1629

In 2025, Standaard Uitgeverij launched 1629, a two-issue comic series that reimagines a pivotal early colonial encounter through a speculative historical lens. The series focuses on the fateful 1629 shipwreck of the Dutch East India Company vessel Batavia off the coast of Australia, blending survival drama with the tensions of a nascent global empire. Though brief in its run, the project stands out for its meticulous period detail and its willingness to explore the moral ambiguities of exploration and conquest. It offers a compact, atmospheric entry point for readers interested in the darker corners of maritime history.