Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior: Graphic Novel; Pirate Sourcil, Odone & Jez

I fall into the bracket of, yes I know what Minecraft is, and, no I have never played it myself. That said, I had no problem getting to grips with the Minecraft universe and its characters in this lively graphic novel.

Runt isn’t like the other villagers. Mining doesn’t interest him, farming carrots definitely doesn’t interest him, and trading carrots for emeralds, forget it. What he really wants is to be a brave warrior who goes on epic adventures and battles monsters.

Tired of his boring life, he summons up the courage to venture out beyond the village walls and heads off on a journey where he meets Blurp, a zombie who also dreams of a different life. And together they head off an awesome adventure…

This short, quick and fun graphic novel follows the adventures and misadventures of two characters from the Minecraft universe as they both seek something more in life. Villager Runt is quite frankly bored of life in the village and zombie Blurp quite fancies life as a human. When the two meet, they are the perfectly imperfect team; both seeking adventure, both with very differing views on how things are, not to mention that strictly speaking Blurp sees Runt as a tasty meal and Blurp is a perfect monster for Runt to attack. 

Luckily, the two put their differences aside to form a bond of friendship and they do make quite the team with their barking sidekick Mobslayer. It is a great deal of fun seeing how the two different characters from two very different worlds get along. I was laughing out loud as they discussed how best to eat meat - cooked or raw, and Runt’s confused expression when Blurp tells him he never sleeps at night.

Their adventures together are filled with plenty of fun as well as danger, peril and of course an epic battle. Most of all it is about two BFFs having fun, overcoming obstacles, trying to defeat zombies, skeletons, wolves and blazes, jumping into portals, exploring new worlds, searching for an Enderman, and most importantly of all, trying not to kill each other.

Action-packed scenes and plenty of humour drive the narrative forward that is brilliantly illustrated in colourful comic panels that immerse the reader, including this Minecraft noob, into the cubed universe. With a cliff-hanger ending, I very much look forward to more adventures with this brave duo.

Recommended for 7+.