COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Vol. 2 #1

Even the smallest mouse can be the greatest of men. Or mice. Since this comic’s all bout mice.

I definitely enjoyed Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard. Though honestly, it all felt weird and new to me: reading an anthology comic starring mice depicted in somewhat medieval setting and getting involved in adventures as if they’re party members in some rpg. The tavern, the stories, and the adventure stories sound great, and cute at the same time as you see mice overcome perils like some mischievous fox or what seems to be a giant squid (which might as well be a normal squid relative to human size).

In Volume 2, we see June setting up a challenge to the tavern’s patrons: whoever comes up with the best story will get his tab wiped clean. It doesn’t really advance the main story of Mouse Guard but the anthology gives more richness and depth to the world of these adventurous mice. The stories vary and are very much unique. And even though they’re short, they are quite enjoyable.

And it definitely helps a lot that the art suits the stories that seem to be set in the old times. The vivid colors and inking in the tavern make it look bustling and have that old tavern feel. As for the short stories, each and every one of them’s set apart from each other really well, still giving off that naturalistic feel. It’s easy to get whether a section contains a somewhat light story compared to another where you’d notice a change in pace and a heavier tone. Editor David Petersen sure did a great job in picking the team that’ll write and illustrate the short stories for this volume.

What’s somewhat of a letdown though is that this one’s considerably weaker than the main Mouse Guard story. The barroom storytelling set-up would even look cliche and people might find Legends of the Guard lacking when it comes to cohesiveness and weight. However, these short stories are entertaining and I’d say writers Stan Sakai, Nick Tapalansky and Ben Caldwell delivered well. Pack that up with amazing art from the Sakai, Caldwell and Alex Eckman-Lawn and what you’d get is an good read that you may pick up anytime, anywhere and enjoy.

MOUSE GUARD: LEGENDS OF THE GUARD VOL. 2 #1 (of 4) is an all-ages 24-page comic book by David Petersen, Stan Sakai, Ben Caldwell, and Alex Eckman-Lawn and published by Archaia Entertainment.