I used to think that I was not a Dune fan. I tried to read the first book while in college, but it just didn’t capture my interest. Like many other science fiction and fantasy novels I’ve tried to appreciate, it seemed like a laborious read and the writing style didn’t resonate with me. However, Dune: Blood of the Sardaukar #1, published by Boom! Studios, is a captivating comic that makes me wonder if I’ve written off the franchise a bit too quickly.
The year is 10,191 A.G. and Colonel Jopati Kolona is leading a group of Sardaukar (elite troops of the Imperium) on a covert mission to depose Duke Leto Atreides. However, Jopati has personal reasons for wanting to be the one to reach Leto first. Orphaned as a child when the Sardaukar murdered his family under the supposed direction of Leto’s father, Paulus Atreides, Jopati is rescued and raised by the Sadukar to be a killing machine with unquestioning loyalty to the emperor. Jopati’s priorities shift when he learns that Leto not only wants to make reparations to the remnants of the Kolona house, but may also know of hidden information regarding the murder of the Kolona family. Jopati’s justification for betraying his orders? “For the Sardaukar, the honor is in the blood, not in the uniform.”
I really enjoyed the political intrigue of this comic. The story of Jopti’s childhood, told in flashbacks, allows the reader to piece together the story in a non-linear fashion that builds the tension in an appealing manner. The artwork and paneling make the story easy to follow, and the aesthetic gives a loosely Medieval Middle Eastern setting to this science fiction story. Dune: Blood of the Sardaukar #1 is a great comic that converted me to being a Dune-appreciator.
Dune: Blood of the Sardaukar #1
Credits
- Writers: Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
- Illustrator: Adam Gorham
- Colorist: Patricio Delpeche
- Cover Artist: Jeff Dekal
- Variant Cover Artists: Adam Gorham, Max Fiumara, Gerald Parel, Jeff Dekal, Nimit Malavia
Credits (cont)
- Designer: Madison Goyette
- Editor: Jonathan Manning
- Assistant Editor: Gwen Waller
- Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
- Publisher: Boom! Studios