Villordsutch reviews Blade Runner: Black Lotus – Las Vegas #1…
For those of you, possibly like me, who thought Blade Runner began and ended with Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ridley Scott’s 1982 film, and Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049, prepare to be pleasantly blindsided. The universe has been quietly expanding over at Titan Comics, weaving a saga that stretches from 2019 to 2032. With their latest release in this ever expanding world being Blade Runner: Black Lotus – Las Vegas by Nancy A. Collins (Swamp Thing, Red Sonja) and artist Jesús Hervás (TMNT, Suicide Squad).
The comic follows Elle, the prototype replicant codenamed Black Lotus. Once manipulated as an unwitting assassin by Niander Wallace Jr. in his bid to wrestle control of his father’s corporation, Elle now finds herself on the run after a brutal clash with her “sister,” White Lotus. Wallace Jr. is not the type to take no for an answer, and he’s hell-bent on reclaiming his prized creation, regardless of the collateral damage.
When this series opens, Elle has retreated into the desert, scraping by however she can. She stumbles across a group of bandits mid–convoy heist, and through their loose lips discovers a possible road away from Wallace’s reach. Unfortunately for her, the heir to the Wallace throne has already begun assembling his forces — including Officer Davis, the only Blade Runner tough (or lucky) enough to survive a previous encounter with Elle.
Now, there’s something odd here. The inner cover of this comic book proudly declares this as Issue #1. To me, that screams “new arc, jump right in, no previous knowledge required!” Yet, despite a brief prologue, it doesn’t feel like a clean slate at all. Don’t get me wrong — the book looks fantastic. Hervás’s washed, textured and heavily-shadowed style is gorgeous; I’d happily see him tackle Judge Dredd if he hasn’t already. And Collins certainly knows her craft — the story is sharp, digestible, and flows beautifully across thirty-or-so pages. But I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d walked in halfway through the story.
And of course, I had. There’s a sizeable backlog of Blade Runner comics leading up to this, and I’ll shoulder some of the blame for not keeping up. Still, when I see “Issue #1” on a comic book, I expect a true fresh start. Perhaps I’m just old-fashioned (and, let’s be honest, just old), but diving into this felt more like arriving late to the party than starting one. That left me a little deflated — and for a Blade Runner and Philip K. Dick fan, that’s not exactly what you want.
That said, I’m curious enough to stick around. Maybe Issue #2 will smooth things out, and maybe I’ll stop grumbling like a curmudgeon. Because now that I know these comics are out there, I genuinely want to explore more.
Rating: 7/10
@Villordsutch
