Dune: House Harkonnen, Volume One

Dune: House Harkonnen

by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Michael Shelfer (Illustrator)

Discover the crucial backstory of House Atreides’ bitter rivals that no Dune fan will want to miss!

Delve into the past of Gurney Halleck, Leto Atreides, Lady Jessica, and Liet Kynes, and discover how the complex and brutal machinations of House Harkonnen shaped their future! What difficult choices will tear Leto apart as Baron Harkonnen plots against not just House Atreides, but the Bene Gesserit and the Emperor himself? And who watches Duke Atreides from afar? This dangerous figure holds untold significance for his future and lineage… The second NYT Bestselling prequel to Dune is adapted for the first time by award-winning novelists Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and artist Michael Shelfer (Domino), unveiling a closer look at the rising conflict between beloved characters and bitter villains. Collects Dune: House Harkonnen #1-4.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2023

About the author

Brian Patrick Herbert is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Patrick Herbert.

Reviews

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I count myself lucky for having read the Dune prequels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson before (which I quite enjoyed back then), because there's a lot to unpack here, in this graphic novel adaptation, and the previous knowledge certainly helps.

Dune's readers or watchers will recognize some characters in the earlier days, and the politics and allegiances are always entertaining and interesting. However, the art is just a little bit too classic for this story, and it doesn't really catch your eye that much, and the constant jumping in settings and characters is bound to confuse some people.

All in all, an ok adaptation, I did enjoy going back to this stories. (I'm actually surprised how much I remembered from the books that I read so long ago... proves they were 'catchy' indeed).

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was… okay I guess? Kind of a let down. I like the world and the characters enough I’d be interested to read more, but really just meh for me.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the world of Dune. The end.

[Ramón S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting adaptation of the novels to the comic book format.
the art has something of manga in it that makes the whole thing attractive and fresh

[Simon Walpole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read about the Barons earlier life, as unsavoury then as he is in Dune.

[Al Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different artist than the Atredeies volumes art is still just okay, not great.

Again mostly decent prequel book, but sometimes Anderson’s hack tendencies emerge. They have Dr. Yueh, be the one to go to the Harkonnen’s and diagnose the Baron with his illness, so unnecessary.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune, I occasionally feel compelled to sample some of the voluminous by-product that has sprouted from that majestic work, even if I know it is likely to be awful. Beginning even with Frank Herbert's own sequels (Dune Messiah et al), most everything that has purported to be part of the franchise has been little more than derivative fan fiction. The original novel was so complete that there is so simply no need for prequels or sequels.

So that brings me to the first volume of the graphic novel adaptation of Dune: House Harkonnen, one of the books authored by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson set in the "Duneiverse". There have been quite a lot of those over the years, and they are still coming. We can only eagerly await the publication of Hair Stylists of Dune!

For those familiar with the original novel, Dune: House Harkonnen is rich with characters and settings from that book, including the execrable Baron Vladimir Harkonnen himself. In the manner of a soap opera, the story tries to dramatize many of the inconsequential relationships between those characters, with much of it centering around the vile Baron and his ruthless ambitions. Michael Shelfer's art is fine, if fairly generic, so for this book to work, it has to make something of the previously mentioned relationships between characters, something interesting enough to expand the broader narrative scope in some meaningful way. On that score, Dune: House Harkonnen fails to deliver, and so once again I have to classify it as derivative fan fiction: fine for those obsessed with absorbing every bit of useless detail in the "Duneiverse", but tedious for anyone else.

[Yoshiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

POPKulturowy Kociołek:
Pod twardą oprawą na czytelnika czekają cztery zeszyty/rozdziały będące prequelem głównej historii. Kolejne strony komiksu to różne konflikty pomiędzy domami i budowanie potęgi niektórych z nich (szczególnie tytułowych Harkonnenów). Mamy tu również wgląd w historię takich postaci jak Gurney Halleck, Lady Jessika czy Liet Kynes. Bohaterów, których przyszłość ukształtowana została przez złożone i brutalne machinacje rodu Harkonnen.

