Enter: GLOINSPEAR

*Cover for* ***“D’Orc #3”*** (published April 8th, 2026) written by Brett Bean, art by Brett Bean, and colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Cover art by Brett Bean

D’Orc - half dwarf, half orc - has become a hit in the wake of its debut issue months ago and Image’s newest title seeks to sustain that moment in the latest issue from Brett Bean. Join me as we delve into issue #3 of the newest fantasy sensation as I break down the issue and give my thoughts!

Warning: The following article will contain spoilers for “D’Orc #3”.

A Bit Light-Headed

Meet Gloinspear, a rather…enthuistic warrior from the realm of Light.

Our story begins as we focus on Gloinspear, the hand-picked champion of Light who was chosen to vanquish the abomination known as the D’Orc with extreme prejudice. We waste exactly zero time as we see this dwarf begin slaughtering dark wood elves, making it very clear that nothing and no one will stand in his way. He picks up on D’Orc’s trail, as the narration makes it clear that not only does he find the titular character distasteful, but his seemingly random acts of kindness through the Scar as well. Every act of generosity or aid that D’Orc gives is quickly undone by the fanatical dwarf as he trails him down, stomping on spiders whom the former has helped or ripping out the horn from a satyr that D’Orc gave freely.

The White Mage, who absolutely is not anyone important under those robes.

Eventually, Gloinspear comes across a strange “White Mage” who looks suspiciously familiar underneath the robes and funny hat. The mage attempts to distract Gloinspear from further harming the poor satyr as he peddles his various wares of weapons and implements of mass destruction. None of this interests Gloinspear as he demands to know what the White Mage knows of D’Orc’s whereabouts. After some colorful threats, Gloinspear manages to glean what the mage knows, namely that D’Orc was seen encountering a group of fearsome Nymphskulls and bravely destroyed the creatures responsible for murdering all along the Scar. The White Mage elaborates a bit on the embellishing side as he further makes out D’Orc to be tall, extremely muscular, charismatic, and quite fetching. Gloinspear doubts that much, revealing he’s been led to believe D’Orc is anything but tall and handsome. Eventually, Gloinspear departs in the direction D’Orc was last seen heading, according to the White Mage, but not before revealing he has a special potion, a brew created by the Bone Witch of Norden, a brew capable of literally obliterating a target with a single drop.

Gloinspear reveals a special potion that has the mean to completely obliterate anyone who comes in contact with it.

The White Mage attempts to haggle with Gloinspear to obtain the potion, but is unsuccessful as the dwarf marches off to rid the world of D’Orc. We follow him on his path of terror to the Dancing Serpent tavern as he shouts he won’t be stopped…only for him to be stopped, and no step closer to finding D’Orc. He returns to the White Mage, defeated and frustrated. He demands that the White Mage lift his spirits by singing the Song of Gleaming Sprites. The White Mage obliges, though he certainly…well, he butchers the song, folks. Gloinspear, realizing he had been deceived, lashes out, revealing that the “White Mage” is none other than D’Orc himself!

The two trade pointed words with one another as D’Orc mentions it took him a week to come up with the costume before they exchange furious blows. For a moment, it looks like D’Orc has the advantage as he kicks Gloinspear hard and far enough to send him almost over the edge of a cliff. Almost. Gloinspear then proceeds to brutalize D’Orc, shrugging off a possession attempt from the ghostly Chicken and even foiling a sneak attack from the magic shield! It looks as if Gloinspear is about to end D’Orc’s existence as fishes for his magical potion, but D’Orc pilfered it from him! He reluctantly informs the dwarf he never wanted to do this and only wanted to steal the potion from him before he hurls said potion at Gloinspear in a dazzling detonation of magic as the dwarf’s body plummets from the cliff.

D’Orc may have been outmuscled, but he wasn’t outsmarted.

D’Orc, realizing how much he sometimes hates this world, gathers his allies and marches off towards the Bone Witch in the hopes of not just putting Chicken’s body back together but also to ask her to stop making death potions designed to destroy him. The trio of misfits outlines their grueling journey as they march off towards the infamous Bone Witch, as our comic comes to an end with a rather ominous image of the mysterious character in question within the heart of her grim lair.

