Review: Dune
Arrakis: A barren desert planet, two moons, precious little water, yet it is the most important world in the universe. In all of space it is the only source of melange, or "spice", a psychoactive substance that enables the only known method of travelling faster than light.
The planet, also known as 'Dune', is not as lifeless as it first appears, however. It is also home to the gargantuan burrowing sandworms. Huge, unpredictable, very dangerous... Plus there are the tribal human inhabitants, the Fremen, ritualistic and enigmatic. There are many threatening forces at play on this world, not all of them readily apparent...
Based on the award-winning 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, Dune is adapted as a graphic novel by Brian Herbert (son of Frank) and Kevin J. Anderson, with art by Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín, with cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz.
In 2003 Locus magazine readers voted the original novel as the "all-time best science fiction novel" and it has sold over ten million copies. A film version was released in 1984 and a TV series in 2000; a new film is planned for next year. Herbert went on to write several more novels in the series.
This adaptation is the first part of the first novel, and is very faithful to the original text. It is the year 10,191 and the known universe is ruled by the human Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. It is an interstellar feudal society in which noble houses hold planetary fiefdoms.
The emperor suspects House Atreides will one day rival his authority and so conspires with House Harkonnen in a plot to destroy them. He gives Duke Leto Atreides the planet Arrakis as fiefdom... It is a trap; the previous rulers, the Harkonnens, are waiting in the wings to sweep in and eradicate the newcomers.
Leto knows that betrayal is imminent but cannot refuse. He moves to Arrakis with his concubine Jessica and their fifteen year-old son Paul.
Jessica is a member of a psychic religious order the Bene Gesserit. The Reverend Mother of this order suspects that Paul Atreides may be the Kwisatz Haderach, the long-awaited universal saviour of Bene Gesserit prophecies.
It is a rich, complex story with interweaving political, spiritual and cultural elements, clandestine machinations, intrigue and crises of relationships and identity.... Basically, all the ingredients for a classic epic. The original novel blends these skillfully, earning Dune its place in sci-fi legend.
This adaptation follows the course of the novel, which is a gradual, intricate unfolding of events, so don't expect fireworks from the beginning. With Herbert's vast, byzantine worldbuilding there is a lot to unpack, and it cannot be rushed. Instead, this is a finely-crafted treasure to be savoured leisurely.
In this spirit, the artwork is likewise elegant and well worth unhurried appreciation by the reader. The artists make much of the pseudo-archaic elements of the story, with sumptuous architecture, lavish classical costumes and atmospheric landscapes. Dune is almost like a Shakespeare play in space, an incongruous but satisfying blend of historical drama with futuristic action. It blurs the line between sci-fi and fantasy more than once; the superhuman powers afforded by spice more than bordering on magic. The quasi-mythical tone is reflected in an overall style that is almost art nouveau in the use of scene layout and panel framing.
At the beginning, a lot of the story is told in dialogue and the characters are well-rendered with all emotional tones effectively conveyed. Don't worry, though, there is more than just talk and pretty backdrops, there is also plenty of action once the Harkonnens come calling to reclaim the planet. This includes dueling with swords, of course, not just energy weapons, and our heroes are adept fighters. The artists are likewise on point here, too.
Dune is a heavyweight, no mistaking, and this adaptation is a courageous undertaking. If you are looking for something substantial, that ticks all the right boxes and delivers on many levels, this probably won't dissapoint.
But stay sharp. There are many bewildering twists and turns, and mysteries lie in wait, among the dunes, deep below the sand and lurking in the coldest shadows of the desert night... Paul's destiny leads him deeper and deeper into the unknown, taking the reader with him. A terrifying journey, but:
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
DUNE on Amazon
Zak Webber
Twitter - @sfcomicartist / Instagram - @sfcomicartist
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! - SCI-FI COMIC NEXUS
*****
***
*
Comments
Post a Comment