Scenariusz Briana Herberta i Kevina J. Andersona od samego początku największy nacisk kładzie tu na odkrywanie przeszłości (rodów i bohaterów) i towarzyszące temu różnorakie emocje. Początkowo tytułowi Harkonnenowie traktowani są tu raczej jako tło uwydatniające inne znane postacie i wydarzenia, których skutki znamy z głównej części serii. Przeskakujemy tu więc pomiędzy różnorakimi krótkimi wątkami, które stanowią wprowadzenie do poważniejszych wydarzeń.

Na pewno nie można uznać takiej formy narracji za wadę tytułu. Wręcz przeciwnie dzięki temu autorom na ograniczonej ilości stron udaje się podać dość dużą i szeroką dawkę ciekawej treści (chociaż niektóre wątki mogłyby być odrobinę dłuższe). Na największe uznanie ze strony czytelnika zasługują zwłaszcza pojawiający się tu bohaterowie. Każdy z nich jest wyrazisty, pełen różnorakich emocji i dąży do pewnych jasno określonych celów (często realizując je kosztem innych).

Jedyne, do czego można się tu przyczepić to pewne drobne fabularne niedociągnięcie, które dotyka większość prequeli. Jeśli wie się, co będzie działo się w przyszłości, to trudno być mocno zaskoczonym niektórymi wydarzeniami....

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/diuna...

[Nikolaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start, an advanced reader's copy was provided to me courtesy of BOOM Studios. Thank you to their marketing coordinator for that!

And onto the review --

Depending upon your familiarity with Dune and the Dune universe, your enjoyment level may vary. If you are very familiar with the series, I think you'll find the plot and characters very engaging, and you'll catch onto all the nods to the main series as well as where this specific story falls into place among the rest of the universe. If you are less familiar, this isn't the best place to jump into Dune, though it's still an engaging and intriguing story. I would absolutely recommend this to folks who have at least seen the movies, though reading the first book would also be a good idea!

That aside, the positives are that the story, as I've mentioned above, is engaging and intriguing and definitely kept my interest throughout the volume - I absolutely plan to read on in the series myself, and I've already recommended it to several Dune fans I know. The characters are also well-realized and I loved that it didn't linger in scenes longer than it needed to. It read a lot like a screenplay, which was perfect. the writing didn't get too in the weeds with each little detail or conversation, without totally rushing through either.

On the flipside, it does jump around quite a bit, so if you're picking it up and putting it down again, you may have to do a bit of backtracking to keep up with where we are and how we got there. And while the art isn't bad and there are some really beautiful spreads, it doesn't stand out from many other graphic novels in the genre.

That said, I'd give it a 3.5 for those unfamiliar with the Dune universe and a 4 for those who are!

Thanks again to BOOM Studios!

[Nightshade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Dune graphic novel that I have read. As I love the Dune universe so much I'm happy to get more from it in any format. I enjoyed the House Harkonnen novel well enough that I thought a graphic novel version could be fun.

This is not a graphic novel that can easily be read without any prior knowledge of the Dune universe or indeed the specific House Harkonnen novel. They have such a limited page space to cover quite a complex story, with many characters across several planets, so they lean heavily on the characters inner monologues telling you what is happening. They also frequently force someone's full name into the conversation at their first appearance so you know who they are.

But, as someone who knows the Dune universe well and has read the House Harkonnen novel, I found it enjoyable to see this story come to life in illustrations. The art style is a bit too gritty for my usual taste, but somehow works really well for this particular story. There were also a couple of truly beautiful art pieces for the cover pictures.

It is great to see all the different planets pictured and I think the artist did a good job of getting the environments of each planet across and each had a different feel, which was great. I particularly enjoyed seeing Caladan and Lankiveil (the fur-whales!).

