I want to be a guards-mouse

The best new comic series of the year is "Mouse Guard" by David Petersen from Archaia Studios Press. No contest.

This book has an art style that is redolent some books I read as a kid... almost like all the cover art for every edition of Watership Down, only better. The story is deceptively simple: mouse society is often plagued by predators, so the Mouse Guard was formed to protect the passages between settlements and to keep the peace. When an old merchant-mouse goes missing, three of the elite are sent to find him. What they discover is that the unthinkable has happened: there is a traitor within the Mouse Guard. From that point on, we are thrust into a deeply layered story that unfolds at a comfortable pace. There are no long monologues or soliloquies. Words are only used to say what the art cannot (as it should be).

SMALL SPOILER! A good example in the first issue is when the three guards-mice run into a giant snake (well... giant to a mouse anyways). There's no posturing by the characters and no dumbing-down of the story to explain that snakes and mice don't mix. The danger is evident and the characters' instincts take over. The fight that ensues is quick but still suspenseful, and when they find the snake's lair, their actions are swift, decisive, and at first seemingly cruel, but in an instant you realize that it was ultimately necessary. And because they're mice, their defeat of the snake immediately transforms them (in our eyes) from cute, cuddly mice with swords and itty-bitty capes, into experienced warriors to be reckoned with. END OF SPOILER!

Take a few seconds and go to the site and you'll see several preview pages from "Mouse Guard" #1 and #2 (scroll down to the bottom). Tell me that it doesn't remind you of one of the great stories you read as a kid, like Where the Red Fern Grows, Charlotte's Web, or even the epic comic Bone. "Mouse Guard," like these stories, is not without violence, sacrifice, and other "adult themes", but that's not what the story is about. It's about the heroism and skill of these guards-mice. There is so much fun to be had with this story, plus there's a mystery to be solved! It's kinda like a mouse-spy story set in medieval times. I cannot recommend "Mouse Guard" enough! ... and it's safe for the whole family (in my opinion).

"Mouse Guard" is a six-issue mini-series that is released bi-monthly. It's an odd size (square I think) which means finding bags & boards for the issues is nigh impossible. The first four issues are out already with issue #5 due in a little under 2 months. First printings of issues #1 and #2 are scarce and are fetching sky-high prices. The most recent issue of Wizard Magazine values them at $45 and $22 respectively (cover price is $3.50). The book is so popular that I couldn't even find a 2nd printing of #1 which has also sold out. Currently, #1 is on it's 3rd printing, and the 2nd printing of #2 was just released last week along with #4. I imagine #3 is fairly scarce at the moment as well. Apparently there is a collection planned for all six issues of the mini-series, but I don't think it'll be out until sometime in early 2007.

Find it at your local comic book store. Enjoy!

More Vader funnies

YouTube is the BEST SITE EVER! A friend of mine at work sent me this link of another re-edited Vader clip. I couldn't stop laughing. It's only 46-seconds long -- and you had enough time to come here to my blog -- so don't tell me you don't have the time to watch this. Hilarious, I say. HILARIOUS!

And yes, I do know that that is 2 different people in the clip. Still funny!


NOTE: link updated so that you don't have to sign-in to YouTube to view it.