Writing and
art by David Petersen
I never really cared for the
Redwall books as a kid. It’s nothing
against the series, it just never caught me while all my friends were obsessed
with it. I guess to fill in that whole
of medieval series starring animals, I’ve ended up becoming a Mouse Guard fan,
and The Black Axe is a great spot to jump on.
Taking
place before the previous two volumes, The Black Axe focuses on Celanawe, a
member of the Mouse Guard who is visited by Em and finds out that they are the
two remaining descendants of Farrer, the forger of the Black Axe. The weapon itself has been lost, and it’s up
to them to find where it has gone and choose a new wielder for it.
Petersen’s
greatest strength is definitely his majestic storytelling that pairs with his
art. The mice are the size of actual
mice, and because of this, everything is a danger. This lets him script some fantastic scenes. The two descendants, along with the captain
Conrad, voyaging across the sea is a highlight, expertly showing the length
that it takes them to cross. The actual
distance for humans is never measured, but it doesn’t matter because they might
as well be going across the Atlantic.
There’s also Celanawe going inside a bramble patch to hunt down a
fox. It’s perfectly tense, with the
brambles becoming an apparently inescapable maze, only to release in a great
action scene of him having to fight something far bigger than him.
Along the way, he also weaves a story about
what it takes to be a hero and a legend of the Black Axe’s caliber. Celanawe has to keep up the legend of being
an immortal hero, rather than just one in a line of heroes called the Black
Axe, and finds the difficulty in that.
This is particularly shown in the final chapter. After 5 chapters of heroic journeys and
battles, the sixth calms things down to a point that shows the actual loss and
troubles associated with the Axe, especially in finding a new wielder for
it. It shows how good this comic is that
calming things down loses none of its momentum.
There’s
also plenty of extras to be found here.
A prologue and epilogue have been added which, respectively, fill in
what’s going on after the last volume and fill in a story hole that wasn’t
explained in the chapters. There’s art
of the major locations throughout the story which also feature descriptions
that fill in the world and its backstory.
And finally, a collection of pin-ups by various artists which were
included with the individual issues. With
a series that has one artist on it all the time, it’s always nice to get a
glimpse of other artists’ takes on it.
Whether
you’re already a fan of Mouse Guard or just want to pick up something new, The
Black Axe is a great read. High-action
and tension easily trade places with quieter moments to weave a fascinating
tale that adds more to the world.
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