David Petersen and Gabriel Rodríguez to launch a new Mouseguard saga at BOOM! Studios

December 19, 2024

2–3 minutes

BOOM! Studios have just announced details of DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE, the latest chapter in the sprawling Eisner Award-winning and New York Times bestselling Mouse Guard saga.

The new series, which sees creator David Petersen joined by Eisner-nominated artist Gabriel Rodríguez (Locke & Key), is set to be released as part of the 20th anniversaries of both Mouse Guard and BOOM! Studios.

Here’s the official blurb:

The origins of the legendary Black Axe are revealed in this prequel story set in the earliest point in the Mouse Guard history. Adventure with the ancient weapon’s first mouse wielder and champion, Bardrick, as he sets off on an epic quest of good versus evil!

“Getting to write this Mouse Guard lore of the forging of the Black Axe and it being handed to Bardrick (first of eleven wielders) while getting to do so with the brilliant Gabriel Rodríguez drawing Dawn of the Black Axe has been a thrill,” said Petersen. “He’s going above and beyond with his inked pages and storytelling while I’m just trying to keep up coloring them and still do them justice. Gabe was top of my list when we started pitching names for this spin off project, and I postponed it for a long time until his schedule opened up––I didn’t want to do this first one with anyone else.

“I’ll continue to work on the next volume in the main Mouse Guard series: The Weasel War of 1149, but I also hope this is first of many more Mouse Guard books like this one, where I get to explore the other past wielders of the Black Axe with exciting and extremely talented collaborators like Gabe.”

“I’ve been a fan of David Petersen’s work since the first time I saw a volume of his astonishing Mouse Guard books. We became friends as soon as we met,” added Rodríguez. “Almost a decade ago we started daydreaming about working together on the story of the first wielder of the mythical Black Axe. That dream finally came true, and I’m humbled, grateful and excited to share it with the faithful legion of Mouse Guard readers.”

MOUSE GUARD: DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE #1 hits comic shops on the 19th of March 2025.