Dune: House Atreides #2by Valarie NicharicoReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 "We Bene Gesserit sift people to find the humans."In the second installment of Boom! Studio's Dune: House Atreides we meet some of the more gripping figures from the original film -- Baron Vlad Harkonnen, sand worms, and the Bene Gesserit. I must first say that the cover art by Jae Lee and June Chung is completely exquisite, depicting a member of the Sisterhood holding an ornate tome, her eyes unmistakably depicting the blue-within-blue of the Spice. This chapter begins with Imperial Planetologist Pardot Kynes arriving on Carthag at Harkonnen headquarters. We then follow him on an expedition with Harkonnen's nephew Rabban to lure and kill a sand worm. Again, I am pleased by the grainy nature of the art whenever this series travels to the desert planets. The texture of the sand comes through on their clothing, their faces, and across the various other items depicted. It's a nice touch. Next, we are taken to Wallach Ix and the heart of the Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit to learn of their millennia long breeding plans to bring about the Kwisatz Haderach. This is a somewhat minor glimpse into their dealings, but we do get to witness the stark differences in their way of life when compared to the other scenes in the comic thus far. Their elaborate attire and equally decorative yet ironically barren architecture introduce us to them in a fitting fashion. From here, we return to the grip of the Harkonnen's on Giedi Prime and are given a glimpse into how ruthless the family is with the introduction to a young Duncan Idaho in an attempt to escape from his fate and free his family. This sequence is action-packed, with lots of movement and suspense, which is an excellent way to set up this important character's back story. And finally, we find Leto Atreides on his way to Ix, as explained in issue #1. It becomes evident that Leto is intent on making both his father happy, and taking his position seriously. Unfortunately for young Leto, it seems that those who delivered him to Ix were not as concerned with his wellbeing as he finds himself alone in the middle of nowhere. As with the first issue, the artwork and feel of the illustrations help to pull you into the story. The use of textures and shading help greatly to set each scene apart from the next. The rich golds and umber of the desert regions is a stark contrast from the deeply shaded blue-grey of the undergrounds on the Harkonnen homeworld. I'm most looking forward to seeing more of the Bene Gesserit, as they are probably my favorite social caste of the series. Having not read the Dune: House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson which this series comic series is adapted from, I'm pleased to see the work drawing me in and giving me a reason to want to go back and read the book once these 12 issues have concluded. Written: December 5, 2020
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