Batman: White Knight Presents: Sorcerers

Batman: White Knight Presents: Sorcerers is an American comic book published by DC Comics under its Black Label imprint. The 10 issue limited was written and illustrated by Sean Murphy who also did the Batman stories, Batman: White Knight and Batman: Curse of the White Knight and is the fourth installment of the Murphyverse. The comic began publication on December 22, 2020 and concluded September 21, 2021. It tells the story of a young sorcerers apprentice and a group of heroes fight against the evil and cruel sorcerer known as, Wraith King. The comic takes place during the events of Batman: White Knight as James, Julia, Matt, Simon, Margaret, Edward and Tom are shown watching Napier's speech on television in the fourth issue.

A sequel titled Sorcerers: White Knight Presents: The Rise of Salem began publication on February 26, 2024 and concluded December 26 of the same year.

Plot
696 AD: An army consisting of humans, elves, dwarves, faeries and satyrs is seen raging a bloody battle against a vast army of orcs, goblins, trolls and dark elves in front of a massive fortress. The leader of the dark army, a powerful and cruel sorcerer known as Wraith King is shown watching the battle from his throne room before gleefully stating that victory will soon be his. However the powerful and good Sorcerer, Fionn O'Clery then enters his throne room. He then tells Wraith King that his reign of evil ends today, undaunted, Wraith King states that "we shall see O'Clery. Wraith King then summons his staff, he and Fionn then begin a fearsome duel.

Present Day: Over 1'000 years later, Wraith King is seen escaping from a foreboding dimension along with his senior witch, Morgana, an Elf named Imric and his sister Leena. Wraith King announces with triumph that they are now free and can now rebuild their armies, Imirc. Over in the American town of Hallows Grove, a pair of sorcerers named Simon and Margaret O'Clery are teaching their grandsons, James and Matt how to harness their magical powers. When they are finished, their Troll guardian, Trevor enters and informs them of an emergency gathering of the Sorcerers Council, much to Simon and Margaret's confusion. They then attend the gathering along with James and Matt, during the meeting, Alrich Greenleaf, King of the Elves and head of the Sorcerers Council reveals that Wraith King has escaped from the Dark Realm much to the horror of the council.

After the meeting, the O'Clery's are brought to Alrich's palace where James meets his beloved, Elf princess Julia and her twin brother Aldrin, who is also James' best friend. Simon and Margaret then meet with Alrich who believes that Wraith King will specifically target them as it was their ancestor, the legendary sorcerer, Fionn O'Clery who imprisoned him after ultimately winning their duel. It is then revealed that after the war the unenchanted turned on the magical world. This then led to the mass persecution and slaughter of the sorcerers and magic creatures by the unenchanted's, with the survivors been forced into hiding. King Alrich then reveals that since it was Fionn who banished Wraith King to the Dark Realm, Wraith King swore eternal vengeance on the O'Clery line. This news greatly concerns Simon and Margaret as they believe their grandsons are far too young to challenge him. Unbeknownst to them, James and Julia have heard everything. Julia is deeply worried for James, who assures her that Wraith King will not come after him as he has a plan.

James and Julia then enter Alrich's throne room, much to Alrich, Simon and Margaret's surprise. James proposes that a fellowship be put together to try and stop Wraith King, to either imprison him back in the Dark Realm or destroy him. James then requests that he lead the proposed fellowship, although Simon and Margaret are against it. Alrich however persuades them to allow it, stating that James is a powerful Sorcerer for his age, to which Simon and Margaret reluctantly agree to allow James to lead the fellowship. Meanwhile at his castle, Wraith King is meeting with Orc Warchief Grimskull and his two sons, Bloodnose and Gorbag. Wraith King wants Grimskull and his tribe to join his army, Grimskull however refuses, revealing that his tribe joined him during his previous attempt at conquering the world and that they were nearly wiped out following his banishment to the Dark Realms. Wraith King however informs Grimskull of his tribes current situation and how they are desperate. Wraith King assures him that if he serves him, then his tribe will have new and prosperous lives, Grimskull then reluctantly agrees.

