Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 HC
Writer/Artist: David Petersen
Company: Archaia Studios Press
It’s always a pleasure to see something really good succeed. Mouse Guard, a story featuring anthropomorphic mice in a fantasy setting, built buzz from the beginning, but now it’s earned not only hardcover collection from its original publisher, Archaia Studios, but a softcover to come from the graphic novel branch of a major book publisher and praise from all quarters, both comics press and mainstream. This outpouring of support is well-deserved, as Mouse Guard is a tremendous read, a strong fantasy tale with interesting characters, a well-imagined setting and gorgeous visuals.
Much of the praise for Mouse Guard surrounds the art, which is indeed gorgeous, but I think the key to the book’s success is not in Petersen’s lush, evocative artwork or even in his creation of an original and unusual setting in the Mouse Territories. No, the secret of the book’s success, as far as I’m concerned, is that even if you stripped the book of its unusual setting and lush art, you’d be left with a solid, interesting plot and well-developed characters. The other elements elevate the book from good to great, but Petersen started with the basics, telling a good story with interesting characters. A city preparing for winter, a wandering trio of do-gooders who come across a nefarious plot, a traitor working to help a would-be tyrant, a legend called back to war, a noble sacrifice, a siege, a daring undercover plot, a rescue, all of these elements and more are to be found in the tale of Mouse Guard: Fall 1152. It is, plainly put, an exciting fantasy tale that calls to mind the work of Alexandre Dumas, author of the Three Musketeers and The Man In The Iron Mask.
And the characters! To make an odd comparison, our three lead mice (Lieam, Kenzie and Saxon) are not unlike the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or perhaps the ones seen in later, color comics and cartoons. They can be easily told apart by the color their cape and the weapon they carry, but over time, such visual tics aren’t needed, as they each have a distinctive personality that makes them stand out. Kenzie is the leader of the bunch, Saxon the hot-headed and impulsive one and Lieam the steady, methodical one who hides a martial skill that makes him perhaps the most fearsome of the three. There are others as well, like the members of the old guard represented by Conrad and the Black Axe or the brave loner Sadie, and each one of them is interesting enough to support a story on their own. Together, they make up a fine ensemble cast.
Which is not to give short shrift to the loving care that Petersen has put into his setting. Rather than simply taking medieval society and shrinking it down, he has taken the ecology of mice and the ecology of medieval man and blended it together. The results are fascinating, most notably when Petersen uses natural predators in place of terrifying monsters. A snake is as dangerous to a group of mice as a dragon to a group of knights, and a plague of crabs seems an overwhelmingly dangerous force. The Mouse Guard exist in a society more akin to human medieval society than to the world of mice, but there is never any doubt that the animal elements of the story are important, more than mere window dressing but elements that go to the core of the concept.
It’s no mystery why Petersen’s art caught so many eyes. On a pure surface level, the work is beautiful, with a realistic and natural touch that brings the setting vividly to life. His mice are expressive, but they are quite clearly mice, standing on two legs but otherwise perfectly rendered examples of a common animal. The narrow eyes and small mouths, not to mention pink, tiny fingers and feet, are a constant reminder that these are mice, not men. The same is true for the snake and the crabs that war against the mice, they are not given sinister human features, but allowed to appear as they would in nature, their scale and their actions giving them the element of terror they’re meant to have. Petersen also does wonderful color work, most notably with the red rain in chapter five and the sunny, seemingly idyllic look of Conrad’s cottage, which serves to highlight the sudden horror of the crabs’ attacks.
Archaia Studios Press has pulled out all the stops with their hardcover collection of the series. The book works as an art object, a square design of unusual dimensions with a printed cover on the book itself and a lovingly painted wraparound dustjacket as well. And the content doesn’t stop with the story, including extras from the issues like maps of the Mouse Territories, the cities of Barkstone and Lockhaven and details of common Mouse professions, all of which serve to fire the imagination and excite the reader about seeing more of the world that David Petersen is obviously building. There are also pin-ups from talented guest artists like Guy Davis and Mark Smylie, as well as an original epilogue created just for this volume that serves as an upbeat coda for our heroes as well as a foreboding hint of what is coming in the next story.
