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Blade Runner 2039 #4 sees the strands leading toward the movie Blade Runner 2049 start to come together in an engaging way. However, it also takes the time to develop its own characters in tandem and not lose sight by effectively being a prequel. Blade Runner 2039 #4 (Titan Comics) is out on April 19th, 2023 by Mike Johnson, Andres Guinaldo, and Veronica Fish.
“Replicant Fertility” In Blade Runner 2039 #4
When the series first started with the title Blade Runner 2019, we noticed some intriguing details that emerged and pointed toward the status quo seen in 2049. As we have continued into the series, these have become more pronounced, and, finally, we have a MacGuffin plot revolving around data that will give Replicants fertility. The child of Rachel and Deckard is the focal point of the mystery in 2049, and back in 2019, there was a hint of the longevity of certain Replicant models.
So now in Blade Runner 2039 #4, we have all this plus Luv from the movie Blade Runner 2049, and what this has done is twofold. It makes the mystery more involved giving the events of the film retroactively more weight.
The film was already sensational but now with the new context, it adds an increased sense of tragedy: this was not just a miracle, it was hope in the face of hopelessness and life in the face of death. This is the power of a really good prequel. Also, it makes Wallace and Luv appear more sinister and layered. Wallace is not merely a rich egotist, he is a smart rich egotist which is exceedingly rare; Luv is not merely Wallace’s lapdog that does his bidding, she has her own code, her own sense of honor; both are ruthless as they are in the film, yet they are more than that (again the power of a good prequel).
Windows Into The Soul
While Mike Johnson has been weaving in and out of the films to create compelling characters and enhance the existing material, Andres Guinaldo has been doing something vital and yet subtle. Guinaldo’s art, as we have mentioned before, has this grimy feel to it which is a good thing for this world. Everything feels bulky; the future from the position of our past rather than our present day. The grotesque nature of some of the cybernetics sells you on the idea that these are not better for humanity but rather lessen us.
In Blade Runner 2039 #4, Guinaldo narrows in on faces and does wonders; Ash’s conflict between sympathizing with the Replicants, hating Wallace, and loving Cleo are clearly evident on her face at one point.
The way Cleo mirrors her younger self from 2019 but in one panel can shift to a more mature look is incredible. The detail of Luv being in a constant state of conflict with herself and others, especially Wallace. There is a mechanized monstrosity that even minor characters like Cas and Pol are hooked up to. They appear miserable until they are fed, after which they seem in ecstasy. It is small emotional shifts like this in the faces that add to the story; shifts that would be absent in other mediums.
Blade Runner 2039 #4 Ramps Things Up For The Next Act!
In Blade Runner 2039 #4, things are beginning to come together that tie into the other volumes as well as the films. Everyone is feeling the tension. An intelligent prequel that is also its own, a rarity but one that is welcome.