Sanderson's first novel appears for the first time, and it's in comic book form. 
 Generally, it reads a lot like a Sanderson novel. There's a unique world, there's a unique system of magic that Sanderson focuses on extensively, and there's a set of interesting characters who all get some spotlight. 
 Unfortunately, it also reads a lot like a first novel. The first couple of issues are quite meandering, with the story never really finding its center. Meanwhile, there's also a major plot advancement regarding the protagonist's magic powers that feels totally unearned. 
 I also feel a little uncomfortable with the racial politics in the book. We'll ignore for a second how scientifically unsound it is for the light-skinned people to live in the constant sun and the dark-skinned people to live in the constant darkness. I'm more uncomfortable with the fact that Sanderson differentiates these different people by how technologically advanced they are. Yes, he turns offensive cultural stereotypes on their head, but that so directly addresses those stereotypes that it actually reinforces them. It doesn't help that the dark siders are drawn as dressing like gangstas. (I'm sure it was all offered with the best intentions, but it's so ham-handed that I think it's another example of the immaturity of the original novel.) 
 Despite those various complaints and qualms, White Sand is an interesting book. I'm sure it was benefited notably by being abridged for a comic book story. I look forward to the next volume, but hopefully it'll have a "Previously" page, because this volume really left off in the middle of things ...