D’Orc #1, beginning with its title, doesn’t sound or feel like your typical fantasy story. There’s a war between the forces of good and evil, only it’s lasted a thousand years and doesn’t seem to have any end in sight. The thing that makes the protagonist special — he’s half orc, half dwarf, hence the title — is a burden, as everyone in the kingdom of light and dark wants to kill him because of a prophecy. He also possesses a magical weapon, but it’s constantly advising him to murder everything in sight; as you can imagine, it doesn’t do wonders for his public image.
The fact that Brett Bean’s willing to bend, subvert, or flat-out toss every rule of fantasy out of the window is what makes D’Orc #1 such a fun read. Bean also has a wicked sense of humor and gets to show it off several times throughout the issue. The D’Orc and his shield constantly argue about the right way to handle things, eventually negotiating to get a drink and potentially slap a centaur. The forces of light and dark finally put aside their endless battle…just for the chance to kill the D’Orc. There’s a moment involving a chicken that is wonderfully macabre and sets the tone for what’s to come.
In addition to scripting D’Orc #1, Bean also draws the entirety of the issue. His style is full of life: characters give off exaggerated expressions that rival a Looney Tunes short, while varying in size and shape. It’s the D’Orc that’s the standout, though, as his orc nature is extremely evident by his bright green skin and pointy ears, while his dwarf nature means he’s constantly being overshadowed by everyone in his path. Equally eye-drawing is his shield, which has a massive eyeball sticking out of it.
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The other half of what makes D’Orc #1 visually distinct is the coloring from Jean-Francois Beaulieu. Beaulieu works in various shades of green; a frog-like wizard has bright green skin, fields of green grass spread as far as the eye can see in the opening sequence, and the D’Orc’s skin gives off an emerald green hue that’s hard to miss. Once the battles start, things shift to red as buckets of blood are shed – and trust me when I say this issue has enough carnage to rival anything you’ve seen in Invincible.
Finally, Nate Piekos’ lettering gives each character a distinct voice, especially when combined with Beaulieu’s colors. The shield possesses a golden-hued set of word balloons, and ghostly figures carry a pale blue. A good fantasy story should have a distinct collection of characters, and Piekos is a large part of why each character in D’Orc #1 feels distinct. Even the narrative captions have their own distinct flair, as they’re designed to look like scraps of parchment with the type of Shakespearean captions you’d expect in a fantasy realm.
D’Orc #1 is a fast-paced, funny take on the fantasy genre, thanks to Brett Bean’s unique art style. If you love The Legend of Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein, or you’re sad that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves probably won’t get a sequel, you need to pick up this comic.
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