Written by Mike Johnson.

Art by Andres Guinaldo

Titan Comics, out now

 

It’s 2029 in Los Angeles and Ash must retire cult leader Yotun before he destroys both her and the city she loves.

As we enter the second half of Mike Johnson’s epic story, we flashback to a young Ash in LAPD HQ, gloriously recreated in grimy detail by Andres Guinaldo. She’s being interviewed by a cop who’s frustrated that with her intelligence she should be applying herself beyond petty crime. And then we’re back in 2029 and she’s waking up without pain for the first time in her life – Yotun performed a procedure on her in the previous issue.

The newly re-invigorated former Blade Runner takes advantage of her increased stamina and sets of to rescue Freysa, who has been taken hostage by Yotun. He leads an attack on LAPD HQ and relates a story to Freysa about the Battle of Mesa Echo Erebus in 2021, another punchy spread by Guinaldo.

Verdict: The perfect fusion of inventive artistry and a lean script that refuses to take a breath, the second half of Blade Runner is out of the traps and it’s running at full speed. 9/10

Nick Joy