While the acclaimed filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's cinematic adaptation of Dune has had its theatrical release delayed by nearly a full year, fans of the iconic science fiction tale can revisit it with Abrams Comics Art's comic book adaptation Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1. Whereas the recent BOOM! Studios comic book miniseries Dune: House Atreides serves as a prequel to the original story, Abrams' graphic novel, by Brian Herbert, Kevin K. Anderson, Raul Allen and Patricia Martin, is a straightforward adaptation of Frank Herbert's landmark 1965 novel and serves as a welcoming tale to both veteran fans and new readers alike.

Book 1 is the first in a planned trilogy of graphic novels adapting Herbert's original novel, as such, recounting the opening act of the classic story as Duke Leto Atreides is tasked by Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV to run the harsh desert planet of Arrakis. As Leto, his concubine Lady Jessica and their son Paul Atreides create a new home on the unforgiving world and begin to harvest its valuable spice among its many dangers, Shaddam and his loyalists begin actively plotting how to rid themselves of House Atreides and the perceived threat that they present to the throne.

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Just as with the House Atreides miniseries, the graphic novel is written by Brian Herbert, son of novelist Frank Herbert, and longtime collaborative partner Kevin J. Anderson. Having continued and expanded the world of Dune for over two decades, this is all well-worn territory for the writing team, and they have a strong grasp on the story's extensive cast of characters. The graphic novel is not a line-for-line adaptation of its original prose source material, but it doesn't try to be. Instead, this incarnation of the classic story serves as a much more accessible approach to a notably dense story, with Herbert and Anderson knowing when to pull back and let the artwork do its fair share of the narrative heavy lifting.

This artwork is helmed by Raúl Allén and colorist Patricia Martín, and it successfully captures everything from the arid expanse of Arrakis, the swirling oceans of Caladan and the darkened halls of Giedi Prime. With much of this opening graphic novel focused on courtly intrigue and introducing the characters involved, the visuals are predominantly set during conversations and in interior locations. Certain panels can come off as static and stiff, particularly noticeable in close-ups in mid-dialogue, but the wider shots deliver the sweeping, sci-fi grandeur of the story. Just like the novel itself, this isn't a traditionally action-packed tale, but the creative team is more invested in world-building as they invite readers into Herbert's universally acclaimed worlds and the shifting backroom politics and rival factions that defined it.

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For anyone looking for a new interpretation of Frank Herbert's classic story or may be intimidated by the prose text, this graphic novel is a welcoming way for those curious to experience the science fiction tale in a new medium. Unfailingly faithful to the original source material without being slavishly beholden to it, Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 sets the stage for the wider world of the story and is perfectly accessible who are completely unfamiliar with it, streamlining the narrative into an easily approachable text. And while Allén and Martín are largely confined to illustrating dialogue-heavy sequences, they take advantage of differentiating the various worlds and competing houses to make these expository portions that much more engaging and palpable in delivering an adaptation worthy of continuing the franchise's legacy for a new generation.

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