Mice Templar: Destiny #1

Mice Templar: Destiny #1
Written by Bryan J. Glass
Illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming

Oeming pulls all the rabbits out of his artistic hat here. There is a breathtaking splash page, one of the most magnificent ever, certainly among those that feature owls. There is a bloody battle sequence that plays like the opening D-Day salvo of Saving Private Ryan, only here, it's with mice and swords. There are fiery visions, monstrous creatures, eerie forests, and illuminated spirits.

The dynamic layouts, the emotional fortitude of the cast, the sturdiness of the graphic narrative all dazzle, but pale in comparison to Cassius’s recounting of the legend of the wood. The page is turned and like the technicolor brilliance of Oz, there is a water-colored surrealism that literally sucks the oxygen out of the room.

RIYL: Mice Templar, Redwall, Watership Down, Conan, Mouse Guard, Raymond E. Fiest, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings