Mouse Guard

Oh, those modest mice! We humans so often overlook their small endeavors, mistaking them for food for our pet reptiles, a good prank to let loose in enclosed areas, or just a nice way to get rid of excess cheese. But through the mind of Mouse Guard creator David Petersen, a mouse's role in the world is a lot more complicated than you ever imagined.

In Petersen's six issue mini-series, which he recently concluded, mice are a noble race that have cleaverly devised a way to protect themselves from their much larger predators in establishing the mouse guard. The guards primary responsiblity is to protect civilian mice as they travel the trails between the different secret villiages. The plot thickens when a merchant mouse goes missing and the mouse guard is sent to find him. After battling a snake that has eaten the missing merchant it is discovered that the mouse was actually a tratior carrying plans that would help overthrow Lockhaven, the guard's main city. As the story continues, the guard get caught up in an all out war, but I would spoil it if I gave anymore plot away, so you are just going to half to pick up the series for yourself.

Mouse Guard's biggest strenght is Petersen's wonderful art work, which is essential in telling the story because there is so little dialogue, and the lack of dialogue does leave something to be desired. Hopefully this problem will be elevated when the series is collected into one hardcover volume in April. So keep your eyes open for the collected Mouse Guard if you can't find all the single issues. If you really end up liking the series you will be pleased to hear that the mouse guard adventures will
continue this July in a new mini-series about the struggle to survive winter.

In other Mouse news, one of my favorite bands Modest Mouse will be releasing their new album in March, so this should be prefect music to read the series too.

Next blog I'll do my best not to write about anthropomorphic animals, but I am an animal lover, so will see?

-Jon