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Blade Runner 2039 #12 marks the conclusion of Titan Comics’ interconnected ‘Blade Runner’ series, at least for the time being. Beginning in 2019, the creative teams behind these titles (2029, Origins, Black Lotus, and 2039) have expanded the universe with rich lore, introduced compelling characters, delved into thematic depths, and even incorporated elements from the original novel that inspired the films. Despite the breadth of this storytelling canvas, the central focus has consistently been on Ash. So, does the final issue of Blade Runner 2039 provide her with a fitting farewell?
Blade Runner 2039 #12 — Ash’s Choice
How Ash deals with Niander Wallace in Blade Runner 2039 #12 is an interesting moral choice that shows how Ash has changed and becomes less cynical but is still willing to make the hard call which ties into the film lore. It is a choice that, in the short term, seems to go against everything Ash believes in, but in the long term will work out, which is why her lover Freysa is uncertain of the decision.
Wallace’s aim for fertile Replicants is pure evil, an unending slave race that no longer requires as much cost to produce as they will make themselves. Ash knows this and yet gives him the Selwyn research on open lifespan Replicants as well as Replicant fertility. She is in effect handing the slave master the whip from which many horrors will come.
However, Ash knows more than anyone how having a child will change one’s perspective. In the first volume, Ash begins her journey of stopping being a Blade Runner and being a Replicant sympathizer due to the time she spent with Cleo and witnessing the motherly love of Isobel. Ash went from a mindless killing machine only following orders with the most cynical of worldviews to someone who felt empathy, her eyes were opened to a new possible future.
So, with this in mind, Ash giving Wallace the metaphorical whip is not what it is at face value. Instead, she is handing him a poisoned chalice. Wallace is self-centered and focuses too much on how the grander picture affects him rather than others. Having children will change the Replicants and make their tendency to seek freedom even stronger — nothing motivates people more than a child’s love. So, in the short-term Ash has bartered the safety of Cleo and Isobel at the expense of handing an evil man exactly what he wants. In the long term, she has given the Replicants a new lease on life and an extra spark of freedom.
Blade Runner 2039 #12 — The Ending
With Ash’s choice, we end at an interesting place; in the first volume, we saw Ash grow as a person, becoming someone who no longer hunted but instead helped; in the second volume, we saw Ash come against Replicants who are so blinded by their search for freedom that they became the very thing they rebelled against; in Blade Runner 2039, we see Ash come face to face with her past in a very literal way and accept who she has turned into.
Ash’s spinal problem has been present throughout, she was offered a cure once and refused it, then given one without consent as a messed up psychological game but it then returned. Her condition has worsened and if Wallace is to be believed she has at most a year to live. Ash is now in a position not too dissimilar to the Replicants she used to kill, with very little life left and unsure what to do with it. The ending is simple and to the point — yet fits with her character growth. Ash will spend the time she has left — be that a single year or ten years with Freysa. The past is behind her, the future will attend to itself, all she’s got is the present and it’s time for her to focus on that.
Blade Runner 2039 #12 Is A Subdued… But Fitting Ending
Mike Johnson and Andres Guinaldo have given us a wonderful send-off to a story that started several years ago, and many others have expanded upon. From Mike’s excellent handling of themes and tone to Andres’ superb panel layouts and art design, we have had a chance to follow Ash through an incredible journey. She deserves a rest at last and so does this fantastic creative team.