The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy
Published by First Second on July 17th 2018
ISBN: 9781250153708
Pages: 256
Goodreads

The first book in what will be a popular graphic novel series for the role-playing fanatics in the reader-verse as it is based on a popular podcast of the McElroy family, three adult brothers who enlist their father in the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). In the podcast, the four McElroys play D&D in real time; in the book, Griffin is the Dungeon Master (DM) while Justin, Travis, and Clint take on characters on a quest. This print version is elevated by the pitch-perfect artwork of Pietsch and the snark of the DM who inserts himself at will into the story. As Pat Rothfuss writes in the intro to the GN, “This comic is an attempt to translate pure audiovisual improvisational storytelling into a visual medium.” This is not an easy task, but with the stellar artwork, well-fleshed out characters, engaging story arc, and flashes of humor, this GN is a success. The constant use of salty language makes this a tough GN to hand to middle schoolers though they may be your D&D demographic and probably makes the book better for YA and even adult GN collections.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth