FORMAT: HARDCOVER (REVIEWED), DIGITAL | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Though we’re still waiting for the latest cinematic adaptation, Dune is now reimagined in a different visual medium – comic books. Dune: The Graphic Novel adapts Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic over three volumes; the first is available now.
In this volume, young Paul Atreides and his noble family take control of the desert planet Arrakis, only to fall into a deadly trap set by Baron Harkonnen. Brian Herbert – son of Frank – and Kevin J. Anderson, who’ve previously written numerous Dune spin-off novels, provide a script faithful to the original novel.
There’s a risk of their painstaking adherence not making for the best comic, as this first chunk of the novel is rather heavy on meetings setting up the plot, before it gets round to the action. But, Herbert and Anderson’s script condenses the novel skilfully, not omitting any scenes but fine-tuning the dialogue to fit the pace of the medium.
And, the interior artwork from Raúl Allen and Patricia Martín is stunning. Beautiful character and location designs make every scene absorbing, and much storytelling is achieved through precise character ‘acting’. And, in the big visual moments such as the arrival at Arrakis and the first sight of a sandworm, the artwork adds a sense of epic scale.
A gorgeous cover illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz is the icing on the cake of this impressive volume. We have to wait until Spring 2022 for the second part… but at least we’ll have a film to enjoy in the meantime.
