In the world of Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper amongst harsh conditions and a host of predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed: more than just soldiers that fight off intruders, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden village to another. The Guard patrol borders, find safeways and paths through dangerous territories and treacherous terrain, watch weather patterns, and keep the mouse territories free of predatory infestation. They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live. Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, three such Guardsmice, are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse that never arrived at his destination. Their search for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard's own ranks. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Here's a distinct comic book image: mice with capes and swords defending themselves against their predators as if they were the Knights of the Round Table. It's a gimmick, but one that Petersen plays completely straight. His art is a perfect mix of the realistic and the fantastic: the mice and other animals always look realistic no matter how adventurous the situations get, including facing snakes and crabs in the first two chapters. Petersen doesn't let things get overly cute, either. These mice are fierce, dedicated fighters, and the violence their job entails is not forgotten. While the book always looks good, the story is pretty thin. The action is never boring but in the beginning it never moves the plot forward. Soon a plot about a traitor in the guard kicks in, leading to some exciting moments covered too briefly, and the character development is thin as well. Luckily, the art makes up for the storytelling shortcomings Petersen's character designs are enormously appealing, and the book is hard to put down for that reason. The story is suitable for all ages, and kids in particular should enjoy this adventure. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

First-time graphic novelist Petersen scores right away with this anthropomorphic medieval fantasy. After the war with the weasels, the Mouse Guard, headquartered at the fortress of Lockhaven, turned their energies to protecting travelers from predators in between the mice's hidden villages. When three of the Guard Lieam, Kenzie, and the brash, young Saxon are sent to find a missing rice merchant, they uncover a plot to overthrow Lockhaven's mistress, Gwendolyn, and replace the aid and support she provides to the villages with tyranny. Worse, they discover that rebellion's leader is himself a Guard member. The key to victory or defeat for the Guard rests in the legend of an ancient mouse hero, the Black Axe. Petersen's characterizations could be more fleshed out, but his world-building is impressive. His greatest strength is his gritty, gorgeously colored renderings of local flora and the animals themselves, including a fearsome snake and attacking crabs. His mice can be considered cute, but they're fierce warriors. Some blood in the battle scenes will keep this out of the hands of the youngest children, but audiences ages ten to adult will likely be drawn in and eagerly await future volumes. Recommended for all collections. S.R. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

The Mouse Guard protects its fellow creatures and patrols the passageways used between the villages of the Mouse Territories. In this tale, three members of the guard investigate the disappearance of a traveling grain merchant. During their quest for the truth, the three uncover a plot to attack Lockhaven, the home of the guard; fight hungry snakes; escape a fiery death; and find a long-lost hero. Petersen has crafted an involving graphic-novel fantasy, populated with realistic-looking mice wearing colorful capes and wielding wicked weaponry. His lush colors and vivid settings give the story a majestic quality fit for a large canvas (or, perhaps, even a movie screen), and the characters are as bold as the brush strokes. The story line is, however, weaker than the art, which keeps the book from being truly great. Even so, this will probably circulate well among graphic-novel fans and may even attract readers who enjoy the Redwall books. King, Kevin. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.