Tintin - the Indestructible Loner

Having never read Tintin before this, I found that Tintin really embodied that obnoxious phrase that you probably heard all the time growing up: “teenagers think they are invincible”. Tintin, a 15-year old boy, is involved in more dangerous activities than most adults will ever face. And he’s never actually in any danger. Even when legitimately injured, there’s a sense that nothing was ever wrong. In the last few panels on page 6 (Tintin in America), Tintin is involved in a serious car crash and is rushed to the hospital. On page 7, he exits the hospital “some days later” as if nothing had occurred, and we jump right back into his adventures, with him being beaten up just four panels later. This of course isn’t the norm - he is generally able to escape from any harm, even in scenarios that seem unnecessarily grim, like when he is sentenced to death by shooting squad in Cigars of the Pharaoh (pg 94). He appeals to children while also occupying the position of what a much older person - he commands respect as a renowned reporter, being treated like an adult. On page 51, the police simply let him out of jail after discovering his identity, even apologizing for keeping him held up for so long. In this way, he is able to do pretty much whatever he wants. While he certainly never abuses this power, I found it odd that such a young boy is allowed such free rein - no figures of authority seem to exist in his life (no parents or guardians are even mentioned). Despite this solidarity, Tintin seems content to jump from mystery to mystery with only Snowy as a companion. He does get along with the people he meets very well, quickly finding people willing to help him in any way they can. Regardless of this, he always seems to end up solving most of the mysteries he encounters on his own. The classic loner hero with a pet best friend to keep him company.