Blade Runner: Black Lotus #1 is published by Titan Comics, written by Nancy Collins, illustrated by Enid Balam and coloured by Marco Lesko.
Issue #1 is available 10th August 2022 either directly from Titan Comics online or from your local comic book store, digital copies will be available to download from the usual content providers.
Synopsis
Set after the events of the Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime series!
Elle, aka Black Lotus, hoped she could leave behind her violent past and find a new life. But is that possible in a world where Replicants are still hunted and feared? Expanding the world of Blade Runner with a new type of Replicant!
Review
Titan Comics is diving back in to the world of Blade Runner with new series Black Lotus, spinning off directly from the anime series. In this first issue we pick up the story of Elle, aka Black Lotus. She believes she has made her escape from the oppressive regime and breaks away to make a new life. But nothing is that straight forward in this life and she quickly finds out she will always be hunted.
Events in the settlement are uneasy to say the least. Tensions are high between the settlers and the local fracking plant. The bigwigs are trying to put the squeeze on the remaining settlers. Elle is welcomed into the settler community with offers of food and shelter but with Elle being that bit more special she is always going to be hunted and there are watching eyes on the horizon waiting to make their move.
Black Lotus has been my introduction to the work of writer Nancy Collins. Collins’ wiring style has a unique flow which enabled me to fly through this first issue. The words used to deputed the post-apocalyptic waste land perfectly construct its vast size and many hidden dangers in my mind. The foundations have absolutely been laid for a fantastic series, not to be missed.
The style of Balam’s art is, at face value, simplistic. But it works in tandem with Collins’ words to open up the reader’s mind to the Blade Runner world. The artwork takes you on a page turning journey and I quickly found myself escaping reality as I got lost in the visuals. By the end of the book I was nothing short of stunned by the adventure which had unfolded and I’m absolutely excited for more to come.
Verdict
Blade Runner: Black Lotus‘ first issue lays excellent foundations for the miniseries ahead. It’s a post apocalyptic thriller at its finest, I look forward to seeing how it evolves.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
