I was in the library, browsing the graphic novel section, when Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 caught my eye.  I loved the cover and there were several positive reviews on the book jacket so I decided to give it a try.

Mouse Guard, by David Petersen, is a graphic novel that was first published as a series of comics.  It brings us into a world where mice are intelligent, communicate with each other and have cute little swords.  Well, the setting is not really played for cuteness or comedy.  It’s more of a straight fantasy epic.  But the swords are still cute.  The mice have a nice little culture going with cities, towns and villages.  Of course, they also face dangers from predators and the weather.

Standing against these dangers are the Mouse Guard, a group of the finest trained mice.  They were, at a time, soldiers of a sort.  But currently, their main duties are as scouts, pathfinders and detectives.  The graphic novel focuses on a few key members of the Mouse Guard and, on a larger scale, the perils faced by the entire mouse civilization.

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