Mouse Guard, Volume 3: The Black Axe — David Petersen

Written and illustrated by David Petersen

Before he became a legend, Celanawe had a journey of his own.

In this prequel to the Mouse Guard series, the story turns to Celanawe—the Black Axe—and the adventure that helped shape one of the Guard’s most legendary figures.

As Celanawe recounts his past to young Lieam, the story carries us beyond the familiar Mouse Territories and across the sea on a journey filled with distant kin, old secrets, dangerous encounters, and the history surrounding the mysterious Black Axe itself.

Written and illustrated by David Petersen, The Black Axe reaches deeper into the lore of Mouse Guard, expanding its history while telling a more personal story about courage, responsibility, and the making of a legend.

Details

• Volume 3 of Mouse Guard
• Prequel to Fall 1152 and Winter 1152
• Written and illustrated by David Petersen
• Explores the story of Celanawe and the Black Axe
• Fantasy graphic novel
• Adventure / history / legend

Why We Love It

By Volume 3, Mouse Guard has done something wonderful: the world has become old enough to have legends of its own.

Celanawe isn't simply the formidable mouse we meet in the earlier books anymore. The Black Axe lets us follow him backward—to another journey, another time, and the experiences behind the name everyone else already knows.

We love that kind of worldbuilding. The map gets larger, the history gets deeper, and suddenly the little mouse with the enormous axe has an entire story behind him.

Explore Mouse Guard

• Mouse Guard, Volume 1: Fall 1152
• Mouse Guard, Volume 2: Winter 1152
• Mouse Guard, Volume 3: The Black Axe — you are here