BLADE RUNNER

They’re not Philip K Dicking around with this new comic.

AFTER PREVIOUS 12-PART COMIC Blade Runner 2019 concluded in 2027, Blade Runner 2029 advances the story of Detective Aahna Ashina another two years. The new series finds the Replicant hunter developing feelings for her bioengineered prey.

“Ash has definitely evolved from where we met her in Blade Runner 2019, when she was happy selling Replicant bodies off to be looted for organs,” says writer Mike Johnson, who is again joined by artist Andres Guinaldo. “After her experiences with Isobel and Cleo in the last book, she’s changed her mind about the inherent humanity of Replicants, which puts her in a tricky situation given that her job as a Blade Runner is still to hunt them down.”

Ash comes into conflict with a new Replicant leader, who is not just satisfied with laying low and leading a peaceful existence. “He wants to undermine and overthrow the human-centric power structures that prevent Replicants from living openly,” explains Johnson. “We will see a vigorous Replicant resistance in a way we haven’t before. On the flip side, we will learn more about Freysa, the leader of the Replicant underground we meet later in Blade Runner 2049, and whose relationship with Ash continues to evolve.”

Johnson believes that Ash is very different to cinematic Blade Runners Deckard and K. “She’s much more plugged into the life of Los Angeles and its citizens,” he reasons. “She grew up among the throngs on the street and feels a protective responsibility to them that sets her apart from other Blade Runners.”

While insisting that he “doesn’t want to spoil everything,” Johnson reveals that the comic series will eventually reach 2049. “We’ve already started thinking about 2039,” he teases, referring to the next series, “and how Ash’s story eventually dovetails with the events of the second movie.” SJ

Blade Runner 2029 #1 is out on 16 December.