The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited!

Same as last time the artstyle was the highlight, the story was a bit predictable but it was still a super enjoyable read!

I love these comics as a supplement to TAZ. The artwork is funny and often breathtaking, the story is far tighter and easier to follow, and nothing significant feels left out of the volume. Besides, being able to see it is a delight all its own. Clint and Carrie did an excellent job bringing this to life, and while I miss a lot of the banter and hijinks that come from listening to a podcast of close family -- and I have to admit, the times Griffin pops into the narrative and they try to include some of their meta jokes/gaming actually are a detriment to the overall comic, in my opinion -- but it illustrates one of the things that makes TAZ so special: It's not just a funny podcast about 4 idiots playing DnD. I mean, it *is* that, but it's also just a really good story, with some of the most lovable characters of any medium. In some ways, by pulling away some of the jokes the comic lets characters and relationships shine through that get a little lost in the shuffle when you're just listening -- Magnus and Taako, for example, have some particularly sweet moments this 'episode.' I personally wish it was just the Balance Arc told straight, without the meta stuff, because the story's good enough not to need it. I understand why it's kept in there, and it certainly doesn't ruin the story for me; I imagine some fans would hate this if it didn't include Griffin's talking head or mentions of stats. But that does kind of render it difficult to enjoy without already knowing and loving the podcast. I can't picture handing this to someone who hasn't heard the podcast and expecting them to have fun with it and not be a little confused by all the weird asides. It's a great *supplement* to the podcast, but it can't replace it and I personally wish it wouldn't try so hard to have that same podcasty feel. This is a very minor nitpick, all in all; these comics still get 5 stars from me, because they're amazing. But if you've heard of TAZ and are thinking of reading the comics before or instead of listening to the podcast, I'm not sure you're going to enjoy how delightful either of them are unless you start with the original thing.

If you've read the first book or are a HUGE fan of this arc in the podcast i highly recommend this! The first volume I had ordered it off my tablet and to be honest the way they had set it up to be read on my device made it really hard to enjoy the first part so I kind of wasn't upset that when I went to pre-order this one the only option was to have a physical copy, and boy can I tell you that the physical copy is so worth it! It feels like a high-quality manga in the way that it's sick it has like a raised kind of designed cover even though it's paperback and it's about the same size or shape if you are familiar with those kind of novels. You can tell they put a lot of time and effort into every single drawing and although it isn't exactly word for word what the podcast gave us, you can tell they did their best at adapting it into book form and if you've already read part 1 then I think you'll highly enjoy murder on the Rockport Limited! I hear that they're working on volume 3 already and I'll definitely be one of the first people to pre-order it once again.

It's always such a delight to pick up one of these comics. I'm a HUGE fan of the Adventure Zone podcast (and the McElroys in general) so I would support even if these adaptations weren't amazing, hilarious, and gorgeous to boot. The best part of the graphic novels is that it takes what made an amazing podcast and somehow distills it and cleans it up to make a story that is a little different but so true to the original vision and, I cannot stress this enough, SO FUNNY. The McElroys and Carey Pietsch are very much in tune to what makes their content enjoyable, I highly recommend this to both devout followers of all the McElroy family of products and also people who just like comics or tabletop RPGs in general. 5/5 stars, easy.

Just got the book a couple of hours ago and I devoured it. Definitely going to go back and read through more carefully soon. It’s such an excellent adaptation of one of my favorite arcs from the podcast. Anyone who enjoys The Adventure Zone will absolutely love this. There are so many little details, facial expressions, sideways glances that add nuance to the story. I want to make a compilation of every time Taako looks at Merle in a fond but exasperated way or Magnus lights up with a new idea for solving the mystery. This also does a great job of hinting at some of the larger plot points to come. Lucretia in particular is much more fleshed out and there’s a few bonus scenes or slight changes that up the emotional stakes in a really effective way. Also Jenkins is my absolute favorite and he’s perfect here. The boys, Clint and Carey have created something truly special again!

After the first comic based on the Balance Arc of The Adventure Zone, my expectations were high. And I was not disappointed. The humor is even more well laid out in this one. And what I love about this comic is that people who aren't already fans of the McElroy family can read it without being lost. My friend never listened to any of the podcasts but has enjoyed both the first comic and this one. The art is amazing and I think really lends itself to this sort of silly high fantasy adventure. I look forward to someday owning the entire Balance Arc.

Good book

I really enjoyed the first graphic novel, for a lot of reasons but would have liked the novelty of seeing the podcast visualized even if it was mediocre (and it wasn't, it was sweet!) With this second one though, things are really improving and coming together in a way the leaves me super excited to see the rest of the series adapted. Now I have no doubts that future adaptations are going to do anything but provide an absolutely refreshing and stunning new way to relive my favorite story all over again. The colors are on point, the layout keeps the story moving along in a fun and easy to read manner, and the choices for facial expressions and such all seem right on the money.