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Blade Runner 2039 (Collected Editions)
Blade Runner 2039, Vol. 3: Ash
The final chapter in the ASH saga, which spans 30 years! Featuring the Replicant Luv from Blade Runner 2049 and her creator Niander Wallace.
The officially sanctioned, critically-acclaimed, graphic novel. Written by the New York Times Bestselling author Mike Johnson, writer of Star Trek , Supergirl , Transformers and Green Lantern.
In 2019, Aahna “Ash” Ashina was the LAPD’s most efficient and feared Blade Runner. Two decades later and Ash has lives ‘off-grid’ as fugitive outlaw helping Replicants escape their enslaved servitude and survive undetected on Earth.
Now, in 2039, Niander’s own personal assistant, Luv, has become the first Replicant to be accepted into the Blade Runner unit, but she has a secret agenda, find Cleo, the daughter of industrialist Alexander Selwyn whom Ash helped to escape 20 years earlier.
Now, as Ash’s past and future collide, her astonishing story finally concludes as she faces her greatest challenge saving the city she loves from the insane machinations of Niander Wallace, heir of the Tyrell empire. It's up to Ash to keep the truth about the Replicant miracle (seen in Blade Runner 2049) a secret, and to fulfill the pact she made years ago to those she loves most.
The future itself is at stake.
The officially sanctioned, critically-acclaimed, graphic novel. Written by the New York Times Bestselling author Mike Johnson, writer of Star Trek , Supergirl , Transformers and Green Lantern.
In 2019, Aahna “Ash” Ashina was the LAPD’s most efficient and feared Blade Runner. Two decades later and Ash has lives ‘off-grid’ as fugitive outlaw helping Replicants escape their enslaved servitude and survive undetected on Earth.
Now, in 2039, Niander’s own personal assistant, Luv, has become the first Replicant to be accepted into the Blade Runner unit, but she has a secret agenda, find Cleo, the daughter of industrialist Alexander Selwyn whom Ash helped to escape 20 years earlier.
Now, as Ash’s past and future collide, her astonishing story finally concludes as she faces her greatest challenge saving the city she loves from the insane machinations of Niander Wallace, heir of the Tyrell empire. It's up to Ash to keep the truth about the Replicant miracle (seen in Blade Runner 2049) a secret, and to fulfill the pact she made years ago to those she loves most.
The future itself is at stake.
112 pages, Paperback
Published August 13, 2024
3 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Mike Johnson
614 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.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 30, 2024
The final instalment in the Blade Runner series featuring Ash brings her story to a satisfying conclusion. Great artwork adds to a fine story and it's been a welcome addition to the Blade Runner universe.
September 10, 2024
Well, just, Bravo! Nice to have an epic series stick the landing.
January 1, 2025
And so I finally get to complete the latest Blade Runner trilogy - this time 2039 which sets the stage for the second of the films - yes there are some nice references here although sadly not spoilers - just a shame really that this series was published a little closer to the film I think it would have helped.
Either way it gave a satisfactory ending to the trilogy of trilogies (if that make sense) but without compromising the bleak and gritty story telling we have come to expect from this world.
There are some great references to the previous material both film and print and it does finally feel like there is a whole world out there to explore - I have no idea what if anything comes next - I just hope there is as this has been the best addition I have seen in many years
Either way it gave a satisfactory ending to the trilogy of trilogies (if that make sense) but without compromising the bleak and gritty story telling we have come to expect from this world.
There are some great references to the previous material both film and print and it does finally feel like there is a whole world out there to explore - I have no idea what if anything comes next - I just hope there is as this has been the best addition I have seen in many years
August 28, 2024
A good ending.
August 29, 2024
Good link to 2049. Wallace is great.
"I will restore awe to our species."
"I will restore awe to our species."
November 10, 2025
Blade Runner 2039, Vol. III: Ash brings not only the 2039 arc but Ash’s entire saga to a powerful and poetic conclusion. It’s a finale that feels both inevitable and deeply earned — the natural endpoint of a character who has walked through every shade of moral ambiguity this world has to offer. This volume closes the circle on decades of storytelling with precision, heartbreak, and purpose, leading seamlessly into the world we know from Blade Runner 2049.
By this point, the once-defiant Aahna “Ash” Ashina is a shadow of her former self. A weary, scarred, and flawed character who is still clinging to her principles in a world that has moved beyond her. Her arc across 2019, 2029, and 2039 charts one of the richest character evolutions in modern sci-fi comics: from hunter to fugitive, from fighter to martyr. In this final volume she becomes the embodiment of the very question that defines Blade Runner itself: what does it mean to be human in a world where even humanity can be manufactured?
