What do you think?
Rate this book
Blade Runner 2039 (Collected Editions)
Blade Runner 2039, Vol. 2: Upgrade
This officially sanctioned graphic novel set in the world of the cult 1982 science fiction movie Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott.
Written by the New York Times bestselling author Mike Johnson, writer of Star Trek, Supergirl, Transformers and Green Lantern.
The second arc of Ash’s final adventure sees the retired Blade Runner reunited with Cleo Selwyn, her ward from the first Blade Runner graphic novel, 2019. Together they must go on the run from the deadly and fanatical LUV, the first Replicant Blade Runner seen in the movie Blade Runner 2049.
It’s 2039 and Cleo Selwyn has finally returned to Los Angeles to search for her surrogate Replicant mother Isobel who Cleo believes has been abducted on the orders of Niander Wallace.
Believing that Cleo’s DNA holds the secret of Replicant fertility Wallace has ordered his own personal assistant Replicant, Luv, the world’s first Replicant Blade Runner to hunt down and return Cleo to him and to kill all who stand in her way.
Reuniting with former Blade Runner Aahna ‘Ash’ Ashina, Cleo and Ash set off on a road trip to find her mother with Luv hard on her heels.
Collects Blade Runner 2039 #5-8.
Written by the New York Times bestselling author Mike Johnson, writer of Star Trek, Supergirl, Transformers and Green Lantern.
The second arc of Ash’s final adventure sees the retired Blade Runner reunited with Cleo Selwyn, her ward from the first Blade Runner graphic novel, 2019. Together they must go on the run from the deadly and fanatical LUV, the first Replicant Blade Runner seen in the movie Blade Runner 2049.
It’s 2039 and Cleo Selwyn has finally returned to Los Angeles to search for her surrogate Replicant mother Isobel who Cleo believes has been abducted on the orders of Niander Wallace.
Believing that Cleo’s DNA holds the secret of Replicant fertility Wallace has ordered his own personal assistant Replicant, Luv, the world’s first Replicant Blade Runner to hunt down and return Cleo to him and to kill all who stand in her way.
Reuniting with former Blade Runner Aahna ‘Ash’ Ashina, Cleo and Ash set off on a road trip to find her mother with Luv hard on her heels.
Collects Blade Runner 2039 #5-8.
112 pages, Paperback
Published February 13, 2024
3 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Mike Johnson
615 books54 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Mike Johnson is a comic book writer.
An almost lifelong Trekkie, he has scripted more Star Trek comic books than anyone else to date.
Mike Johnson is a comic book writer.
An almost lifelong Trekkie, he has scripted more Star Trek comic books than anyone else to date.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 25, 2024
The continuing story of Aahna Ash Ashina is another fast paced adventure in the Blade Runner universe.
As in previous stories in the series the plot is well handled and there are plenty of moments when the artwork is left to speak for itself with minimal dialogue.
As in previous stories in the series the plot is well handled and there are plenty of moments when the artwork is left to speak for itself with minimal dialogue.
March 16, 2024
Pretty good.
October 26, 2023
This is actually for issue #8. But I cannot find it listed in Goodreads. Love this series all books are 4 or 5 stars. I will collect the boxed set when it becomes available. Best sci-fi series ever!
March 24, 2024
Well I have now all caught up and now need to work on my patience since it will be a while before I see not only the end of this trilogy but also of the series. I have to say that you can now start to see the pieces all start to fall in to place - both for the comics and the films
As usual I try and keep clear of spoilers which does sort of limit what I can talk about since not only is there significance of the series but also the whole story arc now coming in to focus. The question is who will be left standing as quite clearly not everyone is going to walk away here - after all this is Blade Runner and as the line says "It's too bad she won't live, but then again, who does?"
As usual I try and keep clear of spoilers which does sort of limit what I can talk about since not only is there significance of the series but also the whole story arc now coming in to focus. The question is who will be left standing as quite clearly not everyone is going to walk away here - after all this is Blade Runner and as the line says "It's too bad she won't live, but then again, who does?"
September 10, 2024
As the books narrow in towards Blade Runner 2049, there are finally recognisable characters. So evocative and definitely leading towards a re-watch of 2049. Can't wait to read the third and final? volume.
March 11, 2024
I wanted to give this book 3.5 stars, but it deserved a round up rather than down. It's has good art and story, but the book finishes so quickly.
