Book excerpt: First, Asterix and Obelix and their tone-deaf bard Cacofonix attempt to bring rain to a far-off Eastern Kingdom in “Asterix and the Magic Carpet.” Asterix and Julius Caesar race head-to-head to implement their “Secret Weapon” to their forces and advance into a new age. Their futures are female. And finally, Obelix gets his hands on the magic potion and flees the village. Can the King of Atlantis help? Find out in “Asterix and Obelix All at Sea.” Plus: a new Asterix Afterword by Alexander Simmons, providing historical and cultural context, both in 50 B.C. and in the time the classic comics were created.