Legends of the Guard #1 - The jakob187 Review
There's a certain beauty to the type of book that Legends of the Guard is. It's not a return to the main story that we know from Fall 1152 and Winter 1152. Instead, this is a side-series that plays out as patrons of a local bar are told that there will be a contest to see who gets their bar debt dismissed. They must all tell the best story that they can. This sets a good pace for Legends, but it's ultimately more of a way for Petersen to build upon his already expansive world than it is a necessity.
The book compiles three separate stories, each told by a different patron. The unique thing about Legends in comparison to the core Mouse Guard books is that each individual story is handled by a different artist, and this gives a little more brevity to the stories being told. Each art style lends its own personality to its own story, but in the end for me, it just made me realize how much I love Petersen's own artwork (as it is featured for the portions showing the bar patrons).
The stories are well told, although the end story is a tad bit abrupt and doesn't necessarily flow with the other two that are present. Each of the stories does fill its own role well
- Story #1 speaks of mouse revolution and the strength that numbers can possess
- Story #2 focuses on how any being goes about being an upstanding example of a being as well as the ideas of trust
- Story #3 focuses on a cautionary tale that felt more like a Twilight Zone episode than anything (mostly due to the ending.
By the end of the three stories, though, you get a richer sense of the world that David Petersen has spent these past few years laying out for us. While that is great to see unfold, it also just makes you realize how much you want to read the continuing story from the 1152 books.
If you are a die-hard Mouse Guard fan, this is something you will want to own for the rich background it paints. If you are a casual Mouse Guard reader, this isn't necessary to keep with the core story, and you can easily wait until Black Axe starts up after the Legends books are done.