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Blade Runner 2019 #12 brings this series to a close in order to open the door for the follow-up series, Blade Runner 2029. As such, it has a lot more on its plate than the past few issues. It has to close out the current arc, provide a satisfying conclusion to at least four character arcs, and provide a launching pad from which we can pick up in the next series. The question is does this final issue lead to a satisfying climax, even if it’s not the true end for the characters?
The Selwyn Family
The biggest success of the conclusion of Blade Runner 2019 #12 is the ending given to the Selwyn’s. Alexander Selwyn perverted Eldon Tyrell’s vision of the Replicants, and he did it not only for monetary gain but also to bring back those he had lost. He failed to understand that everything has its time, and everyone dies eventually. He is, after all, a manufacturer of Replicants; he creates life, so isn’t he, in fact, a god in a sense? He wanted his wife back, he wanted his family back, but nothing could accomplish that. Even the fake version of the family he created eventually shattered. He was doomed to fail because you cannot change nature, no matter how hard you try.
So, it only fits that the Replicant of his wife, Isobel, is the one that kills him. In a scene that Mike Johnson and Andres Guinaldo clearly wanted to parallel and mirror the death of Eldon Tyrell at the hands of Roy Batty, Isobel shows Alexander the errors of trying to defy nature at its core. And finally, the last goodbye of Ash, Cleo, and Isobel, is bittersweet. I will discuss my thoughts on this ending when I get to Ash, but it makes sense as far as Cleo and Isobel. They are going to live a life off-world, away from what happened and far, far away from the horrors of Alexander Selwyn. But they still have a thread they don’t want to cut from Earth, Ash. To Isobel, she is a saviour; to Cleo, she is a mother. Who knows what the future holds, so it’s best to enjoy the moment while they can.
A Failure In The Narrative
Now, I have several problems with Blade Runner 2019 #12, which revolve around Ash and Hythe. So, the beginning and middle of this issue go as expected, a fight ensues, and then there is a final standoff. And here is where the troubles begin to show; after Isobel kills Alexander, one of the mindless Hythe Replicants attempts to kill her. However, another mindless Hythe Replicant turns against the others and protects Isobel. This comes out of nowhere and doesn’t seem to be in keeping with the characterization of the previous Hythe in other arcs or in the idea of this mindless batch that Selwyn had created for profit. I would be fine with this twist if it was properly set up and didn’t make the character of Hythe seem like just a tool to further the plot.
The other glaring issue with Blade Runner 2019 #12 is what happens with Ash at the end. Mike Johnson and Michael Green have layered tons of motherhood allegory, symbolism, and subtext into the series throughout twelve issues. Even ignoring my own thematic reading of the piece, the second arc of the series literally sees Ash spend years off-world with Cleo and coming to think of her as her child. And suddenly, Ash decides to let Cleo and Isobel go off-world, and she will remain behind to help any Replicants left on Earth.
While Ash did focus on the idea that Earth was her home and that perhaps she isn’t deserving of a good life off-world, this is still a 180 turn from the clearly defined arc she has been on. What this feels like is a marketing thing, she was meant to go off with Cleo, but because they decided to make her the lead of the new series, she has to make the choice to not complete her arc. I’m really, really disappointed with this. This is Blade Runner, I wasn’t expecting a happy ending, but I was expecting the characters to make decisions that are in line with themselves from the previous twelve issues.
Blade Runner 2019 #12 Is Flawed But Moderately Enjoyable
Blade Runner 2019 #12 isn’t a perfect conclusion to the series, and we do obviously have more to come with Blade Runner 2029. But it does at least provide a satisfying ending to some of its characters and the major antagonist. Maybe whatever the creative team has in store in the next series will be worthwhile, and I will retract my statement on this ending, but for now, I will say I wasn’t delighted with this issue.
