New Blade Runner Series Returns to Tokyo

3 weeks ago 38

Mead and Stix on the Blade Runner To Lose Is To Win cover

Published Jun 30, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Ryan Smith is located just south of Boston and is a lifelong fan of movies, comics, music and all things pop culture... and pro wrestling, but don't hold that against him.

Blade Runner is a quintessential science fiction story that any fan of the genre owes it to themselves to watch at least once. Not nearly as flashy as Star Wars, Harrison Ford's second most-famous sci-fi outing is a noir thriller that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats with every developing beat.

In 2017, Blade Runner 2049 was released in theaters, continuing the story of Rick Deckard's character and introducing Ryan Gosling's Officer K. Both films are considered classics, but now the Blade Runner story continues in an entirely new setting with Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus. Tokyo Nexus has now entered its second arc, and things look to be getting wild.

Blade Runner Enters Unexplored Territory With Tokyo Nexus

In the next chapter for Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus, titled To Lose Is To Win, Blade Runner Rumiko is on the hunt for the Aurora tech stolen by Stix and Mead during their failed Kalathia mission. This has brought her to Omiya — where, on the snow-lined Shiwa Shrine Road, she finds herself facing off against its deadly guardian in a samurai duel to the death. Writer Nancy Collins and artist Mariano Taibo have really taken the Blade Runner concept, and by placing it in an entirely new setting, they have made their own refreshing pocket of the universe.

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, Mead has discovered what killed Miyuki Nomura, and its implications threaten to expose a conspiracy at the heart of the ruling Yakuzi family. To Lose Is To Win is shaping up to be more than worth the read. The intrigue is building and looks to be growing into a natural crescendo.

Tokyo Nexus Lives Up To the Legacy Of Blade Runner

Stix running through Tokyo in Blade Runner

1982's Blade Runner set a high bar for the science fiction genre — especially when it comes to the noir genre. Blade Runner 2049 masterfully followed up on that with an underrated story that deserves far more recognition. Thankfully, Nancy Collins and Mariano Taibo's Tokyo Nexus is not only living up to the lofty expectations set, but it's also adding action and tension where one would never have expected.

Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus' first four issues are a great reintroduction to the Blade Runner universe, and To Lose Is To Win is an immediate follow-up the story deserves. Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus: To Lose Is To Win #3 drops on July 1 from Titan Comics.