Dune: House Atreides #3 is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, art by Dev Pramanik, colors by Alex Guimarães, and letters by Ed Dukeshire. Following up where the last issue left off, we find a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother calling upon the head of House Harkonnen, the Imperial Planetologist scouring the planet Arrakis for new information, and the young Leto Atreides finding out what planet IX is all about.
Splitting its time between five different plot threads, that still have no clear connection with each other, continues to slow the narrative that Dune: House Atreides #3 delivers at a veritable crawl. However, I was happy to see no new plot threads were at least begun in this latest issue. And while each story was a little threadbare, there are a few nuggets of interest nonetheless.
Of the two plotlines currently running through this somewhat jumbled narrative, the first is undoubtedly centered on the young Duncan Idaho. We see him once again being sent out to be hunted by Baron Harkonnen’s son. But this time, he seems to have a little bit better of a handle on things. Being given a bit of a head start, and with nothing to go home to now that his parents have been killed, he seems prepared to give survival his all. Or, at the very least, take as many of the hunters with him as he can.
While I have no clue how this story will play into the current narrative or if it will just serve as origin material for Duncan, it is the best slice of this book regardless. Of all the characters Dune: House Atreides #3 has introduced me to, this is the one I feel like I can unabashedly root for. As he attempts to survive the pursuit of his hunters, his story is engaging and sympathetic.
The second character who has begun to turn me around in this issue is our Imperial Planetologist. His big moment in this book came as a genuine surprise to me. And I certainly want to see where his journey takes him next. I’d say more, but spoilers would abound.
The other three-fifths of Dune: House Atreides #3 does little more than flounder for me. Political intrigues and tech demos monopolize the rest of the book. With little context for much of it, the impact continues to be lost to me. Even with that having been said, there are some good character deliveries within these pages. However, not enough to fully salvage the stories.
The art in this book continues to do a solid job of delivering the myriad of places and people in a clear way that keeps the reader abreast of where they are. Each environment is distinct, and the colors do a good job of helping bring these various locales to life.
Lastly, we have the letter work. The lettering here delivers its stories with clarity and skill. Even when the paneling gets a little complicated in a spot or two, the lettering does a good job guiding the reader in the right direction.
When all is said and done, Dune: House Atreides #3 continues to grow its narratives. While no single plot thread is given enough time to truly form, it manages to deliver some strong moments with its characters. If you have enjoyed this series up till now, this issue should be a solid entry for you.
Dune: House Atreides #3 is available on December 23rd, wherever comics are sold.
Dune House Atreides #3
TL;DR
When all is said and done, Dune: House Atreides #3 continues to grow its narratives. While no single plot thread is given enough time to truly form, it does manage to do deliver some strong moments with its characters. If you have enjoyed this series up till now, this issue should be a solid entry for you.