Meanwhile, the presence of Luv and the tightening grip of the Wallace Corporation bring the timeline perfectly into alignment with Blade Runner 2049. We witness the crumbling of the old Tyrell legacy, the rise of Wallace’s genetic empire, and the gradual reshaping of Los Angeles into the colder, more stratified world seen in the film. It’s all there but not through exposition, instead through tone and implication. By the end, you can practically feel the storm clouds of 2049 gathering.
What’s most impressive is how this volume (and the 2039 trilogy as a whole) manages to enrich the film rather than merely lead into it. 2049 always felt like a world haunted by the ghosts of stories we hadn’t seen; 2039 gives those ghosts names, faces, and meaning. Ash becomes the missing link, a woman who fought against the system long before K ever questioned his purpose, and whose actions helped shape the fragile balance that defines the later era.
The conclusion is melancholic yet strangely hopeful, the kind of ending Blade Runner stories excel at. Ash’s journey ends not with triumph, but with understanding that no rebellion, no matter how small or doomed, is ever truly meaningless.
In the end, Blade Runner 2039: Ash stands as the perfect capstone to the entire continuity: emotionally resonant, narratively tight, and thematically rich. It completes Ash’s story with grace and clarity while merging flawlessly into the cinematic timeline. For long-time readers and film fans alike, it’s the moment where the rain stops — not because the world is saved, but because the story has come full circle.
By this point, the once-defiant Aahna “Ash” Ashina is a shadow of her former self. A weary, scarred, and flawed character who is still clinging to her principles in a world that has moved beyond her. Her arc across 2019, 2029, and 2039 charts one of the richest character evolutions in modern sci-fi comics: from hunter to fugitive, from fighter to martyr. In this final volume she becomes the embodiment of the very question that defines Blade Runner itself: what does it mean to be human in a world where even humanity can be manufactured?
Meanwhile, the presence of Luv and the tightening grip of the Wallace Corporation bring the timeline perfectly into alignment with Blade Runner 2049. We witness the crumbling of the old Tyrell legacy, the rise of Wallace’s genetic empire, and the gradual reshaping of Los Angeles into the colder, more stratified world seen in the film. It’s all there but not through exposition, instead through tone and implication. By the end, you can practically feel the storm clouds of 2049 gathering.
What’s most impressive is how this volume (and the 2039 trilogy as a whole) manages to enrich the film rather than merely lead into it. 2049 always felt like a world haunted by the ghosts of stories we hadn’t seen; 2039 gives those ghosts names, faces, and meaning. Ash becomes the missing link, a woman who fought against the system long before K ever questioned his purpose, and whose actions helped shape the fragile balance that defines the later era.
The conclusion is melancholic yet strangely hopeful, the kind of ending Blade Runner stories excel at. Ash’s journey ends not with triumph, but with understanding that no rebellion, no matter how small or doomed, is ever truly meaningless.
In the end, Blade Runner 2039: Ash stands as the perfect capstone to the entire continuity: emotionally resonant, narratively tight, and thematically rich. It completes Ash’s story with grace and clarity while merging flawlessly into the cinematic timeline. For long-time readers and film fans alike, it’s the moment where the rain stops — not because the world is saved, but because the story has come full circle.
June 6, 2025
A Gripping, Thoughtful Finale for Ash
Blade Runner 2039: Volume 3 – Ash brings the series to a powerful and emotionally resonant close. This final arc honors the noir tradition of the Blade Runner universe while giving its central character, Ash, a fitting and poignant conclusion.
As ever, the storytelling is sharp and layered, weaving action with introspective depth. Issue #9 sets the tone with a meditation on power and obsolescence: "Gods come and go. Always been so in the city of angels.... Every god competes with the ghosts of the ones that came before." That line captures the series’ overarching themes of identity, legacy, and the churn of history in a world that forgets too easily.
There’s still grit and tension, like in the streetwise banter of issue #10:
"Cop pays for crumbs?"
"Crumbs. You mean INFORMATION."
"Smart cop!"
This volume keeps the Blade Runner mood alive with morally gray characters and high-stakes moves in a city that’s always watching.
Issue #11 reminds us that rebellion comes with a cost and courage often means acting despite futility:
"You'll never touch Niander. You're making a mistake."
"Latest in a long line."
Ash’s journey is one of both resistance and redemption.
And when we arrive at the end, the tone shifts from vengeance to acceptance. The closing line of issue #12 lingers like a benediction: "I'll just be grateful for whatever time I get. And hope I've earned it." It’s understated, but deeply human—perfectly in line with the heart beneath the synthetic surface of the series.
