Comic Book Review - Blade Runner: Origins - Volume 1

Rob reviews Blade Runner: Origins - Volume 1...

Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi dystopian Blade Runner is the go-to film when anyone talks about the cyberpunk genre. Scott's film introduced the world to a gorgeous sci-fi version of a 2019 Los Angeles, that was backed up by quite an intriguing story, and a colourful cast of characters. 

Through Blade Runner, we learnt about the Tyrell Corporation and their bio-engineered synthetic humans - the Replicants. As a rouge group of these Replicants - lead by the late Rutger Hauer - we follow veteran LAPD detective Rick Deckard as he attempts to track them down. What follows is a game of Cat & Mouse as Deckard deals with the rogue Replicants and subsequently falls in love with one too. The ending? Well does Blade Runner 2049 exist? 

Now Titan Comics are returning to this classic franchise and are bringing a look into the worlds past. Set in 2009, Blade Runner: Origins follows grizzled veteran Detective Cal Moreaux as he's drawn into a conspiracy that starts with the death of a Tyrell Corporation engineer - Doctor Lydia Kine. What starts as a simple murder investigation soon spirals into a conspiracy led thriller as Moreaux gets dragged into the wider machinations of Tyrell Corp, and a missing prototype Replicant. 

The creative team behind Blade Runner: Origins have done an incredible job I'm capturing the essence of both Ridley Scott's film and Philip K. Dick's original novel. The volumes three writers - K. Perkins, Mellow Brown, and Mike Johnson - work together to bring one voice to the proceedings. The story of Origins is a strong and well-written thriller that keeps the familiarity of the source material, yet remains unique. The comics tone is ultimately a dark one, yet the creative team packs plenty of themes within it. It's uncommon for sci-fi to deal with identity and morality, yet Blade Runner: Origins captures it in a unique and modern way. 

Art and colours come from Fernando Dagnino and Marco Lesko respectively. Both Dagnino and Lesko capture the tone of the world perfectly which allows the story to effortlessly flow. The world is portrayed as a mix between a neon-soaked cyberpunk city and an old school detective noir. There's plenty of colours and dark shadows that all add to a sense of tension throughout. When the action picks up it's presented in a gorgeous fast-paced fashion. Everything from Cal chasing the Replicant across the busy freeway, to the clash against invisible foes within Dr Kine's apartment, captures the chaos and desperation well. 

Regardless of if you're a fan of the Blade Runner film or not - Blade Runner: Origins is an incredible slice of sci-fi dystopia. There's plenty of philosophy, morality choices, and more that's all tied into a dark brooding detective noir.

Rating 9/10

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev