Mouse Guard Review

Mouse Guard Vol 1

With the imminent release of Mouse Guard Volume 2 Winter 1152 I thought I would revisit Mouse Guard Volume 1.

Vital Statistics
Author: David Petersen
Artist: David Petersen
ISBN 10: 1932386572
ISBN 13: 978-1932386578

Mouse Guard is a beautiful book, even the physical presentation is something to behold. A fairly large square-book format it will probably cause some librarians angst in regards to shelving but that should dissipate once you see the book. With vibrant autumnal colours on a matte dustcover and a cover picture of three earnest mice with swords and capes, the presentation leaps out at the reader and is instantly appealing.

Originally released as a 6 part comic series in 2005-2006 Mouse Guard was an instant hit with various issues selling out, being reprinted and then selling out again. Much like Bone by Jeff Smith, Mouse Guard starts with a deceptively simple beginning. The three mouse protagonists are sent to search for a lost mouse that failed to arrive at his appointed destination. Like all good mysteries, this small act reveals a clue that bigger things are afoot and soon the story expands into a tale that reaches into the history and mythology of the Mouse Territories.

It is a fairly sombre book, with focus on the quest of the three mice intertwining with a larger war situation later in the book . However the violence depicted is fairly minimal, with no gratuitous shots and minimal blood. Younger readers may find it all too serious and heavy despite the cute protagonists. The ideal minimum age would be approx 11+.

For me, its the art that drew me in, and keeps me coming back. You can see some internal art from the series at David Petersen’s website. Make sure you check out his other work , such as the covers he is doing for the latest Muppet comic series from Boom! studios.

Summaries of Mouse Guard Volume One and Two Follow:

Mouse Guard Vol 1-Fall 1152

In the world of Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper amongst harsh conditions and a host of predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed: more than just soldiers that fight off intruders, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden village to another.

The Guard patrol borders, find safeways and paths through dangerous territories and treacherous terrain, watch weather patterns, and keep the mouse territories free of predatory infestation. They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live. Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, three such Guardsmice, are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse that never arrived at his destination. Their search for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard’s own ranks.

Mouse Guard Vol 2-Winter 1152 (August 2009)

Mouse Guard Vol 2 Winter 1152

In the Winter of 1152, the Mouse Guard face a food and supply shortage threatening the lives of many mouse through a cold and icy season. Some of the Guard’s finest – Saxon, Kenzie, Lieam, and Sadie, led by Celanawe, the legendary Black Axe – traverse the snow-blanketed territories acting as diplomats to improve relations between the mouse cities and the Guard, and find themselves on a race against time to deliver crucial medicines. This is a winter not every Guard may survive…