Armed with nothing but a magical yet ambitiously violent shield, a lonely orphan stumbles headfirst into Sunderaine’s never-ending war between the Light and Dark. Elves vs. Orcs. Wizards vs. Common Sense. Dragons vs. Literally Everyone. And caught dead-center? D’Orc.

With a wholly inconvenient doomsday prophecy, the half dwarf, half orc—all D’Orc—is fated to end the world. Soon, every human, elf, goblin, dwarf, Snargletooth, Necroid, Ice Giant, Trauma Llama, and at least three other unpronounceable magical creatures, will know his name and want him dead. There will also be a chicken.

Written by Brett Bean, D’Orc #1 is a new fantasy adventure that has more in common with Skullkickers and Barbaric than it does Conan. D’Orc just wants to do his thing but the world is divided and at war between the light and the dark. D’Orc doesn’t want to choose sides, let alone get involved, but his talking shield with an appetite for killing has other plans.

It’s hard to not read D’Orc #1 and immediately think of Barbaric, with its talking axe with a bloodlust. Both feature off the rails fantasy and some biting humor, but it’s the art and the world where things differ. D’Orc features Bean’s style with a cartoonish look that delivers cuteness along with lots of ultra violence. With color by Jean-Francois Beaulieu and lettering by Nate Piekos, the comic looks great where the art and style match the humorous tone it’s going for.

D’Orc #1 is interesting to read with its “both sides suck” view of the world, echoing so many in our real world, but it thankfully has a bit more going for it than an apathetic character who oozes Gen X neutrality. The debut teases a story about how when even staying neutral you can be negatively caught up in the actions of others. That neutrality doesn’t work and action needs to be taken to right things or at least counter the negativity that abounds. Take those lessons and mix them with a cute facade and an increasing body count and you have a series we’re excited for.

Story: Brett Bean Art: Brett Bean
Color: Jean-Francois Beaulieu Letterer: Nate Piekos
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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