Dune: House Corrino #1 - BOOM! Studios

DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO No. 1, March 2024

Described by its Los Angeles-based publisher as “unveiling a closer look at the rising conflict between beloved characters and bitter villains”, this first issue of “Dune: House Corrino” is arguably a comic book adaption which will only be understood by bibliophiles already heavily familiar with the science fiction franchise created by Frank Herbert, and later expanded upon by award-winning novelists Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Indeed, without such prior knowledge it's genuinely hard to imagine any reader successfully navigating their way through this thirty-three-page deep-dive into the very heart of the dystopian future’s incredibly complicated universe; “We hatched this plan decades ago, Hasimir, after we tricked father. It has been too long!”

Of course, there are times when the periodical’s authors do attempt to provide any new readers with something of a recap – most notably when Leto Atreides holds a celebratory banquet at Castle Caladan for his now almost completely cybernetic companion, Prince Rhombur Vernius. However, even this update doesn’t provide much in the way of actual detail as to how “the last true Earl of the planet Ix” received such life-changing injuries, nor that it was actually the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen who was ultimately behind the failed assassination attempt which lead to them.

Happily however, probably due to this comic’s substantial size, its narrative does still contain some attractive action-sequences which will surely ‘hook’ those within its audience who are ignorant of the sweeping storyline’s wider context. Foremost of these is probably Duncan Idaho’s mission to destroy a scurrilous Tleilaxu contingent who are deplorably attempting to recover DNA on Beakkal from long-dead war veterans. This attack is both planned and executed with the confines of just the book, and resultantly should provide an enthralling, adrenalin-fuelled act of self-contained defiance by the Red Duke against the disagreeable race of genetic manipulators. Likewise, this eight-part mini-series' pulse-pounding opening involving Stilgar destroying a hidden Harkonnen spice storage facility on Arrakis needs little explanation or build-up.

Perhaps this periodical’s greatest attraction though, lies in the layouts of Simone Ragazzoni. The Italian illustrator does a first-rate job of imbuing all the cast with plenty of emotion and personality, such as Leto's heart-wrenching haunted look whenever he recalls the murder of his infant son, Victor. Whilst he also provides the mechanically-enhanced Rhombur with a fitting and highly memorable (re)introduction, as Doctor Wellington Yueh's rebuilt patient quite literally stomps his way to a triumphant feast in his honour.

The regular cover art of "DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO" #1 by Raymond Swanland