Magic: The Gathering: Rise Of The Gatewatch: A Visual History
Hardcover | Kindle
Magic The Gathering Accessory
Abrams ComicArts and Wizards Of The Coast
Release Date: July 23, 2019

I try to be upfront with everything I write, folks. So when I say I have never in my entire life played Magic: The Gathering, I hope you know I am not kidding. When it was first coming out, I was well aware of it but only because at that time I was living above a comic shop and found myself constantly in there for one reason or another. This now defunct but eternally glorious shop was my refuge, just as it was for so many others. I saw the fervor with which newcomers took to the game but it sadly held no allure for me. I was and still am a diehard tabletop role-playing fan, but the entire concept of a trading card game just did not appeal to me. And until quite recently I had no idea there was more to it than the simple mechanics of gameplay. This is in no small way because of Magic: The Gathering: Rise of the Gatewatch.

The book itself is a fairly straight forward homage to the game with elaborate backstories and beautiful art for each of the eight planeswalkers, plus the added bonus of one of the most evil beings in the multiverse! The histories included show the planeswalkers in a variety of lights. Not every one of them is heroic, though most are to be sure. And while I may never play a single round of the game, I now see what appeals to those who do. It is just as gripping as what I would consider traditional gaming, though this has been around long enough that I must give it the due it deserves.