BLADE RUNNER 2029 #6 – Review

In BLADE RUNNER 2029 #6, available from Titan Comics on July 28th, 2021, Ash is trapped in a replicant rejuvenation tank while Freysa is captured and brought before Yotun as a “gift.”

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The Details

• Written By: Mike Johnson
• Art By: Andres Guinaldo
• Colors By: Marco Lesko
• Letters By: Jim Campbell
• Cover Art By: Gene Ha
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: July 28, 2021

Was It Good?

It’s a good issue with a tad bit of frustration.

The good parts are the writing, the art, and the forward progress on the main plot. We get a little bit of everything, and it all works.

The frustration is starting to creep in with the series because there are so many big questions that have no sign of being answered anytime soon. How was Yotun able to surpass his expiration date? What do the rejuvenation tanks do? What is Yotun planning beyond a generic “revolution” explanation?

Part of a good story involves peeling back the layers to discover the answers along with the main characters, but sometimes the patient buildup takes a little too long, and you feel like characters are running from point A to point B through pure reaction. For a character’s movement to feel important, the reader has to have some understanding of the stakes. Right now in this series, the stakes are not clear, and that lack of clarity is planting seeds of frustration.

Again, as a stand-alone issue, this is a good one, so don’t let the writing lesson put you off. It’s simply a point to keep in mind as we review this single issue in the context of the over-arching story.

Guinaldo’s art is perfect for this type of story. Although the setting is L.A., there’s a neo-European vibe to the designs that makes everything feel futuristic and lived in at the same time. If this wasn’t its own series, I’d expect to see something similar in the pages of 2000 AD magazine.

Therefore, it’s a good single issue. The art is great, the writing is solid, but the lingering questions are starting to linger a little too long.

What’s It About?

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

To catch up with Ash’s current predicament, read our BLADE RUNNER 2029 #5 review.

A group of replicants break into a power station and cause a series of regional blackouts. It appears this is part of Yotun’s terrorist plans for civil disruption… or is it?

Cut to Yotun, studying and speaking with Ash as she floats unconscious in one of his replicant rejuvenation tanks. He speaks prophetically about the destruction his plans are about to cause, and he looks forward to witnessing what Ash will be when she emerges from the tank and what she will think of the new L.A. that she will find.

Lelia interrupts his thoughts to tell Yotun some new replicants have arrived. The visitors are the same replicants that caused the blackouts, and they created the disruption as a “gift” to Yotun so he will accept them to join his cause. In addition, they have captured and delivered Freysa to Yotun as further proof of their loyalty.

Yotun accepts the gift and the new replicants, but he makes it plain he doesn’t trust them. When the new arrivals settle in, they take the next opportunity to sneak off and implement their own plan. Pick up this issue to find out what it is.

Final Thoughts

BLADE RUNNER 2029 #6 has plenty of great art, action, and forward movement in the story. However, the writers are keeping readers in the dark about Yotun’s master plan a little too long, and the wait is hurting the dramatic tension of the story.

Score: 7.5/10