Dune: House Atreides #1
- WRITER
- Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert
- Artist
- Dev Pramanik
- Letterer
- Ed Dukeshire
- Cover Artist
- Ben Templesmith, Jae Lee, Paul Pope, Lovern Kindzierski, Brian Haberlin, John Giang, Dan Mora, Miguel Mercado, June Chung
- Publisher
- BOOM! Studios
- Price
- 4.99
- Release Date
- 2020-10-21
- Colorist
- Alex Guimarães
While movie audiences may have to wait longer for a chance to see the latest film adaptation of Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi work Dune, readers can visit its fantastical world of Arrakis in a new comic book miniseries. Published by BOOM! Studios, Dune: House Atreides is set shortly before the events of the original, universally acclaimed novel following the franchise's central clan as they face courtly intrigue on an interplanetary scale. And like the 1999 prequel novel it's based on, the opening issue is a dense, ambitious read that asks perhaps more attention and patience than readers may be accustomed to giving most mainstream comic book publications.
The debut issue introduces several key players to the lore and history of Dune, from the imposing Emperor Elrood to his conniving son Shaddam Corrino. And in between the rumblings of an imminent coup following a cataclysmic incident involving a spice factory on the planet Arrakis, a young Leto Atreides -- father of the novel and upcoming film's protagonist Paul Atreides -- and his family are slated to play a major role as the battle lines are quickly drawn from shadowy backrooms that will decide the fate of the empire
Co-writer Brian Herbert, son of franchise creator Frank Herbert, has continued his father's vision in prose novels for decades, expanding the fan-favorite sci-fi world. Herbert is joined by frequent collaborator Kevin J. Anderson, who similarly has a prolific pedigree in writing science fiction prose as well numerous sci-fi comic titles, including from Dark Horse Comics' line of Star Wars titles. Despite the two's shared background as prose authors, they wisely know when to pull back when writing for the comic medium and let the art do the talking for them.
That said, like the prose novels that this story largely precedes, the first issue is a dense read. There are plenty of different parties and locations introduced in less than 25 pages of story, each with their own motivations and agendas poised to unfold. There's a lot to take in and, for those not necessarily familiar with the world of Dune, this may not be the story to start with first. Those that are familiar with Dune will find it an engrossing read and feels well within the world that Frank Herbert first created over 50 years ago, whereas others may want to familiarize themselves with the original story and its characters before diving in here.
Dev Pramanik and colorist Alex Guimarães bring the lush worlds of Dune to life, knowing when to capture the sci-fi grandeur and the more shadowy menace in full. Pramanik previously co-created the acclaimed Image Comics series Paradiso with Justice League Dark writer Ram V, which was similarly featured expansive, sci-fi worlds and those sensibilities continue to great effect here. Guimarães' color palette helps distinguish the various settings and figures while Pramanik's pencils and inks balance neo-classical environments with a more raw, lived-in quality.
With a big-budget blockbuster, new graphic novels and serialized comic books on the way, now is a fantastic time to be a fan of Dune. House Atreides offers an ambitious look at the franchise's earlier days but it may not be the gateway into Herbert's expansive sci-fi world that newer readers are looking for quite yet, at least judging by the first issue. The core narrative is poised to take shape moving forward but, in the meantime, it is a read that challenges its readers to pause and really pay attention to what's going on as it immerses its audience into its iconic world. And given the original source material, Dune's ambition and scope has always a bit daunting to neophytes at first as it invites them in, and this miniseries is no different.