D'ORC Volume 1: The Book of Certain Doom

by Brett Bean

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels

128 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 25, 2026

Reviews

[Justin Soderberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fantasy genre is not one I tend to steer towards when reading new stories, but with the hype around D'Orc and Brett Bean at the helm, I had to give it a shot. Bean crafts a fast-paced, campy romp in the fantasy world that can be over-the-top in moments but was a lot of fun.

D'Orc, the half dwarf/ half orc is fated to end the world because of some inconvenient doomsday prophecy from the Book of Certain Doom.

Armed with nothing but a magical yet ambitiously violent shield and a chicken with its head cut off, D’orc is caught dead center into Sunderaine’s never-ending war between the Light and Dark. Elves vs. Orcs. Wizards vs. Common Sense. Dragons vs. Literally Everyone.

Can he survive being hunted, blamed, and beaten by every human, elf, goblin, dwarf, Witch, Timelord, Ice Giant, three headed Dog, and at least three other unpronounceable magical creatures?

As a fan of I Hate Fairyland , D'Orc was an easy read as it has the feeling of the book created by Skottie Young and later illustrated by Bean, but in a world filled with orcs, goblins, elves, wizards, and more. As someone who isn't a huge fantasy reader, this campy and over-the-top style story made it easier to follow along and care for the story at hand. Not to mention it's more humorous than most fantasy stories I have read.

This style of artwork, which again reminds me of I Hate Fairyland, is something I enjoy in a story such as this. Something that adds a bit of animation and exaggeration to the story, giving the comic a lighter feeling when dealing with a battle of light and dark. The artwork is playful and over-the-top which made each and every page something of a spectacle. Not to mention the wonderful colors by Jean-François Beaulieu and letters by Nate Piekos.

What made D'Orc even more special than a simple funny fantasy story with excellent artwork was how Bean actually weaves in themes of identity and finding one's self in a world where you don't belong to any specific group. Half dwarf, half orc, D'Orc doesn't fully belong to the dark or light, the orcs or the dwarves, but finds themself in limbo. This thought-provoking element added to the silly romp, giving the story a bit more meaning along the way.

Not only is D'Orc a campy, humorous, and fun fantasy story, but also takes the genre and almost makes fun of itself in a lighthearted way. Those who are regular readers of the genre will see obvious tropes and storylines that make the genre what it is, but Bean has fun while doing it and gives us something fresh and exciting.

Although I am a fan of Brett Bean, D'Orc honestly surprised me in the right ways with a chaotic, funny, fantasy adventure with heart, even tackling a sense of identity. D'Orc is an entertaining fantasy romp that embraces the genre while gleefully poking a bit of fun at them. Bean delivers on a wonderfully told, amazing illustrated, and thoughtful adventure.

D'Orc Vol. 1: The Book of Certain Doom hits local comic shops on July 29, 2026 and bookstores everywhere on August 18 from Image Comics.

[MikaReadsFantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brett Bean’s D’ORC Volume 1: The Book of Certain Doom was a delightful surprise and an absolute blast to read. This omnibus edition collects the first five volumes of the story and delivers a wildly entertaining fantasy adventure packed with humor, heart, and plenty of chaos.

The story follows D’ORC, a half-dwarf, half-orc orphan who finds himself at the center of an ominous prophecy that claims he will one day bring about the end of the world. Armed with a powerful and rather bloodthirsty magical shield, he sets out to uncover the truth about his origins while trying to stay alive in a world where countless enemies seem determined to kill him first. Alongside his loyal ghost chicken companion and a magical shield, D’ORC is swept into an increasingly dangerous journey filled with monsters, magic, and more than a few absurd situations.

As a longtime Dungeons & Dragons fan, this story felt right up my alley. D’ORC is an easy protagonist to root for. He never quite fits in anywhere, genuinely wants to do the right thing, and often finds himself forced into fights simply to survive. Beneath his impressive and often violent abilities is a character with a good heart who is still trying to understand who he is and what he is capable of becoming.

One of the biggest strengths of the book is its cast of companions. They are funny, ridiculous, and surprisingly wise at times. Their interactions add a lot of charm to the story and help balance the constant danger surrounding them. While there is no shortage of action, I especially appreciated the quieter moments between battles. These scenes gave the characters real emotional depth as they reflected on personal struggles, the difficulties of surviving in an unforgiving world, and the strength it takes to keep moving forward.

The artwork also deserves special mention. It took me a little time to settle into the style, but I quickly grew to love it. The comic has a distinctive visual identity and color palette that perfectly complements its tone. The action sequences are dynamic and exciting, and I particularly loved the designs of D’ORC and his two companions. The illustrations bring a tremendous amount of energy and personality to every page.

The only reason this isn’t quite a five-star read for me is the level of gore. There are a lot of fight scenes, and while the action is certainly impressive, the bloodiness occasionally felt excessive and unnecessary for the story being told.

That said, the story itself is fantastic. It’s imaginative, full of clever twists, and consistently entertaining. The humor lands far more often than not, and the blend of epic fantasy adventure with absurd comedy works remarkably well. I’ll definitely continue with the series as soon as more volumes become available.

I would especially recommend D’ORC to fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl. Both series excel at throwing lovable characters into impossible situations while balancing outrageous humor, violence, and genuine heart.

My thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Machiavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a blast.

D’Orc takes a familiar fantasy setup—a prophesied hero caught between warring forces of Light and Dark—and gleefully turns it into a chaotic, funny, surprisingly heartfelt adventure. The title character, a half-dwarf, half-orc orphan burdened with a world-ending prophecy, is instantly likable, while his sentient shield steals more than a few scenes with its violent enthusiasm and constant wisecracks.

Brett Bean’s cartoon-infused artwork is packed with energy, expressive characters, visual gags, and over-the-top action. The world feels like a fantasy playground where anything can happen, and the humor lands far more often than it misses. Beneath the jokes, there’s also a clever satire of endless war and rigid good-versus-evil storytelling that gives the book more substance than its goofy premise initially suggests.

What impressed me most is how well this reads as a collected edition. The pacing feels tailor-made for the trade format. Story threads flow naturally from chapter to chapter, the world-building never bogs things down, and the cliffhangers keep the pages turning. Reading the entire first arc in one sitting made the humor, character development, and escalating stakes land even better than they did for me in the month-to-month.

If you’re a fan of fantasy comedy, I Hate Fairyland, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Babs, or stories that lovingly poke fun at genre tropes while still delivering adventure and heart, D’Orc is an easy recommendation.

A really fun read that knows exactly what it wants to be and reads exceptionally well as a trade. Looking forward to Volume 2.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & Image Comics for the free, pre-publication copy (ARC or Digital Review Copy) of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Welcome to the land of The Scar, home to our beloved main character D’orc! A cross between a Dwarf & an Orc! I knew I was in for a good time when on the first page a group of goblins are sitting around a campfire cooking a meal singing “Our farts smell sweet, eating unicorn meat”. I mean, the audacity, I would NEVER! What a hilarious setting to start out the fun story of D’orc! I’ve been following the artist/author Brett Bean on Instagram for some time, so I was THRILLED to be able to read an advance copy of this comic...and I have now pre-ordered a copy because I MUST have a permanent copy in my collection!
While this comic appears to be a cute kind of comic, make no mistake D’orc unleashes his fury in many ways, and it does get bloody while he is running around on adventures like a chicken with his head cut off (IYKYK)! While medieval mayhem abounds, D’orc does manage to do a lot of good while trying to find his way to a peaceful life! There is a lot of comic relief with his sidekicks, I don’t want to give too much away, but they are great!
The detailed artwork, witty writing and excellent banter between characters make this a VERY enjoyable read, I highly recommend taking a journey with D’orc!

[ValkyrieRuna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick Blurb: What if the prophesied "destroyer of worlds" was in fact a half dwarf, half orc (D'orc!) wielding an enchanted, sentient, murderous shield who sets off with his headless ghost chicken bestie?

This was a delightfully campy, vibrantly gory, tongue-in-cheek absurd comedic adventure. I loved it. There were a couple scenes I cackled at and then had to immediately read out loud to my husband just to share in the humor. This was fast paced, almost break-neck speed, with not a single panel used superfluously. It's a true gem by not only being full color (gasp!) but also in a vivid color palette that gives me early 90's video games and comic book vibrancy nostalgia. If you're not a fan of gore or violence, this isn't going to be for you. When I say everything in here is over the top, I also mean the blood & guts.

I ended up reading this in a single sitting, and will absolutely be keeping my eye out for volume 2.

Some notes: I know this is 5 separate volumes that have been put together for this anthology, but I don't think we needed the map at the beginning of each of the five stories. The individual covers being included work well as chapter covers but if we wanted to save space (and money) when it comes to printing, I'm sure a singular map at the beginning of the book would work just fine and the duplicates could be removed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for the eArc in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for me.

It's a satire on a certain type of D&D, where, regardless of "alignment" with good or evil (here, light or dark), both sides just want to destroy the other side with ruthless violence. Maybe also a satire on contemporary US politics? Is it that deep?