If Volume 1 introduced us to a disillusioned Blade Runner, and Volume 2 put her into the fire, then Volume 3 lets her rise—flawed, haunted, but resolute. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s an excellent one, and a satisfying conclusion to a character arc that has earned its place in the Blade Runner canon.
Blade Runner 2039: Volume 3 – Ash brings the series to a powerful and emotionally resonant close. This final arc honors the noir tradition of the Blade Runner universe while giving its central character, Ash, a fitting and poignant conclusion.
As ever, the storytelling is sharp and layered, weaving action with introspective depth. Issue #9 sets the tone with a meditation on power and obsolescence: "Gods come and go. Always been so in the city of angels.... Every god competes with the ghosts of the ones that came before." That line captures the series’ overarching themes of identity, legacy, and the churn of history in a world that forgets too easily.
There’s still grit and tension, like in the streetwise banter of issue #10:
"Cop pays for crumbs?"
"Crumbs. You mean INFORMATION."
"Smart cop!"
This volume keeps the Blade Runner mood alive with morally gray characters and high-stakes moves in a city that’s always watching.
Issue #11 reminds us that rebellion comes with a cost and courage often means acting despite futility:
"You'll never touch Niander. You're making a mistake."
"Latest in a long line."
Ash’s journey is one of both resistance and redemption.
And when we arrive at the end, the tone shifts from vengeance to acceptance. The closing line of issue #12 lingers like a benediction: "I'll just be grateful for whatever time I get. And hope I've earned it." It’s understated, but deeply human—perfectly in line with the heart beneath the synthetic surface of the series.
If Volume 1 introduced us to a disillusioned Blade Runner, and Volume 2 put her into the fire, then Volume 3 lets her rise—flawed, haunted, but resolute. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s an excellent one, and a satisfying conclusion to a character arc that has earned its place in the Blade Runner canon.
January 4, 2025
Final volume in this series [following former blade runner Ash].
While some would say ending is so-so, I have to say that authors managed to end this on a [for SF story] realistic, and most importantly positive [Cyberpunk 2077 pay attention please!] note.
How can you destroy somebody like Wallace and his corporation? In all truth you cannot, it is suicide mission at best. But then again is that what he looks for actually one way street, is it given that he will gain full control over the replicants with new knowledge?
I always liked original Jurassic Park movie and comment of one of the scientists how life always finds way. And if life can find way, is that seeding the chains to hold the masses or actually providing tools for the liberation? I opt for the latter, and so does Ash.
Interesting ending for a very good comic series. Art as always is excellent.
Recommended to fans of action/adventure.
While some would say ending is so-so, I have to say that authors managed to end this on a [for SF story] realistic, and most importantly positive [Cyberpunk 2077 pay attention please!] note.
How can you destroy somebody like Wallace and his corporation? In all truth you cannot, it is suicide mission at best. But then again is that what he looks for actually one way street, is it given that he will gain full control over the replicants with new knowledge?
I always liked original Jurassic Park movie and comment of one of the scientists how life always finds way. And if life can find way, is that seeding the chains to hold the masses or actually providing tools for the liberation? I opt for the latter, and so does Ash.
Interesting ending for a very good comic series. Art as always is excellent.
Recommended to fans of action/adventure.
August 29, 2024
I was not really expecting much from this book, but it still managed to disappoint me. The book is extremely rushed, and there is not really anything surprising in the book. The artwork is okay, but the fights are pretty lame.
Can Ash out think and get past a fast and stronger replicant version of her? She even has her memories and skills. However, maybe replicant Ash has something else as well.The book finishes with a varient cover gallery and a sketchbook of panels as well as covers.
Can Ash out think and get past a fast and stronger replicant version of her? She even has her memories and skills. However, maybe replicant Ash has something else as well.The book finishes with a varient cover gallery and a sketchbook of panels as well as covers.
October 13, 2024
Kind of a blah, disappointing non-ending here. Granted, Niander Wallace can't die in this miniseries because he's obviously still alive in 2049, but it does seem like there's something more significant that could have been done here with him and his favorite replicant, LUV, than this story does. Still, as I've said in other reviews, it's new Blade Runner content and I'll take all of that I can get, even if it doesn't quite live up to my expectations.
March 1, 2025
This was a good ending to the Ash saga. After having read all three series - 2019, 2029 and 2039 I'm happy to have gone along for her journey. The ending felt a little anticlimactic but it was still a satisfying enough end to this saga and to the stories of Ash, Cleo, Isobel, Freya and the other characters in the story.
April 28, 2024
This series has been excellent all the way thru and everything is in trades so I can't recommend it enough. Titan has definitely inhabited the Blade Runner universe in interesting ways and Ash has been fun to follow....
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews