Hi, my name is CrystalRaven77.

I’m a teenager struggling with balancing my parents’ expectations, academic grades, my social and emotional life, and my motivation to read.

The first reason why I believe that this graphic novel is one of, if not the best graphic novel that you will find on MackinVIA is because of its nostalgic factor. Many of my peers grew up with Minecraft, and many of their parents have at least heard of the game. Since it’s a game that many people have grown up with, seeing the exploits of Steve and his friends as they journey to defeat the final boss reminded me, along with others of our arduous journey to complete the game. We got to experience the same hardships as Steve and his comrades, as they had to survive through harsh nights and band together in order to collect all of the necessary items needed to travel to the other dimension. We too got to experience the pure elation of finally defeating the final boss, the ender dragon, seeing the end credits roll. For some of us, Minecraft was just a way to pass time over quarantine, but for some, Minecraft was a way to reconnect with old friends. And people we haven’t seen for far too long. It gave us an opportunity to smile again with old friends, with a shared love of an online block game.

As of 2022, there are over 17 million players online at all times, and as of July 2021, has been downloaded more than 425 million times. The reason why there are so many downloads is because of the game’s “style”. Although it can get repetitive, there are many different ways you can complete the game, and many different opportunities to connect with friends and family through different online variations. According to the reviews posted below, although the game itself seems simple, there are many different complexities that makes the game interesting, and thus makes the graphic novel fun to read.

Although the repetitive nature of Minecraft can be “boring”, the true value comes from the problem solving aspect. Throughout the graphic novel, we can see Steve and his companions face problems with red-stone circuitry, having all of his friends on at the same time, and gathering enough materials to beat the game. While others don’t necessarily connect with old friends through Minecraft, no one can deny the effectiveness of connecting with friends through a game or a shared interest. It’s a game to build and explore. A game to build marvels for others to view, and explore different possibilities. To spend hours on building projects with friends, or explore mountain ranges over the course of days.

As such, this graphic novel should be read, as it brings back sentimental memories of connecting with friends through a childhood game. Or, it can be read as inspiration to play Minecraft, one of the most popular games in the world.