Mouse Guard - c or d

Just got through the second volume of this and as far as the plot goes you couldn't really award it too many points in the originality stakes, it's pretty much fantasy-by-numbers. The bats are probably the most interesting thing I've seen so far, the idea of this embittered species that offered loyalty to all sides and got turned down by everyone. Mostly though I still think these books are pretty fucking rad because of the artwork. Sadly I lack an artistic background to talk about this at lenght, so, uh, imagegrabs it is?

http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/Petersen%20Mouse%20Guard%20Fall%20gate%20breach.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_371L1X49lIw/RvrUwAThlOI/AAAAAAAAB-M/Rr7pj4nKNto/s400/Petersen+Mouse+Guard+crab+fighting.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dv_tXOZgd3Y/SSuvgG4HTAI/AAAAAAAABbU/3CtH-qKG0JQ/s400/David+Petersen+Mouse+Guard+4.jpg

Sorry about that.

http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/Petersen%20Mouse%20Guard%20Fall%20gate%20breach.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_371L1X49lIw/RvrUwAThlOI/AAAAAAAAB-M/Rr7pj4nKNto/s400/Petersen+Mouse+Guard+crab+fighting.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dv_tXOZgd3Y/SSuvgG4HTAI/AAAAAAAABbU/3CtH-qKG0JQ/s400/David+Petersen+Mouse+Guard+4.jpg

Beautiful nothing. Couldn't make it through volume one. Flipped through the pages after I quit reading to look at the pretty pictures. A lesser Redwall, which is saying something.

But isn't art 50% of what comics are "about"? I wouldn't call anything entirely successful if it fails in either the writing or art departments, but there's enough stuff I love that has mediocre to straight up bad art that I wouldn't feel comfortable calling the reverse a "beautiful nothing".

I suppose there's also the issue that these are supposed to be children's books.

I have the hardback of book one and the issues of volume 2. Not really read them yet, but the mice look lovely.

also, why are there so many comics about fierce soldier mice?

Didn't realize I hadn't responded. Mouse Guard, to me, is an example of bad comics. It is horribly written. The artwork is merely illustrative; it carries none of the narrative weight. Thus the flippant (and obviously too shorthand) "beautiful nothing."

The illustrations are wonderful; paired with a decent kids book, I'd probably be blown away.

wow, it turns out there is a roleplaying game based on Mouse Guard.