Dune Book I, Graphic Novel 2021
By Brian Herbert, Kevin J Anderson, Frank Herbert
Art by Raul Allen and Patrica Martin
Welcome back to our second review in Dune month. Where I, living in the deserts of Phoenix (Got your still suit squared away for summer? If you need one, talk to the furries, theirs are superior to even Fremen designs. {I'm good bro}), review the many adaptations of the novel Dune, as well as the novel itself, which takes place in the deepest of deserts. Will I provide a good review or go mad with desert sickness? Will I disappear into the sands or finish the tale? Stay tuned folks and find out!
This is the latest adaptation and continuation of the Dune saga by the duo of Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert. Both of whom are successful authors and have written a lot of Dune material, which I won't be reviewing. I did read some of their work way back when I was in the Marines and bluntly I felt it would have worked better if the story had taken place in its own universe. That's not to say I think they're terrible writers, just that their work that I have seen doesn't feel like the original Dune to me. That said, this will be the first time I return to their work in decades so I'm going to try and keep an open mind.
Patrica Martin and Raul Allen are Spanish-born comic book artists. Ms. Martin has worked for a varied client list including DC Comics, Valiant, Dark Horse Comics, and others. Mr. Allen has also worked for DC Comics and Valiant. He also had his art exhibited in the United States and his native Spain. This isn't the first time they've worked together, as they also paired up for the Valiant comic Livewire.
The Graphic Novel covers the first part of the novel itself. When House Atreides takes possession of the planet Dune (Arrakis) under the orders of the (Padishah)Emperor (Shaddam IV). The planet, while a wasteland, is a vital one because of the production of Spice, which makes everything from FTL to seeing the future possible (It’s actually the same phenomenon in both cases. Their space-folding drive requires prescient vision to use safely. They can do FTL without it, technically, but something like ten percent of shipments made sans a Guild Navigator don’t arrive at their destinations). In large part, the spice makes the civilization that our characters live in possible so whoever holds the spice holds massive economic and political power. The fact that the planet is being taken away from House Atreides’ greatest enemies the House Harkonnen should be a cherry on top of this impossible to resist sweet, but instead, it only stresses that this whole thing is a trap.
This is because the Emperor fears the rising power of Duke Leto. For example, the Duke is wielding great power in the Landsradd, the council that represents the interest of the Feudal houses that rule the universe under the Emperor. To the point that the Great Houses see him as their spokesman, which kind of makes him an unofficial Prime Minister in a system that doesn't really have room for one. Then there is also the rumor of his soldiers being equal to the Imperial Army, the dreaded Sardaukar. So the Emperor will use House Harkonnen to wipe out House Atreides because the simple fact is that a wealthy and powerful House Harkonnen is less of a threat. After all, no one trusts them and no one in their right mind would want a Harkonnen Emperor. (It is worth noting that The Emperor cannot be seen doing this, because the greatest fear of the houses of the Landsradd is that he picks them off one by one, and if they unite against him, even his Sardaukar cannot save him.)
So why is the Duke sticking his head in the trap? Well, first he has no choice, deny an order from the Emperor and you're in rebellion. Second, Leto knows he's walking into a trap, which gives him a chance to avoid it and turn it around. Because if he can win, if he can become the Lord of Dune in fact as well as in name? Then the Emperor will have made his fear a reality (Especially because Leto has not under-estimated the Fremen and thinks he can ally himself with them. And as we’ll find out… they’re scary.). Vastly more important to Duke Leto is that he can end the feud with House Harkonnen (by ending House Harkonnen) and create safety for his family at long last. There's an interesting buried commentary here on feudalism I think, that those who are the most powerful are the least safe. Even the most powerful Senator's family doesn't have to live in constant fear of poison and assassins like the royalty of House Atreides and the story does a good job showing how the constant paranoia and scheming eats away at the humanity and relationships of those same people.
Because this part of the story is a tragedy. This is the story of the fall of Duke Leto. A man who strove to be a decent, fair, and just ruler as best he could and was destroyed because of that. The graphic novel focuses a lot on Leto and Jessica and their relationship. Which grows more remote and distant despite the love they both feel for each other due to political maneuvering and the need for plots within plots to fend off the agents of the Harkonnen. Of course, it's not just Dune that introduced that tension and distance, although the graphic novel makes it clear that the stress of the move into what is basically a battleground has only made it worse (There is always the fear of raids or assassins, even on Caladan. But moving to a place that is not in the least bit secure that your enemies were able to prep in advance to receive you… No Fun.). For example, Duke Leto never married Jessica because by keeping her as a concubine, he could dangle the hope of a marriage alliance to the other houses. I'm sure in her head, Lady Jessica agreed with the move and considered it good politics but who among us would not feel some rankling in our hearts over something like this?
The graphic novel mostly focuses on Jessica and Leto because this part of the novel is about them. It does a good job of letting us get into their heads and see their relationship with each other and the relationship they have with their servants and Paul. While Paul is definitely a major character, choices are made through the graphic novel to focus more on his parents. This is an interesting choice because Part I then changes from the coming of age amid a disaster that the 2021 film tells, to the tragic fall of a family and the aftermath. Leto is written as a man of admirable qualities and gifts who is just in an impossible situation and knows it. Jessica as a woman desperate to save what she can from the ruin wrought by politics and ambition.
The art is fantastic here and the artists made a clear choice to avoid having the characters look like any of the actors who have portrayed them on the big screen. This really helps the graphic novel stand on its own two feet. In fact, the artist went all out in giving a very different view of what Dune looks like compared to any film I've seen and I really appreciate it. There's a use of warm colors and shading to emphasize the environment even in scenes that are indoors that worked really well! Meanwhile, the character designs are distinct and clear that you easily tell everyone apart with a glance.
As you might guess the graphic novel gets two grades as it is an adaptation. As an adaptation, I'm giving it a B+ as it focuses on giving us a streamlined view of the novel but ensures it keeps scenes that reinforce the traits and relationships of the characters in the story. For example, keeping the scene where Duke Leto and Lady Jessica argue over where to put a painting of his father and the head of the bull that killed him (preserved with his blood still on its horns!), foreshadows the distance in their relationship later. As a stand-alone, I'm giving it a B, as I feel it leans very hard on you having read the novel. It's not that it can't stand on its own but it's so very much a streamlining of a longer story that there's no real moment where I can tell you that the graphic novel escapes the simply massive shadow of Dune the novel. But maybe I'm asking too much there.
I hope you enjoyed this review, if so you should consider joining our ever-wise patrons at https://www.patreon.com/frigidreads Our patrons get to vote on upcoming reviews and theme months (they approved last month's fangsgiving and choose the vampire theme for example) as well as other benefits for as little as a dollar a month. Next week, we're going to look at David Lynch's Dune and then we will finally tackle the novel itself the week after. Until then, stay safe and as always keep reading!
Red text is your editor Dr. Ben Allen
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