The Mice Templar vol. 1: The Prophecy

Here’s an analogy that you won’t find on any SAT test ever: “Berserk :: Claymore” “Mouse Guard ::  The Mice Templar” Those of you who are having trouble figuring out the connection are encouraged to click here. I’m sure creator Michael Avon Oeming is sick of hearing people compare “The Mice Templar” to David Petersen’s similarly-themed series, but the fact remains that his title is the lesser of the two.  Where “Mouse Guard” has the appearance of a richly detailed children’s book, it’s actually invested with the palpable danger and epic scope of high fantasy.  You don’t get that same vibe from “Mice” as it feels more like a riff on the traditional hero story.  Only with rodents. We’re introduced to the young protagonist Karic as he’s living an idyllic life in the countryside, thrilling to tales of the heroic Mice Templar.  Faster than you can say, “Wait, haven’t we seen this before?” the village is attacked by rats, Templar survivor is revealed to have been living amongst the townspeople, and Karic has some visions and finds out that he’s the chosen one.  It’s all very predictable and the clumsily executed double reversal regarding the titular prophecy doesn’t help it. Still, it’s presented with enough zest so that you can tell that Oeming and co-creator/co-plotter/writer Bryan J.L. Glass are truly invested and believe in the story they’re telling.  Fans of “Powers” will also be impressed with Oeming’s versatility here as he gets to show his range in drawing all of the non-human characters and how he shows off his painting skills as well.  What’s on display here is enough to convince me to stick around for at least another volume.  Going back to my original analogy, “Claymore” didn’t start out all that special either, but it has since made great strides in telling its own compelling story, so there’s potential for “Mice” to do the same.