Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier described "The Broken Ear" as "a "Blue Lotus"-lite", noting that it shared many elements with the previous "Adventure", although they also considered it to be "more reminiscent of the earlier, more caricatured books" like "Tintin in the Congo" and "Tintin in America" with the inclusion of comical natives and absurdist elements like "comical bombs". They nevertheless thought that it exhibited a "marked improvement" in Hergé's use of plotting, noting that the story was clearly structured, praising the "very effective, dramatic story, with plenty of twists". Overall, they awarded "The Broken Ear" two stars out of five. Harry Thompson felt that "The Broken Ear" had a "slightly lacklustre quality" to it, and was "disappointing" due to the fact that the "various elements don't gel well together". He believed that the artistic quality and the use of research deteriorated as the "Adventure" progressed, although it had "the most complex plot yet, by a long way". Philippe Goddin asserted that in the story, Tintin develops from a "classic reporter to an investigative journalist."