The Crystal Kingdom

The Adventure Zone Graphic Novels #4

by Clint McElroy, Carey Pietsch (Illustrator), Griffin McElroy

Based on the blockbuster podcast where the McElroy brothers and their dad play a tabletop RPG and illustrated by cartooning powerhouse Carey Pietsch, The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom takes this #1 New York Times bestselling series to haunting new heights.

A desperate call for help interrupts holiday celebrations at the Bureau of Balance, and sends Taako, Magnus and Merle on a high-stakes mission to find and Reclaim a fourth deadly relic: a powerful transmutation stone, hidden somewhere in the depths of a floating arcane laboratory that’s home to the Doctors Maureen and Lucas Miller. An unknown menace has seized control of the stone, and is using it to transform the lab into a virulent pink crystal that spreads to everything it touches.

It’s only a matter of time before this sparkling disaster crash-lands, but in order to find the stone and save the whole planet from being King Midased, our heroes will have to fight their way through a gauntlet of rowdy robots and crystal golems, decide whether they can trust the evasive Lucas Miller, and solve the mystery of what—or who—has put them all in peril, before there’s no world left to save.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction, Humor, LGBT, Queer

272 pages, Hardcover

First published July 13, 2021

About the author

Clint McElroy is the father of Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy. He does the Adventure Zone podcast with them and has also appeared on several Maximum Fun donors-only bonus episodes.

Clint is the Ultimate Dad.

Reviews

[abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

there's some uh SNAKES! and then the book's full of snakes, and you drown in snakes. it's all snakes. it's snakes all the way down. j.j. abrams wanted to take all this stuff out because it's real heavily laden with snakes and it becomes hard to follow because our heroes become snakes, and they are all married to snakes, and they use snakes as weapons! they eat snakes for fuel, and they become snake robots for a while. it's very confusing, got rid of most of the snakes. there's still a lot of snakes, but i mean, there's just a regular amount of snakes for the adventure zone, which, for one thing, is still an enormous amount of snakes.

[mia breckenridge scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

the mcelroys: no bummers 😍🥰
corporeal barry bluejeans: you… found her? YOU FOUND HER??

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is just one of my yearly summer comfort reads at this point. TCK was a favorite arc on the original podcast, and this translation to the page was delightful. Noelle- my heart! Kravitz - love all the added flirting with Taako! And the ending for Maureen and Lucas - literally made me cry. I remember when the series was first coming out this was the arc where I was like... oh yeah. This is going interesting places. Also, I loved the behind the scenes material with the artist... I know next to nothing about how one adapts an existing property into a graphic novel, and it was very interesting to see how that process works

[Mina]

highest anticipated title for 2021! this is the arc when i fell in love with the podcast

[The Bibliopossum · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE 7/16
4.75/5
The things that stayed consistent from the initial podcast were pretty good. There's a much better foundation for the Taako/Kravitz relationship. Roleplaying a romance in an audible space with a character your brother plays is hella awkward for sure, so letting it flourish in this rendition gives it a stronger beginning. And again, I need to reiterate that Kravitz is very yummy.

I'm a little bummed they didn't keep the buckwild way the Horny Boys obtained the Philosopher's Stone, but I completely understand why you wouldn't want to witness that whole procedure. You already have Upsy and the arm chop, we don't need another visceral visual for this book, pff.

---------------------------------------------
UPDATE 4/20 (hell yeah)
Kravitz got dropped in a recent online gathering for the novel and why is he so yummy?

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Aw HELL yeah, I'm here for Pan's lies and Kravitz's debut.

[Ashe · Rating 5 out of 5]

God LIED.

where was Magnus swallowing the philosopher's stone? i wanted swirly guts

otherwise, Kravitz is hot hot hot and the boiz were peak greatness

let's not get started on the red robe and HER

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better with each new instalment and I almost can’t handle it! It’s just TOO damn good. It’s queer, it’s hilarious AND it’s gorgeous. Plus then you add dwarves and witches and monsters and magic and all these wonderful things mixed together makes my head want to explode. You can’t get much closer to perfection than that in my opinion. I just love how different and unique and ridiculous these graphic novels are, this one in particular. It takes the series to a whole new wacky and hilarious level and I couldn’t have loved it more. And I swear the illustrations get so stunning in this one that I almost have a hard time believing my eyes aren’t lying to me. Just read this graphic novel series okay?

[Colleen Earle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pedals to the metal will always be my favourite arc BUT THIS WAS SO GOOD
I love all the little Easter eggs and all the character development. It really adds to the podcast so we’ll!
After finishing it I really wanted to go back and listen to all of Balance.

[Steph ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Lizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I loved this book. Did you think I wouldn't? Did you think the fourth graphic novel about my favorite podcast would suddenly disappoint and not punch me in the emotions yet once again? How foolish to even consider it. This volume is probably the arc that changed the most from the initial podcast, but that's not really a slight: cutting down on the number of fights to give the Millers and Kravitz more [meaningful] screen time was a great move. More Taako and Kravitz flirting? Love it. I can't believe Clint actually made me care about Lucas Freaking Miller. Yet again, I love all of the little in-jokes and foreshadowing that Clint and Carey throw in: No.3113's "hero time" was especially good, and by good I mean I put the book down and said "oh come on" out loud, and Magnus telling Avi he gave Garfield some of his blood before wondering, "I'm going to die, aren't I?" And then to end the book with the Seven Birds prophecy, the Red Robe's gift, and the silhouette of a certain spaceship? What a killer ending.
Bits I yelled at (to Basia over texts): literally anything to do with Team Sweet Flips, the return of Angus McDonald, Kravitz being extra handsome, they somehow made Magnus' line about Julia sadder???? which I did not know was possible, they kept the Della Reese/Touched By An Angel joke. Honestly, the only thing I was sad to miss was Lucretia's "hot diggety shit, that is a baller cookie."

(For real, though: Carey’s art suits this story so, so well, and her use of color is fantastic, especially in this book where the pink crystals are so dominant. Clint’s ability to streamline the rambling story they all created together is admirable, and I love so much that you can tell how much love went into this story, both initially and during the adaptation process. TL;DR - TAZ Balance made my 2019 (not a typo) bearable, it is near and dear to my heart, and getting to *see* and re-experience the story brings me massive amounts of joy. I am desperately, anxiously awaiting The Eleventh Hour (my favorite!) next summer.)

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

kravitz 🖤🖤🖤

[Dev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be real the fifth star on this is purely for Kravitz. Definitely a fun read but I'm one of those rare people who actually liked the podcast less once the plot started getting more intricate so we're coming up on the end of the road for me. Still a fun read but I just feel like it has a little bit less whimsy than some of the earlier story lines. Absolutely gorgeous as always though and like I said Kravitz is the real star of the show here and I really loved finally getting to see all his official designs.

[Kyra Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think we're finally getting to where the podcast actually picks up. A lot of the comics before had felt a little flat in comparison to the podcast, but I actually had emotions at the end of this book. The action in the art still needs a bit of work, but actually being able to tell anything apart in a room full of pink crystal is pretty impressive! Excited for the next one now!

[Leif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly fine! There's something about the TAZ graphic novels that always leaves me a little cold, but I found this one of the more interesting story arcs and enjoyed it as a whole, so maybe that's just me grumbling. I will say that not having Griffin's exquisite musical accompaniment to the graphic novel is a big step down from the podcast for this arc - that's inarguable.

[Eva B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most aesthetically pleasing, but not my favorite of the storylines.
Lucas <3

[Sarah A-F · Rating 4 out of 5]

i almost cried 4x 😌

highly recommend listening to the Crystal Kingdom OST while reading: https://griffinmcelroy.bandcamp.com/a...

[The Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your fantasy Christmans adjacent holiday is interrupted by an emergency at the science lab that threatens the entire world. This one...got intense. First, there's Merle. Then there's the planarverse. Then the awesome new character (me too, Taako, me too). And then the big reveal of a major story secret that I'm not sure if it's an actual story point or if it's the DM's tally of fudged rolls. And there's another adorable couple; Killian x Carey is my new OTP.

And now I'm sad because the next book isn't scheduled until Feb 2023.

[Grace W · Rating 5 out of 5]

(c/p from my review on TheStoryGraph) Loved this one! I love the changes they made from the source material and oh boy did they do good things with Kravitz! It did also make me cry and give me goosebumps and remind me that I want to get a Seven Birds tattoo...

[sassafrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

KRAVITZ!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are just endlessly entertaining. You'll laugh, you'll sigh, you'll wish the next one was already written. Bonus: this one is also very pink with crystals. And magic.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Adventure Zone series continues to grow on me.

In this fourth installment, our heroes are charged with retrieving the Philosopher’s Stone. Failure means that the world, and everything in it, will eventually be turned into pink tourmaline. No pressure or anything.

This late in the series, you pretty much already know if you like it or not. I remember not being sure what to think with volume 1. I think I was expecting more slapstick and humor and breaking the fourth wall. There is a bit of that now and then, but it's really more of a straight-up fantasy adventure with occasional SF overtones. It may not be the greatest fantasy title I've ever read, but it's not bad. The artwork is lovely. The characters are engaging. The overall quality is consistent from volume to volume. And I can't speak for everyone, but I've had excellent luck finding these books at bargain prices.

Anyway, fun series, though probably not to everyone's taste. If you enjoy fantasy and/or comics, definitely check this series out!

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randomly picked this book up from the library after not thinking about taz for years and I forgot how good it is. Took me a minute to reorient, but once I did, this graphic novel was great! I feel like this is where things start to pick up and the story was conveyed really well here with a good balance of bits, plot, and a couple references that caused me pain. Makes me want to relisten to the whole thing again!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5!
There were some things I missed that were included/more fleshed out in the podcast that were missing in the GN adaptation but overall it’s still fun and captures the spirit of TAZ! Also loved that they added more flirting between Taako and Kravitz

[Bryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

God these books are just so. I never thought a visual/non-audio medium could really capture the whole Vibe of TAZ, but these have definitely managed it. I especially love the fan art in the back as always, and this time there were art processes too! I just can’t emphasize how perfect all the art, the character design (I mean Carey? Lucas? Noelle!? KRAVITZ?!?), and how all the technical comic details are brought together. And all the little Easter eggs and references; this is really like listening to the podcast for the first time all over again, and it’s wonderful.

And as a side note, I may or may not have cried (dammit Maureen always gets me!) which certainly does not bode well for my emotional state for upcoming arcs. The Eleventh Hour is gonna hit me like a murder train to the face, and I am READY FOR IT!

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like it’s a challenge for Carey and Clint to make this a less than 5-star product at this point. I REALLY enjoyed Carey’s breakdown of her artistic process and notes on how she ended up designing many of the characters (while pointing out things like the Pan pipes on Merle’s sweater that I hadn’t noticed). She clearly is passionate about many of the side characters too (Kravitz, Killian, and Carey especially) and I think it shows in the efforts here. Admittedly, the pink crystal overload of this volume might distract a bit from the clarity of action and just like past volumes, I found myself going back over and sometimes missing details that I could in fact find on re-examination. The use of icons for characters when they are talking through devices or out of panel was also a really brilliant choice for coherency. As such, while this is maybe the volume I was least interested in (it’s bookended by my favorite, 11th Hour, and second favorite, Petals to the Metal), I actually think compositionally and narratively that it might be the tightest, albeit at the expense of some comedy (and 11th Hour won’t be out for another year so who knows…). I still adore these as companion pieces though and now, two episodes into Graduation, I might find myself jumping back into Balance for a bit…

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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, like the fight with the tardigrades and the some other details, 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’ve looked terrifying. The thing with all the souls and the ghosts with the faces? Damn. But still, I prefer this style. Genuinely love 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. (I don’t know if I missed something while listening to the podcast but this was added when they decided to make the comic, right? I haven’t reached a point where any of this happens in the podcast so idk)

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.

[rachel, x · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1) Here There Be Gerblins ★★★★☆
#2) Murder on the Rockport Limited! ★★★★☆
#3) Petals to the Metal ★★★★☆
#5) The Eleventh Hour ★★★★☆

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[Thea Jacobsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the book I was the most curious about how they would adapt. But they have trimmed down the podcast material very cleverly. The story still feels rushed from time to time, but it was still a great time! and they wrote in some more Kravitz parts, just like I hoped for.

[Danika at The Lesbrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carey/Killian forever. And we meet Kravitz!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

YO BRO WHO GOT YOU CRYIN LIKE THAT LIKE--