James, Julia, Aldrin and Trevor began their search for members to join the Fellowship. They first visit the Dwarven kingdom of Dwelfheim where they meet with its ruler, Lord Stonebeard. After informing him of Wraith King's return, Lord Stonebeard introduces James, Julia, Aldrin and Trevor to two of Dwelfheim's best warriors, brothers Durin and Dain. James explains about Wraith King's return, to which Durin and Dain immediately accept their offer to join the Fellowship. After leaving Dwelfheim, the group then meet a Fairy named Flutter and his Satyr friend, Hoofer. Feeling that they have enough, James then shows the Fellowship towards Alrich and the Council of Sorcerers. After gaining the approval of both Alrich and the council, The Fellowship begins to prepare for their eventual mission against Wraith King.

The Fellowship

 * James O'Clery - A 19 year old Irish American sorcerer's apprentice who is the grandson of Simon and Margaret and the main protagonist. He is the leader of the Fellowship, he wields a sorcerer's staff and fights with a Dwarf forged broadsword.
 * Julia Greenleaf - A very beautiful 19 year old Elf princess who is the daughter of Alrich and the childhood sweetheart of James. She is the second in command of the Fellowship and is also the archer of the team, being extremely skilled with a bow and arrow.
 * Aldrin Greenleaf - The twin brother of Julia and the best friend of James. He is the researcher for the Fellowship as he can both read and speak in several languages,
 * Ciarda - A benevolent Dark Elf and the love interest of Aldrin. Ciarda has been described as been one of the few benevolent Dark Elves, she is also the healer of the Fellowship.
 * Durin and Dain - Two Dwarf warrior brothers from the Dwarven kingdom of Stonegard. Durin sports a Mohawk and wields a pair of throwing axes, whilst Dain wields a large warhammer.
 * Matt O'Clery - James' younger brother and a sorcerer in training. Due to his young age, James forces him to stay behind on the some of the more dangerous missions.
 * Hoofer - A Satyr who is the Fellowship's bard and comic relief.
 * Flower - A Fairy who acts as the Fellowships aerial scout.
 * Trevor - A hulking and powerful Cave Troll who serves the O'Clery family as their guardian. 500 years ago, he was about to be killed by an evil dragon until he was rescued by the legendary sorceress, Mary O'Clery. Ever since he has loyally served the O'Clery family.

Council of Sorcerers

 * Simon and Margaret O'Clery - A pair of powerful and respected sorcerers who are the paternal grandparents of James and Matt. Simon and Margaret are very important members of the Sorcerers Council, they are also loving and supportive grandparents to James and Matt.
 * King Alrich Greenleaf - The High King of the Elves who is the widowed father of Julia and Aldrin and the head of the Sorcerers Council.
 * Mongo Ironhand - A rather eccentric Dwarf sorcerer who has a particular fondness for cigars and martinis.
 * King Illrede - The King of the Trolls and the ruler of Trollheim. He is revealed to have a huge grudge against Imric has during the war against Wraith King, he took Illrede's beloved daughter, Groa captive.
 * Lord Stonebeard - The mightiest of the Dwarf Lords and the ruler of Dwelfheim.

Wraith King's Forces

 * Wraith King - A cruel and powerful sorcerer who is the sworn enemy of the Fellowship and the main antagonist of the comic. 1'400 years earlier, he embarked on a campaign to conquer the entire Earth with a vast army of Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Dark Elves and Witches, however a group of good and noble sorcerers defeated him and banished him to the Dark Realm along with some of his followers. However due to him starting the war and attempting to conquer the world, the mortals then turned on Sorcerers and magical creatures and began to persecute them. Over 1'000 years later, he escaped the Dark Realm and began to rebuild his armies.
 * Morgana - Wraith King most senior witch and right hand woman.
 * Garna - A craven unenchanted who serves Wraith King as his servant.
 * Irmic and Leena - A former Elf Duke and his sister who aligned themselves with Wraith King and were banished to the Dark Realm with him when he was defeated.
 * Warchief Grimskull - The fearsome Warchief of an Orc tribe who reluctantly joined with Wraith King as one of his generals. He is shown to be a highly skilled swordsman, he is also a highly competent leader.
 * Bloodnose and Gorbag - The sons of Grimskull and two highly skilled soldiers in Wraith King's army. Bloodnose is albino and wields a sword like his father, whilst Gorbag is an archer.
 * Bolverk - A Dark Elf who becomes one of Wraith King's top generals and a rival of Grimskull.
 * Freya - The daughter of Bolverk and the lover of Bloodnose. She is a highly skilled archer and can shoot 10 arrows in 10 seconds.

