BLADE RUNNER 2029 #10 – Review

BLADE RUNNER 2029 #10, available from Titan Comics on December 1st, 2021, puts Ash under a spotlight with Marlowe watching her every move. Meanwhile, Yotun’s minions acquire information linked to Tyrell’s origins.

The Details

• Written By: Mike Johnson
• Art By: Andres Guinaldo
• Colors By: Marco Lesko
• Letters By: Jim Campbell
• Cover Art By: Piotr Kowalski (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: December 1, 2021

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Was It Good?

In the last issue, we made some bones about Yotun’s plan feeling like it was a lot of noise and destruction that didn’t appear to have a goal in mind other than creating chaos. Now, we may have to eat our words depending on how the plan plays out after the big cliffhanger reveal at the end of this issue. We won’t spoil the twist other than to say the reveal is equal parts big development that goes back to the origins of Blade Runner lore and fan service.

Fan service gets a bad rap by creators and reviewers because it’s viewed as either a lack of creativity to go back to a dried up well or as pandering. Personally, anyone wholly against fan service misses the point of why fans exist and properties endure. Fan service done the right way is a proper tool for making everyone happy and keeping passion for a property alive.

To be clear, the cliffhanger in this issue isn’t a super big fan service moment, but it bridges the gap between the familiar and the new in a cool way.

Johnson’s plot centers around Yotun’s desire for a key item that is somehow useful to his future plans. As the blurb and the solicit description point out, Yotun’s rejuvenation process has become increasingly less effective and time may be running out for him to enact his grand plan. This issue isn’t billed as the start of a new story arc, but it has a “next chapter” feel with plenty of mystery to keep the reader guessing.

In all, this latest issue feels like a fresh start on the series, and I’m anxious to see what Yotun is up to.

Guinaldo’s art is a strong fit for this material. The replicants in this issue are showing very specific signs of decay, and Guinaldo uses interesting scarring and skin lesion designs to show off how the replicants are reacting to Yotun’s procedures. The lines and coloring are incredibly detailed, and you can appreciate the care that went into every panel.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Yotun isn’t looking so hot. To understand how he got that way, first read our BLADE RUNNER 2029 #9 review.

We begin with Yotun finishing his latest transfusion of replicant blood to sustain his life. It’s clear from the latest donor and the others around him, the process is starting to have negative effects. Yotun is aware but undeterred from completing his master plan, even if it means his replicant followers must be sacrificed for the cause.

Later, Ash responds to a call about a replicant breaking into a vault to steal valuables. When she arrives on the scene, she finds Pekka, suffering the same degeneration as Yotun’s other donors, has an item taken from the vault. Before Ash can press Pekka to give up Yotun’s location she’s gunned down by the newly-arrived Marlowe. Distracted, Ash doesn’t notice a second replicant in the shadows and it gets away with whatever Pekka stole.

Later still, we see Pekka’s partner arriving at Yotun’s location to deliver the stolen item. We conclude the issue with a mystery around the owner of the ransacked vault, Yotun recognizing his implanted memories are not entirely random, and the utterance of a name every Blade Runner fan will recognize.

Final Thoughts

BLADE RUNNER 2029 #10 isn’t the start of a new arc but it has the feel of a new chapter as a mystery is uncovered relating to Yotun’s master plan. The pacing is brisk, the art is outstanding, and the cliffhanger ending infuses a little bit of welcome fan service for longtime Blade Runner fans.

Score: 9/10

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