Mouse Guard / The Dark Crystal Preview One-Shot

Title: Mouse Guard / The Dark Crystal Preview One-Shot
Date: 2011
Publisher: Archaia
Writer: David Petersen, Brian Froud, Brian Holgun, Jim Henson, Jim McCann
Artist: David Petersen, Alex Sheikman, Lizzy John, Janet Lee
Letterer: Dave Lanphear

Flip Book. There are actually four features here, and they're all good. I'm a huge Dark Crystal fan, so I was skeptical about adding new story, but the Dark Crystal prequel that's presented here captures the flavor of the film beautifully. It focuses on the character Aughra, who sees all but allows herself to be blind to the flaws in the character of her only son, flaws that will eventually lead to the downfall of the world of Thra.

Flip the book over to find a grim and clever fable from the world of Mouse Guard, about a mouse who uses his wits to defeat three predators who had been terrorizing the land.

Also in this volume is a gorgeous four-page Season of the Dapper Men story, and a feature on the upcoming graphic novel A Tale of Sand, which adapts Jim Henson's only completed but unfilmed screenplay. Although they're very different properties, all of these stories have a nice fantasy feel to them, and the result is a very satisfying collection that left me interested in reading more of all four features.

Rating: 8/10