Cover Image: Blade Runner 2019: Vol. 1: Los Angeles (Graphic Novel)

Blade Runner 2019: Vol. 1: Los Angeles (Graphic Novel)

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Member Reviews

An interesting story using the blade runner world as the backdrop. The graphics were crisp and well done. The story was intriguing. A good read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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What we have here is a Runner, from early in the programme, ordered to investigate a rich man's wife and daughter, missing with the family chauffeur since leaving a birthday party for a Tyrell kid. What we have is a perfect evocation of the films' setting, with the adverts and the flying cars – and definitely the rain. And what we also have is the most crunching evidence that Replicant hunters are Replicants themselves. Are we going to get anything that deserves the franchise name?

Well we were never really going to get a classic, now, were we? This didn't really convince, from the weak action art to the way the key adventure leaves us cold, to the way the whole opens the BR world out. Yes, we see outside of LA here, and it sits ill, and we see things that were too advanced to be in the cinema versions – I'm not talking the Phantom Menace trilogy's battle droids being a gazillion years further advanced than anything in the Original Trilogy, set centuries later, but in doing things that don't seem fitting with what we've seen before, this only gains a little awkwardness.

Still, there was a sequel to this (and more – I have no idea why this was proffered to us reviewers for its third birthday), so the full picture may have been one able to make us care, and to learn something about the whole BR world. Until then this felt really quite inconsequential, and for completists only.

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The look of the comic mirrors the movie perfectly and the tone of the story hits all the marks. Ash is Blade Runner but she has a secret she keeps from her coworkers in order to keep her job. She is given a job she can’t refuse, to find the wife and daughter of a corporate executive. Of course, it isn’t easy and there are facts missing but Ash keeps hunting even after she is pulled from the case. A good story and you are left wanting more by the end.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley

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Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books, Titan Comics, Michael Green, and Mike Johnson for the opportunity to read this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent well-rounded story set in the world of Blade-Runner.

Ash is a blade-runner hired to track down a man's missing wife and child. He isn't quite sure what could have happened, and why was a blade-runner assigned to the task? Blade-runners hunt down replicants...

Ash is known as the "Butcher," as she is not only a blade-runner, but she takes replicant parts and sells them on the black market. She has to pay for her spinal machine somehow...

This graphic novel is a great show of mystery and action, perfect for traditional fans of the franchise and also enjoyable for those who are not familiar with Blade-runner. While this book is strong enough to stand on its own, it hints at more to come, as this is only volume one.

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Without adding much to the world and the philosophical themes of the original film, these comics don't offer much of interest. The plot is straightforward and the protagonist's defining characteristic seems to be 'gruff'. I was left bored and eager for something which actually confronts the reader in a meaningful way.

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Thank you Net Galley and Titan Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations were gorgeous and I loved the plot. The characters were likeable and it was definitely the perfect amount of creepy. It was very enjoyable to read.

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Ash’s recent replicant hunt is over and she’s been given a new investigation as her top priority. However, a missing persons case isn’t really her forte since she’s a Blade Runner and not a cop. But orders are orders and she’s now on the trail of a missing kid & her mother without realising how much trouble is heading her way.

This is the start of an intriguing series set in the world of Blade Runner that widens the scope of the dystopian society that we are familiar with from Ridley Scott’s film and Philip K Dick original novel. I loved that the protagonist is a decent female character who seems to have some substance, and Ash is clearly capable of rivalling Deckard for our adoration. The artwork by Andres Guinaldo is perfectly in sync with the ruthless & startling story and swiftly lures you into this brutal & yet compelling community with darkness running through its veins.

I would love to read more of this series.

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A fast paced story. It was a little confusing in parts, but I am not as familiar with Blade Runner as some.

3 stars

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A really good tale in the blade runner universe, excellently drawn and written, it gave me real flavour of the films but was not constrained by cinematic demands

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Blade Runner 2019 vol. 1 by Michael Green and Mike Johnson is a graphic novel that captures the flavour the films without imitating it.
The visuals by Andres Guinaldo and Marco Lesko fit the script very well and combine with the words to give a compelling narrative.
A gritty, future noir that needs a musical score.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #TitanBooks, and the creators for the review copy of #BladeRunner2019Vol1LosAngeles.

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Gritty, dark, but full of heart, this is a brilliant installation of the Blade Runner universe. There's so much character development in such a short space, and the narrative was absolutely gripping. It's rare to get such good-quality graphic novel tie-ins, so this is definitely one I'd recommend for anyone who is a fan of the blade runner films or the cyberpunk genre.

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This is perfect for the newbie or long time Blade Runner enthusiast. Superb offshoot comic set in the world of the Blade Runner; the first in a new series. This comic more than does justice to the original book’s ethos. The author, artists and editor have managed to produce a piece of art and literature that throws you into the gritty story of Blade Runner Ash, and her search for a missing girl. As always in Blade Runner everyone has secrets and no-one is telling the whole truth. Where will this search take Ash? Read the comic and find out. I’m sure you will, be amazed and entertained as much as I was. Everything is Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

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It was first published in November of 2019. Titan Books provided me a galley for review.

I go a long way back with Blade Runner. When the first movie came out in the summer of 1982, I picked up the re-release of Phillip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? from which the film was based. I was truly fascinated by the future that was laid out in the book. Ridley Scott's film took that story to a whole other level and still stands as a touchstone in the sci-fi genre. So, this franchise has a long history and a high level of expectation.

Blade Runner 2019 volume 1: Los Angeles collects the first four issue of this comic series. In those four issues, it sets up the story of Ash and her latest investigation. The story moves as a quick pace with plenty of action. I was fully engrossed in the story. While this first volume does end in a bit of a cliffhanger, it is a very logical breaking point which still leaves the reader wanting to know where the story will go next.

The artwork by Andres Guinaldo and Marco Lesko is absolutely fantastic. In a franchise that comes from cinematographic roots, they manage to capture the style elements from the film world and build upon them. Their ability to tell stories in this sequential medium shines through, and as an old-school comic book fan that is very important to me. A solid story beautifully illustrated is all I can ever ask for in my graphic novels.

I highly recommend this series and look forward to reading more of it.

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