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So, I saw the HC of this title in my local shop but held off on it since the stack in my hands was already putting an unreasonable strain on the wallet. I’m sorry, but when you’re literally in the middle of buying the Agents of Atlas HC, the 1st Criminal trade and 6-8 single issues something’s gotta give.
That said, damn you. Damn you for posting that second image. Specifically, the last panel, low-angel shot of the mice with the tree in the background. Now I have to drink a cheaper beer one night this week and brown bag it a couple of days. I just can’t resist any longer.
Why do I have the feeling that Mouse Guard is the great band that everyone liked before they got popular and I’m gonna end up being the guy coming around 6 months after the fact with the annoying “Hey, have you heard these guys? They’re awesome!”
28 Jun 2007 at 9:54 pm
QuoteI read this hardcover for the first this week and absolutely loved it. Aside from the story itself, the book is quite beautiful. The odd shape and art style make it feel more like a children’s storybook.
The maps were a great addition. They made the reader feel closer to the fantasy world and overall story. I found myself flipping back to the first map every time a new territory was mentioned.
Looking forward to the next collection.
29 Jun 2007 at 6:04 am
QuoteAmazing collection that deserves as much attention as possible. The series was fantastic and this hardcover collection was even stronger after reading. If only every collection could be done with the same kind of love and craft. The extras for me are without a doubt the best I’ve ever seen in a collection.
29 Jun 2007 at 9:16 am
QuoteObviously I’m in the minority on this, but I was a bit disappointed by this book on a story level. I can’t deny the art is spectacular, but for me the story merely seemed to be a bunch of fantasy clichés dressed up in mouse clothing. I never felt that any of the characters were developed beyond a few superficial traits.
Likewise, I can’t say I was particularly drawn in by the traitor subplot since his identity had no real significance to the readers. Maybe it’s just a case of my expectations being set too high due to all the good things I had heard about the book before I read it.
29 Jun 2007 at 9:36 pm
Quotethis book is sold out at all four of the major bookstores where I live, which is disappointing since I wanted a copy, but it makes me happy that it’s doing so well.
30 Jun 2007 at 1:53 am
QuoteI’m tired of seeing the “three muskateers” mentioned in a blurb about MouseGuard. Everytime I read that I try to get it out of my dome because I don’t agree with the comparison and it ruins my memories of the great read.
Don’t butter the @$$ biscuits!!!
30 Jun 2007 at 5:47 am
QuoteWow. If the mere suggestion of a comparison you don’t agree with can ruin a read for you, it must be hell reading reviews of books.
To be fair, I wasn’t comparing specifics of The Three Musketeers, but generalities in the style of Alexandre Dumas, and I stand by that comparison.
I say again… wow. Is this a saying now?
30 Jun 2007 at 1:18 pm
QuoteI’m with you, I also didn’t find the story very unique and strong. The whole subplot about a traitor doesn’t have much or any impact on the reader since we didn’t knew the character in pre-traitor form.
The art does look nice, but in a way it’s just like the story; quite simple.
The backgrounds are very rare, mostly it’s the colors that make the backgrounds. But all in all it does look good, I just wouldn’t call it incredible.
01 Jul 2007 at 1:06 pm
QuoteTouche Randy,
I’m not saying your comparison is wrong, I just don’t really like it because I hate the image of the Three Muskateers prancing around, striking ballet poses and hawking low-fat candy bars. Like you said though, you were talking about the author, not the Three Muskateers specifically.
Also, I’m surprised none of the reviews or comments in the comic book world made the comparison to the work of Brian Jacques (Ie. Mossflower, Redwall) considering his works deal with sword-yielding mice. Some of the covers from past editions of his books look like they could be inserted directly into Mouse Guard. However, I am not trying to bang on David Peterson.
04 Jul 2007 at 6:16 pm
QuoteOuch. I’d forgotten all about the candy-hawking Musketeers. I can see where you wouldn’t want those thoughts brought up when reading… well, anything, really.
There’s definitely something to comparing Redwall to Mouse Guard… I would have mentioned it in this review, but I’d already written something talking about it in my Mice Templar blurb for Down the Line, and so I didn’t want to repeat myself.
And then I might have taken it out of my Down the Line blurb… I can’t remember.
04 Jul 2007 at 8:01 pm
Quote