Dune: House Harkonnen #2 is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, illustrated by Michael Shelfer, coloured by Patricio Delpeche and lettered by Ed Dukeshire.
Issue #2 is available 22nd February 2023 either directly from BOOM! Studios online or from your local comic book store, digital copies will be available to download from the usual content providers.
Synopsis
While Gurney sings blasphemous songs in defiance of the Baron, who grows weaker from his stubborn affliction by the day, the fruitless production of artificial spice continues to infuriate Fenring and Shaddam, and a hidden stash of organic spice further complicates things. Meanwhile, Duke Leto is watched from afar by a person of untold significance for his future and lineage…
Review
In this issue we take a deeper look at one of the main houses within the Dune world, Baron Harkonnen is worried that something is happening to his once slender and toned body, the weight is piling on and he doesn’t feel right he needs to be strong to stand at the head of the house but how can he in this condition, all of his personal Doctors are now dead as they couldn’t come up with the answers, his closest confident Piter is sent to find a Suk Doctor one of the best that can give him the answers he requires. What he can find out could well effect the house altogether.
Throughout Dune the manufacture of spice is the most important commodity and something that can spark the fiercest of wars, when Abulerd Harkonnen unearths a potential stash whilst out hunting the origins of which could blow the universe apart as we know it, if spice is the root of all evil the amount found could well unearth evil never seen before.
As a story at the moment it feels very much like the recent film, huge in scale and alot of backstory is needed to create a storyline that makes sense this in turn makes the comic more of a slow burner where the action or events don’t happen at once but the build up is something that creates anticipation which grabs the reader’s attention. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson combine to provide a story that is unlocking the Dune world and creating a story that has the potential to become colossal with the size of the world allowing for endless series to spawn of this one vein. As I said earlier it is a slow burning story but the writing creates an uneasy tension that keeps me wanting to come back each issue.
For something that has such an epic scale the illustrations need to catch the eye and that is exactly what the artistic team have done here Michael Shelfer and Patricio Delpeche create a magical world that feels dark and dramatic but also mystical, each main character has a bold sense to them and this makes each one stand out creating intense drama and passion.
Special mention has to go to Raymond Swanland for the cover art of this issue (pictured above) creating a sombre tone for the book but also giving the reader the impression that an eerie being is watching over the land which in turn makes me think that this series is about to turn alot darker.
Verdict
An epic in scale story that is beginning to find it’s pace, a sense of unease is rippling throughout the land. A sense of darkness looks to be on the horizon that may well change the course of what we know, this series could well become epic.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
