When The Blood Has Dried #2 - Mad Cave Studios
W: Gary Moloney
A: Daniel Romero Ulloa
L: Becca Carey
Synopsis…
The Adventurers’ Guild tries to charm the town of Carraig an Bhun as the inhabitants gather to discuss their arrival. The Guild’s leader, Darius, is disappointed to discover his former protege, Meabh, is alive and well. Meabh, meanwhile, vows to do whatever’s necessary to protect her new life…even if it means killing the man she once considered her mentor.
Thoughts…
The first issue made quite an impression on me and I had high hopes for the second issue, all I can say is this issue was even better than I could have hoped for. This carries on laying the groundwork for our emotional hook to the characters and the town. It builds on the tension that started to shine through in the first issue, though this issue ramps it up in a more personal way to our main character Meabh.
I can’t go too much into the story as I don't want to spoil anything but there are moments in this issue that will have you at the edge of your seat, there is a real sense of unease running through the panels. That is what has really drawn me to this series, that very real sense of impending doom that permeates the story. There are not many comics that can elicit a real emotional response while you read them, and especially not a series with a brand new setting and characters but this series pulls that off perfectly. We know with the flashback in that first issue that we are dealing with extremely deadly individuals and this town seems to be such a tranquil place and there is an overwhelming feeling that the Guild's presence will shatter the tranquility forever.
I can not say enough good things about this series, I definitely think it's one of the best I have read so far this year. I will admit that at first I assumed it was going to be a straight fantasy story but it is so much more than that. Sure it has the fantasy elements and that old world setting but it has such a depth to the story to it, there is much more going on in the pages of this book than meets the eye. To be able to fully pull people into this world in such a short time is a great achievement. I can not wait to read the next issue as I feel that the tension will be reaching boiling point very soon, I just hope enough of Carraig an Bhun left standing by the end of the run. I would give this another 9 out of 10, great work all round from the writing and the art. This is one for fantasy fans and character driven stories alike, I would wholeheartedly recommend getting into this series.
