In Dune, the Sardaukar are some of the Imperium’s most elite soldiers: bodyguards to the Emperor of the Known Universe, and the deadly right hand of House Corrino. But a new comic book from Boom Studios is going to explore what lies beyond the martial skills of the Sardaukar, and we’ve got a first look.
Gizmodo is excited to reveal Dune: Blood of the Sardaukar, a new standalone story by Brian Herbert (son of Dune novelist Frank Herbert) and Kevin J. Anderson, with art and colours from Adam Gorham and Patricio Delpeche, and lettering by Ed Dukeshire. Set during the events of the original novel — and as a follow-up to Herbert and Anderson’s graphic novel prequel — Blood of the Sardaukar follows Sardaukar member Jopati Kolona as he and his fellow guardsmen are tasked with overthrowing House Atreides’ rule on the planet Dune.
But when Kolona confronts Duke Leto as the man he believes responsible for ravaging his homeworld, the Sardaukar will find himself torn between duty and vengeance — and perhaps forgiveness, when all is not as it seems. Check out the variant covers for the issue below, making their debut here on Gizmodo!
“When we wrote this story, a standalone tale set during the events of the original Dune, we were excited for this first opportunity ever to delve into the history and traditions of this mysterious force of warriors, showing it through the eyes of one particular Sardaukar,” Herbet said in a press release provided to Gizmodo.
“We very much enjoyed being able to flesh out the background of the Sardaukar, and this character became a prominent force in our new Caladan trilogy,” Anderson added. “The comic adaptation shows Dune fans places they have never seen in Frank Herbert’s universe.”
If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also got a sneaky look at the Sardaukar in action in piece of Adam Gorham and Patricio Delpeche’s interior art from the issue!
Dune: Blood of the Sardaukar hits shelves in July.