This book does an incredible job of storytelling. Even though it was adapted from a dungeons and dragons podcast, it holds up as a standalone read. While of course we miss out on some goofs or minor details, given the medium and its length, I truly believe it takes the most important parts and makes them even better. It keeps the heart of The Adventure Zone, seamlessly integrating the McElroys' humor into the dramatics of it all. Each omission or rearrangement places emphasis on what remains, creating a lot of important moments for the characters that foreshadow themes that will resurface later.

Though the exact narration might not be there through words, it shows through even more vividly in the composition of the panels, the color schemes of each page, or the intricacies of Pietsch's designs. This novel only builds on the strengths of the previous four in the series, and brings the characters and settings to life in a fun and interesting way-- not to mention a beautiful one! I truly believe that this book is going to be an all-time favorites for years to come. I cannot wait to get this in print.

I can't wait until February so that I can finish this book.

I'm a huge fan of The Adventure Zone podcast, especially the first Balance campaign, and the Eleventh Hour is one of my favorite arcs. I was curious to see how this would translate into a graphic novel and, so far, I'm not disappointed.

Clint and Carey managed to capture Cassidy's wonderfully chaotic energy, and I love the way they chose to represent Roswell, the bird/golem mashup.

As a solid fan of The Adventure Zone, both the podcast and the comics, I'm so excited for this next installment in the series (and my personal favorite story arc). The animation is top-tier and the McElroy family has captured the attitude of the podcast while adding fun new details to the story. I can't wait for the full comic, which I've already pre-ordered!

As a fan of the original podcast and the previous four volumes, I am thrilled to get to read what I consider to be my favorite arc of TAZ Balance.

This is the fifth in the series and easily the best one yet. The art by Carey Pietsch stands out as incredibly rich in detail while staying easy for the eyes to read. Absolutely stunning! The humor from the podcast is translated perfectly, retaining the original voice while adapting and making excellent use of medium of comics.
The 11th hour was my favourite arc of the Adventure Zone so I’m glad it’s being done justice. So for I’ve just read the first 90 pages sample so I’ll update this when I’ve read the whole thing. Looking forward to the full release 02/21/2023

the "samplers" are out, so this is a partial-book review!! YEAH!!

Once again Carey Pietsch comes in strong with the fantastic art (The outfits are - *chefs kiss* as the kids meme - so good!) and delightful page layouts. The story kicks off to an excellent start, and sadly the sampler ends too soon
can't wait when the full book is out to really get into it

As a huge fan of the original podcast, I have been continually impressed by the graphic novels created by the McErloys and Carey Pietsch, and this sampler from the upcoming 5th installment is no exception! I love how the story is being weaved together, including the important parts of the podcast while making a clear story a newcomer can follow. The art by Pietsch is amazing, and I especially love her color work! It brings the story to life, and every panel is packed with detail. I am excited to see how the rest of the arc will go, and what lies in store for future installments.

Coming to the graphic novels as a fan of the podcast, it’s a special experience. Getting to live the story again through a visual medium is quite a treat. Carey’s art brings such life to the story, and seeing all of the McElroy’s comedy being brought to a market where more people are able to enjoy it is amazing! The eleventh hour is such a moving part of the story. The trial and error and time change nature of this arc create such intrigue for what will come next. I love how they still include Griffin DMing as a part of the narrative, where he feels like another character rather than thrusting him in there with no meaning. It keeps the nature of the story intact. I can’t wait to read the rest!

As a sampler, this made me even more excited to purchase and read the 5th installment of The Adventure Zone. This story is past where I've listened to in the podcast so I'm even more interested to catch up there as well. I still really love the humor and the balance between the fantasy adventure and the playing D&D aspect of the comic. The art is fantastic and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Loved the preview, and am excited to get to read the rest of the book! The art is stellar already, and I love the slight updates to the story that they've made so far.

I am a huge fan of The Adventure Zone podcast and of this series! The sampler of this volume does not disappoint! I'm so excited to read the whole thing when it comes out!

Love the sampler so far! Am a huge fan of the podcast so it’s great to see everything come alive on the page—especially now that the major story bears are coming into play. Magnus and the music! Taako and the umbrella!

I am such a fan of The Adventure Zone graphic novels and love the taste I got of this one! This was a great arc in the podcast story and I can't wait to see it play out on paper. Bound to be another success.

Fun, engaging, and true to the original story! Super excited to see the rest of it. Pietsch's art captures the McElroy's storytelling wonderfully.

I will be the first one to tell you that I am not the type of person who will play Dungeons and Dragons, but I am absolutely enamored with the Adventure Zone. I eagerly await each new volume and am thrilled an honored to have had the chance to read this sampler. I love Magnus, Merle, and Taako so much. This new volume sends them into a new adventure that has me turning the pages and on the edge of my seat! I can't wait for the full volume soon!

A humorous and well-paced read with many laugh out loud moments. Eagerly awaiting the conclusion in the final published version.

A great adaptation of the original podcast with fun little twists to keep even the most diehard fans on their toes. The McElroys and Pietsch continue to impress and I look forward to seeing what the rest of the book looks like when it's released!

I'm a huge TAZ fan, and have loved all of the graphic novel adaptations. It is truly so impressive how Carey Pietsch has been able to translate the podcast into comic form!

The Eleventh Hour is one of the more complicated arcs of the show, so I was really curious on how they would showcase that on the page--and this sampler made me even more excited to read the rest.

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

I’ve been following this series from the very first GN. I’ve even started the podcast. This one started a little off like I was missing something. But the sample was good nonetheless. I can’t wait to read the full story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the sampler ahead of time!

I’ve been a big fan of the podcast and the preceding Graphic Novel adaptions of it. And after reading the sampler, I can say that this is another brilliant addition to the series. The art is as clever as always, the writing is stellar and humorous, and plot points constructed for the podcast are woven in differently that make it shine just as it was told over the spoken word. I look forward to another tale with the Tres Horny Boys on one of their best adventures yet