Explore the Magic of The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom, Part 4

Concha: Genuinely incredible! This one is my favorite so far.

The crystal kingdom act in the podcast is so long, there was no way they could realistically fit everything into the comic book so obviously some parts are missing but the final result they came up with is perfect. Some scenes feel rushed if you know how long they were originally, but in the comic it works great.

I found myself thinking at some point that if this had a different art style it would look terrifying. The thing with all the souls and the ghosts with the faces? Oof. But still, I prefer this style. Genuinely loved every page.

And I knew it was coming but I adored the queerness added to this arc. We got a treat already with Sloane and Hurley in pedals to the metal, but the new queer characters were chef’s kiss.

Oh and Magnus telling Kravitz “tell Julia I finished the chair” hits different now that I know who Julia is 🥺 I didn’t know when I heard the podcast.

Anyway, the more I listen and the more I read, the more excited I get about this. TAZ was never on my list of possible future obsessions but here we are.

United States on Oct 02, 2023

Va: Livro bom, mas a demora pra entregar me irritou

Brazil on Apr 21, 2023

Mom: What more can I say? Kid loved this series. Something to do with D&D...?

Singapore on Oct 21, 2022

Allison H: The cover of this book is deceiving, as I bought it for my 11 year old and it was not appropriate. Now, at age 13, I’m comfortable with him reading it and he really enjoys it. Make sure you check the content and language in the book before purchasing. It was written for older kids.

United States on Oct 17, 2022

Quinso: My teenage son couldn't wait to get his hands on this book, next in the series. Apparently we'll worth the wait, great price and fun read..👍👍

United Kingdom on Jun 13, 2022

PictoPirate: The Crystal Kingdom was the arc of the Adventure Zone that I was the least into, so I was a little worried coming into this that I'd be disappointed in the graphic novels for the first time. I needn't have been worried, though. While I still think this story is not as strong as previous instalments, everything else is present and correct; the outstanding art of Carey Pietsch, the snappy dialogue, great characters and even the cool fan art section at the back.

Fans of the show will love the little nods to them. While some things have understandably had to have been cut, the most fun moments have still made it through. Also, some excellent work has been fleshing out the budding romance between Taako and Kravitz, which is handled really well.

While people who never listened to the podcast might miss a few inside jokes, they will still be able to appreciate this for the wonderfully fun story that it is. So, once again, the team have hit it out of the park. I've already pre-ordered my copy of the next book, and I can't wait.

United Kingdom on Jan 04, 2022

Berns_Am: Si eres fan del podcast de The Adventure Zone este es una novela gráfica para ti! Esta es el cuarto episodio de The Adventure Zone: Balance en el que continúan las aventuras de Magnus, Taako y Merle.

Como siempre es una edición de buena calidad, la cual llegó súper rápido y en buen estado.

Mexico on Jan 02, 2022

ArmandotheCustomerArmandotheCustomer: I enjoyed The Adventure Zone podcast and was excited to buy the book versions when I heard they were a thing. If you’re thinking about purchasing the Crystal Kingdom book, then you’ve probably read the previous three books and are familiar with the art style and story. Still consistent in those two areas.

I mainly wanted to write this review so that I could attach pictures for the hardcover version. I was interested in the hardcover versions, but wasn’t sure how different they were from the paperback versions. The pictures show different sides of the book. The hardcover version is a bit taller and thicker than the paperback. I think the hardcover version is of nice quality and it looks really good. The hardcover has a dust jacket that has the same design as the paperback. Nothing different between the two when it comes to content. Hope the pictures help.

I’m enjoying these books a lot. Can’t wait for the next one.

United States on Jul 23, 2021

Josh Mauthe: If Petals to the Metal was the first truly great arc of The Adventure Zone: Balance, The Crystal Kingdom was in some ways the first truly important one – one that allowed Griffin to start laying groundwork for the bigger mysteries of the campaign and for the world-building that would pay off dozens and dozens of episodes down the line. It was a tight story of a falling space station that could “Ice-9” the planet, but one that also opened the gates to the world of the dead, introduced perhaps one of the most iconic NPCs, and delivered a lot of needed exposition in between all of the usual goofs and silliness.

In other words, adapting The Crystal Kingdom required a lot of work, and it’s notable just how good of a job that the McElroys and Carey Pietsch did here with turning this sprawling story into a cohesive, coherent graphic novel. More than any of the previous entries, The Crystal Kingdom gets adapted – entire sequences are removed or shuffled around, a key character interaction is entirely redone, and so much more, all risking the ire of die-hard fans who no doubt were wary of any changing of the podcast. And yet, every one of those changes is great, allowing...

United States on Jul 20, 2021

Tyrie J. Smith: No pressure, Carey (and the McElroys), but please make these faster!
After a year of waiting … and pre-ordering back in February … the fourth book of this amazing adventure is finally here. Just finished Crystal Kingdom and can’t wait to read it again. Really appreciate how this chapter in the arc was adapted, especially fond of how Carey Pietsch draws Noelle, and how she depicts the budding romance between Taako and Kravitz. But, the star of this show might just be our favorite Dragonborn … (also) Carey. Loved every scene she appears in. Really tremendous work all around and I look forward to seeing what marvelous gift I find in the mail next July <3

United States on Jul 14, 2021