Glass sets another few pieces into place for, presumably, the next volume. There simply isn’t enough time for him to get any of these plot threads resolved in the final issue of Midwinter Night’s Dream.

There’s more treachery from Pilot the traitorous Templar (though so many rodents in Templar are traitorous it’s hard to disparage Pilot just for that character flaw) and there’s the little mice and the King’s former consort both getting involved with the rebel movement. So two and a half things going on, with Glass also throwing in the series’s first nice rat.

But if Midwinter is a bridging series, this issue is a bridging issue in a bridging series. Nothing comes as a surprise (except the nice rat). It’s compelling because of the events, not because of the characters.

Santos’s art is excellent throughout.

It’s too much time on too little; it coasts on stockpiled goodwill.

B- 

CREDITS

Snowblind; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

It's an all action issue. Glass does spend some time setting up the lengthy action sequence with a rat commander out to redeem his lost pride (during the previous volume), but not a lot. It's all distinct, because Glass is showing more of the rat culture than he's shown before–and hinting at one aspect of Templar culture never before discussed (the mice abandoning their elderly when moving camps).

Then the rats get to the Templar camp where Cassius is caring for comatose Karic and the action starts. It's vicious and lyrical, with Cassius dispatching the rats either directly or through traps. The traps often lead to more intense violence than just the sword fighting.

During the battle, Glass has Cassius narrating–some of it has to do with the battle, but a lot is self-reflection. Glass and Santos are ambitious with their concept.

The ending double twist subtly deepens the issue.

B+ 

CREDITS

Solitaire; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

Glass is even more expansive in terms of subplots this issue. There’s more with Pilot training his new protege, there’s the whole movement of Templars believing in Karic’s holy status (for lack of a better description), there’s how that movement is playing out in the capital and how the rats and weasels are getting on without the king. There’s even stuff with the Templar priests and a possible insurrection in their future.

It’s both a busy issue and not. Santos occasionally gets to do a huge, graphically violent page or two; these pages cause a shock and a reset. They relieve the narrative tension just long enough for the reader to process the next big plot point.

In many ways, Glass is just doing the most grandiose bridging issue he can conceive. If it ever doesn’t seem big enough, he adds more to it.

The result’s overwhelming while still compelling.

B 

CREDITS

A Legend Begins; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

Glass finds another unexpected direction for Midwinter–a much wider look at the world. He still checks in on familiar cast members, with Pilot’s return being simultaneously unwelcome and narratively strong. The reader knows the character to be villainous, yet one hopes for the sake of Pilot’s newest marks he’s changed.

This issue marks the second without Cassius and Karic and Glass is still showing just how strong the series is on its own. He doesn’t need his protagonists; jumping from Pilot to Aquila to the Templar priesthood, Glass is able to move three subplots forward. Midwinter seems focused on establishing the series’s tapestry.

The issue gives Santos the chance to do a lot of “widescreen” panels, like the rat army on the march. There’s a great action sequence involving a centipede as well, but Santos and Glass seem to be enhancing the visual scope of the comic.

Ambitious stuff.

B+ 

CREDITS

Three Blind Mice; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

While the issue is dedicated to Brian Jacques (of the Redwall series), Santos spends more of his time in homage to M.C. Escher. Mice in mazes and Escher–it’s fabulous. But Santos’s art isn’t just great for that playful and intricate composition, it’s everything this issue. He’s been building up with Midwinter and here he just lets loose.

Speaking of letting loose, Glass goes a very unexpected route. He abandons Cassius and Karic and heads forward a little with the Templar camp from the previous two issues, but most of the issue is about the people–sorry, the rodents–in the capital. There are even weasels this time; lots of developments, lots of great character work.

Glass is almost showing off–Mice Templar has hit the point where the adventure hook of young Karic isn’t necessary anymore.

It’s a wonderful issue. Action, romantic longing, political unrest, rodent bigotry–it’s both comfortably excellent and entirely unexpected.

A- 

CREDITS

Royal Division; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

Glass is having some real problems with cliffhangers in Midwinter, if this second issue is any indication. After not just going through the main plot, but also introducing the supporting cast back from the previous volume, Glass quarantines these first two issues (for protagonists Cassius and Karic, anyway). He’s moved the players from point A to point B and now he’s ready to get started again.

It’s like a soft reset, with the ground situation now changed. It feels like a combination of treading water and contriving trouble.

There’s still a lot of strong material in the issue–some fantastic action art from Santos–and Glass’s character moments are excellent. He’s just all over the place. This issue it becomes clear Cassius hasn’t been the protagonist these first two issues so much as subject; his lost love has a whole lot more going on and self-awareness.

Hopefully things will get started now.

B 

CREDITS

Consequences; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

A couple quick observations. The first I should have made a long time ago–I wonder if having templar in the title and it being the name of famous knights affects people’s initial impression of Mice Templar. I see it as being a dismissive thing and, after reading Glass’s amazing success here… no one should be dismissing this comic.

Second, again one I should have made already, has to do with Santos’s art and how he deals with scale. The way he makes the reader the size of the mice changes how one reads Mice Templar. He makes the world dangerous and fantastic subjectively, not objectively. The comic’s not on zoom, in other words.

As for this issue, which does setup the sequel–Glass hits a home run. Every time he needs a plot twist or not, it works. Every action sequence is perfectly paced.

It’s assured and wholly successful. It’s great.

