Comics Portal: The Return of Movie Comic-Book Adaptations?

As reported here at MajorSpoilers.com, the motion picture Dune is being adapted from a film to a graphic novel by Legendary Comics. Could we see more of this again?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

The recent news release told the story, and here is some of what it said:

“Legendary Comics, in cooperation with Herbert Properties, LLC, announced today the official movie graphic novel based on Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Dune, the critically acclaimed film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestselling book from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.”

There’s only a little more information we need to know: It’s being adapted by writer Lilah Sturges (Lumberjanes) with art by Drew Johnson (Godzilla Dominion) and colors by digital painter Zid and colorist Niezam.

It’s available for preorder on Kickstarter right now with a book trade edition to follow. Both editions will be released in February, 2022 (if everything goes according to plan).

I find it interesting that Legendary Comics is making it, not DC. Of course, Legendary FILMS released the movie, so that may have a lot to do with it.

Just what is Dune, anyway? Here’s the brief description:

“Both the graphic novel and the film, currently in theaters worldwide, tell the epic hero’s journey of Paul Atreides (played by Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet). “

Believe me, there’s a LOT more going on, but I would hate to spoil it!

WHY THIS DESERVES OUR ATTENTION

Dune has been one of those stories that has grabbed the imagination of many who have read the books, then saw the original film, then watched the Syfy movies, then watched this new re-telling. Or any part of that process.

The airing started on a Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. I know this because I have a roommate who is a BIG Dune fan, and we all were aimed at HBO MAX at that time, ready to be engaged for the next three hours or so. There must have been a lot of people doing the same because it took a few minutes for the system to finally kick in and let us watch the film.

Personally, I enjoyed it. I still think the Syfy films were better, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the new movie.

Also, a few years back, I wrote a column about how the comics industry used to translate motion pictures into graphic novels a lot more even just a few years ago. It was called, “Whatever Happened to Movie Adaptations?” It was one of my most popular columns ever, and I got a lot of feedback as well as read a lot of discussion dealing with the subject.

Of course, things have changed quite a bit since the comics industry used to rework films for comics. For instance, we now have video recorders and streaming and the like, something we only dreamed about back in those days.

So, that makes it a BIG DEAL when someone adapts a film these days. And I believe it deserves our support!

WHY READ A COMIC ADAPTATION?

With all the options available to us these days when it comes to watching TV or movies, why would we ever want to buy a comic-book adaptation of a movie no matter how popular?

The answer to this question is important because it refers to why we even have a comics industry. The reason is because comics engage our imaginations as well as utilize the art and writing of various storytellers who understand the industry.

Comics tell stories in a unique way. When they are done well, our imaginations grab what’s being said and “fill in the blanks,” as it were… tell the story “in between” the panels.

Of course, when it doesn’t work as well, we aren’t so engaged. And that’s a problem.

The big concern these days is that it costs much less to get a video copy of a film than it does to get a graphic novel. Graphic novels go for $12 to $16 or so while a video copy of a film may costs only $6 to $8 max.

Yikes! And that doesn’t even consider the fact that copying a movie may take only minutes while it takes months to create the comic version, get it printed, and then have it distributed to where we can access it!

This is why I don’t believe we’ll see this happen very often. Again, though, we really ought to be supporting this when it happens. I hope we get more comic movie adaptations in the future, but to do that, we need to make it worth the while of comics companies.

I also came across another discussion regarding translating a “movie” to a comic. It had to do with Star Trek: Prodigy’s first episode, which aired on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon.

Even though this show is specifically aimed at younger viewers, since it can use individual aspects of the show to make a comic, some “older” Star Trek fans are requesting that version be made available. Not all Trekkers get every cable TV channel, and some don’t want to invest the money needed to see that initial episode.

It might be worth it to make it accessible by older fans. If they really like it and don’t want to miss it, they just might sign up for Paramount+ or Nick. We’ll see.

Regardless, it’s an interesting time for those of us who love the printed page. With the proliferation of video, I feel we need to support every chance we have to make it profitable to use it! Really!

What do you think? Are you planning to buy that printed version of Dune? Or do you buy any of the “related” Dune products and stories? Did you subscribe to HBO MAX to watch the movie? Whatever your opinion, be sure to share it in the space below!

---

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.