Review – Dune House Atreides #7
Review – Dune House Atreides #7
Mature Review: Discussion of Assault and Violence
Adapted & Scripted By Brian Herbertand Kevin J. Anderson
Illustrated By: Dev Pramanik
Cover Art By: Evan Cagle
Variant Cover Art By: Jonas Scharf
Published By: Boom! Studios
Available: 29th May 2021
Synopsis
Leto has narrowly escaped death after an unexpected revolt on Ix and must now protect Rhombus and Kailea Vernius, children of the planet’s rulers. While the Duke welcomes them with open arms, his wife Lady Helena is rebuffed and sceptical that housing them could bring more harm than good. Duncan Idaho is welcomed into Castle Atreides and discovers all may not be well…
Meanwhile back at Giedi Prime (the headquarters of House Harkonnen), Reverend Mother Mohiam of the Bene Gesserit has come to confront Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
Finally, the first outside connection to the mysterious world of Arrakis is first made real with the wedding of the Freman woman Frieth to Pardot Kynes, a planetologist mentioned in the original Dune novel who was first sent to explore this planet.
Writing
Anderson and Herbert have done a great job turning this dense chapter of the House Atreides book into a well structure comic issue. Lot’s key plots are now coalescing to begin to shape the future of the Great Houses of the Landsraad. We skip briskly from planet to planet and from character to character in a swift arc but I did not feel short-changed by each scene.
The rape scene in the Baron’s throne room is handled as well as any rape scene can be and with the special gift that Mohiam leaves the Baron at least some justice is served. For those that enjoyed the last issue (see my review here) we do leave behind the insurrection on Ix but fear not as House Atreides does not forget its debts.
The fan favourite character of Duncan Idaho is finally with the Duke and his family as well after his harrowing escape from the Beast Rabban and Leto has begun his training under the warrior mentat Thufir Hawat.
Artwork
Paradiso’s Dev Pramanik is illustrating all 12 issues of the series, with inker Raffaele Semeraro, colourist Alex Guimarães, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. The creative team are doing a stunning job bringing worlds, cultures and characters to life. Just look at the richness here as the young boys meet the mentat for the first time. You can feel Hawat circling the boys before his attack.
Evan Cagle has drawn a stunning underwater primary cover to Dune House Atreides #7, and Jonas Scharf provides a variant cover with the Reverend Mother Mohiam towering over a young Idaho.
Overall Thoughts
Bringing this plot-heavy game of chess from novel to comic is a worthy undertaking and future generation will probably drift to this before attempting the thick tomes. The influence of Dune extends well beyond the world of entertainment, with an incalculable influence on modern scientific thinking about politics, religion, outer space, environmentalism and more.
This is not an issue to pick up casually as you’ll struggle to follow the complex interwoven plot, ask your comic shop for the back issues and enjoy this before the Dune film in September 2021. A solid 5 stars for writing and 4 for the creative team’s artwork. I am a Dune geek so I am a little biased.
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Boom! Studios provided BGCP with a complimentary copy of this comic to allow the Review of Dune House Atreides #7. Have a look at the first few breath-taking pages below
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