Enjoyable - Rated 
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.
It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.
Nothing to see here - Rated
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.
Great Reading material for your children.... - Rated 
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.
Good but not as good as the original - Rated
I recieved an original print of this book about two years ago. I wanted to complete my collection and to see want all the fuss was about. The views of Tintin about the local people are reflective of the time and shouldn't be taken seriously as anything other than a history lesson in views caused by propaganda and ignorance. The storyline is fine - not one of Herge's best but it carries well enough. The original 1930's artwork is technically worse but much more amusing. However this newer version is nearly as good and provides an ideal finish to anyone's collection. Lots of slapstick for younger children (just inform them in some way about the "rascist" idea's beforehand). For a mature reader it has intersting historical and social views in it that reflect the time superbly. It is also Herge and therfore worth every penny.
Provokes Thought Rather Than Outrage - Rated
The Tintin series starts and ends with different types of weakness. At the end of Herge's career the books are visually elaborate but lack the visual spontaneity that makes Herge's greatest albums so loved; on the other hand, at the beginning they are masterpieces of the comic-book serial form, but they are weaker in terms of plot. Until recently, the earliest of the adventures to be commonly available was Tintin In America, so there was a lot of interest among fans when first Tintin In The Land Of The Soviets and then Tintin In The Congo were republished.
Given the fall of Communism, the right-wing orientation of In The Land Of The Soviets attracts very little criticism now. In The Congo, however, plays on some readers' sensitivity to issues of colonialism, racism and animal welfare. To my mind, condemning this book on the third count is like saying that Jerry should be kinder to Tom. There is some merit to the accusation, though, that this book promotes ideas of colonial paternalism: the Congolese are treated sympathetically, but very much as gullible children. Also, they are drawn with curly hair and thick lips, which might itself be considered offensive in a comic strip drawn today.
Any responsible parent will want to flick through this book before handing it, or reading it, to his or her child, but while there are things here that should probably be explained by reference to their historical context, there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous. Tintin does not mistreat the natives, and Herge's concern regarding the exploitation of indigenous peoples is clear from his depiction of Native Americans in Tintin In America (the next of the adventures to be published). Indeed, the book could play a valuable part in educating a child about how our views about Imperialism changed in the latter half of the Twentieth Century, but that lesson can only be taught to a child old enough to understand it.
This, then, is a secure purchase for those who enjoy Tintin. It's isn't a great entry point to the series: the best books for that are probably still The Crab With The Golden Claws and The Blue Lotus. Nevertheless, it is more than a historical curiosity.
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