BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #6 – Review

In BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #6, available from Titan Comics on September 15th, 2021, Det. Moreaux draws closer to discovering the NEXUS-5 staging a rebellion. Meanwhile, Marcus gains new insight into his sibling’s transformation.

The Details

• Written By: K. Perkins, Mellow Brown
• Art By: Fernando Dagnino
• Colors By: Marco Lesko
• Letters By: Jim Campbell
• Cover Art By: Butch Guice
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: September 15, 2021

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Was It Good?

I’m not sure. The story to this point had a lot of open-ended questions, and that’s part of the appeal. It’s a mystery in more ways than one. However, some of the questions show an inkling of answers that may subvert your expectations. Whether you like the subversion or not is in the eye of the beholder.

“Huh? What are you prattling on about?” you may ask. Okay, that’s fair.

One of the obtuse questions is the basic “why?” Why would Dr. Kine kill herself and transfer her consciousness into a replicant that looks like a male figure from her brother’s childhood drawings? The answer is not explicitly given but there’s a strong collection of hints in this issue that transference is a veiled allegory about trans people and becoming who you were meant to be. I could be reading it completely wrong… or I could be incredibly dense to not have picked up on it until now.

The next question is the seemingly unclear connection between the Slums, rogue replicants, and why Moreaux’s former “friends” are so willing to keep protecting them. The answer is much less vague here as the creators are going for a story about class exploitation and oppression. Although the replicants are machines, the people of the slums view them as just another oppressed race exploited by corporate elites and, therefore, “one of us.” The last two to three pages hit this point home with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

You could argue the concept of class exploitation has always been present in the Blade Runner universe, but the concept hits a little differently here because we have humans effectively joining forces with replicants. It’s a subtle twist, and we’ll see how well it plays out.

Integrating current sociopolitical topics in a comic can be thought-provoking and generate interesting discussions. However, applying relatability can be a challenge when the focus of your discussion is a piece of hardware with sophisticated programming. You can empathize with them because they’re made to look like us, but would it be so easy if you took away the fake hair and skin?

Dagnino’s art is great in this issue. There’s more emphasis on the action here compared to the previous issues, so Dagnino gets to show off more fight scene skills, and it looks great.

In all, this series takes a deliberate turn toward current-day sociopolitical messaging, but whether or not the message pays off is yet to be seen. The art fits the neo-noir-detective style flawlessly, so there’s plenty to keep readers invested in the series.

What’s It About?

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

Before you retire (or get retired), read our BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #5 review to find out how we got here.

We begin with a brief prologue about another Nexus 4 killing its owner. The Nexus that’s spreading an infection that drives replicants to murder is becoming a PR nightmare for the Tyrell Corporation, and they’re desperate to find out who’s behind the “infection.”

Later, Asa (the former Dr. Kine) and Marcus argue over whether to stay in hiding or find a replicant responsible for the murders. Through the conversation, boulder-sized hints are dropped that Dr. Kine chose the Asa body for more than just to inhabit a form her brother would recognize and accept. There’s a personal reason related to programming and becoming who you were “meant to be” that’s foreshadowed but not fully explained.

Meanwhile, Moreaux is getting worked over by his former friends as they suspect he’s at the local bar on behalf of Tyrell. He manages to fight back and tentatively convince everyone he’s only interested in stopping the killings. We conclude the issue with Desiree and Moreaux having a serious talk about the Slums, Tyrell Corporation’s abuse of power, and the now-known and surprising identity of the replicant rebel leader.

Final Thoughts

BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #6 drops heavy doses of hints to correlate the replicant uprising with (possibly) class struggles and trans rights. The potential for thought-provoking ideas are all present, but it remains to be seen if the mystery’s execution can live up to the message(s). The art is flawlessly neo-noir and dramatic, so you’ll thoroughly enjoy the look of this book, even if you’re not quite sold on the mystery… yet.

Score: 8.5/10