The Mice Templar is Fun Fantasy & Fantastic Art!

The Mice Templar issues 1 & 2 have hit the shelves and the series is making quite a name for itself already. I had the feeling when I first saw it advertised in Diamond's Previews that I would be among the few who might become a fan of another series staring mice, after the wildly popular MouseGuard, but it doesn't take one long to find others out there praising the efforts of Bryan Glass and Michael Oeming.



I am a fan of MouseGuard and its cute, English cottage-ish mice, who remind me of Beatrice Potter and warm tea, but these are not Ms. Potter's mice. I wouldn't call them "cute" by any means, and with the level of blood, guts, and gore Oeming provides, especially in the fight scenes with the menacing Rats, you soon forget the comparisons to David Peterson's mouse tale. These are not mice - they are MICE!



Issue 1 begins with a glorious two-page spread of a fierce battle between brothers of The Templar, Guardians of Justice created by the ancient spirit Wotan to fight evil and protect against all enemies. However, The Templar has turned against itself and the fighting brings about the end of The Templar. Or, so it seems, perhaps there is hope in young Karic, who listens to the stories of The Templar told by the town's Blacksmith and plays "Templar Knights" games with his friends and sister. Without giving too much away, chaos invades Karic's world quickly in issue 1. After a mystical underwater encounter with golden fish gods and the bequeathment of a magical leather pouch, young Karic finds he must begin a journey with a mysterious stranger that may make of him a worthy hero who can save his people.

In Issue 2, Karic and the mysterious stranger have begun their journey. Although only half the length of issue 1, #2 advances the plot in a meaningful and satisfying way with the introduction of a rouge mouse who follows behind our protagonist and his teacher and is sure to cause harm in upcoming issues. Also, in issue two we get more of the mythology of the Templar, the great spirit Wotan, and the warrior-priest Kuhl-En.

I look forward to issue #3, which will, hopefully, live up to the great start of the first two issues. Check out more about The Mice Templar at Mike Oeming' site www.mike-oeming.com/templar.html and at www.hiddenrobot.com/MICETEMPLAR/

Post your comments here about The Mice Templar and other cool new series out on the shelves.

Hollywood Writers on Strike - Read a Book!

Now that Hollywood screen and TV writers have gone on strike and late night television and daytime soaps will be taking a great hit, it's a good time to do more of what we all say we'll do more of -- read a book!

We at Comics & Classics offer these new gems and timeless standards to replace those hours we find ourselves in front of the boob tube (yes, you could watch reruns - but come on, wouldn't that be like breaking the picket-line - - "Union!"):

Alan Moore's Watchmen - The only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award and graphic novel to be included in Time Magazine's 2005 list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present." A look at superhero status deconstructed.


Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible - Written by freelance game designer and published by Pantheon Books, this entertaining look into the mind of evil genius Dr. Impossible and new superhero female cyborg Fatale offers a fun read that blends the world of comic book heroes and villains with traditional novel writing. Check it out at www.sooniwillbeinvincible.com


Katherine Dunn's Geek Love - A twisted story of family love and sacrifice, Dunn's Geek Love looks at common themes in a intense and uncommon way. The novel is the story of a traveling circus run by husband and wife team Al and Crystal Lil Binewski, who, in order to create their own side shows for the circus, repeatedly inject Crystal with multitudes of drugs and questionable substances during her pregnancies, of which are born their deformed "special" children. Both disturbing and touching, Dunn's work calls all we understand about love and family into question.

Shazam and The Monster Society of Evil - A retelling of Captain Marvel's origin. This trade includes his first encounters with such characters as The Wizard Shazam, Mr. Tawky-Tawny, Dr. Sivana, and Mr. Mind. Also, look out for the introduction of Mary Marvel.

Post us with your comments on good books to read during the strike!