The All-American Rejects Rock San Diego Comic-Con

 

San Diego Comic Con attendees: listen up! A party is coming your way, and it's gonna be loud!Here's all the info:

 

Can we let you in on our dirty little secret? The All-American Rejects — yes, THE chart-topping, sing-every-lyric beloved rock band — are headlining this year’s Fandom Party! And you know what that means: the countdown is on for Fandom’s return to San Diego! The world’s largest fan platform will once again host its highly anticipated event during the biggest fan convention of the year. 

 

The Fandom Party is sponsored by Universal Orlando Resort – who opened its fourth theme park, Universal Epic Universe, in May - as well as Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. - the leading game publisher behind ELDEN RING™, PAC-MAN® and the upcoming action RPG CODE VEIN II. The eighth annual Fandom Party will take place at FLOAT at the Hard Rock Hotel on Thursday, July 24 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

 

With chart-topping singles like “Gives You Hell,” “Dirty Little Secret,” and “Move Along,” The All-American Rejects have solidified their place as one of the most iconic bands of the 21st century. Selling over 10 million albums worldwide and amassing billions of global streams, the band has built a lasting legacy in the music industry. Their headlining performance will kick off the convention weekend in a major way, bringing together hundreds of fans, industry insiders, celebrities, and influencers for a night to remember.

 

 

 

The Fandom Party is THE must-attend event during convention week in San Diego, bringing fans a high-energy celebration at the intersection of pop culture, gaming, fantasy, music, and community. This year, attendees will enjoy an unforgettable night of curated and immersive fan-first experiences including:

 

Getting a glimpse into Universal Epic Universe, where attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy custom interactions featuring the five extraordinary worlds within the all-new theme park: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Ministry of Magic™, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk - and Dark Universe.

 

Traverse across a post-apocalyptic world and transcend time to reshape the past in CODE VEIN II – step into this haunting universe with Bandai Namco’s photo op featuring a life-size replica of the in-game vehicle Motorcycle Forma.

 

We will also have custom activations from partners, including a themed scavenger hunt hosted by the beloved Santaverse™ character The Elf on the Shelf® and Z2 that can all be experienced while those over 21 enjoy a drink from our official beverage sponsor, Mike’s HARDER Lemonade.

 

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. The Fandom Party is by invite only; for media inquiries, please contact fandomrsvp@42west.com.

 

 

About Fandom

Fandom is the world’s largest fan platform where fans immerse themselves in imagined worlds across entertainment and gaming. Reaching almost 350 million unique visitors per month and hosting more than 250,000 wikis, Fandom is the #1 source for in-depth information on pop culture, gaming, TV and film, where fans learn about and celebrate their favorite fandoms. Fandom’s Gaming division manages the online video game retailer Fanatical. Fandom Media, the content arm of Fandom, enhances the fan experience through curated editorial, video and branded content from trusted and established media brands Gamespot, TV Guide, Metacritic and the Emmy-nominated Honest Trailers from Screen Junkies. For more information follow @getfandom or visit: www.fandom.com.

 

About Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Orlando Resort is an award-winning, weeklong vacation destination that welcomes all to truly be themselves while enjoying world-class attractions that redefine theme park experiences. Here, a multitude of authentically thrilling, exciting and spontaneous adventures await – each inviting guests to embark on whatever vacation they crave while igniting their full range of emotions like never before – from the awe of walking the streets of Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to the rush of adrenaline that takes over when coming face-to-face with a Velociraptor in Jurassic Park to the wide-eyed joy of seeing an entire slice of cake atop a delectable milkshake at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen.

 

Universal Orlando Resort is home to four exhilarating theme parks that boast some of the most innovative and immersive experiences ever created – Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Volcano Bay, and the all-new Universal Epic Universe. Guests can also relish in exciting dining and entertainment at the Universal CityWalk entertainment complex and enjoy incredible accommodations and magnificent theming across eleven hotels that offer something for every style and budget: Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal Stella Nova Resort, Universal Terra Luna Resort, Universal Aventura Hotel, Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and Universal Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites. Universal Orlando Resort is a part of Universal Destinations & Experiences, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal.

