When the Blood Has Dried

This fantasy, the North American debut from Irish comics writer Moloney, with art by Romero, aims high but falls short of its target. Meabh, once a formidable warrior with the Adventurers’ Guild, now runs an inn and tavern in an out-of-the-way village. Flashbacks gradually reveal the chain of events that led her from narrowly escaping death at the hands of her ruthless former commander, Darius, to building a new life with the help of a kindly innkeeper. In the present day, the guild comes to town, led by Darius, forcing Maebh and her dwarf friend Fergus to face the past. “I already lost one life because of the Guild,” Meabh vows. “I don’t plan on losing another.” Despite outbursts of bloody violence, the script has a subdued tone, focusing on Meabh’s efforts to oust the guild through debate and civic action. The theme of a former warrior struggling to maintain peace has promise, but the narrative doesn’t develop it fully before reaching a rushed climax. Romero’s sketchily inked, workmanlike art excels at establishing the loosely Celtic medieval setting, especially Meabh’s rollicking bar, but he sometimes struggles with faces and expressions—though the eternally smirking Darius is effectively sinister. It’s a mixed bag. (Nov.)