For those that want to spend a little longer in the Dune universe, this graphic novel is a fun addition.

[Dunja Brala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieses Prequel von Dune beschäftigt sich mit der Vorgeschichte des eigentlichen Romans. Wir erfahren, wie Baron Harkonnen überall die Fäden zieht, die Vorgeschichte und Entwicklung von Leto aus dem Haus Artreides und die frühen Jahre der Lady Jessica. Insgesamt wirkt dieses Buch sehr viel rasanter und temporärer als das andere. Die Kapitel folgen Schlagaufschlag und springen sehr zwischen den Orten und Personen. Das hat mich manchmal ein bisschen verwirrt, aber auch einige Überraschungen hielt das Buch für mich parat und ich bin gespannt, wie es weitergeht.

Die Zeichnungen sind häufig, sehr künstlerisch, besonders die ganzseitigen Grafiken finde ich sehr ansprechend. Der Comicstil ist etwas einfacher als in den eigentlichen Dune Bänden und wirken kindlicher von der Portraitierung. im Anhang finden wir wieder ganz seitige Bilder von einzelnen Protagonisten oder auch Autoren. Man erkennt dort die unterschiedlichen Techniken, die angewandt wurden.

Insgesamt ein interessantes Lese Erlebnis für mich, welches mich mitgerissen hat aber an einigen Stellen doch noch mehr Informationen benötigt hätte, um klarer zu sehen. Ich werde den nächsten Teil auf jeden Fall auch lesen.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cette bande dessinée est un 3 à 3,5 / 5 pour moi.

Réflexions détaillées sans divulgâcher le récit

- le récit fait partie d'une trilogie (House Atreides; House Harkonnen; House Corrino) se déroulant avant les événements de Dune. Cette bande dessinée spécifique met ainsi en vedette de très nombreux personnages tels que Leto Atreides (ainsi que sa concubine Kailea Vernius et le frère de celle-ci, Rhombur Vernius), Vladimir Harkonnen, Glossu Rabban (et son père Abulurd Rabban), Gurney Halleck, Lady Jessica, Liet Kynes, Duncan Idaho, etc.

- les dessins sont très bien réalisés et agréables. Là où le bât blessait pour moi est que la bande-dessinée est un saut incessant entre les personnages avec de courtes scènes, nous empêchant de vraiment s'y attacher. J'ose à peine imaginer à quoi ressemble le roman à cet égard (lequel a une note de 3,75 / 5 sur goodreads)

Cela m'a tout de même donné envie de lire un jour la trilogie de "Prelude to Dune" en version roman. Après tout, j'avais lu le "Prelude to Foundation" et je l'avais bien aimé; et je pense que c'est passionnant d'en apprendre plus sur la rivalité Atreides-Harkonnen et les événements clés antérieurs à Dune.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

More backstory to Dune. This time dealing with:
- Gurney Hallack growing up on Geidi Prime and how he begins to lose faith in House Harkonnen.
- Liet Kynes grows up among the Fremen while his father works for the Emperor on Arrakis
- Lady Jessica training as a Bene Gesserit sister, and seeing Leto from afar during an Atreides visit
- Duncan Idaho being sent by Duke Leto to train as a swordsman
- Finding out Rabban is not the Duke's son, but nephew (not sure if that was ever revealed)
- AND Leto having a son, Victor, by Kailea, Princess of House Verinus, which is currently under Imperial shame for having lost Ix to the Tleilaxu, which is why she stays a concubine and not a wife

These GN are just keeping my mind on Dune while I wait for Part Two of the movie.
Recommend.

Very nice to get GN versions of the novels. Saves me a lot of time. LOL

[Steve LaForest · Rating 2 out of 5]

My rating is very low, because Frank Herbert, despite being an amazing SF author, is no better at posthumous collaborations than other mortals. For those of us die-hard fans of Dune, we have to remember that Herbert senior only wrote 6 dune novels, and we are deluding ourselves to think we can magically discover more.