 

About Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., part of the Bandai Namco Group, is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for major video game consoles, PC, online, and mobile platforms. The company is known for creating many of the industry’s beloved classic franchises such as PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®, and publishing the critically acclaimed DARK SOULS™ series and the blockbuster title ELDEN RING™. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is also the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime-based video games including GUNDAM™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE®. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, California. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com.

 

The Lumistella Company     

CCA and B, LLC d/b/a The Lumistella Company is the company behind Santaverse™, the official source for the stories of the enchanted world of Santa Claus. Family-owned and women-led since 2005, the company’s portfolio includes a number of iconic Christmas brands, including: The Elf on the Shelf®, Elf Pets®, and Elf Mates®. As a global company operating in 29 countries, on 5 continents with 100+ licensees, our purpose is to make joyful family moments possible around the world. To learn more about The Lumistella Company, please visit https://lumistella.com/.  

 

About Mike's® HARDER Lemonade

Founded in 1999, Chicago-based Mike's® Hard Lemonade Co. defined the flavored malt beverage category with the introduction of its groundbreaking Mike's® Hard Lemonade. Twenty-six years later, the Mike's product line includes Mike's® Hard Lemonade, Mike's HARDER® Lemonade, and Mike's® Limonada Fresca. To learn more about Mike's, visit mikeshard.com or follow @MikesHardLemonade on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

 

About Z2

Recently dubbed the “Hottest brand in music” by Forbes, Z2 has quickly become the premier destination for authentic graphic novels and collectibles, created in partnership with top-tier artists, musicians, and pop-culture icons. Distributed globally via Simon & Schuster, multiple Eisner and Ringo-nominated Z2 has produced 75+ unique graphic novel properties, collaborating with Iron Maiden, Gorillaz, Blondie, Elvis Presley, “Weird Al'' Yankovic, The Blues Brothers, Vans Warped Tour, Pantera, Tori Amos, Miles Davis, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Jason Derulo, The Grateful Dead, Machine Gun Kelly, Sublime, Beethoven, RZA, Mötley Crüe, Vince Staples, Cheech & Chong, The Doors, Anthrax, Public Enemy, Last Podcast On The Left, Type O Negative, Emily Hampshire, Balmain Paris, Ronnie James Dio, King Diamond, All Time Low, Ivan Moody, Kool Keith, Yungblud, Cypress Hill, Babymetal, Major Lazer, RZA, Alter Bridge, Sturgill Simpson, Dance Gavin, Dance Poppy, John Lee Hooker, and Charlie “Bird” Parker. For more information visit Z2comics.com, and follow on Instagram and Twitter.  

 

Thanks to Fandom for sharing this announcement with us. 

Red Sonja Noir #1 Review

 

Writer: David Avallone

Artist: Edu Menna

Colorist: Adriano Augusto

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Editor: Joseph Rybandt

Cover Artists: Lesley “Leirix” Li, Joseph Michael Linsner & Cosplay by Molly Stewart

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Price: $5.99

Release Date: June 18, 2025

 

The goddess Scáthach imbued Red Sonja with exceptional fighting abilities. But the men who killed her family and violated Red Sonja left their mark on her soul. So, when Scáthach forbids her intimacy with men, Red Sonja doesn't protest. She may ally with warriors like Conan now and then. But she feels more comfortable around women. What happens when Red Sonja finds a man she trusts? Let's grab our swords, leap into Red Sonja Noir #1, and see!

 

Story

In David Avallone’s story, Red Sonja has set up a business with Tamsin. They’ve established their reputation in town as heroes for hire. Red Sonja and Tamsin have taken rooms in a tavern. Townspeople in need of their services ask for Blade and Archer. But the pattern of their days changes when a beautiful lady arrives. Shawna needs protection from Zander. The slaver has kidnapped her sister and demands a ransom for her safe return. Although Shawna wishes to employ both partners, Tamsin assures the lady that Red Sonja’s involvement is unnecessary. He will protect Shawna as they meet with Zander and rescue her sister.

 

In Red Sonja Noir #1, the town guards awaken Red Sonja early the following morning. They know her well enough that they don’t suspect Red Sonja of killing her partner. When she vows to find Tamsin's murderer, they don't protest. As Red Sonja investigates, we learn more about the beautiful Shawna. The story also introduces Lady Stradaverde. She's less interested in stringed instruments than the occult. Lady Stradaverde, or The Crone, seeks an ancient artifact. Red Sonja, Shawna, and Zander have roles to play in acquiring it for her.

