Archaia Press has provided BF with preview pages of the upcoming Archaia hardcover release, Mouse Guard Vol. 3: The Black Axe. It goes on sale in comic book shops on July 10 and wherever books are sold on July 23.
Several years in the making, this third collected hardcover volume of David Petersen’s epic series includes all six issues of the Black Axe miniseries; the 2010 Free Comic Book Day story (which serves as a Prologue); a preface written by Monty Python great Terry Jones; 22 pages of assorted extras, including maps, cutaways, and guides; and a gallery of Mouse Guard pinups by the likes of Alex Sheikman (Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths), Sean Rubin (Redwall), Duncan Fegredo (Hellboy), Charles Paul Wilson III (The Stuff of Legend), Shane-Michael Vidaurri (Iron: Or, the War After), and Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart (Hellboy). Below is the solicitation information for the book:
MOUSE GUARD VOLUME 3: THE BLACK AXE
Collected Edition Hardcover
Retail Price: $24.95
Page Count: 208
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket, 8″ x 8″, full color
Genre: Fantasy
On-sale date: July 10 in comic book shops, July 23 in bookstores
Written, illustrated, and cover by: David Petersen
Rating: E – EVERYONE (all ages, may contain minimal violence)
Synopsis: This is the third collected volume in the continuing saga of the Eisner Award-winning and critically acclaimed fantasy comic series, Mouse Guard, serving as a prequel to the two previous volumes.
Set in 1115, this is the story of how the Guardmouse Celanawe’s paw first touched the legendary weapon, the Black Axe. The arrival of distant kin takes Celanawe on an adventure that will carry him across the sea to uncharted waters and lands, all while unraveling the legend of Farrer, the blacksmith who forged the mythic axe.
This hardcover collection includes an introduction by Monty Python great, Terry Jones; a gallery of pinups; a 22-page section of maps, guide pages, and cutaways; as well as a reprinting of the 2010 Free Comic Book Day story that serves as a prologue to the tale.
