Mouse Guard: Rise of the Axe
Published by: Archaia Studios Press
Story & Art: David Petersen

23 pages

Rating: 3 out of 5

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Premise: In this volume, we get a glimpse into the goings-on in a mouse city. The mystery deepens, and things don’t seem to end well for our heroes.

Synopsis:

Lieam, Kensie, and Saxon go to Barkstone to seek out more information regarding the traitor in their midst. We are treated to a montage as the trio makes its way through the city, and we are privy to the daily lives of the city residents.

As they snooped, they attracted some unwanted attention. Saxon and Kensie stage a duel in the city square as a distraction while Lieam works undercover. Lieam finds that he has gotten himself in a little too deep with the enemy while Saxon and Kensie get carried away in more than one sense of the phrase.

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Review:

Another excellent book from Petersen, but this doesn’t seem to carry the same sense of urgency as the others. The staged fight at the end just didn’t have the same life-and-death ramifications as the previous battles with snakes and crabs. Perhaps the montage slowed the pace a little, but it was nice to see his artwork and silent storytelling on display.

In terms of storytelling, Lieam seems to be able to infiltrate the ranks of the insurgents a little too easily for my taste, but the story has to progress somehow, right?

It’s just another good read. These feel like Little Golden Books, but with more somewhat more mature themes than The Poky Little Puppy. The combination of nostalgia and interesting story has got me hooked.