Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Mice Templar #4
Image Comics
Glass & Oeming
I count myself a fan of this series. Not because I love mice and rats, but because the universe created here has imagination and is rooted in fantasy, just as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings is. I found this particular issue to be good but not quite great. I like the overall direction this story takes but I do have a couple of nagging things I wasn’t crazy about with this issue.
As always, this issue gets huge ups for providing both the background on the series and the story to date. If only every comic could devote some of the inside of the cover for this they may find new readers latching on.
Karic is haunted by the witch and the ghosts of his loved ones. Eventually Pilot rescues him. This part of the issue escapes me. We don’t get a ton of explanation here and while this may be intentional, it just seems like some sort of tale or lore could help a reader out in some way. Quickly after that, Pilot anoints Karic into the Templar. This feels way too rushed and seems so far out of place in the context of this junction in the story. I was a little stunned by this.
The next part of the story is very intriguing. Weeks pass and Pilot and Karic journey to visit with the priests. Who knew these guys were out there? All hell breaks loose when the ragged mouse from previous issues, Cassius, attacks Pilot. You would think this is when Pilot bites the big one and Karic becomes the man he is destined to be. You would be wrong.
Instead, the trash talking between Pilot and Cassius reveals a whole lot of interesting information. First of all, Pilot may not be a good guy. Secondly, Cassius appears to be at odds with his brother, Deishun. Whom you may remember was the first to tell tales of the Templar to Karic. Lastly, Karic panics and attacks Cassius even though he doesn’t really know the full story. It leads to disaster.
A really solid issue. The second half of the comic was among the best story telling this series has seen. The artwork is beautiful. From the battles, to the wheat, to the priests, everything looks great. This issue also seems to make more use of color than the previous ones. Pilot, especially seems to wear much more color than in previous issues.
As stated previously, the beginning of the comic is barely explained and Karic is just thrust into becoming a Templar. Do we even know what entails being a Templar at this point? Well, apparently being manipulated by an old, delusional master is one thing. I wouldn’t have thought by issue number four that Karic would be a Templar. Would you?
This series is not to be missed. The story just feels epic from the first few pages of any one given issue. There is a great universe here that is being explored and feels as fresh as anything to come along in a long time.
4 out of 5 geek goggles.
 Mice Templar #4 |
