Boom!'s 'Dune: A Whisper of Caladan Seas' traps Atreides troops in an Arrakis cave in this 1st look

Boom! Comics is returning to Arrakis for Dune: A Whisper of Caladan coming in December 2021.
Boom! Comics is returning to Arrakis for Dune: A Whisper of Caladan coming in December 2021. (Image credit: Boom! Comics)

As we all breathlessly watched the newest "Dune" trailer released by Warner Bros. last month, fans are gearing up for a spice-fueled odyssey to a distant galaxy when director Denis Villeneuve's far-future epic rolls out in theaters this fall.

To complement this latest cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi masterpiece, Boom! Studios is releasing a third offering in their engaging series of "Dune" comic books titled "Dune: A Whisper of Caladan Seas" in December.

In partnership with Herbert Properties LLC, the LA-based indie publisher has just revealed a first look at the dynamic new one-shot that naturally expands the deep mythology of "Dune." It's adapted and scripted as a 40-page standalone tale by New York Times bestselling authors Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, with artwork courtesy of illustrator Jakub Rebelka ("Origins") and lettered by Ed Dukeshire.

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The storyline unfolds during the arid chaos of the legendary Battle of Arrakeen when a squad of Atreides soldiers gets caved in. While Paul Atreides meets his fateful destiny in battle, Sgt. Vitt must use his family's skill of storytelling as a Jongleur to transport his men from their rocky tomb to their oceanic homeworld of Caladan. Can Vitt mentally teleport them back to the lushness and inspiring waters of Caladan and give them the gift of hope in the darkness?

"When we were writing "A Whisper of Caladan Seas," we had no idea that our "Dune-series" novels and short stories would eventually add up to millions of words," said Brian Herbert in Boom!'s official press release. "Now we're still adding on to that total, and continue to enjoy the writing process as much as we did when we were just getting going. Our enthusiasm for these stories has never waned." 

Originally penned as a short story, "A Whisper of Caladan Seas" was the first piece of "Dune" fiction Herbert and Anderson wrote together, which acted as an introductory project while they got their legs under them before writing the 1999 prequel novel, "Dune: House Atreides."

"The origins of Brian and Kevin's incredible worldbuilding within the Dune universe starts here with an insightful and touching story that shows a side of this epic sci-fi classic that has never been seen before," said Boom! Studios editor Jonathan Manning in the same press release.

"Dune: A Whisper Of Caladan Seas #1" lands in comic shops this December and showcases main cover art by Jeff Dekal ("BRZRKR') and variant covers by artists Rebelka, Elizabeth Torque ("Venom"), and Christian Ward ("Something is Killing the Children").

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Jeff Spry
Contributing Writer

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.