Cover Image: The Adventure Zone: The Eleventh Hour SAMPLER

The Adventure Zone: The Eleventh Hour SAMPLER

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

It's just the beginning, but I've since read the whole thing and I love The Eleventh Hour. To be fair, it was one of my favorite arcs in the original podcast run also.

Was this review helpful?

This is a fantastic adaptation of the first section of the Eleventh Hour arc from The Adventure Zone podcast. The authors (who are the original podcasters) and the artist clearly love this series, and they are dedicated to taking the best parts of the Eleventh Hour storyline and updating more questionable elements from the podcast for the graphic novels so all readers feel more comfortable and included. All in all, this is a wonderful sampler, and I'm looking forward to the full graphic novel!

Was this review helpful?

The Eleventh Hour captures the joy of listening to TAZ while also being accessible to those who haven't heard the podcast. The artist illustrates the time loop premise in a really fun and interesting way. The Eleventh Hour is the perfect way to enjoy the next chapter of the TAZ story. I can't wait for the next book and to see how the podcast is interpreted next.

Was this review helpful?

I love the Adventure Zone graphic novels, and the illustrations are top notch as usual. I highly recommend TAZ to lovers of dungeons and dragons, fantasy, comedy, and everything in between! Anything by the McElroys are gonna be a top choice for me and can't wait for the next book!!!

Was this review helpful?

This series does such a great job of threading the needle between staying true to the goofiness of the podcast while also tweaking the content as necessary for a different format.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

Was this review helpful?

Every book to come out of this series is better than the last, and perfectly captures the love I feel for the original podcast story. The illustrations are straight out of my own head and the style suits the subject matter so well, I often have to remind myself that it is a graphic novel and not a flowing and elaborate show.

Was this review helpful?

I had no idea this was a podcast, but this graphic novel certainly packed a punch. There's a large D&D movement on a rise and this lives up to the hype of it all.

Was this review helpful?

I've only known McElroys via Polygon and Dimension 20 but The Adventure Zone is so famous that I had high expectations for the comic. Even though it's a sampler, I very much enjoyed it. The art is really vibrant. I wish I had the context for all of it though.

Was this review helpful?

I am always so grateful for the opportunity to read these samplers and preview great new titles, especially since so many students are engaged with graphic novels. This helps me to plan my reading and even which titles I want to request from Netgalley. Thank you for making these previews available!

Was this review helpful?

I'm a longtime fan of both the podcast and the graphic novel series, but I hadn't realized the graphic novel for the 11th hour had come out. I'm really happy to have stumbled on this sampler on NetGalley! The quality of the graphic novel is as lovely as always, and I will definitely be getting the full version.

Was this review helpful?

As a longtime fan of The Adventure Zone, I loved this instalment of TAZ:Balance!

Carey Pietsch does an excellent job of showing the expressiveness of all of the characters, even Roswell, though they don't technically have a human face to be expressive with. I think they did a great job with pulling the most important beats from the podcast while still keeping in little moments of banter that show the character work everyone had been putting in.

Using a tapestry as a "previously on" is such a cute touch, especially considering Istus' introduction in this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the McElroys for an ARC sampler of this graphic novel in exchange for my thoughts on it!

Was this review helpful?

These books are like D&D meets classic novel remake. Great way to engage a new generation into reading. Great for kids with reading struggles too.

Was this review helpful?

This was a super fun novel and loved the artwork in it. I can't wait to get my own copy of the book and showcase it. This was done very well and the writing was fun and easy to understand!

Thank you the publisher, Netgalley, and authors who allowed me to read this sample!

Was this review helpful?

Humorous and enjoyable for fans of the show and newcomers alike. The narrative has been streamlined from the show in a way that adapts well for the medium. I always appreciate the overlay of (often silly) character information when we see someone for the first time in the novel. This, along with Griffin's little pop-ups, are probably my favorite part. Given this is the fifth installment, I also appreciated the recap at the beginning, done in a weaving style reminscent of the Fates. Super cute and helpful.

In general, recommended if you love fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously while still having a compelling plot and characters with their own strong personalities.

Was this review helpful?

I will always consume absolutely anything the McElroy's put out, so this was an easy one for me. Bought this the day it came out, and the preview in this galley just made me even more excited. The art by Pietsch evokes all the emotions I can hear in my head from the podcast version of these stories! Please don't make me wait years for the next one!

Was this review helpful?

I'm a loyal fan of the original podcast and I've read all of The Adventure Zone books, and The Eleventh Hour does not disappoint!

Pietsch's artwork remains spectacular, and I'm especially fond of the emotive expressions we get to see in this volume! Taako's expressions are particularly great, but I also love Angus' and the rest of the gang's!

I also LOVE the designs this volume gave us for June, Jack, Roswell, and Cassidy. They all look exactly how I pictured them when listening to the podcast! My favorite character from this arc is Ren, who we sadly don't get to see in the ARC sampler, so I'm looking forward to getting the full book and seeing her design!

My favorite thing about this volume is the prologue, which is entirely original! We didn't get this in the podcast (for spoiler reasons), but it flows PERFECTLY with the novel, and it's actually a huge improvement over the podcast's pacing in my opinion. I also love the way Pietsch designed the Red Robe to make them expressive and likable without actually giving away their identity.

Overall, this is a great installment in The Adventure Zone series. It's sure to please fans of the original podcast and non-listeners alike!

Was this review helpful?

The McElroy family is the absolute best! They're endlessly funny and creative and this shines through so much in The Adventure Zone series. The graphic novels have done such a fantastic job of adapting the story created on the podcast of the same name and Carey Pietsch plays a huge role in this, as well. Her artwork captures the vibe of the story so perfectly and really brings the beloved characters to life. The Eleventh Hour is a fantastic entry in the series, containing all the humor, hijinks, and heart that I expect from The Adventure Zone. I highly recommend this story to readers of all tastes, from those who are D&D and/or fantasy fans to those who enjoy funny stories or stories containing found families.

Was this review helpful?

The Adventure Zone: Eleventh Hour is an incredible addition to the TAZ: Balance Graphic Novel series. Our resident Tres Horny Boys are after yet another relic, this time in a town called Refuge. The town is cut off from the rest of the world, and trapped under a bubble. The boys quickly find out that not only is the town separated from the outside world, it has been reliving the same, eleventh hour, over and over again. They are met with challenges, both physical and mental, as well as having to face their biggest, and hardest, decision yet. Would you go back and rewrite your worst day?
As an avid listener, and longtime fan of the podcast, I have been looking forward to this novel for quite some time. It is so exciting to get to relive my favorite scenes again, as if for the first time, as well as having the knowledge that for some people, this is their first time. The balance between the foreshadowing and hints for what is to come alongside the revelations of the characters pasts and how they deal with the consequences of their actions already taken are breathtaking. I am already on my toes waiting for the 6th novel, and until then will fill my time relistening to the original campaign.

Was this review helpful?

I have preordered this book. I only wish that this preview was visable for me. I understand the limitations of this world to make things available to the differently abled, but I would think better of this company

Was this review helpful?