Written by Michael Green & Mike Johnson

Art by Andres Guinaldo

Titan Books, out now

Los Angeles 2019, and ‘Blade Runner’ Detective Ashina’s is tasked with investigating the kidnapping of the wife and daughter of business tycoon Alexander Selwyn. But is this just a ruse to make some money or are there deeper motives at work?

Gathering the first four issues of Titan’s return to the Blade Runner universe, and released date-appropriately in November 2019, this is a worthy visit to the universe established in Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic movie. It helps that co-writer Michael Green also wrote Blade Runner 2049, demonstrating that he’s someone who’s fully immersed in this world and knows his replicants from his spinners.

Each of the four issues ends with a cliffhanger, breaking up the narrative into four distinct chapters, the advantage here being that you don’t have to wait four weeks for a resolution. The plot unfolds at just the right pace, unlocking the mystery behind the abduction.

Titan’s collected edition includes six pages of covers, as well as original sketches of the cover development and character design. Andres Guinaldo’s tryout sample is also included – his audition piece to beat two others. Coming next – we travel to the Offworld colonies.

Verdict: New central character Ashina has bigger secrets than Harrison Ford’s Deckard, making her a far more rounded character, and giving us someone to root for from the outset. Add to that some very familiar tropes and icons from the movie and it’s a dystopian delight for fans of the franchise. 10/10

Nick Joy

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk

Read our interview with co-writer Mike Johnson here