Dorc #1 — Brett Bean’s Magic Shield and Doomsday Prophecy Launch a Hilarious Fantasy Adventure
Brett Bean brings his signature chaotic energy to Image Comics with Dorc #1. A half-dwarf, half-orc outcast with an overly aggressive magical shield gets swept up in an epic war he didn't ask for. It's a high-fantasy romp that laughs at the tropes while delivering heart and humor.
If you’ve ever wanted to watch someone take the most sacred tropes of high fantasy and gently (or not so gently) shake them until they admit how silly they are, Brett Bean’s Dorc #1 is exactly the book you need. Bean, who has been turning heads with his work on I Hate Fairyland and Dungeon Crawler Carl, is stepping into the spotlight with his own creation. This isn’t just another sword-and-sorcery tale; it’s a vibrant, chaotic, and deeply funny take on the genre that invites you in with a wink before sweeping you off your feet.
Meet D’orc, a lonely orphan who is half dwarf, half orc—making him, as the credits cheerfully note, all D’orc. He’s stumbled into the world of Sunderaine during its never-ending war between the Light and the Dark, and he is decidedly unprepared. Armed with nothing but a magical shield that seems determined to be violently destructive, D’orc is also the unwilling beneficiary of a doomsday prophecy. Suddenly, everyone from elves to necroids to trauma llamas has a reason to want him dead. It’s a setup ripe for disaster, and Bean plays it for all the laughs and heart it’s worth.
What makes this debut sing is the creative team’s confidence in leaning into the absurdity while keeping the stakes real enough to care. Bean’s art is vivid and energetic, capturing the scale of the war and the intimacy of D’orc’s isolation with equal flair. Colorist Jean-François Beaulieu brings it all to life with a palette that feels both ancient and fresh, while Nate Piekos’s lettering adds that final touch of comedic timing. It’s a book that feels like a love letter to Conan and Lord of the Rings, filtered through the deadpan, subversive lens of Gert.
If the idea of a prophecized hero who just wants to survive the sheer noise of his own world sounds appealing, you’re going to want to keep an eye on this stack. Dorc #1 drops on September 9th, and given Bean’s track record, it’s shaping up to be one of those surprise hits that people talk about for months. It’s a debut that doesn’t just ask for your attention; it earns it by being genuinely, unapologetically fun.