 

Red Sonja’s past prevents her from taking others at face value. The She-Devil With A Sword navigates the dangers of the investigation, unfazed by the intrigues she observes. Unlike those around her, Red Sonja seeks neither money nor power in Red Sonja Noir #1. All she wants is to find her partner's murderer. Red Sonja failed him in life. She won’t fail Tamsin in death.

 

Art

While Red Sonja shines in her armored bikini, Edu Menna dresses Tamsin in pants, a tunic, and a capelet. Together with his eyepatch and Van Dyke beard, swashbuckling Tamsin seems suited to this medieval town. Guards patrol the streets wearing quilted armor and capes. A double-masted ship anchors in the canal that flows through this Tudor-style town. The inhabitants and travelers use gently arced stone bridges to cross from one embankment to the other.

 

Adriano Augusto lavishes a loaded palette on this town of red-roofed houses. Yellow and orange dance across the blue and green waters of the canal. Shawna's purple and magenta clothing outshines most of the town's inhabitants in Red Sonja Noir #1. But her rosy skin exhibits the same healthy glow as Red Sonja's. Amid the realism of the tavern, market, and hotel, light combats the lurking darkness. In the Crone’s domain, illuminated by candles, it triumphs, but just barely.

 

Jeff Eckleberry fills white dialogue balloons and beige narrative boxes with uppercase black letters. Words grow bold for intonation and enlarge for raised voice. Sound effects accompany clanging swords, spraying blood, and an act that dispels the dream of a lifetime. Thanks to Dynamite Entertainment for providing a review copy.  

 

Final Thoughts

What does it take for you to trust someone? Does it require a sterling character or just a knowledge of your partner's capabilities? When the She-Devil With A Sword commits to a man, she discovers that trust is in short supply in Red Sonja Noir #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Playtime by Aron Wiesenfeld Preview

 

 

Aron Wiesenfeld has a long history in comics. I loved the Vertigo series Y: The Last Man, so it's super cool to learn he contributed to its success. Here's the info on his latest project:

Renowned Painter Aron Wiesenfeld Collects His Post-it Note Drawings in New Book, Playtime

Playtime is Now Live on Kickstarter

The artwork of Aron Wiesenfeld has been featured in 15 solo exhibitions and captured the attention of fans around the world, including Oscar Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and legendary cartoonists including Mike Mignola, Jim Lee and Kevin Eastmen. Wiesenfeld’s striking, large scale paintings are renowned for their dreamlike quality, often featuring evocative and solitary figures, whose presence suggests a general air of melancholy, isolation, and of leaving innocence behind. Before Wiesenfeld was an accomplished and acclaimed fine artist, he was a comic book artist whose brilliant art for Marvel’s Deathblow/Wolverine comic book earned him an Eisner Award nomination and his eye-catching comic book covers helped set the tone for the seminal series Y: The Last Man. Now the artist is once again experimenting with a new storytelling format with Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings, a complete collection of Wiesenfeld's ink drawings on Post-it notes, which have never before been published. 

The book will spotlight roughly 100 pages of drawings which will be interspersed with short writings or poems. The 120-page deluxe hardcover is being published via Kickstarter. "I think of these small drawings like short stories, they are based on inspiration that I found in daily life,” said Wiesenfeld. “My hope is that you will browse through it on a rainy day, and be inspired too.”

Wiesenfeld traditionally works in oil paint and charcoal drawing. His technique draws upon the traditions of master painters from history, though his subject matter is decidedly modern. Sometimes described as “liminal”, his young subjects are often placed in the ignored in-between places on the outskirts of cities. These settings are echoed by an unconscious “in-betweenness” in the young protagonists, who are adrift, indecisive, in peril, or in search of something.

