Mouse Guard. Winter 1152. David Petersen.Titan Books (2009)

The second book in the Mouse Guard series is a beautifully illustrated and subtly written story of loyalty, betrayal and adventure. The Mouse Guard headquarters of Lockhaven are suffering shortages of supplies as winter settles in, A group of the the guard are sent on a mission to the other mouse settlements to get supplies and issue invitations to a meeting at Lockhaven. Returning from the settlement of Sprucetuck, they are attacked by a predator and find themselves separated into two groups. One of them above ground, the other in the old weasel stronghold of Darkheather. The story unfolds with very well staged reveals, excellent action and the cast reveal a great deal more about themselves.
The art is sumptuous, the winter colours are used with great skill, the frozen landscape is both beautiful and utterly menacing. The details of the mouse settlements are shown without crowding out the panels. They look lived in and and cared for, they have a nicely medieval sense to them. The wooden construction of Sprucetuck constants well with the stone in Lockhaven. Out in the open the sense of scale is provided, the mice are very small and the predators are huge, the threat is clear and imperative.
The art is so striking that it almost overshadows the story, almost but not quite. The action is much more contemplative in this book, there is a much greater emphasis on the characters of the cast, their various personalities. The action is used to reveal and develop them, while at the same time being exciting and engaging. Threads from the first book are picked up and followed in a very considered way. David Petersen has so fully imagined the world of the Mouse Guard that he can imagine the possible consequences of the events in the first book and a good enough storyteller that knowledge of them is not necessary to enjoy this book. A wonderful comic and a great read.

Mouse Guard. Fall 1152. David Petersen (Writer & Art).ASP Comics LLC (2007)

A gorgeous heroic fantasy that makes the most of the anthropomorphic cast. Mice live in scattered settlements across the Mouse Territories. The Mouse Guard guide and protect travellers between one settlement and another, fighting predators if required, acting as a network that helps link all the settlements. In the autumn of 1152 a team of Guards find evidence of treachery and head to the settlement of Barkstone to track it further. Another guard, Sadie is sent to find out why there has been no contact from a missing Guard member. Sadie also finds evidence of a traitor and heads back to the Guard headquarters to alert them. The story unfolds in a very entertaining fashion, the action is fast and exciting, the reveals are nicely staged, the threads of the story are neatly woven together and the adventure is brought to a very satisfactory conclusion.
The most striking aspect to this book is the stunning art, in particular the beautiful use of colour. The tones are autumnal, a riot of red, black, gray, orange and brown. The soft tones give a lush depth to the art and a great sense of the season. The cast are superbly drawn, each character is clearly an individual, the different colouring for the fur is used with subtle differences to draw out the personality of the each cast member.
The striking art does not overwhelm the narrative in any way, the story is simple and boldly confident. Heroic fantasy works best with simple structures that allow action to arise naturally and effectively and give a strong central struggle. The cast are developed enough to really engage with the action and be revealed by their actions. The confidence with which David Petersen presents the world in which the story takes place is a joy, the details are precise and telling without being cluttered. This is a superbly conceived and very beautifully executed and produced comic, a treasure.