A 

CREDITS

The Festival of Samhain II; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

Glass has a lot to deliver with the resolution to this series and he knows it. This issue is just he and Santos upping the ante over and over. They already have a difficult setup and they try for more.

Cassius meets up with his men as he invades the palace. It gives him a bunch of Templar on his side, but it also give Glass more opportunities for swashbuckling and plot twists. Speaking of plot twists, the resolution to the one from the previous issue has a lot of unexpected turns–Glass excels at never taking the predicted route but always taking the more sensible one. Even if the sensibility isn’t clear.

There’s also Karic’s attack with the zombie cat and his friends and family’s side of the story. Not to mention the evil king’s plot coming together with everything else.

It’s awesome; I just hope the finish succeeds.

A 

CREDITS

The Festival of Samhain I; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

It’s hard to know where to start with this one because Glass comes up with a monster cliffhanger. Big twist and some interesting ramifications for what Glass has already revealed, not to mention whatever his explanation will be. It sort of overshadows everything else.

The issue starts with Karic being difficult. It’s the closest Glass has come in a while to him being an annoying teenager, but that sentiment passes quickly. Once it’s clear he’s got some really good ideas and it’s Cassius who’s being obtuse, the issue flows. It flows right into an awesome action sequence with the zombie cat as Karic reveals his plans.

Glass skips over to the castle and the setup for the arc’s grand finale. He hits on all the subplots he put in earlier and let sit–not too much exposition either; having royal dialect and mystical mumbo jumbo helps.

Once again, an outstanding issue.

A- 

CREDITS

Seizing Destiny; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

Glass continues the series on its way, with some subtle observations from Karic about his lot in life. Having Karic the more mature, thoughtful one–especially as he finds himself amongst old Templars–is still a bit of a surprise. It’s a fine transition, it just changes the series more than I was expecting. With it, Mice Templar loses a number of its similarities to other works.

The issue also has a lot of action, whether it’s Karic and an old Templar against bugs and bats (physically against bugs, intellectually against the bats) or Cassius leading troops against a scorpion invader. Oh, and Glass really knows how to bring in the danger of the nature; it’s something he’s quietly established but hasn’t run wild with until this issue.

The characters are mice. They have lots of predators, swords or not.

The third act’s a little soft, but it’s strong stuff.

B+ 

CREDITS

The Bats of Meave; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

It’s a strange issue. There’s this romantic interlude between Karic and a girl mouse; they go swimming together. Glass writes the heck of the scene, showing Karic as a youth while simultaneously establishing his maturity. Not to mention Santos gets to draw a fight scene between the two mice and attacking crayfish. It’s an awesome sequence.

The issue also has some reveals and backstory as it relates to Cassius. He’s getting his own subplot now, his mentorship of Karic forcing him to confront old friends and missed opportunities. Glass also takes the time to show some of the debate between Templar factions. It all comes together very nicely.

The only problem is the rushed feeling to the ending. Karic’s development is progressing at a rapid rate and it’s a struggle to keep up with it. Glass never lets up on the pace.

But it’s an extremely successful comic book otherwise.

B+ 

CREDITS

An Order Divided; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

Just before the issue ended, I realized Glass had finally delivered what I’ve been waiting for on Destiny–the full forward motion. He’s done with the exposition–even his third person narration is sparse; it immediately informs the reader of the setting. The scenes and characters do the rest.

And Glass is moving away from exposition in a comic with a full flashback to the true story of the fall of the Templar too. The timing of the flashback in the issue is essential and has to do with the character development going on. Karic isn’t just his own character here, he’s separate from his friends and family. That other plot line? It feels liberated too. Destiny is moving forward.

There’s also a lot of fantastic action in the issue. Glass gets to do fight scenes of various flavors and just a bunch of movement. He and Glass’s work is infectiously invigorated.

A- 

CREDITS

A Measure of Justice; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

There’s some awesome art from Santos this issue. He gets to do not just the regular action, but also the flashbacks detailing the origins of the world. Glass has been doing a lot with the supernatural angle of the series and, for the first time, it feels like Mice Templar might not even take place on Earth. It’s way too soon to tell–and it might not even matter; this issue has a myth about two suns and one going out.

It’s also got that amazing action with a battle against a bee and a chase sequence involving the zombie cat. Or dog.

Glass sends his two mouse heroes into the daylight world and it invigorates their story. The interaction with the daytime creatures is fantastic.

The secondary plot, with the mouse captives escaping their cell, is less effective due to space constraints. It’s complex, which the primary isn’t (so far).

B 

CREDITS

The Bright Realm; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

There’s a lot of material this issue. Plot developments, character developments, but Glass still tries to deliver a somewhat action-packed narrative. The opening–the A plot–has the heroes held captive by moles; there’s humor from Cassius who mocks the moles, a fair amount of suspense (the moles are apparently under siege) and then some payoff on that suspense.

This opening is fairly big in terms of adventure. It certainly seems like Glass could carry the whole issue with it; instead, he goes over to the capital for the B and C plots. B plot is Kirac’s friends and family, C plot is political intrigue. There’s more to it–and Santos does a great job with making these machinations scenes particularly dramatic–but it has its own cast. Glass moves these plots together beautifully, but it’s still hard to transition from the protagonists to them.

Destiny is confidently, quietly and steadily building itself up.

B 

CREDITS

In the Bowels of the Earth; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.