BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #5 – Review

In BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #5, available from Titan Comics on August 18th, 2021, Det. Cal Moreaux has resigned from the LAPD but he’s beholden to Tyrell Corp. to find the Nexus 5 or there’ll be Hell to pay.

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The Details

• Written By: K. Perkins, Mellow Brown
• Art By: Fernando Dagnino
• Colors By: Marco Lesko
• Letters By: Jim Campbell
• Cover Art By: Dani Strips
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: August 11, 2021

Was It Good?

Despite a little action in the opening scene, this was a fairly quiet issue in terms of energy and big things happening for the overall plot. Quiet developments aren’t a down point, so this issue builds strong emotion into the characters’ motivations and adds to the growing sense of danger Moreaux is feeling on all sides.

That said, the general plot lacks momentum in this issue, leaving the big mystery surrounding the nature of the rogue Nexus 5 spinning in the proverbial wind. We know Effie and Dr. Kine’s work involved consciousness transference, and we know their work involved secret modifications to the as-yet-unannounced Nexus 5 prototype. What we don’t know is the endgame.

What was the objective of the modifications, how did they grow wrong (or are they working as intended), and what is the rogue Nexus 5 planning out in the wild? The first part of this series was focused on solving the mystery of Dr. Kine’s death. Now that the mystery is largely done, the narrative needs to shift to the Nexus 5 in a clearer way to keep readers invested in the story. Right now, all we know is that it’s out there doing something, and frankly, that’s not enough.

To be fair, the writing in this issue is very good, but it feels small. It’s like we’re getting a snippet of a larger story but not enough to make up a complete chapter. I like what we get, but it’s not enough to satisfy.

The art is still a great example of neo-neon-noir. It fits right into the rainy glow of LA with just a hint of futurism that feels like it will evolve into the known Blade Runner aesthetic. It’s a great blend of the now and the familiar future, and the style works well for this material.

Overall, this issue looks great, and it has plenty of emotional depth to motivate the characters further, but we need more info about the Nexus 5 mystery to pull us forward into the next arc.

What’s It About?

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

(Former) Det. Cal Moreaux pays a visit to a home with a replicant servant that’s acting a bit… funny. The visit comes just in time as the last thing any family wants is a replicant flipping out while holding a very large kitchen knife. Before things get rough, Asa (the modified replicant containing Dr. Kine’s consciousness) crashes through a window and restrains the replicant from doing any harm.

Later, Asa tries to break the replicant out of a loop that’s destroying its brain in an effort to save it from a total shutdown. Despite Asa’s best efforts, the damage cascades, and the replicant “dies.” However, the original tip that led them to the replicant in the first place has proven accurate. Someone is coming into contact with the replicants and somehow instigating the programming failures.

Later, Moreaux pays a visit to his hospitalized sister. There, he’s confronted by Ilora Stahl who reminds him of his task to find the Nexus 5. She’s also there to warn him off any more Nexus seizures at people’s homes as it’s creating a PR problem for the Tyrell Corporation. The two part on bad terms with mutual warnings to stay away.

Moreaux goes back to the market where the damaged replicant came into contact with a mysterious woman. He receives a tip the woman was seen more than once at a local bar. We conclude the issue with Moreaux entering the bar, an old spot for him, and running afoul of old “friends.”

Final Thoughts

BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #5 turns down the momentum on the hunt for the Nexus 5 to build up more character moments between the cast of characters. While the moments (and the art) are very well done, the plot’s pace and lack of information about the mystery surrounding the Nexus 5 are slowing down too much to hold the reader’s interest for much longer.

Score: 7.5/10