Aahna Ashina was the most successful, unrelenting, and unrepententing Blade Runner to date. Till she changed sides. Now Wallace unleashes his ace/Ash up his sleeve. Does the real Ash stand a chance against her own upgrade, but for all the good she has done, the replicants her past will still catch up with her.
It is all building up nicely for the final. Though I did think that a few volumes ago, they always managed to pull my interest back in as soon as I finished a book. The book finishes with a cover gallery, a thumbnail varient cover gallery, and a sketchbook.
Aahna Ashina was the most successful, unrelenting, and unrepententing Blade Runner to date. Till she changed sides. Now Wallace unleashes his ace/Ash up his sleeve. Does the real Ash stand a chance against her own upgrade, but for all the good she has done, the replicants her past will still catch up with her.
It is all building up nicely for the final. Though I did think that a few volumes ago, they always managed to pull my interest back in as soon as I finished a book. The book finishes with a cover gallery, a thumbnail varient cover gallery, and a sketchbook.
November 10, 2025
Blade Runner 2039, Vol. II takes the series into bold and fascinating territory, deepening its connection to Blade Runner 2049 through the introduction of Luv, the first fully realized Nexus-9 and eventual enforcer for the Wallace Corporation. Her presence immediately shifts the tone (cold, efficient, and terrifyingly controlled) serving as both a narrative bridge and a stark mirror to everything Ash has become. Mike Johnson use Luv’s early emergence not just as fan service, but as a chilling signpost of what’s to come.
Luv’s interactions with Ash are charged with tension, respect, and dread. You can already see the seeds of the replicant hierarchy that will dominate 2049: a world where synthetic beings oppress each other under human command. Luv represents the next generation: loyal, flawless, and heartbreakingly obedient. In contrast, Ash is a remnant of an older, messier era, one defined by rebellion, doubt, and fractured morality. Their dynamic is less about direct conflict and more about philosophical contrast: Luv as the perfected successor, Ash as the living ghost of everything imperfect but human about the old world.
Adding another layer of complexity is the replicant version of Ash which was a brilliant narrative twist. The idea that Ash’s essence, her memories, and her identity could be replicated blurs the line between survival and replacement. Johnson explore this with restraint but clear intention. The replicant Ash isn’t just a clone; she’s a commentary on legacy and the commodification of the soul. If one can recreate Ash, what does that say about the uniqueness of her struggle, her guilt, or her redemption?
The encounters between the two (the original Ash, aging and disillusioned, and her artificial echo) give this volume its most emotional weight. It’s a conversation across time and flesh, where the meaning of identity itself begins to collapse. Is the replicant Ash a continuation or an erasure? Does she honor the original’s memory or overwrite it? These are the kind of haunting questions that make Blade Runner 2039, Vol. II feel both deeply personal and profoundly mythic.
By intertwining Luv’s emergence with the existential crisis of Ash’s replication, Johnson creates a narrative that feels like a direct prelude to Blade Runner 2049, where the old guard fades into myth and the new world, colder and more efficient, rises in its place. It’s the passing of a torch no one wanted to hand off, yet one that feels heartbreakingly inevitable.
Luv’s interactions with Ash are charged with tension, respect, and dread. You can already see the seeds of the replicant hierarchy that will dominate 2049: a world where synthetic beings oppress each other under human command. Luv represents the next generation: loyal, flawless, and heartbreakingly obedient. In contrast, Ash is a remnant of an older, messier era, one defined by rebellion, doubt, and fractured morality. Their dynamic is less about direct conflict and more about philosophical contrast: Luv as the perfected successor, Ash as the living ghost of everything imperfect but human about the old world.
Adding another layer of complexity is the replicant version of Ash which was a brilliant narrative twist. The idea that Ash’s essence, her memories, and her identity could be replicated blurs the line between survival and replacement. Johnson explore this with restraint but clear intention. The replicant Ash isn’t just a clone; she’s a commentary on legacy and the commodification of the soul. If one can recreate Ash, what does that say about the uniqueness of her struggle, her guilt, or her redemption?
The encounters between the two (the original Ash, aging and disillusioned, and her artificial echo) give this volume its most emotional weight. It’s a conversation across time and flesh, where the meaning of identity itself begins to collapse. Is the replicant Ash a continuation or an erasure? Does she honor the original’s memory or overwrite it? These are the kind of haunting questions that make Blade Runner 2039, Vol. II feel both deeply personal and profoundly mythic.