Hyper Violent, Super Funny

D’Orc delivers a brutal kick that sends Gloinspear flying.

D’Orc’s third issue manages to blend comedy and classic sword and sorcery fantasy together in a fun romp that also happens to have something to say about “the forces of light”. Brett Bean builds off the momentum of the first two issues as D’Orc faces his most imposing and grueling challenge yet in the form of Gloinspear, the Light Dwarf who has been charged with the task of eliminating our intrepid hero.

The issue flows profoundly as D’Orc isn’t the one the book focuses on this time around, instead telling the story from the perspective of the antagonist. Here, we see Gloinspear, avowed champion of the Light, hunting down the “abomination” and effectively flipping the script on what we typically see from fantasy settings that deal with forces of “light and darkness”. Too often does light get associated automatically with good, and we see here that this isn’t the case. The very first issue also pointed this out to us, but it’s still pleasant to see it play out here in the third issue and in a much more visceral manner. Gloinspear at first glance looks to be like a heroic figure, a battle-tested dwarf, who, in most fantasy settings are aligned with other “good races”. This is a problem for multiple reasons, especially when you get into the implications of “dark” races being inherently evil in many stories, but I digress.

Gloinspear proves very quickly that he’s an ultra-violent zealot, threatening, maiming, and killing without hesitation to achieve his mission. The fact that he goes out of his way to undo every act of kindness D’Orc commits speaks volumes, and while the scenes are cartoonishly violent and over the top, the messaging is pretty profound and clear. The fact that Gloinspear literally cannot fathom the idea of a creature such as D’Orc performing kindness for the sake of it and believes it’s part of some devious plot is equal parts hilarious and also kind of sad. Even when he’s dealing with the “White Mage”, Gloinspear is altogether unpleasant and prone to threats of violence among his own Light-aligned people. He’s so obsessed with eliminating D’Orc that he’s every bit as dangerous and psychotic as what he believes the Dark races are that he’s been conditioned to hate and fight.

Obviously, Gloinspear eventually does find D’Orc, and what transpires after the fact is the most brutal fight to date. D’Orc handles himself well enough, but even with the assistance of his allies, he’s no match for the brutality of Gloinspear. That is, until he manages to steal the potion Gloinspear bragged about. It’s telling that even after being on the receiving end of a hellacious ass kicking, D’Orc does not want to use the potion on Gloinspear, but he’s left with no choice. The writing really does convey that D’Orc truly does hate not just how the world at large wants him dead on sight, but how it seems hellbent on destroying itself, regardless of which side of the Scar people fall on.

The colors are absolutely impeccable here.

Bean’s art here, colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, balances expressive, dynamic characters with explosive, at times comical brutality. I legitimately don’t think this book would be the same, let alone as good, without its art, and it’s a core reason as to why the series works. I also appreciate how the background shifts colors when things get really serious, going from the bright and colorful scenes we’ve grown accustomed to to the darker, brooding red. The ultra-violent action is a hallmark of the series, but the issue knows how to play with expectations, and it never feels like a gimmick. I actually felt a real sense of danger for D’Orc during his battle with Gloinspear, even if the ending was telegraphed pages in advance, and the level of detail is impeccable. Every blood splatter and gruesome-looking injury tells a story in and of itself, and it’s visually very striking. The tavern sequence with Gloinspear repeatedly shouting “I will not be stopped!” as he goes more and more into a fanatical rage, only to admit “I am stopped,” is the kind of hilarious pacing and artistic storytelling that make this book a delight.

Final Thoughts and Review

D’Orc #3 is a great entry into this new original series that proves that the series isn’t just a flash in the pan “speculative investment” for collectors, but a legitimately entertaining story that plays with expectations and tropes that have become all too common in the fantasy genre. Centering the issue on Gloinspear instead of the titular character was a good narrative decision that paid off for the book.

You can absolutely tell that D’Orc didn’t want to go through with this.

Final Review: 9/10

D’Orc #3 changes things up by shifting perspectives from our hero to one of the figures who’s actively hunting him. This results in a hyper violent issue that manages to be comical without sacrificing the earnest themes that the book is quickly becoming known for.