Writers: Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Illustrator: Fran Galan
Colorist: Patricio Delpeche
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Art: Raymond Swanland
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $ 4.99
Release Date: July 19, 2023
Reviewed by: Samriddh Chaudhary
Introduction:
The Rebellion has reached new heights on Ix after Rhoumbur decides to take matters into his own hands, Kailea pushes Leto farther away from her, Liet goes on a journey of self-discovery after losing Faroula’s hand in marriage, Gurney Halleck’s torment continues as he now works as a Blue Obsidian miner for the Harkonnen and Duncan Idaho and Hiih Resser continue training to be Swordmasters. Dune: House Harkonnen #7 tells the tales of different characters from the Dune universe connected by the corruption of the House Harkonnen.
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The Dispatch:
This adaptation of Dune: House Harkonnen into the comic format has been managing multiple storylines together to varying degrees of success. The issues always seem convoluted and most of the issues lack the flow that the original or the graphic novelization of Dune had. I have always believed that doing separate stories focusing on each character would have been the better decision as all of these stories unfolding together can be very jarring for a reader.
The series so far has been doing a good job adapting these characters as they are very close to their novel counterparts. Dune: House Harkonnen #7 at its core is a very faithful adaptation of the novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The world seems just as vivid as it seemed in the books, and the different planets’ environments are depicted quite accurately throughout. I must point out that the story of Gurney Halleck has been a standout as his journey is much more heart-wrenching in the comic format.
My problems lie less with the comic and more with the novel. The original Six Dune books were an exploration of Frank Herbert’s philosophies on multiple subjects and the concept of making a prequel to a philosophical exploration is fundamentally flawed. Dune: House Harkonnen lacks the purpose of the original Dune saga.
The Art:
The art has really grown on me over the last few issues after the change of coloring techniques from issue #5 onwards. Now the book has started to feel like the Dune world. The atmosphere is a huge and important aspect in any Dune-related media which the comic has started to get a hold on. I would appreciate more panels of the backgrounds as they would really enhance the feel of the comic.
Final Thoughts:
Dune: House Harkonnen #7 grapples with the challenge of managing multiple storylines, resulting in a lack of cohesive flow and an overwhelming reading experience. While the comic remains faithful to the characters from the novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, it struggles to maintain a smooth narrative progression. The vivid depiction of the Dune universe and its diverse planets is a notable strength, accurately capturing the essence of the original material. However, the inherent flaw of creating a prequel to a philosophical exploration becomes evident, as Dune: House Harkonnen lacks the profound purpose that characterized the original.