BLADE RUNNER 2029 #9 – Review

BLADE RUNNER 2029 #9, available from Titan Comics on November 3rd, 2021, places Ash on a very thin line when the police efforts to find Yotun after the failed attempt to take over Los Angeles heat up.

The Details

• Written By: Mike Johnson
• Art By: Andres Guinaldo
• Colors By: Marco Lesko
• Letters By: Jim Campbell
• Cover Art By: Paul Pope (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: november 3, 2021

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Was It Good?

This issue was a bit of a letdown for the overall arc because it made Yotun’s grand plan seem less grand.

From the beginning through issue #8, all of the dramatic tension grew from the mystery surrounding Yotun’s scheme to lead a replicant revolution. A plan that was years in the making. While there have been big moments leading up to the takeover attempt, it seems Yotun’s plan was little more than “take over police headquarters and interrupt city-wide broadcasts to make a speech”. If that was the plan, it wasn’t very effective and it was certainly easy to disrupt once set in motion.

It feels like a letdown because Yotun was depicted as a strategic mastermind manipulating events behind the scenes, like a master chess player, until it was time to deliver the masterstroke. Given the lack of true effect and how easily Yotun’s plan was disrupted, Yotun now comes across as a dog with more bark than bite, de-escalating Yotun’s threat from game-changer to annoyance.

That said, the pacing and story development we do get in the issue are still very good. The issue focuses on a replicant who gets caught up in the obligatory replicant witch hunt after Yotun’s coup, and we see how the different factions are vying for the “protection” of every replicant that expresses interest in getting away.

Guinaldo’s art is excellent in this book. It’s the details that make the difference during even the simplest of conversations. A slight smirk to express cynicism. A bitten lip to convey indecision. It’s all here in a character-heavy, action-light episode that still holds your visual attention.

What’s It About?

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

To find out how Yotun’s takeover attempt ended, first read our BLADE RUNNER 2029 #8 review.

We focus on a replicant named Ambrose who works as a caregiver for the homebound and infirm. By all accounts, the patients love Ambrose and his reputation is spotless. However, the LAPD wants a word with Ambrose about an irregularity in his hiring. We learn Ambrose got his job under false pretenses after escaping the military, but he has nothing to do with Yotun’s revolution.

Without seeing it, Ambrose escapes police custody and searches for help. Ash and Freysa find him first but can’t get him to the Underground before they’re confronted by Yotun’s people. A fight ensues, and while Ash and Freysa win the battle, they lose the war as Ambrose is taken away by Yotun’s people.

Later, Ash meets with her superior at HQ, and he tries to pair Ash up with a hotshot Blade Runner named Marlowe. Ash manages to hold off the partnership, realizing she can’t help with the Underground and maintain her relationship with Freysa under scrutiny. We conclude the issue with Ambrose meeting a very different-looking Yotun, and Ash’s boss giving another Blade Runner a secret assignment that could spell trouble for Ash.

Final Thoughts

BLADE RUNNER 2029 #9 has outstanding art and a complex drama centered around the advent of a replicant Civil War. While the shift from the last issue to this one somewhat deflates the threat level and effectiveness of the main villain, the drama is still very much compelling.

Score: 8/10

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