  

Here’s what people are saying about Wiesenfeld’s art:

“Aron Wiesenfeld. Like Hopper he is concerned with solitude, like Magritte he is bewitched by mystery.”—Guillermo Del Toro

“I love Aron Wiesenfeld’s work.” — Hellboy creator Mike Mignola

“Aron Wiesenfeld’s book is like opening a door to a half-remembered dream.  Each figure is a mystery and each landscape a story that rewrites itself every time you see it.”—

 Bestselling cartoonist and MIND MGMT creator Matt Kindt

“Terrific.” — DC Comics Publisher and artist Jim Lee

“Extraordinary.” — Teenage Mutants Nina Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman

“Like a master chef balancing flavors, Aron creates a perfect visual feast, pairing subtle color palettes with suggestive narratives, atmospheres and moods.”—Juxtapoz 

“Quiet scenes of youthful melancholy and mystery.”—Colossal 

“Beautifully-rendered and atmospheric.”—Hi-Fructose

“There is a richness in Aron’s color even when it appears to be a grey cheerless world filled with ghosts.  The viewer can be both charmed and haunted by his work. Categorizing his painting style can also elude us. Surrealism doesn’t seem to be the perfect classification. Both cartoonist and classic realist seem to equally apply. I don’t know Aron well, but if an artist's work is a representation of themselves, it makes me want to know this very original enigma of an artist better.”— William Wray

"I am simply mesmerized by Aron Wiesenfeld's work." — Acclaimed painter and illustrator Peter de Sève

Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings captures a contemporary master, experimenting with form and materials and rejoicing in the act of play.

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

Now, let's here from this extraordinary artist:

“It's always good to put limitations on yourself,” explains Wiesenfeld. “In this series I only allowed myself to use black pens on a 3x3-inch square of yellow paper. It became a challenge to see if I could capture some of the key elements I love in large oil paintings: mood, atmosphere, time of day, weather conditions, character, and story.  I wasn't always successful, but was often pleasantly surprised with the results anyway.  When you see your lines blown up, every quiver of the hand is captured there.  No falseness, or flourishes of style are even possible, it's just too small for any of that.  The results always felt ‘real’ to me. One of my heroes is Gustave Doré, who, constrained by the printing limitations of his time, was able to tell visual stories that felt like paintings, but limited to only using black and white engraving lines.”

Fans can support Playtime on Kickstarter. For more updates follow Aron Wiesenfeld on X, Instagram, and Facebook. 

 

About Aron Wiesenfeld
Born in 1972, Wiesenfeld grew up in Santa Cruz, California and now lives in North Carolina. He studied painting at Cooper Union School of Art in New York. After a brief career illustrating comic books, he continued his studies at Art Center in Pasadena, CA. His paintings have been in galleries and museums around the world, including New York, L.A., San Francisco, London, Oslo, Amsterdam, and Rome. His work has also been seen in publications such as Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, American Art Collector, Drawing Magazine, Wall Street International, and The Huffington Post.

 

Thanks to Aron Wiesenfeld and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.  

Hack/Slash: Body Bags TP Vol 1 Review

 

Writer: Tim Seeley

Artist: Stefano Caselli with Steve Kurth

Colorist: Kurt Michael Russell

Letterer: Crank

Cover Artists: Stefano Caselli, Sarah Mitrache & Stefano Nesi

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $12.99

Release Date: June 18, 2025

 

Cassandra and Vlad are hunting a Slasher named Edgelord. They’ve tracked the reanimated corpse to Terminus. Cassandra and Vlad, or Hack and Slash, aren't wild about hunting the killer corpse in this Old West-style town near the OJ Simpson Valley crater. But they don't want him carving up more teens and petty criminals.

 

Mack Delgado, aka Clownface, is a Body Bagger. When his daughter found him, the assassin and bounty hunter became a single parent overnight. Now Mack is responsible for a headstrong teen who enjoys killing. When Panda shoots a skip, she deprives his gang of the ransom. Incensed, Mack takes his unrepentant daughter to an overnight course for Baby Baggers. How will Cassandra and Vlad meet Mack and Panda? Is Terminus, Georgia, big enough for Hack, Slash, and the Body Baggers? Let’s grab our weapons, leap into Hack/Slash: Body Bags TP Vol 1, and find out!

