Dune: House Harkonnen #9 - BOOM! Studios

DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN No. 9, September 2023

It’s arguably hard not to shake a sense of sloppiness with the storytelling inside Issue Nine of “Dune: House Harkonnen”, as numerous plot-threads appear to be resolved with no obvious impact upon this mini-series’ overarching narrative, and new ones created which seem to lack much in the way of compelling logic. In fact, many a fan of Frank Herbert’s original science fiction novel from the Sixties, may well have been left wondering in just what direction this comic was now heading, considering that it ends with a bizarre mixture of death, treachery, and sheer stupidity; “I tried everything else. Ambassador to the Landsraad, appeals to the Emperor. No one will free Ix. The only message I have left is destruction.”

To begin with Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson disconcertingly depict Abulurd Harkonnen simply accepting the kidnapping of his son Feyd by Glossu Rabban, and deciding to live a life “of calm acceptance” alongside the Bifrost Eyrie’s Burgomaster. Such cowardly acquiescence is incredibly hard to accept considering that the man is supposedly the planet’s governor. But is then debatably made all the worse when he irrationally thinks redistributing his brother’s horde of stolen spice “to the poor” won’t attract the Baron’s hideous wrath once again.

Just as poorly penned is probably the tragic death of poor Warrick, who having been skinned alive by a sudden sandstorm, is suddenly pencilled by incoming artist Michael Shelfer attempting to be the first male to ever transform the deadly water of life. Initially, this madness appears to stem from “the blood-brother of Liet Kynes” believing he’s seen the vision of the Lisan Al-Gaib. However, according to his dying declaration it seems clear he knew it would just kill him, and resultantly begs the question just why the Fremen knowingly drank the poisonous blue liquid in the first place..?

Similarly as head-scratching is Dominic Vernius' highly illogical decision to suddenly throw caution to the wind after years of building-up his smuggling empire, and trust the perfidious Rondo Tuek to aid him in a reckless attack upon the second capital of the Corrino Empire with atomics. Considering the inter-planetary scale of the former Earl's covert operations it is difficult to imagine him needing to ask an untrustworthy water merchant for help acquiring a space worthy, unmarked hauler. Yet this uncharacteristic lack of judgement is precisely what he does, and it unsurprisingly costs him his life.

The regular cover art of "DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN" #9 by Raymond Swanland