There are lots of good comics out there, but some clearly stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. “Don’t Miss This” shines a weekly spotlight on the books our staff writers think need to be on your pull list. This week we look at “Orcs!” an action-packed, epic adventure from Harvey Award-nominated cartoonist Christine Larsen.
Who Is This By?
From writing and illustration to colors and letters, Christine Larsen does it all. Ironically, after self-publishing two zines that featured the same “Orcs!” core characters, she pitched the comic to BOOM! as a monthly series. They adored the concept and offered her a three book deal with their all ages imprint, KaBOOM! Not long after that COVID struck, plans for the graphic novel were scrapped and “Orcs!” morphed back into a floppy for a limited series. That said, with Larsen’s obvious affinity for her quirky-yet-lovable characters – not to mention her deft command of the series’ three interrelated narratives – “Orcs!” definitely feels like a franchise in the making.
What’s It All About?
“Orcs!” follows the misadventures of an atypical band of heroes – Bog, Utzu, Zep, Pez and Gurh – as they venture out into the Known World in pursuit of fame and fortune. The obvious twist, of course, is that Larsen flips the script. Instead of soulless, bloodthirsty monsters who thrive on wanton destruction, these quirky orc protagonists are thinking, feeling, creatures who genuinely have good hearts. They’re still rowdy, crude and vulgar, but they also happen to be incredibly likable. No doubt, especially for the target audience of young independent readers.
Larsen begins the series by spinning an intriguing epic tale about the legendary warrior-hero, Drod One-Eye. She’s the Odysseus of orcish culture; the role model every young orc aspires to be. Not coincidentally, Bog, the ringleader of the series’ adventure party, is a massive Drod fan. In fact, Bog wears an eye patch over one eye to emulate his hero.
Larsen interjects Drod’s story into the main narrative, using it to frame the core narrative and comment on the central action. It’s not entirely clear what Larsen is setting up here, but it’s a great deal of fun to speculate on where it might go. Will Bog and Drod eventually meet…?
The main narrative, for it’s part, is a frenetic series of mishaps that continuously pull Bog and his crew further and further into their own epic adventure. From “Lord of the Rings” to Dungeons and Dragons to pretty much any fantasy series you can imagine, all of the classic sword and sorcery tropes are here. Elves, trolls, gnomes – particularly nasty squirrels – all of them can be found in Eerieasallhel Forest and Larsen skewers them all. The elves are pompous and stilted, the trolls are big, dumb lugs who bicker with each other, the gnomes are filthy little rodents and the squirrels are ferocious, amoral pests. All of which keeps us cheering for the ragtag band of orcs.
What Makes It So Great?
The orcs’ encounters are consistently funny and clever. Without question, however, it’s Larsen’s characters that make the series soar. “I love all the henchmen, I love all the villains,” says Larsen. “I am always more interested in the disposable people than the main character’s story.”
Bog and his faithful companions aren’t exactly role models, but they’re far from disposable. Larsen imbues each one with a distinct, awkwardly charming personality. They’re flawed, they’re funny, they’re fallible and they’re entirely human, despite being orcs.
Larsen’s visual style is equally engaging and keeps the story moving at a feverish clip. The settings and colors are simple yet highly engaging and her command of orcish expressions is simply stunning. Every smirk, scowl and sideways glance informs the subtext and further helps to bring the characters to life. The writing, illustration and colors all work together seamlessly to keep you fully immersed in the story. It’s a breezy, almost effortless read, but never trite or simplistic.
If you’re the parent or caregiver of a young graphic novel fan who quickly devours every book they pick up, “Orcs!” could very well serve as their first foray into monthlies. With 30+ story pages, every issue is jam packed and largely self-contained. It’s pretty quick and easy to get up to speed, figure out who’s who and get a pretty good sense of the larger narrative arcs. At the same time, the series’ episodic structure focuses every issue on one central vignette, even as the larger story unfolds and continues careening forward. Not to be overlooked, like every great cartoon or Saturday morning series, much of the dialogue and many of the gags work on multiple levels, delivering an occasional joke for the adults in the midst of the all-ages silliness.
Continued belowIssue after issues, “Orcs!” is a sheer delight. Young readers who play D&D and are into “The Lord of the Rings” will likely be particularly entertained, but even the most casual fantasy fans are sure to have a blast tagging along as Bog, Utzu, Zep, Pez and Gurh explore the Known World and deepen their friendships.
How Can You Read It?
The fifth issue of “Orcs!” drops today. You can use the Comic Shop Locator to find an independent retailer in your area. Of course, you can also find it via your favorite online retailer or digital comics platform.
