Norlan: Sorceress of Light (One Shot) Review

Norlan: Sorceress of Light

Writer: Davis Dewsbury
Artist & Letterer: Andrew Thomas
Colourist: Sharon Gauthier
Publisher: Great North Comics

Review by Josh Rose

Team Auric has returned to release their annual comic in time for the comic con in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. While Norlan: Sorceress of Light is not a book focused on Comiccon Timmin’s mascot Auric of the Great White North, they do take the time to flesh out one of the more mysterious characters in the series: Kinzie Norlan. 

Most of the events that happen in Norlan: Sorceress of Light happen alongside the events of Auric of the Great White North #1. Kinzie recounts the events that lead up to her time as part of Auric’s legion of monster hunters. She recalls the moment she discovered her magical powers, leaving for school, and the death of her family. All the while, she studies, practices her magic, and searches for the man responsible for killing her family.

Davis Dewsbury does a great job with the pacing of the story. I like how he introduces who Kinzie is as a character and shows how she interacts with the other characters in the book. The whole idea of this book is to spotlight Kinzie and tell her story. I really like how we’ve already seen some of it in Auric of the Great White North #1, but it’s told from another point of view and fills in some of the gaps.

Andrew Thomas’ faces are very expressive. You can see Kinzie looking mischievous when messing with Janks Fletcher and Janks looking absolutely furious. There’s one page that is haunting, but I’m not going to spoil anything. Thomas’ art looks great with its action, intense body language, and facial expressions.

Sharon Gauthier’s colours really seal the quality of the book. We go from black and white memories, to dark purple magical confrontations, to a bright green and blue ending. To me, these colours say that while things get dark, there will be a brighter tomorrow.

The Verdict: Buy it.

Norlan: Sorceress of Light is not only a great tie in to the Auric of the Great White North series, but it’s also a great introduction to the Auric-verse for new readers. The biggest beef I have with this story is that it’s only 12 pages long. Also: I need a “Mane Man” apron like Auric.

Norlan: Sorceress of Light will be available for purchase at Comiccon Timmins April 21, 2018, while quantities last. Keep an eye out here for Norlan and other Auric products.