Execution under the law
Blade Runner 2019 is an official comic series set in the rain-soaked neo-noir world of Blade Runner . Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Michael Green ( Blade Runner 2049 , Logan ) in collaboration with Mike Johnson ( Batman/Superman , Star Trek ) and illustrated by Andres Guinaldo ( Captain America: Steve Rogers ), Blade Runner 2019 not only attempts to imitate the movies, that inspired it, but from the very first panel it feels like an extension of a pre-established cinematic universe.
The comic itself is divided into three volumes of four issues each, all collected in one omnibus edition. The story of the first volume, Los Angelestells us the story of detective Aahny Ashina from the Los Angeles Police Department. Her friends know her as Ash, and the replicants know her as the best among the Blade Runners, units trained to execute these artificial beings, or rather, as it is nicely put, “resignation”. From the very beginning we feel how cruel and dirty the presented world is. At the beginning of the first issue, the main character is sitting in front of a sleeping replicant named Benny who has killed five people. Valuing his organs – lungs, kidneys, heart – he gives him a choice: he can deliver him “as is” or he can use a knife. The detective wants to find out if these ultra-modern cyborgs “have balls”, and as it turns out (in fact, often) they do …
Ash, perhaps even more so than Rick Deckard in the original Blade Runner , does not see the replicants as real humans. Some time after the incident, the heroine receives a task to meet with Alexander Selwyn – a billionaire, an employee of the Canaan Corporation. His wife and daughter are missing and he wants Ash to track them down.
Blade Runner 2019 tells the story of about ten years, and from volume to volume we have successive time jumps. It’s a good way to show what a dark, gritty noir series we’re dealing with. The plot of volume two, Beyond the World , shows that working for a crazy corporate executive who wanted his daughter Cleo back paid off on average. Ash is forced to take the girl to an extraterrestrial colony to protect her.
Unfortunately, life there is not as described in the brochure. Ash can’t live among the super-rich because Selwyn’s thugs are still looking for her. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t afford it. As such, he lives among the replicants with his “son” Ian. This unhappy and demanding life hardened Cleo and also protected her from those who wanted to experiment on her. In Blade Runner, we never saw what life was like in extraterrestrial colonies, so the volume seems to hit the spot. In addition, we can see a human-replicant relationship reminiscent of that in the original Blade Runner , between Deckard and Rachael.
Volume three, Homecoming , wraps up Ash and her ward’s complicated plot, and adds more to the story told in a dark, rainy future. There are many surprising twists in the volume and, not to spoil it, I will say that it satisfactorily closes most of the plot threads.
I’ve seen things you humans wouldn’t believe
The visuals are superb and the creative team’s effort to recreate the stunning neo-noir world realized by Ridley Scott in his original film was not in vain. From the rain-washed, clogged streets of Los Angeles to the godlike megalithic structures of the Tyrell Corporation, the line looks like it’s been pulled straight out of the movie’s concept art. Attention to detail is at a high level.
Between the 1st and 2nd volumes, however, it is impossible not to notice that from the graphic side, the story shown to us is less vivid and more monochromatic. However, as I delved into the narrative, I realized that this dramatic change in aesthetics was not just an artistic choice, but was heavily influenced by the narrative. The faded, washed-out color palette reflects the gloomy environment of the extraterrestrial colonies, as well as the inner dilemmas that plague the heroine. The beautiful artwork created by Andrés Guinaldo, along with Marco Lesko, fills the reader with the same sense of hopelessness that both Ash and Cleo feel.
You can also feel a certain chemistry between the artists, because the line perfectly meshes with the story written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson. The duo constantly introduces new players to the storyline who play an integral role within this narrative. The story featured in the comic spans many years and only describes “incidents”, slowly expanding the Blade Runner universe .
The details of the crowds, taverns, food stalls, and bomb-damaged ruins are crisp, and the story panels open and run on double-page spreads. The futuristic future looks grim – the poor steal and the rich get richer, but Guinaldo’s extraordinary sense of detail and Lesko’s uplifting colors give it an extraordinary beauty.
My place
The plot very well reflects the transformation of the main character, who went from being the biggest nemesis of the replicants selling their organs to collectors to someone who wants to protect them from persecution. Blade Runner 2019 also lays the foundations for threads that may appear in subsequent volumes. Ash realizes that the problems the replicants face are systemic and he can do more for them from within the system than trying to serve the resistance as just another faceless soldier.
Even though the story is a bit predictable at times, it is told with enough enthusiasm and style. The dialogue is brilliant and memorable, while Andrés Guinaldo’s beautiful artwork is dirty and edgy. The series successfully captures the mood and themes of neo-noir films while telling a completely original story with new characters.
Finally, let me just add that I really like this omnibus edition. Even though I’m not a fan of anything published in hardcover, any other form would probably not make sense. The whole thing is quite extensive and will surely satisfy those who love such extras as cover graphics of individual volumes, concept sketches or editorial inserts. In other words, there is a lot to watch and a lot to read – nothing but reach for the comic book.
