As the flood of superhero movies from Hollywood shows signs of slowing, it’s worth remembering that adaptations go both ways: just as film and streaming studios scout comics of all genres for development, graphic novels are also inspired by cinema—and not just the kind with capes and tights. This year, especially during the summer blockbuster season, expect graphic novels designed to tie in to new movie releases big and small, including dueling Dune comics from no fewer than three separate publishers and a Godzilla renaissance. Meanwhile, manga publishers hope for top titles to get a boost in sales from U.S. theatrical releases of tie-in anime films, and a
literary graphic novel tackles a musical mystery.
Dueling Dunes:
Dune: House Corrino
Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Simone Ragazzoni.
Boom Studios, Dec.
For fans eager to worm deeper into the Duniverse, Boom follows its Dune: House Atreides and Dune: House Harkonnen with a new miniseries tunnelling into the backstories and buried secrets of the series’ warring clans. The first issue of House Corrino is already on its second printing, according to the publisher.
Dune: Part Two: The Official Movie Graphic Novel
Lilah Sturges and Drew Johnson. Legendary Comics, Dec.
Legendary scored the license to the graphic novel adaptations of Denis Villeneuve’s hit Dune movies. The second volume was recently funded by a Kickstarter campaign that offered backers a slipcover edition, a “Get Hooked on Worm Riding” print, and other exclusive movie tie-in merchandise.
The Prophet (Dune: The Graphic Novel #3)
Brian Herbert et al. Abrams ComicArts, July
While Legendary takes on the movies, Abrams has been adapting the original novel by Frank Herbert in a graphic novel series led by his son, along with cowriter Kevin J. Anderson and artists Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín. PW’s review of the first volume predicted that it would “whet appetites for more adventures to come.” That prophecy will be tested when the three-volume adaptation concludes this summer with the battle for Arrakis.
Multiple monsters:
Godzilla’s 70th Anniversary
Joelle Jones et al. IDW, July
The giant reptile might be a septuagenarian, but the major film release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire proves he still has fire. The anniversary anthology from IDW brings together a mix of old and new talent for a birthday celebration of the King of the Monsters, with appearances by frenemies like Mothra and Mechagodzilla.
Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted
Brian Buccellato, Dario Formisani, and Drew Johnson.
Legendary Comics, out now
Legendary hopes that new film fans leaving the theater rampage to bookstores to pick up the graphic novel prequel set on Skull Island. Monster hunters can also pick up Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus, a collection of the publisher’s previous Godzilla and King Kong comics; both titles released in March.
International players:
Blue Lock: Episode Nagi
Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura. Kodansha, Aug.
As manga fandom grows and movie theaters embrace special events and limited releases, more anime tie-in films are scoring big-screen releases in American theaters. Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, the first feature based on the blockbuster soccer manga, out in June in North America, has been one of the most anticipated. Other manga with theatrical anime tie-ins in 2024 include Haikyu!! and Spy x Family.
They Shot the Piano Player
Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal. SelfMadeHero, Sept.
Trueba and Mariscal, best known for their Oscar-nominated Chico and Rita, are back with a new animated feature about the 1976 disappearance and presumed murder of Brazilian bossa nova musician Francisco Tenório Júnior. The graphic novel adaptation is written by Trueba and drawn by Mariscal.
