Another from the late lamented Epinions. I actually discovered this book from a review at Green Man Review. (Yes, I do occasionally read reviews, especially when I have to edit them.)
After the Winter War of 1149, when the Mouse Guard threw off the yoke of the Weasel Warlord, the mouse cities in the forest were able to live in relative peace -- as much peace as mice can find, at any rate. The Guard, under the captaincy of Gwendolyn, maintains the safety of the trade roads and protects the farmers and merchants. One merchant has gone mssing -- he and his grain cart never reached Barkstone. Three of the Guard's finest, Kenzie, Saxon, and Lieam, are sent to rescue him. They discover his cart and, after dispatching a snake that attacks them, discover the merchant -- pretty thoroughly digested, by this point. They also discover among his effects a map of Lockhaven, the Guard's stronghold, the sort of thing that is kept under lock and key and is never to leave the fortress town: their merchant was a traitor, but in league with who?
This one is a delight, from the mice -- real mice, with tiny little pink toes and beady little eyes, not disneyfied in the least -- to the absorbing story -- an action/thriller if there ever was one -- to the wonderful graphics work. Where to start?
The story is a good one, tight and well planned, with mouse-heroics galore, treachery, a night march on Lockhaven, leaders plotting strategy, and even horrendous monsters. The characters are vividly drawn -- Lieam, a new recruit but a hero nevertheless, is a prize -- while Gwendolyn is the very picture of a commander with a major mess on her doorstep, and the context is well thought out and beautifully executed.
The drawing is just wonderful. What he can't show in facial expressions -- and let's be honest, mouse physiognomy doesn't leave a lot of room here -- Petersen conveys in body language, and the mice actually look like mice. (Sorry -- that still just blows me away.) The pages are beautiful -- the drawing is better than good, the colors -- mostly in warm tones, browns and golds and coppers and siennas and umbers, with just the right touches of blue and green and gray -- are perfect, and layouts, while pretty regular, set up some good rhythms through Petersen's formal sophistication -- things like two-page spreads in which one page mirrors the layout of the other, and then suddenly you hit a spread that is all one scene. It sets up a nice flow for the story, very clear and intelligible. (A note: looking through again, I'm struck by the way Petersen manages to blend realism and formal abstraction in the same scenes -- it makes for very rich, strong images and doesn't really call attention to itself.)
There's not a lot else to say -- in its most important aspects, the book is simply indescribable. You really have to see it. In fact, I highly recommend that you do.
(Archaia Entertainment, 2009)
This one is a delight, from the mice -- real mice, with tiny little pink toes and beady little eyes, not disneyfied in the least -- to the absorbing story -- an action/thriller if there ever was one -- to the wonderful graphics work. Where to start?
The story is a good one, tight and well planned, with mouse-heroics galore, treachery, a night march on Lockhaven, leaders plotting strategy, and even horrendous monsters. The characters are vividly drawn -- Lieam, a new recruit but a hero nevertheless, is a prize -- while Gwendolyn is the very picture of a commander with a major mess on her doorstep, and the context is well thought out and beautifully executed.
The drawing is just wonderful. What he can't show in facial expressions -- and let's be honest, mouse physiognomy doesn't leave a lot of room here -- Petersen conveys in body language, and the mice actually look like mice. (Sorry -- that still just blows me away.) The pages are beautiful -- the drawing is better than good, the colors -- mostly in warm tones, browns and golds and coppers and siennas and umbers, with just the right touches of blue and green and gray -- are perfect, and layouts, while pretty regular, set up some good rhythms through Petersen's formal sophistication -- things like two-page spreads in which one page mirrors the layout of the other, and then suddenly you hit a spread that is all one scene. It sets up a nice flow for the story, very clear and intelligible. (A note: looking through again, I'm struck by the way Petersen manages to blend realism and formal abstraction in the same scenes -- it makes for very rich, strong images and doesn't really call attention to itself.)
There's not a lot else to say -- in its most important aspects, the book is simply indescribable. You really have to see it. In fact, I highly recommend that you do.
(Archaia Entertainment, 2009)
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