Project Wonderful

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Peterson

























This image is copyright 2007 David Peterson in association with Archaia Studios Press and is used as a Fair Use Review image only. Image will be removed upon request of David Peterson or Archaia Studios Press.

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152
ISBN-10: 1932386572
192 pages
Published: May 2006
Story Titles: Chapter 1: Belly Of The Beast, Chapter 2: Shadows Within, Chapter 3, Rise Of The Axe, Chapter 4: The Dark Ghost, Chapter 5: Midnight's Dawn, Chapter 6: A Return To Honor

Cover Price: $24.95
Author & Illustrator: David Peterson

Major Characters: Kenzie, Saxon, Lieam, A Big Snake, Big Crabs, Gwendolyn, Conrad, Celanwe/The Black Axe, Sadie, Conrad


If you love comic books you already own this.

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 was a six issue comic book presented in a format often reserved for children's paperback books (8" x 8' squarebound) and then was collected into a hardcover book and later a paperback book.

Mouse Guard is the creation of David Peterson featuring the adventures of three guardsmice Lieam, Saxon and Kenzie who are sworn to protect the mice in their territory. These three guardsmice find themselves in the middle of a mystery that leads from the disappearance of a local mouse to the return of someone calling himself The Black Axe. Without spoiling the story for you this story quickly goes from a few sweet looking mice into a fast paced romp with interestingly dark and dangerous characters. The guardsmice are your heroes and they prove themselves as protectors, warriors, and detectives.

Mouse Guard has often been compaired to Redwall by Brian Jacques but I find the world's similar but very different each standing on its own in a very enjoyable way. I've heard people say that they have read Mouse Guard to their young children ages three and four years old and the kids loved it. I don't think I could recommend Mouse Guard to children that young because there are some areas that are a bit dark and violent but I think at about eight or nine years old this would be great although at thirty-six its pretty great too.

In Mouse Guard you have two hooks that keep you wanting more. First there is the story. Loaded with fun, adventure and mystery it quickly brings a whole new world alive full of danger and leaving you wanting more and wondering what happens next. The story is enough to keep you interested and coming back but the art is what will make you fall in love. David Peterson is a master of taking a simple image often not very detailed and filling it with the most beautiful and delightful colors that make the images pop off the page in a way that just makes you feel good and has a warmth about it that you rarely find in comic books. Peterson knows the details too and for every simple image that there is it they are followed by complex towns and architecture that make this book a complete masterpiece.

The book is made complete with several pages bonus features and artwork. Beautiful maps of the Mouse Territories: 1150 appear on the endsheets. A wonderful dustjacket featuring artwork that is not part of the original series. The cover features a full color detail of the dustjacket image and the Archaia Studios Press Logo on the back. For a preview of the book go on over to http://www.davidpetersen.net/mouseguard/fall1152/index.htm where you can see seven pages from each of the original six issues of Mouse Guard: Fall 1152. Also visit www.aspcomics.com for more great comics.

Go Out, Buy This Book, You Will Be Happier For It!

- Kevin P. Johnson

Copyright © 2008 Kevin P. Johnson


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