 Jean @-@ Marc <unk> and Randy <unk> described the story as " a thinly @-@ disguised remake of Cigars of the Pharaoh " , an Adventure of Tintin which had been first serialised in 1934 . Both feature the smuggling of opium , in crab tins and cigars respectively , and " desert <unk> , hostile tribes and , at the end , the infiltrating of a secret underground lair . " They also opined that artistically , the story represented " a turning point in Hergé 's career " , because he had to switch to a daily format in Le Soir , although as a result of this they felt that the final third of the story " seems rushed " . <unk> that the inclusion of a Japanese detective investigating drug smuggling in the Mediterranean makes no sense within the context of 1940s Europe , they ultimately awarded the story three out of five stars . 
