Nerdly » ‘Blade Runner 2029 #10’ Review (Titan Comics)

03rd Dec2021

‘Blade Runner 2029 #10’ Review (Titan Comics)

by Dean Fuller

Written by Mike Johnson | Art by Andres Guinaldo | Published by Titan Comics

I think the main thing I enjoy about both the Blade Runner books from Titan is that they resemble the films so much in how of the ‘feel’ they capture. Sure, they both do a good job of capturing the time and place, the atmosphere, but they also capture the style of the movies. The plots move forward at their own pace, slowly if need be, quicker when required. Intimate, smaller talking scenes when the story requires, big all out action sequences when they are needed. Nothing feels forced. This is why these read so well. When you let characters live and breathe, the story falls into place.

Yotun. We’ve seen a lot of him in the last few issues, and as I’ve said before you can look at him as a freedom fighter for Replicants and their rights, or just another power hungry man trampling over whoever he needs to get where he wants. We see at the beginning of this issue just how expendable he sees his followers as. As he has exceeded his inception date, he should be dead in human terms, he prolongs his life by taking blood from other Replicants. This time, it has left the Replicant donor, Ambrose, catatonic. Yotun knew this would happen but hey, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, right?

Ash, meanwhile, has been out fighting fires as anti-Replicant fever rises ever higher. People suspect everyone of being a Replicant out to kill them. She’s called out to a job as a Blade Runner, to hunt down a suspected Replicant, but of course she uses these opportunities to try and divert them to the Replicant Underground, for both their own safety and to keep them out of Yotun’s clutches. Trust, as always, is hard earned. This time, however, it turns out the Replicant is Pekka, Yotun’s lieutenant. Just as Ash and her start to talk, she is brutally shot down. Remember Marlowe? He’s been tailing Ash, on orders from their boss. He’s not a bad guy as such, just an orthodox by-the-book sort, who’s more concerned about retiring his quota each month than anything else. He at least admits to Ash she’s being watched, if not telling her the full truth. Clock’s ticking.

Although Ash has been more of an action hero of late, we see a little more of the detective side now, as she wonders why Yotun sent Pekka to try and rob that vault. What was so important he would send his best? Some digging reveals that the vault was owned by someone called Alice Leopald, now dead, who left money to pay for the vault to remain sealed for a century. Just what the hell is in it? No valuables it seems. Just books, files, and papers. Why does Yotun need those? Hmmm. Ash is on the trail. Marlowe is still on hers. Yotun, though, knows already what they will find out. Alice Leopold was born Alice Tyrell, and she was the younger sister of Eldon Tyrell, the founder of the Tyrell Corporation. This is big time.

Yet another issue of near flawless storytelling. The art as always is just perfect, capturing the mood of every scripted scene perfectly, the emotion of every close up, and the gritty feel of this dystopian Los Angeles. Johnson’s scripts just seem to effortlessly unfold, though I know it takes a lot of effort to appear effortless. The fact he can make Yotun even slightly sympathetic is quite amazing. Great writing does that. Just a consistently high level of quality month in and month out, as good as any TV show you’ll watch. At this moment in time, your guess is as good as mine how this will all end.

Good writing always leaves you wanting more. Good writing and great art makes you count down the days until the next issue.

If you could bottle and sell anticipation, Johnson and Guinaldo would be millionaires.