Mouse Guard is coming back to BOOM! Studios just in time for the 20th anniversary of both the title and the publisher. And writer David Peterson is bringing artist Gabriel Rodríguez along for the ride for Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe.
In the prequel story, the origins of the Black Axe are revealed, set at the earliest point yet in Mouse Guard history. And in the book, per PR, readers will “adventure with the ancient weapon’s first mouse wielder and champion, Bardrick, as he sets off on an epic quest of good versus evil!”
“Getting to write this Mouse Guard lore of the forging of the Black Axe and it being handed to Bardrick (first of eleven wielders) while getting to do so with the brilliant Gabriel Rodríguez drawing Dawn of the Black Axe has been a thrill,” said Petersen via press release. “He’s going above and beyond with his inked pages and storytelling while I’m just trying to keep up coloring them and still do them justice. Gabe was top of my list when we started pitching names for this spin off project, and I postponed it for a long time until his schedule opened up––I didn’t want to do this first one with anyone else.”
Added Rodríguez, “I’ve been a fan of David Petersen’s work since the first time I saw a volume of his astonishing Mouse Guard books. We became friends as soon as we met. Almost a decade ago we started daydreaming about working together on the story of the first wielder of the mythical Black Axe. That dream finally came true, and I’m humbled, grateful and excited to share it with the faithful legion of Mouse Guard readers.”
Peterson won’t be abandoning art duties on Mouse Guard entirely. The series creator promises he’s still working on the next volume in the series, The Weasel War of 1149. But in the meantime, he’s hoping to explore more of the world with creators like Rodríguez and others.
Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe #1 features a main cover by Rodríguez, a variant by Peterson, and another variant by Goñi Montes. It will hit stores on March 19, 2025, and you can check out two covers and inked interior art, below. Click for larger versions.
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