The title character, being half (light) dwarf, half (dark) orc, doesn't automatically belong to either side, and there's no moral difference between them that would enable him to choose one over the other to support. So he's just trying to help everyone, and be a decent person. His violence-oriented magic talking shield thinks this is quixotic. The two sides both want to destroy him, because of a prophecy that a figure like him will destroy the world "as we know it" (pretty obvious what that means - end the stupid, pointless battles - but they don't see it that way). An undead chicken that he accidentally mostly killed, consisting of a headless body and the ghost of a head, doesn't have anything so coherent as an opinion, but hangs out with him anyway.

There's nothing wrong with the premise, but the working out of it involves frequent gory battles and lots of death and dismemberment, and I'm just not into it. I can see why the Dungeon Crawler Carl author was asked to blurb it; it's not my thing in exactly the way that DCC isn't.

Plenty of people will love it, though.

[Alex Sarll]

I first encountered Brett Bean as the replacement artist on I Hate Fairyland's comeback, and it makes sense that this solo outing would be something similar enough to convince fans of that to take a punt. Cartoonish ultraviolence, an apparently indestructible protagonist with small comedy sidekick/s: the main differences are that where Gert brings mayhem deliberately, D'orc is a more well-intentioned soul who does so inadvertently; and that instead of fairytale tropes, the backdrop here is a high fantasy world, genre staples played for laughs, given a twist (the giant three-headed dog is a Chihuahua), or spiced with occasional silly new insertions (trauma llamas). I suppose if you squint, you could maybe spot a little Saga too; the world is torn by a forever war between Light and Dark, who in practice are as bad as each other, and D'orc, as the child of a dwarf and an orc, threatens the whole binary on which both depend. I could nitpick regarding little details of the set-up (I never quite bought the killer talking shield as a clever paradox, rather than a swerve to avoid another talking sword), but what it really comes down to is that Bean's cartooning doesn't quite get my funny bone like Skottie Young's ostensibly similar stuff does. Humour being subjective, I know plenty of people feel differently, and I imagine they'll go for this accordingly.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Nick Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

D’orc, the half dwarf/ half orc is fated to end the world. Armed with nothing but a magical yet ambitiously violent shield and a chicken with its head cut off, D’orc is caught dead center into a never-ending war between the Light and Dark.

Can he survive being hunted, blamed, and beaten by every human, elf, goblin, dwarf, Witch, Timelord, Ice Giant, three headed Dog, and at least three other unpronounceable magical creatures?

This was really nostalgic for me as I don’t think I’ve picked up a comic since the 90’s, in which I had a massive Beano collection, but the art really hooked me in. While these are a lot more darker and gorier than what I’m used to, the story and scenes were absolutely fantastic. The only downfall was that the humour felt a little immature and was jarring with the art. I would definitely continue with these for a fun break from massive tomes, but I hope that they evolve just a little to match with the themes.

Thank you to Image Comics for the opportunity to read the ARC via NetGalley

[DollarBin ComicWin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi, Cousin Barry!
D’ORC is an absolute powerhouse! Brett Bean, of I Hate Fairyland and Dungeon Crawler Carl fame, spins a tale about a prophecy foretold that will bring about the destruction of this fantastical world. Rapid world-building (including a full map), intriguing plot (see aforementioned prophecy), and action-packed hilarious adventures. Bean’s art is just as fun to look at as it is detailed. There’s always something happening and not a single inch of his panels feels wasted. The story progresses incredibly and keeps itself from feeling stagnant. Brett Bean’s art and Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s coloring work together like a pair of hobbits, that is to say, perfectly. Nate Piekos’s lettering is also of worthy note. The entire piece comes together wonderfully and leaves one wanting more. If Saga, DCC, LotR, and Bone fell into a blender, the result would be named D’ORC.

[Rustic Red Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This first volume consists of issues 1-5.

I wasn't aware that this is one of the hyped ongoings right now, the first issue even got 6 printings. So the reason why this one is just 3 stars is not because I'm disappointed. The humor is not just for me. This is also my first Brett Bean so I don't have any opinions on his writing or art aside from this one.

D'Orc, Chicken and the shield as the main characters were not just that entertaining. I feel there needs some more variety on the behaviours/characterization. BUT by issue 5 things start to be interesting so I might read the next issues

[Taleah Ushendibaba · Rating 4 out of 5]

For sale on: august 25 2026

4.5/5 ⭐️

This graphic novel was so much fun. The graphics were so good and the story progress in a very interesting way. I love the side characters. They had me laughing through the whole thing. I can't wait for volume 2 to come out!