Unenchanted's

 * Dr. Henry Lewis - An unenchanted scientist who is a friend and ally to the Fellowship. Other than the Justice League, he is one of the only few unenchanted's who is aware of the magical world. A running gag is that he tries to explain magic with science, but to no avail.
 * Chief Ryan Carter - The chief of the Phoenix Wood's Police Department and an ally to the Fellowship. He usually calls them in if there are any criminals who have signs of magic on them, as the police department aren't qualified to deal with orcs, goblins, trolls or dragons. Like Dr. Henry, Chief Ryan Carter is one of the few unenchanted's outside of the Justice League to be aware of the magical world.

Others

 * The Great Dragon - An ancient and wise Dragon who acts as a spiritual guide to the Fellowship. He is mostly seen shrouded in fog with only his head being seen, his full form is never shown. He is given great respect by the magical community as according to legend, he is as old as the Earth itself, having been created by God.
 * Beran and Leriel - A married Elf couple, Beran is the captain of the Royal Elf Guard whilst Leriel is the captain of the Unicorn Calvary. They once had a son who tragically drowned as a child.
 * Knobby - A Gnome who acts as the royal physician to Alrich.
 * Durlin - A Dwarf who works as a record keeper for the Sorcerer's Council. He is obsessed with protocol and is a sticker for the rules, for example he refuses to let the Fellowship into the Council halls without handing over their weapons.
 * Ratso and Skullface - Two Goblin brothers who serve as assassins for hire.
 * Cloven - A Satyr religious leader who is a friend to the Fellowship. He is a priest of Earthism, the Sorcerer's religion which is a combination of Christianity and Celtic Paganism.
 * The Witches of Moor - A trio of divine Witches consisting of a grandmother, mother and daughter, who are said to have the gift of prophecy and of one's fate. Despite their seemingly sinister nature, they are neither good nor evil. They are based on the Fates of Greek mythology and the Norns of Norse mythology.

