The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Carey Pietsch

Rating: 10/5 stars 

(which doesn’t seem high enough to me)

Pages: 256

Series: The Adventure Zone Graphic Novels, Book 1

Genres: D&D, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor

 

If you’re a fan of auditory entertainment, I highly recommend checking out the The Adventure Zone podcast. This graphic novel is based off of the Balance campaign, a D&D inspired campaign in which Merle, Taako, and Magnus do what they can to save the world. More specifically, Here There Be Gerblins is about the first arc of their campaign.

Run by the McElroy family, Griffin is an amazing DM (Dungeon Master), your best friend, and a third thing he comes up with every week, while his brothers Justin (Taako) and Travis (Magnus) team up with their father, Clint (Merle), to puzzle through the challenges. The four boys work together to create a work of real magic that I can’t recommend more highly.

Carey Pietsch joined up with the McElroys as the illustrator for this amazing book to bring it from a purely auditory medium to one that you can devour with your eyes. I have to say, Carey did an amazing job by taking these much loved characters and illustrating them in ways that are 100% true to their characters in the podcast’s story.

While D&D might not be for everyone, if you’re a fan of fantasy at all I’m sure you’ll find something in this story that draws you in. Whether you start listening to the podcast or pick up this amazing graphic novel, you’re going to be transported into a land filled with friendship, magic, and tomfoolery. Don’t go into it expecting too many dungeons, though! These boys are known for their daring deeds, they just don’t seem to happen in too many actual dungeons.

Looking at this novel itself, and not the series as a whole, you’ll find yourself introduced to the main story line of the campaign. What starts off as a “simple” quest to make the boys rich beyond their wildest dreams quickly takes a turn and the Tres Horny Boys (a name that is explained later on in the podcast but spoils nothing except how amazingly clever these boys are) need to find a way to become the heroes the world… needs?

When you pick up this graphic novel (or podcast), you’re going to go through it with the boys as they learn their characters and become individuals that will steal your heart. I’m warning you now, when you pick up this story you’re not going to be able to stop. It’s an addiction I’m happy to have and more than happy to share.

Merle tries his darnedest to “heal” the boys, Taako (from TV!) uses his magical prowess to defeat the bag guys and figure out what’s going on, and Magnus rushes in to slay the baddies! Jump in to this amazing story and figure out how the Gerblins started it all.