My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dune: House Harkonnen volume 1
A massive world/universe that Herbert created. This backstory is full of drama and intrigue. The illustrations of characters are more like the book’s descriptions, not necessarily the movie images many of us perceive in our imaginations, so you have to keep remembering who is the character you are reading. Excellent graphic novel series. ****

#1 - “Secrets are an important aspect of power/ The effective leader spreads them in order to keep men in line.”
#2 - “When you ask a question, do you truly want to know the answer, or are you merely flaunting your power?”
#3 - “Humiliation is a thing never forgotten.”
#4 - “Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.

[Filip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's focus on the biggest positive first: based on everything about Kevin J. Anderson's/Brian Herber's prequels, reading them in comic form is the best way to approach it - as at least you're done with it faster. That, sadly, doesn't mean the comic is a *good* medium for this kind of story.

The arcs move from site to site with such speed that often we spend only 2-3 pages in one place/plot before switching it, which makes for a very disjointed narrative. I'm not sure I'm sold on some of the story choices, especially regarding Bene Tleilaxu or Duke Leto's youth. Still, getting to learn the backstory of some of the characters wasn't exactly terrible.

As for the art? Competent enough. Servicable. Nothing to write home about. Except the *chapter* title pages. These were just gorgeous.

[Debby Tiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been reading a lot of graphic novels, but this one has reminded me why I usually enjoy prose more. Prose has an ability to add detail that even art sometimes cannot.

Yes, a picture can be worth a thousand words—but sometimes a thousand words is just BETTER than a picture.

Favorite character: perhaps Kailea, mostly for a gorgeous character design.

[Eris Tiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t that great. The overall story felt rough with the characters swapping at a jarring pace. The individual stories felt almost unconnected as if it were a set of mini stories all shoved together and passed off as a collected book. Especially scenes with Caladan being rough as it didn’t fit the narrative held by other planets aside from one interaction at the end.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yowch. The prequel series continue, and some of the questions surrounding where some of these prequel characters are in the main Dune story are find answers in the most unexpected and horrible of ways. The machinations of the Great Houses continue abreast, and it's clear to see where some of these old animosities come from with all this gloriously painful context.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty good if you are into Dune. It's pretty much a continuation of the prequel House Atreides with Baron Harkonnen and Rabin sublots thrown in and turns out both have always been completely awful. Michael Shelfer's art is pretty good too.

[Martijn Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wederom een erg vermakelijke, tof getekende DUNE prequel. De titel is wel wat verwarrend want huis Harkonnen is onderdeel van het verhaal, maar bovenal is dit een vervolg op de eerdere Huis Artreides comics. Must read voor de liefhebbers van het Dune universum.

[Bram · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was well and truly bad. Every single page and every bit of dialogue (well, monologue, there's hardly any dialogues) feels rushed. Nothing is elaborated upon. If you haven't read the source novel, you'll likely be completely lost.

[vk chompooming · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reading these just to say I "finished" this series. While not bad, these books are certainly not good. I enjoy the Dune mythos somewhat and these stories tie in nicely, but they do not fill me with excitement and wonder.

[Erik · Rating 1 out of 5]

Purely plot driven as the plot bounces between scenes every 2-3 pages. Every character has only 1 trait, even the ones that were more developed in the original Dune novel. Contradicts quite a bit with Dune, too. I read the novel years ago and thought it was just ok, but liked this quite a bit less.

[Adam Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as interesting as House Atradies. But still well written, it tends to jump around a bit too much.

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice background and supposed insight into House Harkonnen

[Mark A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent joy to read

[Max McKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun comic version

Must read everything doon related. Need more doon.

Need 12 more words to submit a review and this is it

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

None of the information presented is new, but it’s nice to see it in graphic format.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun comic.
This adaptation from the house novels into comics has been a nice surprise.