 

Story

After consulting the town registry, Cassandra questions Black Angus. He and Edgelord worked together. But their boss is dead, and Black Angus doesn’t know Edgelord’s whereabouts. When Black Angus points her toward Mack, Vlad seeks out the Body Bagger while Cassandra visits the night school. But none of them realize that Edgelord returned home to find his lover dead. Rather than live without her, the corpse bridegroom ripped out his heart and dropped it on Cisco Valentine’s grave.

 

In Hack/Slash: Body Bags TP Vol 1, Cassandra slips into the night school just before lockdown. But she's not the only unexpected visitor. Cisco Valentine has a new lease on life thanks to Edgelord's heart. And she’s hunting Panda, the spunky Body Bagger who killed her. When Mack and Vlad realize what's at stake, the men must work together to protect Panda and Cassandra.

 

By forcing the protagonists of these two teams to swap partners, Tim Seeley forces each character to adapt to new situations. While Vlad and Mack could be effective partners, Vlad cares for Cassandra, whereas Mack fears becoming too soft by caring for his daughter. Likewise, Cassandra understands the value of teamwork, while Panda fiercely denies she needs anyone else. Still, Cassandra must convince Panda to work with her. With the school on lockdown, no one can get out. And Cisco Valentine wants to rip the smile off Panda's face before exacting her revenge.

 

Art

Cassandra is a goth teen with a purple miniskirt. Vlad hides his Frankenstein’s Monster appearance behind a mask in Hack/Slash: Body Bags TP Vol 1. Mack is densely muscled and carries a machete-sized knife. His teenage daughter is big on bust, hair, and attitude. Of all the other students, the girl dressed like a cheerleader has eyes only for a young man with piercings.

 

Lying on his bed beneath a Minotaurminator poster, Black Angus clutches a TV remote in his remaining hand. The wounded Body Bagger waits for his grandpa to hobble over with a bag of pills on his walker. But these larger-than-life characters cannot hold a candle to Cisco Valentine. She sports a white face, an immense smile, and a lock of blonde hair near the open wound on her scalp. Cisco's colorful costume rivals the Sixth Doctor's sartorial splendor.

 

Kurt Michael Russell looks Stefano Caselli and Steve Kurth’s big ‘ole storm of murder and mayhem straight in the eyes. Then, he lavishes a loaded palette of bright colors on these extraordinary characters. Less nuanced colors adorn the stained and torn Polaroids that provide Mack's link to the past. Mack slips on his yellow Clownface mask as he takes on bikini-clad cyborgs with guns built into their silver forearms. Perhaps purple forms the dominant theme in Hack/Slash: Body Bags TP Vol 1. The color adorns Mack’s car, the cyborgs’ hair, Cassandra’s skirt, the schoolteacher’s dress, and an arms dealer who sets Hack and Slash in his sights.

 

White letters in red time stamps keep tabs on this fraught Weekend At Body Bags. Uppercase black letters in white and colored dialogue balloons grow bold and shrink. Black Angus speaks into blue double-edged scroll saw blades. Dialogue enlarges when sound effects enhance gunfire, slashing weapons, and explosions. Yet Vlad makes the biggest impression as he speaks words of truth and concern with unsteady handprinted letters. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While Body Baggers Mack and Panda have Daddy Issues, Vlad worries that Cassandra is distracted. As they enter a town where anything goes, Vlad knows Cassandra must be alert to fend off assassins, bounty hunters, and cyborgs. Hack/Slash: Body Bags TP Vol 1 is an over-the-top comic farce: part Friday The 13^th, part Robocop, and all bloody good fun.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Hagar The Horrible: The First 50 Years

 

 

Sorry, Red Rocker fans. This book isn't about the acclaimed solo artist and former lead singer for Van Halen. Hagar The Horrible was a staple of my newspaper reading for decades! When it comes to cartoons, the character and the art represent the best of both worlds. I wonder if Hagar The Horrible can drive 55?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE: THE FIRST 50 YEARS

Author/Illustrator: Dik Browne

Publisher: Titan Comics

HC, 480 pages, FC, $49.99

ISBN: 9781787741454

On sale June 24, 2025

 

The world’s best-known Viking returns for a collection celebrating his 50th anniversary.

 

Featuring the first ten epic years hand-picked by Dik Browne’s son, Chris Browne.

 

It’s time to set sail with the worlds mildest marauding Viking, Hägar the Horrible, his hapless (and helpless) sidekick, Lucky Eddie, his long suffering family, his wife Helga, and his duck Kveck.

 

This collection is a celebration of the first 50 years of Hägar's epic, never-ending quest to put meat, mead and loot on the family table, while doing as little as possible.

 

The collection presents over 1000 daily cartoon strips, including 600 hand-picked by Dik Browne’s son Chris Browne.

 

Featuring a foreword by Chris Browne, a feature by Brian Walker on the history of Hägar, and an article about the almost animated movie.

 

Perfect for fans of Peanuts and newspaper gag strips, this collection is ideal for long-time fans and new readers all ages.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hagar the Horrible: The First 50 Years is on sale now at bookstores, comic shops and digital. Order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet for UK. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe #3 Review

 

Writer, Colorist & Letterer: David Petersen

Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez

Cover Artists: Gabriel Rodriguez, David Petersen & Matt Smith

Editors: David Mariotte & Bryce Carlson

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 18, 2025

 

After quarreling with his ghostly guide, Bardrick endures several years alone without another victory. To be sure, he slays many snakes. But Bardrick fails to kill the four remaining great serpents that menace Lockhaven. Nearly four years pass until Bardrick finds Skalaknute sleeping in his lair. After his second conquest, the ghostly Elk reappears. It leads Bardrick to Dødfare. This time, the small warrior with a big heart does not leave the battle unscathed.

 

After slaying three of the great snakes, Bardrick lies dying. How will Lockhaven fare in his absence? Or can Bardrick defy the venom flowing through his veins? Let’s grab our weapons, leap into Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe #3, and see!

 

Story

Matriarch Siobhan and her captains dismissed Bardrick’s claims about the ghostly Elk. She refused to send a Guard captain or patrol leader to avenge Farrer’s family. But the Matriarch trained as a healer before she became responsible for her nation. In David Petersen’s story, the Matriarch must decide whether to aid the Guard she exiled.

 

Like the Matriarch, the Elk abandoned Bardrick after their quarrel. Instead of watching Bardrick provoke the snakes to ravage Lockhaven, the specter watched Farrer remarry and father more children. After rejoining Bardrick, the Elk told him he could relinquish the Black Axe after the former Guard killed Langtspyd. But in Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe #3, Bardrick is dying. Even if he survives, he will never recover his former strength. So, the spirit must decide how best to defend Lockhaven from Langtspyd and Streikrask.

 

David Petersen’s story demonstrates how our roles change as we age. Bardrick must accept that he can no longer continue as before. The solitary soldier must also decide to abide by the Elk’s strategy or follow his inclinations. Yet Bardrick knows what his four years alone cost him and the toll his actions took on his beloved people.

 

Art

The Matriarch gazes up at the towering Elk from her castle balcony. The spirit glows with a pale blue light, while the Matriarch shines in her purple hat and robe of office. Yellow and orange creep through the grass as the Matriarch nears Dødfare’s corpse in Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe #3. Beige smoke rises from a black and gray cauldron as she concocts a remedy in Bardrick’s hand-stitched beige and tan tent.

 

David Petersen lavishes a palette of subdued colors on this tale about accepting our limitations. While Bardrick has not recovered his former strength, Gabriel Rodriguez shows the former Guard captain undertake another journey. Adorned in his ragged cape, Bardrick still carries the weapon Farrer found too heavy to wield. He scrambles over rocks and paddles across a pond on an autumn leaf. After years of seeing how the serpents devastated communities, Bardrick beholds how his selfless service has benefitted Lockhaven.

 

David Petersen opens Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe #3 with another medieval frontispiece. This time, snakes intertwine, but not as a caduceus or the Rod of Asclepius. The Black Axe lurks between lines of elaborate letters while a tiny mouse peers out at the reader. The Elk speaks words of wisdom into blue balloons while mice use beige balloons. Sound effects slither through the air as Bardrick makes another difficult decision on behalf of his people. Thanks to Boom! Studios and Archaia Entertainment for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Fighting for the values we believe in and the people we love can be an isolating experience. Sometimes, it may feel as though no one watches or cares about our struggles. But Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe #3 reminds us that we are never alone. In our darkest moments, others may offer their aid if we're not too proud to let them.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.