Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, Vol. 3

Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard #3

by David Petersen, Mark Buckingham, Skottie Young

Inside the June Alley Inn, located in the Western mouse city of Barkstone, mice from all over the territories gather for food, drink, and stories. A storytelling competition, a tradition of the establishment, takes place with each mouse telling fantastic tales of courage and cleverness, with the hope of being selected winner and having their bar tab cleared by night's end.

Featuring stories by Skottie Young (Rocket Raccoon, Oz), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Hannah Christenson (Jim Henson's Storyteller), Nicole Gustafsson, C.M. Galdre, Kyla Vanderklugt (Jim Henson's Storyteller: Witches), Dustin Nguyen (Descender), Ramón K. Pérez (Jim Henson's Tale of Sand, Hawkeye), Jake Parker, Eric Talbot, Ryan Lang, Fabian Rangel Jr., Aaron Conley, and Becky Cloonan (Gotham Academy, Southern Cross).

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Adventure, Animals, Graphic Novels Comics, Short Stories

153 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2015

About the author

Note: There are more than one David Petersen on GR's database. For catch-all profile, see here (dissambiguated via 7 spaces).

David Petersen was born in 1977. His artistic career soon followed. A steady diet of cartoons, comics, and tree climbing fed his imagination and is what still inspires his work today. David won the 2007 Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 2008, David won the Eisners for Best Publication for Kids (Mouse Guard Fall 1152 & Winter 1152) and Best Graphic Album – Reprint (Mouse Guard Fall 1152 Hardcover). He is the creator of the Mouse Guard series and is excited to be working on projects he dearly loves doing. David and his wife Julia reside in Michigan with their dog Autumn.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far my favorite collection from the Legends of the Guard series.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better anthology than the other two.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all of the Legends of the Guard series. It's cool to see all of the different creator's takes on the world of the Mouse Guard. The variety and quality of the stories really show this is world has lot more to explore. I didn't really have any particular favorites but all of the stories were good and while I liked some of the art better than others, it all fit together well, especially within the framework of the series. I really wasn't sure how much I would enjoy stories of talking mice, but the work is good it transcends the idea of anthropomorphic animals.

If you think you'd enjoy a mixture of the Wind in the Willows and The Lord of the Rings, check this series out.

[Jakub Kvíz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posledni myssi rest konecne dohnan.

Na Legendach se neda moc co zkazit, ale zaroven to neni lifechanging experience.

Byt byla nejkratsi, tak nejvic se mi libila dvoustrankova povidka od Dustina Nguyena.

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond good. Mouse Guard 1 and 2 set the bar pretty high, and this Canterbury Tales-esque set up, with multiple artists, takes it in an entirely new direction. Absolutely incredible!

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

When David Petersen created his first Mouse Guard story, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, I doubt he had any idea what he was actually creating. People have so fallen under this talented story-teller's charms of heroic mice that they basically demanded an opportunity to play with his toys. Thus was conceived the Legends of the Guard. This third volume collects stories some brilliant people working in comics today and will make the reader alternatively laugh and cry. This delightful, simple tales often have deep morals embedded within them, like any good fairy tale, but they also offer a glimpse into the soul of the mice who tell them, and thus into our souls as well. Whether offering flights of fancy or tales to chill your bones, there is nothing but quality in these pages. So pull up a tankard of your favorite beverage, and snuggle close for this is a night of tales at June Alley Inn and only the best teller of a tale will get their bar tab cleared.

[Marko Bojkovský · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mišija garda jeste jedan od mojih omiljenih, a verovatno i omiljeni, strip serijal ikada.
Neke od ovih zbirki sam čitao pre desetak godina, novije već kako su izlazile... Srednjevekovna fantazija iz ugla miševa, tih skoro pa najmanjih i najslabijih životinja zemlje. Originalne priče se bave avanturama pripadnika, jelte, Mišije garde, naoružane mišije sile koja štiti raštrkana naselja, gradove i putnike namernike između njih. Silina epova smeštena u ovaj mikro svet je prosto neodoljiva - gde sukobi sa užasni mzmajevima i hordama demona zapravo postaju borbe na život i smrt sa sovama, krabama ili armijom lasica... Preslatko.

Kolekcije "Legende o Gardi" su antologijskog tipa u kojim različiti autori (po desetine njih) donosi svoje kratke priče smeštene u ovaj svet. U pitanj uje nadmetanje u pripovedanju priča o Gardu u nekoj gostionici, a nagrada je otpisivanje duga mišu koji ispriča najbolju. Antologije su "mešano meso" što se tiče kvaliteta )neke priče se izdvajaju ili vizuelnom lepotom, narativom, originalnošću, a neke samo prođu) ali generalna neodoljivost i prevelika količina šećera je i dalje tu, na svakoj stranici.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another round of tales to do away with one patron's tab. Again I find myself moved by the conclusions of some stories. Taken as a whole, they are a welcome addition to the Mouse Guard universe. The tales mention bravery, couriosity, hope, leadership, kindness, ingenuity - all noble traits that make this comic fit for all ages.

[Óli Sóleyjarson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Misgóðar sögur og þetta er að verða svolítið þreytt.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily one of the most beautiful Mouse Guard books- the ending pages with added art would all look great framed on a wall. The stories here are my favorite yet, some daring and some silly. This is such a great way to do this type of graphic novel without letting major changes happen to the base story. I really love mouse guard!

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with this series, the art is a bit of a mixed bag, but I think the good outweighs the bad. And the stories go by so quickly it is hard to find fault in them. I still wish there was more work on a continuation of the main Mouse Guard series, since I just love David Petersen's art so much. I always love the various illustrations at the end of these books, the brief legends attached to them, and that they appear in the background of the frame narrative scenes, with the helpful diagram of the inn showing exactly where each is hung as a painting. They make me want to break out my copy of the Mouse Guard RPG and give it a whirl, though it would probably be best to first force some friends to read the series so they would be interested in playing it.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept. Sometimes the execution felt choppy. I do like the opportunity to see what other artists and writers can do with the world. They have done a good deal of interesting and fun things. If you enjoyed the main series, then this is a fun aside.

Canterbury tales, Decameron and just the whole sitting around and telling tall tales by the fire with some drink. Seems fairly universal.

[Ian Roditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

June, la dueña de la taberna, tiene la costumbre de reunir a sus clientes asiduos (que le deben más de un par de cuentas) y pedirles que le cuenten una historia, el que le cuente la mejor ya no le deberá nada. La ganadora de éste tomo es de mis favoritas de todas las ocasiones que June ha hecho esto.

[Artnoose McMoose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in which Petersen selects various artists to create stories based in the Mouse Guard world and incorporates them into an evening of storytelling at the inn. The styles vary from story to story, and I find that the ones I like best are the ones most close to Petersen's own style.

[Shim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of stories that worked better together than some of the previous volumes. Plus some decent artwork to boot.

[Kristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was better than the other two, however I still wish the stories could be longer and with more depth.

[Atul Kachru · Rating 4 out of 5]

The variant art gallery alone is worth the price of admission. Some of Petersen's most beautiful creations.

Also, would love to have a drink at the June Alley Inn. How can we make this happen?

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same as the last two - cute but not rewarding. The stories simply don't last long enough and the art is all over the place.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

When clearing the territory surrounding the town of Cloverdale, a Guardmouse came upon a clutch of snake eggs. All but one had been broken. The mouse carefully hatched the egg itself, with a plan to raise the offspring as his own mount for patrolling the cloverfields and ridding them of predators. And while this was famed to have briefly worked, somebeast's nature is rumored not to be swayed. and the Guardmouse and town all fell victim to the scaled predator's fang.

I believe I have now read the majority of what Mouse Guard has to offer. There are a couple of rare free comic book day releases which I don't own, but they have been collected in other anthologies I have. It's strange to think that I initially picked up volume two of these Legend books in the Forbidden Planet sale for 99p, having liked the cover design, artwork, and general premise.

The premise of Mouse Guard is as simple as it is charming. Mice have their own society, hidden away in the cracks and crevices of old trees. Their society is protected by an ancient clan of guards, highly trained warriors that protect mice when they travel between trees, their towns.

For these Legends books, Petersen has invited friends and fellow artists to come up with their own Mouse Guard tales. Set in the June Alley Inn, the owner offers to wipe the tab clear for the mouse with the best story. The premise allows the authors to have free reign of sorts as the stories, by their very nature, can contradict the main cannon.

Going into the final Legends book I am a little sad that this is currently the last in the series. There is once again a long list of contributors who want to explore the world of Mouse Guard and they have poured their love of the original works into their stories whilst bringing in their unique illustration styles.

Everything Mouse Guard is going to get 5 stars. I adore this series, the main books, and all the little spins off stories. All that is really left for me is the role playing game, which is becoming increasingly tempting!

[Thia Reads A Lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm seriously thinking of giving this volume 5*, that's how much I loved it. The Dancers was superb, The Watcher's Stone was sublime (that artstyle! I want to draw like that!). I'm sad this was the last volume of Legends of the Guard, but I have some left Mouse Guard to read.

- I don't remember if there were female contributors in the previous volumes, but there are several in this one (another reason to love it even more!)
- Contributors from Canada and Mexico among the group
- Some contributors drew alternate covers for the collection

[Oda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, but not as satisfying as the real deal.

It's pretty rich to produce one prequel (an another on the way), four anthologies (counting the FCBD collection), a RPG and to have a movie in the works when you're only two books into the MAIN STORY. Who are you really, David Petersen - George R.R. Martin? IT'S BEEN ALMOST TEN YEARS. GET ON WITH IT.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr schöne Geschichten, mal wieder. Am besten hat mir ja die Gewinnergeschichte gefallen, mit dem Wächterstein. Aber dazu war der Zeichenstil auch einfach perfekt. Auch dieser Band ist sehr unterhaltsam.

Very nice stories, again. I liked the winner's story best, with the Guardian Stone. And the drawing style was just perfect too. This volume is entertaining as well.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent companion to the regular Mouse Guard books. It had some of my favorite writers/artists doing their takes on Mouse Guard legends with the connecting storyline well done. If you love graphic novels, Mouse Guard is highly recommended as an easy reading tale that is sure to intrigue older children & adults.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These story nights at June's Inn just keep getting better. I love that so many women artists are included and look forward every time to see which story June chooses the winner. This time, I agreed with her. Sometimes I have a favorite that doesn't even make June's top three, so this agreement feels very satisfactory.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another WONDERFUL entry into the world of Mouse Guard. This is a great collaborative efforts of artists and story tellers paying tribute to David Peterson mouse world. I really love the art and the stories.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, another excellent volume! I think the second volume may be my favorite overall, but there was plenty to enjoy here as well. In particular, I enjoyed the tales about the Watcher statue, the armorsmith, and the very short one about the Guard who showed compassion to a fallen crow.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured in a single sitting (like every Mouse Guard volume I own), then carefully savoured by returning to look again at all of the gorgeous imagery and captivatingly unique artistic styles. A feast of creativity that I am grateful to have discovered. Lifelong fan, right here.

[Marc Ramos Soler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Como en las entregas anteriores algunas historias muy trabajadas y sorprendentes en apartado narrativo y artístico, mientras que otras más pasables.
Si sale el cuarto me lo voy a leer también para pescar los relatos buenos.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one's my fault. I was so caught up in getting whatever Mouse Guard books the library had that I missed that this has guest authors and art. I liked some of the stories and art here but it wasn't what I was looking for at the time.

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun graphic novel with many short stories. Especially loved that there were many authors and illustrators involved. I even saw that someone from my city got to be part of the project as well! Very cool.