Tag Archive: Mike Johnson


Blade Runner Origins–Take a first look back before the 1982 movie today as new series begins

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March 10, 2021

Review by C.J. Bunce

Last year Titan Comics took fans of the Blade Runner movie franchise back to the future with the comic book series Blade Runner 2019 (reviewed here at borg).  Both the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and prequel to Blade Runner 2049, the series expanded the franchise based on characters and settings created by Philip K. Dick.  Then the series went back 20 years before the theatrical sequel in Blade Runner 2029.  Now for the first time writers K. Perkins, Mellow Brown, and Mike Johnson, and artists Fernando Dagnino and Marco Lesko are taking the entire franchise–the canon stories and timeline–back before the original Ridley Scott movie in the series Blade Runner Origins.  Dick’s universe is one of borgs called Replicants and those who hunt them, called Blade Runners.  This is the story of the first Blade Runner, and we assume we’ll see another prequel one day about the creation of the first Replicants.

   

Check out our sneak preview of artwork from Issue #1 of Blade Runner Origins and 18 series variant covers below.

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Preview–Blade Runner lives on in third chapter of award-winning sequel

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January 15, 2021

Some of the best dystopian futurism in years comes to a conclusion in the third volume of Blade Runner 2019, the official sequel to the cult classic 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott.  Co-written by Michael Green, the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Logan, Blade Runner 2049, and Murder on the Orient Express, and prolific comics writer Mike Johnson (Batman, Star Trek, Transformers) with artwork from Andres Guinaldo (Nightwing, Justice League Dark), Blade Runner 2019 Volume 3–Home Again, Home Again finds ex-Blade Runner Ash returning from the Off-World colonies to the rain-soaked future Los Angeles.

Take a look at a preview of this new chapter in the Blade Runner story below courtesy of Titan Comics.

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Blade Runner Artist’s Edition–A great noir take on the spin-off sci-fi series

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December 19, 2020

This year the Blade Runner movie franchise took fans into their past and future with the comic book series Blade Runner 2019 (review here at borg).  Both the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and prequel to Blade Runner 2049, the series introduced a new Blade Runner, a female engineered cyborg named Ashina, or “Ash.”  Earlier this month we previewed here at borg a new series featuring Ash ten years later in the pages of Blade Runner 2029.  Coming next month, readers are in for a visual treat, as Titan Comics is releasing an Artist’s Edition of Blade Runner 2019: Los Angeles–the first volume collecting the first four issues of the series.  Reproducing the pencil artwork of Andres Guinaldo without the overlaid inking and colors, this book provides a different reading experience, creating noir feel from a different angle.  The result is gorgeous.

Check out our sneak preview of artwork from Volume #1 of the Artist’s Edition of Blade Runner 2019, courtesy of Titan Comics:

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Blade Runner 2029–Sequel comics tie-in looks 10 years into the franchise’s future

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December 8, 2020

Just this past Fall, Titan Comics took fans of the Blade Runner movie franchise into their past and future with the comic book series Blade Runner 2019 (review here at borg).  Both the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and prequel to Blade Runner 2049, the series introduced a new Blade Runner, a female engineered cyborg named Ash.  Beginning next week readers will find Ash ten years later in the pages of Blade Runner 2029.  With the ghosts of the Tyrell corporation always in the shadows, Ashina has a new mission, a personal one, and she decides to seek a lost target from her past.

Check out our sneak preview of artwork from Issue #1 of Blade Runner 2029, courtesy of Titan Comics:

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First look–New chapter begins for Blade Runner sequel/prequel

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September 23, 2020

Review by C.J. Bunce

It’s the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and prequel to Blade Runner 2049, giving fans of either or both a look into the world created by Philip K. Dick in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?  Blade Runner stories continue as Titan Comics looks to the parallel Earth future in Blade Runner 2019.  The first nine issues introduced us to ex-Blade Runner Ash and Cleo, daughter of business magnate Alexander Selwyn.  It’s now 2026.  On returning to Los Angeles, Ash sleuthed out the location of Selwyn, but Selwyn knows Ash is after him, and has created a new Blade Runner.  Of course the ghosts of Tyrell are always in the shadows.

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IDW’s Star Trek: Picard prequel comic arrives in trade edition this summer

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April 29, 2020

 

If you’ve finally caught up with the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard, now would be a good time to go back and check out IDW Publishing’s three-part prequel comic book series, which is scheduled to be released in trade paperback form this summer.  Star Trek Picard: Countdown is IDW’s latest Star Trek prequel series, following series like the stellar Star Trek: Countdown, where comic book readers first (and last) saw retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek canon, and Star Trek Discovery: The Light of Kahless, the lead-in to the Star Trek: Discovery TV series.

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Preview–Captain Pike bridges season gap in new Star Trek Discovery series

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September 3, 2019

 

Fans of CBS All Access’s Star Trek Discovery have a new series interlude to check out, and it follows the continuing exploits of a fan-favorite character.  IDW Publishing launches the new comic book mini-series Star Trek Discovery: Aftermath this Wednesday.  The series follows the ongoing exploits of Captain Christopher Pike.  The “aftermath” of the title?  The story looks into the crew of the Enterprise in the aftermath of the season two finale, featuring other series regulars including young Spock and Number One.

The three-part story is written by Star Trek Voyager novelist Kirsten Beyer and IDW’s longest-running Star Trek writer, Mike Johnson, with artwork by one of IDW’s top Star Trek artists, Tony Shasteen (his likenesses of Rebecca Romijn as Number One in particular are excellent) and colors by JD Mettler.  Old Federation rivals the Klingons take center stage in a bit of an homage and callback (call forward?) to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “A Matter of Honor.”  The art of Angel Hernandez is featured on the standard covers for the series, with an alternate cover for the first issue by George Caltsoudas, plus a photo cover.

 

Here is a preview of Star Trek Discovery: Aftermath, courtesy of IDW Publishing:

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First look–Blade Runner gets its first movie tie-in series and a perfect first chapter

Filed under: Comics & Books, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café — Leave a comment
July 10, 2019

Review by C.J. Bunce

It’s what Blade Runner fans have been waiting for, and if your appetite was whetted by the movie Blade Runner 2049, then you’re going to want to check our the next era of Blade Runner stories as Titan Comics goes back to a parallel Earth future in Blade Runner 2019.  The future is now.  It’s been worth the wait, as the new story looks and feels like we’re back inside Philip K. Dick’s original vision in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?  In the neo-noir city of Los Angeles, 2019, Ash, a veteran Blade Runner, is working the kidnapping of a billionaire’s wife and child.  Is the CEO of the new Canaan Corporation any better than those behind the Tyrell Corporation?  Written by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049), with co-writer Mike Johnson (Supergirl, Star Trek), get ready for Blade Runner to experience the treatment we’ve seen in recent years for franchises like Firefly, Planet of the Apes, and Alien, as another new world of science fiction storytelling opens up.  Green and Johnson have written a perfect first chapter.

This very first original, in-canon story set in the Blade Runner universe is illustrated by Andres Guinaldo (Justice League Dark, Captain America) with brilliant color work by Marco Lesko.   You’re going to see something surprising in Guinaldo’s artwork–not only is this the world of Philip K. Dick, Ridley Scott, and Syd Mead′s neo-noir future, readers will see influences from cyberpunk and tech-noir classics like John Carpenter′s Escape from New York, Luc Besson′s The Fifth Element and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Neill Blomkamp′s Elysium, James Cameron′s The Terminator and Aliens, Robert Rodriguez′s Alita: Battle Angel, and the other futureworlds adapted to film from Philip K. Dick′s stories.  It all probably comes down to the versatility, breadth, and influence of concept artist Syd Mead, but the creators do give due credit to Dick, Scott, Hampton Fancher, David Peoples, Michael Deeley–and Mead–for the look and feel of their new story.

The first issue arrives next Wednesday, and you can pick from four cover options, from Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Andreas Guinaldo, John Royle, and an original concept piece by Syd Mead.

Check out our sneak preview of the first issue of Blade Runner 2019, courtesy of Titan Comics, plus a new trailer for the series released just today:

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Not just a meme–Blade Runner 2019 title is locked in, with first look at characters in new series

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February 22, 2019

As we first previewed here at borg last July, Titan Publishing and Alcon Media Group, the producer behind more than 30 films over the past 20 years, announced a partnership that will mean the beginning of an expanded universe of stories for Rick Deckard, Replicants, and the world of Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049.  Today Titan Comics released its first look at the new comic book series, and revealed its title, Blade Runner 2019.  The original film and this year have been the subject of millions of shared memes commenting on the fact that the real 2019 looks little like Ridley Scott’s 1982 vision of 2019.

The new series will be “in canon” comics and graphic novels that dive deeper into the Blade Runner world.  According to an Alcon representative, “The Blade Runner universe has barely been explored; there is so much more there.  It’s an honour to be bringing this world to life in new ways for a new audience – and to reveal tales from that universe that you’ve never seen before.”  Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner was adapted from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, a novel by science fiction legend Philip K. Dick, who endorsed the original film project in 1982, but died before its release.

New character concept drawings for Blade Runner 2019.

Launching this summer, Titan Comics’ new series will be set during the exact timeframe of the original 1982 Blade Runner film, and feature a mostly new set of characters and situations.   Artist Andres Guinaldo (Justice League Dark, Captain America) created the above first looks at characters featured in the new story.  He joins Oscar-nominated Blade Runner 2049 screenwriter Michael Green (Logan) and Mike Johnson (Star Trek, Super­man/Batman) on the series.

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Preview–Star Trek Discovery comic book series is heading your way tomorrow

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November 28, 2017

A Star Trek Discovery comic book series is coming your way tomorrow from IDW Publishing.  A lead-in prequel to the events of this year’s new television show, this four-part limited series delves into the warrior culture of the Klingons, and hones in on T’Kuvma, the Klingon leader played by actor Chris Obi, who stands apart from the other members of the Klingon Empire.

The series is written by TV series episode writer Kirsten Beyer and IDW Kelvin timeline story writer Mike Johnson.  Artwork is supplied by fan favorite cover and interior artist Tony Shasteen, well known for his work on several Star Trek series.  All three are recent veterans of the popular Star Trek: Boldly Go monthly.

The Star Trek Discovery universe begins in comic form with “The Light of Kahless,” a story that will ring familiar for fans of Klingon-centric episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation like “Redemption,” “Birthright,” “Rightful Heir,” and “Firstborn.”  Tony Shasteen’s artwork and the color work by J.D. Mettler provide a striking recreation of the newly updated Klingons from the television series, with clear cultural callbacks to the Klingons of past series.  So expect to see some bat’leths and d’k tahgs along the way.

Sneak preview of future artwork from the series.

Check out this preview of Issue #1 of Star Trek Discovery, “The Light of Kahless,” courtesy of IDW Publishing:

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