Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun Graphic Novels Begin April 20, 2027 With Dan Abnett

Dungeons & Dragons is returning to Athas in a trilogy of standalone Dark Sun graphic novels from Dark Horse Books and Wizards of the Coast. Volume 1, written by Dan Abnett and illustrated by Nil Vendrell, is scheduled for April 20, 2027.

The publisher’s October 9 announcement presents three graphic novels. For anyone planning a purchase, the first product to look for is a complete hardcover volume, rather than issue #1 of a monthly comic.

What happens in Dark Sun Volume 1?

The story follows Tikat, a Thri-kreen gladiator who offers to protect his friend Wik from a powerful psionic enemy. Their party must fight its way out of Tyr while trying to identify the force pursuing them.

The setting matters to that premise. The publisher describes Athas as a devastated wasteland ruled by sorcerer kings, with scarce resources and dangerous psychic powers. Survival, rather than a comfortable departure on a heroic quest, is the starting problem.

For a newcomer, that is enough to distinguish this book from a generic D&D adventure. The announcement identifies the world, its immediate pressures and the central protective relationship without requiring readers to decipher a campaign timeline first.

Creative team and the revealed cover

Abnett and Vendrell are joined by colorist Mattia Iacono and letterer Buddy Beaudoin. Jeff Stokely provides the cover.

The newly disclosed cover, shown above, places armed figures amid sharp, broken terrain and an orange sky. It gives readers a first look at the announced book’s visual presentation; it is not an interior page or evidence of a particular scene’s outcome.

Release date, format and price

Penguin Random House’s US distributor listing confirms these details:

Dark Horse gives the same date for comic shops. These listings do not establish Swedish pricing or a simultaneous worldwide release. The ISBN is the useful identifier when asking a bookseller to locate this particular edition.

Is this the new Dark Sun tabletop book?

The graphic novel is a separate product. Both the publisher and distributor describe it as a companion to the new Dark Sun tabletop RPG book. Buying this hardcover should not be confused with ordering that game’s rules or campaign material.

Dark Horse has not supplied release dates or complete creative teams for volumes 2 and 3 in the announcement. The trilogy label confirms the planned number of books, not a complete publication calendar.

The same publisher’s new Baldur’s Gate 3 comic begins with Astarion in a different format. Readers exploring another D&D setting can also find our coverage of Netflix’s Ravenloft project; that screen adaptation is a separate announcement, with no crossover established here.