Mouse Guard: The Black Axe Q&A with David Petersen

WORD BALLOONS

The third volume of the popular “Mouse Guard” series is set for release Wednesday. The bimonthly “Black Axe” will run for six issues. “Mouse Guard” is about medieval soldier mice that stand their ground against a weasel warlord. The first two volumes, “Fall 1152” and “Winter 1152,” made The New York Times best-seller list.

“Mouse Guard,” the best-selling title from Archaia, also recently sold out the hardcover edition of “Legends of the Guard” at the distributor level in less than 48 hours. Copies should still be available at retail. “Legends” is an anthology title set in the “Mouse Guard” world featuring creators including Gene Ha, Jeremy Bastian, Alex Sheikman and Ted Naifeh.

Petersen answered some questions from The Oklahoman about the latest “Mouse Guard” and plans for the future.

Q: What can people expect from the newest chapter in the “Mouse Guard” saga?

A: The “Black Axe” is a prequel story to “Fall 1152” and “Winter 1152.” It tells the story of a mouse named Celanawe (who we have already met in “Fall” and “Winter”) as a younger mouse and how he is bestowed with both the weapon and the title The Black Axe. So, readers of the series can expect to get some answers about the Axe’s origins, what it means to Celanawe, and what its burden is.