cloth-backed boards with pictorial endpapers
Condition: Very good plus
Pages: 62
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout in colour by the author

Description:

Casterman Tournai Paris, 1954. Printed in Belgium. First edition. Dated 1954 to the copyright page. Original cloth-backed boards. Red spine. Pictorial blue endpapers. Pp. 62. Illustrated throughout in colour by the author. Binding with minor rubbing and creasing to the spine and edges of the boards. Slight age toning to the pages as usual. A very good plus copy. Scarce.

On A Marché Sur La Lune: A Brief Summary

On a marché sur la Lune opens immediately after the events of Objectif Lune. The lunar rocket, developed under the direction of Professor Cuthbert Calculus, has successfully launched from the secret research centre in Syldavia and is now travelling through space towards the Moon.

On board are Tintin, Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, Frank Wolff (Calculus’s assistant), and the reluctant stowaways Detectives Thomson and Thompson, whose presence threatens the mission’s safety by increasing the demand on oxygen and supplies.

Life in space

The early part of the story focuses on the realities of space travel. Weightlessness causes confusion, accidents, and moments of wonder. Objects float, movement becomes disorienting, and even simple tasks require concentration.

Tension arises when it becomes clear that oxygen reserves may be insufficient to support everyone until the return journey. The mission, once a triumph of planning and science, becomes a matter of survival and discipline.

Landing on the Moon

The rocket successfully lands on the Moon, marking a historic achievement. Tintin becomes the first human to walk on the lunar surface, an act presented without triumphalism. The moment is quiet, austere, and emotionally restrained.

The lunar environment is depicted as hostile and alien:

• Extreme silence
• Reduced gravity
• Lethal exposure without protective suits

Exploration is cautious and methodical, reflecting the seriousness of the scientific endeavour.

Exploration and discovery

The team conducts experiments, collects samples, and explores the lunar landscape. Captain Haddock struggles with the Moon’s low gravity, leading to moments of humour that contrast with the underlying danger.

Evidence of water ice and unusual rock formations fuels scientific excitement, but the mission remains constrained by limited time and resources.

Sabotage and betrayal

The narrative darkens when it is revealed that Frank Wolff is not merely a loyal assistant. He is being coerced by foreign agents who seek to steal the rocket and its technology. Wolff’s actions sabotage the mission at a critical moment, causing loss of control and endangering the crew.

However, Wolff is not portrayed as a simple villain. His betrayal is driven by fear and blackmail rather than ideology or greed.

Crisis and sacrifice

As the rocket begins to drift off course and oxygen levels fall dangerously low, the crew faces imminent death. In a moment of moral clarity, Frank Wolff redeems himself.

He secretly opens the airlock and sacrifices his own life by stepping into space, reducing oxygen consumption and allowing the others a chance to survive. His death is quiet, unseen, and deeply affecting.

Return to Earth

With control restored, the rocket begins its return journey. The crew, shaken and exhausted, makes it back to Earth safely.

There is no public celebration. Wolff’s sacrifice remains largely unacknowledged by the outside world, and the mission’s success is tinged with grief and reflection.

Narrative significance

On a marché sur la Lune is one of the most mature and serious albums in the Tintin series. It stands out for:

• Its realistic treatment of space travel
• Sustained psychological tension
• Ethical complexity and genuine loss

Unlike many adventures, the central conflict is internal as much as external: fear, responsibility, and moral choice.

Thematic overview

Key themes include:

• Human vulnerability in the face of the unknown
• Scientific ambition tempered by ethical responsibility
• Sacrifice and redemption
• Quiet heroism without recognition

The Moon is not a place of conquest, but a mirror reflecting human limits.

Concluding assessment

On a marché sur la Lune represents the height of Hergé’s narrative maturity. It combines technical imagination with emotional restraint, producing a story that feels sober, humane, and enduring. The album rejects triumphalist narratives of exploration, instead presenting progress as fragile, costly, and dependent on moral courage.

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Cataloguer: Daniel Hornsey

Daniel Hornsey has specialised in fine and rare books, ephemera, and collectors’ editions for over thirty years. As a long-standing member of the antiquarian book trade, he has advised private collectors, curated catalogues, and sourced works for leading dealers, libraries and institutions across the world.

Hornseys’ exhibit regularly at book and map fairs in London and throughout the UK and are members of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, the PBFA.

His fascination with Hergé’s work — especially ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ — began in childhood. Daniel recalls reading Tintin in original European editions and quickly recognising that these were not merely children’s books, but finely illustrated narratives crafted with artistic depth and wit.

As noted by the Musée Hergé in Louvain-la-Neuve, Hergé’s ‘ligne claire’ style has influenced generations of European comic artists and his original drawings and paintings command very high prices with his painting of ‘The Blue Lotus’ jar fetching £2.8m at auction in 2021.

By presenting these works through Hornseys’, he hopes to contribute to the continued appreciation of one of the 20th century’s most influential illustrators, helping new generations discover the artistry and legacy of Hergé.