Blade Runner 2049, the Blade Runner sequel that fans waited thirty-five years to see, was not a box office success when it was released back in 2017. But that hasn’t stopped the franchise from continuing to grow. We have an Amazon limited series called Blade Runner 2099 to look forward to, there’s an anime series called Blade Runner: Black Lotus, there was a graphic novel called Blade Runner 2019: Off World (pick up a copy HERE), a Blade Runner: Origins comic, and Titan Comics and Alcon Publishing are bringing us a trilogy comic book series that started with Blade Runner 2019 and continued with Blade Runner 2029. The Titan / Alcon trilogy is now set to come to an end with Blade Runner 2039, the first issue of which will be reaching store shelves in December.
Picking up where Blade Runner 2019 and Blade Runner 2029 left off, the twelve issue Blade Runner 2039 series will see the character Ash “clashing with Luv – Niander Wallace’s deadly “First Angel,” first seen in the landmark film, Blade Runner 2049.” The series is coming to us from writer Mike Johnson, artist Andres Guinaldo, and colorist Marco Lesko. Here’s the synopsis:
Los Angeles 2039. It has been three years since Niander Wallace introduced his brand of ‘perfectly obedient’ Replicants, and the ban on synthetic humans has been lifted, at least for the new Wallace models―the older Tyrell Corp’s Nexus 8 units are still hunted by Blade Runners. Cleo Selwyn, first seen as a small child in BR2019, Issue #1, has returned to L.A. some twenty years later, searching for Isobel, a Replicant copy of her real mother who died when she was three. Cleo believes that Niander Wallace is holding Isobel captive, and the only person she can call on for help is the one who saved her so many years ago: Aahna ‘Ash’ Ashina, now an aging and disgraced ex-Blade Runner.
Titan Comics’ Senior Creative Editor David Leach provided the following statement: “This new series marks both the continuation as well as the conclusion of Ash’s story, which started in Blade Runner 2019. It’s going to be the most dramatic of the series, and that’s saying a lot after what went down in Blade Runner 2029! It’s great to be working with Johnson, Guinaldo and Lesko again, these guys are what makes it scream Blade Runner!“
Alcon’s Director of Publishing Jeff Conner added: “It’s refreshing to have a comic character to grow and evolve the way Ash has. Mike and Andres are really doing something special. Fans of the series should be very pleased.“
The first issue of Blade Runner 2039 will be reaching shelves with four variant covers to collect. Artists Junggeun Yoon, Veronica Fish, and Butch Guice created the first three, and there’s also a concept art cover by Syd Mead, “the renowned futurist designer responsible for visualizing much of the Blade Runner world.” You can see these covers below.
Will you be collecting Blade Runner 2039? Let us know by leaving a comment.