Graphic novel brings excitement

I consider myself to be a very open-minded person.

I don't believe in completely trashing anything based on concept, target audience or production history. Simply put, everything deserves a fair chance. All things considered, I never believed a comic book series about mice doing swordplay would be one of the most memorably great pieces of literature I've read in recent history.

"Mouse Guard", an award winning comic book series, has slowly been climbing the ladder of critical acclaim for the last three years. With the recent hardcover release of "Winter: 1152", collecting the recent six issue mini-series in an 8x8 in. hardcover graphic novel is the perfect place to jump on and see why.

Released on a bi-monthly basis, "Mouse Guard" is an Eisner (comic book equivalent of the Oscars) winning story written by David Petersen.

It is told through a series of miniseries and set in an alternate universe in which mice have congregated and civilized in a manner similar to humans in a setting similar to the Middle Ages (1152). The only problem is, unlike humans, mice are less than two links away from being at the bottom of the food chain. To combat the animal kingdom's natural predators, they form the Mouse Guard, a group of trained weapon wielding mice soldiers to protect the mice of their territories whenever they happen to be in danger.

"Winter: 1152" takes place a few weeks after its predecessor "Fall: 1152" (currently available in both hardcover and paperback form), leaving the Guard low on supplies for the coming winter after a previous battle. The main cast consists of Lieam (the recruit), Saxon (the hot head), Kenzie (the brains), Sadie (the lady), and Celenawe (the veteran), and all are members of the party sent out to the neighboring territories to gather supplies.

On their return trip they come across a chasm forcing them to split up and trek their way back to home base through harsh weather conditions and local predators without the united effort of the entire group. "Winter: 1152" wastes no time in its storytelling. The characters practically define themselves from the first sentences they utter, and every chapter's events are paced perfectly to keep the story moving forward. Never does it feel too talky or shallow. Within the issues he is allowed, Petersen crafts a very alive world with characters on a compelling adventure that impacts right up to its emotional climax.

The highlight of every issue of "Mouse Guard", however, has always been the gorgeous artwork. Nearly every page of this book is worthy of being made into a poster. The sense of scale in this world is simply mind-boggling. As mice, the main characters obviously see the world as a much larger place than humans and it shows on every page. Trees are taller than towers, rabbits are used as a means of transportation, spoons are used as boat oars and predators such as owls are threateningly vicious beasts. Even a few inches of snow on the ground can be used as tunnels and makeshift shelters for the mice to dig into. The panels are laid out in an almost storybook fashion and the art style itself is vaguely reminiscent of animated films of the '80s (Secret of Nimh). From the first page to the last, "Mouse Guard" is one of the most visually impressive things that I've ever seen in my life.

This book, as offbeat as it seems, has worked its way into my heart in a matter of weeks. This hardcover edition of the novel even comes with an art gallery and a glossary of the world at the end of the story, giving extra value. If you're looking for a different kind of comic book or reading experience in general, I simply can't recommend Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 enough.