Legends of the Guard HC's Tales Expand Upon Mouse Guard Mythos

David Petersen, the creator, writer, and artist behind Archaia Entertainment’s hit Mouse Guard, has introduced readers to a sprawling world of epic adventure and inspiring mice. So many fans have become invested in the title that it’s become a representative of what people like about well-executed indie comics and graphic novels. 

Recently, Petersen handed the keys to his kingdom to other gifted and handpicked creators, allowing writers & artists to tell their own Mouse Guard tales, collected in Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard HC (978-1-932386-94-3, $19.95), scheduled to ship on November 2. This intriguing concept should lead to the strong sales many retailers associate with this four-part anthology series. 

“The idea for Legends of the Guard came about when Mark Smylie and Jeremy Bastian turned in their pinups for the back section of the Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 series," said Petersen. "I was so impressed and taken by their work. What I saw was a real understanding of my world, so I told them both, ‘Anytime you want to play in the Mouse Guard world, you are more than welcome to. You have free reign.’ That story eventually got around to PJ Bickett, the president of Archaia, and he said that if I wanted to do a series where other creators would write and draw Mouse Guard, I could. The other Legends series artists were chosen by me and I’m blown away by the level of work people are turning in. They also seem to be really excited to get to draw mice with swords and capes.”

With Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, readers will journey to the June Alley Inn, where mice gather and tell tales in an effort to outdo one another. A new competition has started, which challenges the tavern patrons to tell stories of the Mouse Guard while abiding by certain rules: each story must contain one truth, one lie, and have never been told in the tavern before.

In addition to collecting the four-part Legends of the Guard series, this hardcover also features an all-new Epilogue illustrated by João Lemos (Avengers: Fairy Tales), cover gallery, character lineup, floor plan of the June Alley Inn, and creator bios.

Interior Pages from the First Legends of the Guard Tale: