MICE TEMPLAR #3 REVIEW

[Kevin Sutton]

Reviewer: Kevin Sutton, kevinsutton@cheerful.com
Story Title: Part Three: Black Aniaus

If the fish had given him a giant magnifying glass it may have been too obvious.

Story: Glass and Oeming
Art: Michael Avon Oeming
Colours: Wil Quintana
Letters: James H. Glass
Created by: Michael Avon Oeming and Bryan J.L. Glass
Published by: Image Comics

Only three issues in, and this story is turning into a pretty thrilling fantasy adventure. Having encountered 'zombie' rats previously, in this issue Karic and his strange mentor must survive an onslaught from a more terrifying reality, (Seriously, even full sized humans ought to be afraid of these things) and then things just get even odder. But Karic’s family is not forgotten either and they’re clearly in the greater danger. They don’t have a magic fish watching over them after all.

In this issue there’s a dichotomy as the anamorphic rats are shown to be a considerable threat as they partake in hunting deer, making them out to be masters of thier domain; while at the same time Karic and Pilot, (as well as their even more mysterious pursuer) must fend off much smaller and even more dangerous creatures. (But the latter are not diminished by their greater difficulty) The rats prove to be somewhat amusing as they are portrayed as not just evil and violent, but also kind of childish. They are a typical antagonist horde, but there’s a strong undercurrent of cruelty which makes them effective for their role. We also see how both Karic and Pilot react under pressure, and I’m questions are growing about what Pilot is and what he is planning. Those questions I’m sure are mirrored by similar question about their pursuer. The suspicions I raised in my last review have been fed, but not sated. Pilot continues to pressure Karic about his faith, even while he is forced to acknowledge it’s genuine power when it saves his life. His actions towards the end of the issue are cryptic and suspicious in a manner keeping with his demeanor. He’s quite the characters.

The art in this issue is really quite fun. Although every now and then an action sequence can be confusing or unclear, for the most part the visuals are dynamic and evocative. The action is thrilling and the atmosphere can be very dark and frightening when called for. I also like how Oeming does such an excellent job of making the characters emote despite their anamorphic features. I wonder if Tosk’s one large gauntlet is meant to be a tribute to Mignolia’s Hellboy… I wouldn’t think of this at all if it weren’t for the similar general style of the two artists. The inks and colors of this comic are pretty blocky, but that’s a great complement for the pencil work.

The pacing of this story is excellent, and all of the characters are either sympathetic or intriguing. Pilot’s appeal is inherent in the way he subverts the mentor role with his cynicism, while Karic’s family’s plaintive fear of their Rat overlords plays with the reader’s emotions. Even the Rats’ are made to look really vile through their bravado and their inability to even show the slightest consideration of their prisoners’ needs. The writer(s) have shown much more consideration of the characters they’ve created, even if I sometimes have trouble keeping track of them.

Mice Templar is a really good comic, and it’s managed to put together to beginnings of a memorable adventure really quickly. Helped, I’m sure by the size of the uninterrupted comic; Mice Templar offers a lot and doesn’t seem to have any obvious flaws. If you’re in the mood for fantasy, this is probably the book for you.


RATING:


FIND this issue at X-WORLD and SAVE!