By intertwining Luv’s emergence with the existential crisis of Ash’s replication, Johnson creates a narrative that feels like a direct prelude to Blade Runner 2049, where the old guard fades into myth and the new world, colder and more efficient, rises in its place. It’s the passing of a torch no one wanted to hand off, yet one that feels heartbreakingly inevitable.
May 9, 2024
I'm fully onboard the Blade Runner wagon at this point. At the mid-point of the third trilogy, I'm very familiar with the characters, so each scene and interaction feels meaningful, even as I'm aware that this volume is kinda bland. So, take the four stars with a grain of salt.
Ash needs to find Cleo in San Francisco before the replicant Ash and Luv can hunt Cleo down first. The book is essentially a road trip/chase scene from start to finish, so the pacing is great even as the world-building is set aside. For example, San Fran is a burned out husk of a city, but we never really learn why or get to dig into the setting.
The volume's conclusion is rather sudden and oddly pat, but as noted earlier: I'm very much along for the ride at this point.
Ash needs to find Cleo in San Francisco before the replicant Ash and Luv can hunt Cleo down first. The book is essentially a road trip/chase scene from start to finish, so the pacing is great even as the world-building is set aside. For example, San Fran is a burned out husk of a city, but we never really learn why or get to dig into the setting.
The volume's conclusion is rather sudden and oddly pat, but as noted earlier: I'm very much along for the ride at this point.
January 4, 2025
To hunt the hunter use the hunter. Since Ash and her group seems to be pretty skilled at evading Wallace's thugs he decides to replicate Ash and use it together with Luv to hunt down Cleo and Isobel.
As they try to evade the enemy our hero will come to conclusion that in order to make sure everyone is safe, fight needs to be brought to Wallace. They just need to make sure he is neutralized, which is easier said than done.
Visually I have to give it to the team, they managed to keep the look and feel constant throughout the episodes. I can only say bravo.
Recommended to fans of SF action/adventure.
As they try to evade the enemy our hero will come to conclusion that in order to make sure everyone is safe, fight needs to be brought to Wallace. They just need to make sure he is neutralized, which is easier said than done.
Visually I have to give it to the team, they managed to keep the look and feel constant throughout the episodes. I can only say bravo.
Recommended to fans of SF action/adventure.
April 24, 2025
Blade Runner 2039, Vol. 2: Upgrade
Excellent gritty story continues.
This volume is everything a Blade Runner fan could hope for—dark, moody, and unrelenting. The art is razor-sharp, the dialogue crackles with tension, and the plot drives forward like a spinner on fire.
Standout moments:
#5: "Should’a stuck to the highway like everybody else."
#6: "Hell you doing out here anyway?"
#7: "You really going to waltz into the city alone? You know it’s a death trap, right?"
#8: "I’m going back to the city... Niander Wallace is going to die."
It’s noir. It’s personal. And it’s headed straight into the heart of the machine. Highly recommended.
…………………….
Excellent gritty story continues.
This volume is everything a Blade Runner fan could hope for—dark, moody, and unrelenting. The art is razor-sharp, the dialogue crackles with tension, and the plot drives forward like a spinner on fire.
Standout moments:
#5: "Should’a stuck to the highway like everybody else."
#6: "Hell you doing out here anyway?"
#7: "You really going to waltz into the city alone? You know it’s a death trap, right?"
#8: "I’m going back to the city... Niander Wallace is going to die."
It’s noir. It’s personal. And it’s headed straight into the heart of the machine. Highly recommended.
…………………….
April 22, 2024
Pretty good, though not a whole lot happens in this volume. Ash tracks Isobel to the ruins of San Francisco, which we see in brief glimpses. Wish there was more to this. Meanwhile Luv and a newly-created replicant version of Ash are hot on their trail. And that's about it--some chases, a couple of gunfights, and now we're waiting for the next volume. The art is good, though there are times when it is difficult to distinguish between the characters.
February 28, 2024
Beautifully realised version of the Blade Runner story. Interesting development bringing in a character from Blade Runner 2049. I'm just glad I read Vol 1 straight before this. and wish the editions were released closer together!
February 28, 2025
Blade Runner 2039 vol 2 continues to deliver a worthy tale set in the world of Blade Runner. Titan Comics continues to succeed in expanding arguably the best cyber punk universe in pop culture. Looking forward to reading volume 3.
February 24, 2024
This was very good. I love the Blade Runner series.
March 9, 2024
Great series. I'm looking forward to the last volume. Some nice references to the film 2049 coming in.
June 28, 2024
Road trip. New blade runners go on the hunt. San Francisco is a disaster zone.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews