While we patiently wait two more years until the second half of director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” saga comes to the silver screen to get our next cinematic fix of spice, Boom! Studies has been the vanguard with a captivating roster of “Dune-based” comic book series and one-shots set in the dense “Dune-iverse.”
Boom!’s expansive plunge into the “Dune” mythologies first conceived by acclaimed author Frank Herbert began with 2020’s “Dune: House Atreides” series written by Frank Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson, with artwork from Dev Pramanik and Alex Guimarães.
Next came last year’s “Dune: Blood of the Sardaukar,” again adapted and scripted by Herbert and Anderson with illustrations via Adam Gorham and colorist Patricio Delpeche. A third offering arrived in late 2021 titled “Dune: A Whisper Of Caladan Seas,” a one-shot which reunited Herbert and Anderson once more and featured stunning interior art by Jakub Rebelka.
Related: Dune streaming guide: Where to watch Dune online
Now a fourth “Dune” comic book event has just been announced by Boom! Studios that explores more of the life of seasoned House Atreides warmaster Gurney Halleck in a 4-issue limited series that begins with a premiere installment on May 4, 2022.
“Dune: The Waters of Kanly,” brings back New York Times bestselling authors Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson to craft the story, accompanied by artist Francesco Mortarino (“Power Rangers”), colorist Raúl Angulo, and letters from Ed Dukeshire. This project was made possible by a team-up of Herbert Properties LLC and Abrams ComicArts.
“In the novel “Dune,” Gurney Halleck works secretly among the smugglers for two years, building his hatred toward the Harkonnens,” said Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson in a Boom! press release. “We loved the opportunity to explore those lost years and tell this story of his plan to avenge what they did to noble House Atreides.”
The storyline deftly fleshes out this unknown corner of Halleck’s time on Arrakis following the devastating defeat by the Harkonnen troops at the Battle of Arrakeen, as he integrates with illegal spice runners while building up his hatred toward the savage denizens of planet Giedi Prime.
“Brian and Kevin have done it again with an in-depth look at one of the most intriguing characters in the Dune universe — Gurney Halleck — and the incredible never-before-seen journey he undertook to get justice for the House he devoted his life to,” said Boom! Studios Senior Editor Dafna Pleban in the same press announcement.
Boom!’s “Dune: The Waters of Kanly #1” arrives in comic shops and online retailers May 4 and showcases main cover art by illustrator Christian Ward (“Something is Killing the Children”), and special variants by artists Massimo Carnevale (“Y: The Last Man”), Junggeun Yoon (“Magic”), and InHyuk Lee (“Amazing Spider-Man”).
