Mouse Guard: Fall 1152: David Petersen

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 is David Petersen's acclaimed graphic novel, which follows three members of the Mouse Guard, Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, and the plot they stumble on to. A grain mouse has gone missing on his delivery between Rootwallow to Barkstone and the Mouse Guard arrive too late to save him, but find a map of Lockhaven in his things. Lockhaven is the home base of the Mouse Guard, and maps are not allowed outside its walls. It seems the grain mouse was a traitorous messenger, but who was the map to be delivered to?

At Barkstone, Saxon and Kenzie end up separated from Lieam and are caught by the Black Axe army and left for dead. Lieam has no choice but to disguise himself as a member of the Black Axe army but is soon uncovered as a Mouse Guard and held prisoner. Can a newfound ally, an old hermit mouse who rescues Saxon and Kenzie, be the legendary hero, the Black Axe, and can he help them save Lockhaven from the approaching army?

David Petersen's Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 collects all 6 issues of the Eisner Award winning comic series, plus additional sketches and an afterword that follows up with the characters after the events of the original series. Fans of Redwall take note: it's a very well done series, the art is very cool and Petersen is not afraid to let the blood fly (as a warning to those who think this will be a good book for their kids, and an encouragement to those who would skip it over as too childish). The depiction of the anthropomorphic characters is rather unique, and their shovel-shaped heads actually lends to their ability to be viewed as serious characters, as opposed to the comical way we view mice with round heads.

My only complaint is that the story, clocking in at 200 pages including the art gallery, seems a little rushed. Nothing seems to be missing, but a little expansion could have made for a fuller tale. That being said, there's several references to the winter war against the weasel warlord in 1149 throughout the graphic novel, and I'll be sorely disappointed if Petersen doesn't make this the focus of the next Mouse Guard series. It's a very enjoyable change of pace from novels in general and superhero-oriented graphic novels in particular and well worth the read.

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Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Villard; Reprint edition (March 25, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0345496868
ISBN-13: 978-0345496867