David Petersen - Mouseguard Fall 1152
Mouseguard was out in hardcover for a very long time before jumping to paperback. I didn't want to jump in right away, as I thought this book was more aimed at children, so I waited for the paperback version that came out recently. Drawn and written by David Petersen, the level of art jumps out at you immediately. Hand-inked and digitally coloured, David Petersen's art style hearkens to the beautiful and intricate illustrations in classic children's books. The difference? comic books are much more demanding on artist, and the detail-oriented style is difficult to keep up in comic-form. This just makes Mouseguard all the more unique and impressive.
As for the story, Petersen has said that he was influenced by his old D&D games, and it really shows through in Mouseguard. In a few short pages, Petersen build's and transports you into a world that would take most author's a novel to achieve. It is no wonder why Mouseguard has been so critically acclaimed in the comic's world. I look forward to getting his 2 follow up books and would even consider his Mouseguard role-playing game.