I found Mouse Guard on a whim when I was out with a friend at a local manga store. (I think he was looking for Gurren Lagann items and I was pretending to be as excited as he was about it). It was an oddly shaped book, shorter and wider than the rest, unusually for a graphic novel. I thumbed through it and was impressed that the inside art, for once, matched the cover art in quality. (Remember I was in a manga store.) After reading the first page, I knew I had to buy it.
“The mice struggle to live safely and prosper among all of the world’s harsh conditions and predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed.”
These words open the story of Mouse Guard Fall 1152, setting the stage nicely.
One of the most impressive things about this comic is artist and writer David Petersen’s delivery of details. The world and its lore unfold as the story progresses without large tracts of exposition to hinder the story. This comic series begins following three of the Guard, Kinzie, Saxon and Lieam, as they trek into the wild to see what has become of a grain merchant. During their search, they find out that the merchant mouse is a traitor to Lockhaven, their home.
Intrigue and further details relating to the plot are detailed and then, our heroes split up. Kinzie and Saxon follow their leads and come across an old mouse named Celanawe. He claims to be the legendary “Black Axe” from ancient Guard lore; with his axe stolen, he joins the two Guard mice intending to reclaim it. However, can he be trusted? Meanwhile Lieam separates himself from the others and gets himself in a bit of trouble.
In the interest of minimizing spoilers, I will stop there. That’s just the beginning, and while the story may seem a bit simple, it’s beautifully portrayed. Peterson’s artwork is gritty and engaging. He makes conservative use of motion lines and sound effects text; they are present only when necessary. Most of the storytelling, however, remains visual.
Additional points in Mouse Guards favor are that it is a minimal investment, especially for the quality of the books. With issues released bi-monthly a full year will cost you less than $30 including tax, and the hardcover graphic novels are very reasonable as well.
For parents of young readers, these are excellent gateway books into reading higher literature like Watership Down, Mrs. Brisby and the Rats of Nimh, and the Redwall books. I personally recommend Mouse Guard Fall 1152 to readers of seven and up, and I definitely recommend parents reading this with young children to bond with them and discuss what the pictures mean to help make sure they get a full understanding of the story.