BLADE RUNNER ORIGINS #3 – The Honest Review

In BLADE RUNNER ORIGINS #3, available from Titan Comics on April 21st, 2021, Det. Cal Moreaux draws closer to understanding Dr. Kine’s project while Marcus is rescued from the Tyrell Corporation by a familiar face.

The Details

• Written By: K. Perkins, Mellow Brown
• Art By: Fernando Dagnino
• Colors By: Marco Lesko
• Letters By: Jim Campbell
• Cover Art By: Angel Hernandez
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: April 21, 2021

Was It Good?

Yes. It was good for the simple fact that a big part of the mystery is revealed — Dr. Kine’s project (see below for spoilers). It’s a new twist on the Blade Runner mythos that has far-reaching consequences, and you can quickly see how somebody would be killed over it.

The art continues to project a rough, dramatic style that’s very in line with pulp detective dramas with just enough tech to bring into the near future. Visually, the issue is grim and dreary, which fits the subject matter perfectly.

Take a look inside this issue in our BLADE RUNNER ORIGINS #3 preview.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

We pick up shortly after the replicant crashed the spinner escorting Marcus to the Tyrell Corporation. Marcus and the replicant are gone, and a bloodied Ilora Stahl is left to explain what happened to Mr. Tyrell. Read our BLADE RUNNER ORIGINS #2 review to get caught up.

Marcus and his replicant savior are riding on a bus to some unknown location while they catch up. And here we get the big reveal.

[SERIOUSLY. THIS IS A BIG SPOILER.]

The replicant is Dr. Kine, Marcus’s “dead” sister. Dr. Kine has figured out how to transfer her consciousness into a replicant, essentially developing a path to immortality for humans. The reason Marcus recognizes the replicant is that Dr. Kine created it to look like a man, named Asa, Marcus used to draw as a child. As you can imagine, Marcus is conflicted about having his sister back but repulsed about what she’s done.

Before we leave them, Marcus reluctantly follows the Kine-replicant as it goes off to find Effie.

Meanwhile, Det. Cal Moreaux wakes up from a nap in the safe house where he’s hiding Effie. They argue about the next steps as Effie believes his current assignment still puts Moreaux at the mercy of corrupt police and the Tyrell Corporation. Effie and Moreaux eventually split up — Moreaux heads to Dr. Kine’s apartment for clues about the mysterious replicant and how to stop it, Effie heads back to her apartment to retrieve files about the project with the intention of exposing Tyrell to the press. Neither has any faith in the other’s plan.

After leaving the bus, Marcus and Kine-replicant talk. She/He/It tries to convince Marcus it had the right motives for what happened. As they pass by some street food stalls, a replicant cook goes crazy after it’s abused and starts attacking its owner. Admittedly, it’s not clear why the cook replicant went crazy or what its actions have to do with the story. It seemed an odd, random event with no purpose to the plot.

Effie arrives at her apartment to find it’s been ransacked. Ilhona Stahl is waiting for her. Stahl questions Effie and ultimately leaves with a warning for Effie to watch her step.

Moreaux arrives at Dr. Kine’s apartment and notices a similar ransacking is in progress. He lights a lighter to set off the sprinkler system and all Hell breaks loose.

How Does It End?

Ransackers are stealthy. More than two parties are interested in Dr. Kine’s apartment. Moreaux is about to get more answers.

Final Thoughts

BLADE RUNNER ORIGINS #3, available from Titan Comics on April 21st, 2021, does the minimum amount of movement to keep the story interesting and drops one heck of a mystery reveal. The pulpy art loads in tons of atmosphere, and the revelation has broad implications for the remainder of the arc.

Score: 8.5/10