Boom! Studios is set to re-issue one of many collections from its expansive universe of Dune series this summer. The company recently announced plans to re-issue Dune: House Atreides Volume 1 in a new softcover (paperback) pressing. A recently issued press release from Boom! Studios stated the collection, which culls the first four issues from the series, in June, but many retailers have the 130-page-plus anthology have its release date specifically listed at Sept. 3. Release date aside, the revisiting, which will come roughly three years after the book was originally released on hardcover and as an e-book, is a good way to introduce a new audience to the world of Dune. That is due in no small part to its featured story, which is its own prequel of sorts to the universe first crafted by author Frank Herbert all those decades ago. The artwork featured throughout the story adds to its interest and will be examined a little later. The bonus material that is presented in the new re-issue rounds out its most important elements and will be discussed a little later, too. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of this collection. All things considered they make the new softcover edition of Dune: House Atreides Volume 1 a positive new look at this corner of the Dune universe.
Boom! Studios’ forthcoming paperback re-issue of Dune: House Atreides Volume 1 is a positive new look at what is just one part of the company’s expansive Dune literary universe. That is due in large part to its featured story. The story is a multi-faceted prequel spanning the first four issues of the series. One part of the story follows Planetologist Pardot Kynes as he works to learn all about the planet Arrakis. Another focuses on the then very young Leto Atreides and his love, who are also shown much more grown up in Boom! Studio’s House Harkonnen series. So here, readers get an origin story of sorts between the pair. The beginnings of the Tleilaxu’s plan to create synthetic spice is also noted here along with other interweaving stories. The transitions between the various story lines are just as solid as in the current volumes of tales in the House Harkonnen series. Those transitions and the way in which the stories are told form a strong base for the collection, ensuring readers’ engagement and entertainment.
The interweaving stories presented through the first four issues of Dune: House Atreides are reason enough in themselves for audiences to read this collection. They are only part of what makes the collection notable. The artwork featured throughout the collection offers its own share of interest. Crafted by the trio of Dev Pramanik, Ed Dukeshire, and Alex Guimaraes, the artwork is its own rich tapestry. One of the most powerful examples of the impact of the art comes as a sandworm breaches in front of Pardot Kynes. The picture is something right out of a major blockbuster movie. That is because of the angle that shows the massive size difference between Pardot and the worm. It is a single picture, but so powerful in its simplicity. Certain lining work and depth of color used during Duncan Idaho’s flight from his Harkonnen captors is another prime example of the importance of the collection’s art. There is a “raw” nature about it that really immerses readers into the chase and makes it easy to see it happen even being told in pictures. The various shading and coloring effects used in the characters’ designs adds its own touch to the whole, too. It gives more life to each character. Between these examples and so many others, the whole therein makes the overall artwork its own key part of the collection’s presentation. Added to the overarching story, the whole makes for that much more reason for audiences to add this collection to their Dune library or make it the start of their collections.
Knowing how much the story and art does to keep Dune: House Atreides Volume 1 engaging and entertaining, there is still one more item to examine. That item is the collection’s bonus content. In the case of this anthology, the bonus content comes in the form of the variant covers used in issues 1-4, and a pair of script to final art comparisons. The two scenes in question also include the original sketches that would go on to become the final product, giving readers a richer glimpse into the creative process for the story. It helps add that much more depth to the appreciation of the collection in whole. When all of that bonus content (presented in one place) is paired with the storyboard to final art, and that therein is considered along with the collection’s story and artwork, the whole makes reading this four-issue set again a good starting point for those who may be new to the world of Dune.
Boom! Studios’ forthcoming paperback re-issue of Dune: House Atreides Volume 1 is a presentation that longtime science fiction fans and especially those who may be new to the world of Dune will find interesting. That is due in large part to its featured story. Yes, the story is a sequel (much like that in House Harkonnen), but House Harkonnen is more a continuation of what was started in House Atreides. It is the beginning, of sorts, to the bigger story. The artwork that accompanies the story is rich and gives so much life and depth to the story in its own right, ensuring readers’ enjoyment even more. The bonus content that accompanies the collection puts the finishing touch to the whole collection puts the finishing touch to the whole. Each item examined does its own pat to make the collection positive. All things considered they make the anthology re-issue a good way to introduce new readers to the Dune universe.
Dune: House Atreides Volume 1 is scheduled for re-issue in its new paperback pressing this summer. More information on this and other titles from Boom! Studios at:
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