Last winter, rogue replicants were all the rage when the neo-noir future of the “Blade Runner” universe was resurrected in a Crunchyroll Originals and Adult Swim animated TV show that represented the first-ever “Blade Runner” anime series.Â
Now a new neon-soaked comic book sequel to the popular anime program from Titan Comics is expanding the sci-fi saga even further by picking up after the wild android-killing events that unfolded on the small screen from November 14, 2021 to February 6, 2022.Â
Written by Nancy Collins (“Swamp Thing,” “Vampirella”) and adorned with electrifying illustrations by Mexican artist Enid Balam, Titan’s “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” is a four-issue miniseries that returns to the world of the amnesiac assassin named Elle, AKA Black Lotus.Â
Here, Elle is rocked by the reality that she can’t escape her troubled backstory to settle down into a peaceful routine in a future where her kind are still feared and hunted down.
The original 13-episode “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” TV series was set in the year 2032 between the events of the two “Blade Runner” Hollywood movies that took place in 2019 and 2049 respectively. The anime series’ dynamic plotline follows a young replicant named Elle who awakens with no memories but exhibits some deadly ninja-like skills. Two clues to her mysterious identity are a locked data device and a distinctive tattoo of a black lotus.Â
While piecing the puzzle together, she must hunt down the culprits responsible for her violent and bloody past to discover the truth of her own shattered existence. “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” was animated by Sola Digital Arts, and co-directors Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama, who were both hardcore fans of the iconic “Blade Runner” film helmed by Ridley Scott.
It starred Jessica Henwick as the voice of Elle, and presented an interesting backstory for the “Blade Runner 2049” antagonist Niander Wallace as portrayed in the Denis Villeneuve-directed movie by Jared Leto. Actor Wes Bentley provided Wallace’s voice in the TV show.
This will be the London-based publisher’s fourth major “Blade Runner” comic book event title following “Blade Runner 2019,” “Blade Runner 2029,” and “Blade Runner Origins.”
Titan Comics’ “Blade Runner: Black Lotus #1” lands in comic shops on June 1, 2022 with variant covers courtesy of artists Junggeun Yoon, Creees Lee and Mico Suayan.Â