Magical Beings and Creatures

 * Sorcerers/Sorceresses - A group of men and women who are born with the ability to perform magical spells and charms. The magical abilities of Sorcerers/Sorceresses first begin to manifest on their 10th birthday, whereupon they began their training which lasts for 10 years. Due to their magical powers Sorcerers/Sorceresses age slowly and can live to be 400 years old,
 * Wizards - Mortal men and women who learn the magical arts from either books or a mentor. After gaining magical powers, Wizards begin aging slowly and can live to be 200 years old.
 * Witches - Female individuals who practice black magic. Witches have long had a bad reputation within the magical community, as its due to their actions that unenchanteds considered sorcerers/sorceresses to by satanic.
 * Dragonlords - Human or Elf men and women who were able to speak to and tame their spiritual brothers and sisters, the Dragons.
 * Elves - A race of magical humanoids who resemble with humans with pale skin, perpetual youth and pointed ears. Elves are considered to be the ruling class of the magical community, with some even being important members of the Sorcerers Council. It is revealed that both Elves and Dragons are the oldest magical creatures on Earth, because of this they share a deep spiritual bond. It is also said if one was to die out, then the other would spell severe disaster for the other.
 * Half-Elves - The result of a union between humans and Elves. Half-Elves have shorter pointed ears then their mother or father and can grow facial hair.
 * Dwarves - A race of short and stocky magical humanoids who live underground and are the most industrious of all magical beings. They are known for their legendary crafting skills as they forged swords that never lose their sharpness and graft beautiful jewels from diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire. Dwarves live beneath mountains in mighty fortress kingdoms, they are also considered to be the working class of the magical community.
 * Redcaps - A group of murderous Dwarves,
 * Orcs - A race of intelligent but brutish humanoids who are fierce warriors and are known for serving evil sorcerers and kings. Orcs live in tribes and are led by either a male called a warchief or a female called a warchieftess, despite their bad reputation, most Orcs have a code of honor and fight with it. For example they refuse to kill pregnant women, children and sick people. they also have strong ties to their tribes and families.
 * Goblins - Lanky magical humanoids with either red or green skin, bat like ears and pointed teeth. Goblins are infamous for being notoriously mischievous, but they also have a reputation for being highly skilled thieves or assassins who slip in and out of places before anyone notices they're there.
 * Trolls - Hulking magical beings who are known for being large and powerful, but having low intelligence. They have either green or tan skin, two toes on each foot, three fingers on each hand, two canines protruding from their bottom jaw and six spikes, two on the side of their head, one on top of their head and three running down their backs. Trolls are also known for their infamous regenerative abilities, been able to regenerate either a slash wound or a severed limb within a matter of seconds. The only way to prevent a Troll's regenerative properties was to burn the wound with fire.
 * Faeries - Magical winged humanoids who resemble humans except with wings and sometimes antennas, Faeries also come in a variant of sizes from small to human sized. Faeries live in villages in the tops of trees in the forest, most Faeries are kind and helpful, some however are mischievous and enjoy playing tricks.
 * Satyrs - Magical beings who have the horns, ears and legs of a goat. Although they enjoy music and dancing, they aren't sex crazed as they are in legends, rather Satyrs are a spiritual people with many serving the magical community as religious leaders.
 * Dark Elves - Sinister and ruthless versions of Elves who practice black magic and align themselves with Orcs and Goblins. Dark Elves have a strong dislike for their lighter cousins, considering them to be weak and pathetic.
 * Gnomes - Magical humanoids who are smaller then Dwarves, wear pointed hats and whom the males sport long beards. Gnomes live mostly in forests, where they make their homes under trees.
 * Dragons - Massive scaled reptilian beasts with horns, claws, wings and the ability to breath fire. Dragons are the most powerful of all magical creatures, this had lead them to be considered symbols of power. Whilst most Dragons are wise and benevolent, some Dragons are evil and destructive. Evil Dragons are known to ravage villages and horde gold in their lairs. It is revealed that both Dragons and Elves are the oldest magical creatures on Earth, because of this they share a deep spiritual bond. It is said that if one of them was to die out, then it would spell severe disaster for the other.
 * Unicorns - Mythical white horses with a silver horn protruding from their foreheads and golden manes. Unicorns are considered sacred to all magical races including the dark races like Orcs, Goblins, Trolls and Dark Elves. The horn of a Unicorn, known as an alicorn has been well known for thousands of years for its healing abilities. Tragically it was because of this that Unicorns were hunted to near extinction by mortal hunters, with the Sorcerers only being able to save a single herd.
 * Sepinataurs - Large and dangerous serpentine creatures who are mortal enemies of dragons.
 * Krakens - Massive squid like magical creatures who live in the depths of the world’s oceans. They are considered to be the most feared of all sea creatures as they are extremely powerful and can smash a ship to pieces in a matter of minutes, they are also extremely difficult to kill.

Production
In September 2020, DC Comics announced that Sean Murphy, writer of Batman: White Knight and Batman: Curse of the White Knight would be writing an original fantasy series for his Murphyverse. Murphy later announced that the limited series would be entitled Batman: White Knight Presents: Sorcerers. Originally announced as an eight issue series like Batman: White Knight and Batman: Curse of the White Knight, Murphy then extended it to 10 issues due to the story being much bigger then he originally thought. In an interview, Murphy stated that inspiration for Sorcerers came from Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons.