A Marvel Comics Super Special: Blade Runner is a comic book adaptation of the film, Blade Runner published by Marvel Comics in September 1982. It was written by Archie Goodwin with art by Al Williamson and Ralph Reese.
This was issue 22 of the Marvel Comics Super Special series of titles which by this time only printed Marvel's movie adaptations. It was reprinted in October 1982 as a two-issue mini-series but without the feature content contained in the special.
In the United Kingdom, it was reprinted as the Blade Runner Annual published by Grandreams. Again, the feature content of the original special was not reprinted.
Differences from the film[]
The comic contains several differences from all versions of the film, many of them having originally appeared in the February 23, 1981 draft of the film's screenplay.
- Much of the dialogue is different throughout.
- Some spellings are different. For example "Off-world" is instead "Offworld" and "Rachael" is instead "Rachel."
- The comic opens with two definitions of "android" (one being from the 1976 edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language) as well as a definition of "replicant" purportedly from the 2012 New International edition of Webster's Dictionary. These originally appeared in the February 23, 1981 draft.
- Leon stands to shoot Holden the first time. His second shot is performed as he starts to leave the room. The shots send Holden into the wall instead of through it. Further, the comic implies that Holden might not have survived.
- Bryant states that five replicants escaped from the Off-world colonies to Earth.
- The comic gives minor additional details on the backstories of Roy Batty, Bryant, and Rick Deckard.
- Deckard finds the scale in Leon's apartment on the floor rather than in the bathtub.
- J.F. Sebastian gives his age as twenty rather than twenty-five. This is consistent with his age in the February 23, 1981 draft.
- Rachael shoots Leon in the back rather than through the head.
- Bryant informs Deckard of Rachael being a new target after Leon is killed rather than before. This is consistent with the February 23, 1981 draft.
- Rachael does not try to leave Deckard's apartment, and the "love scene" is overall less forceful on Deckard's part.
- The comic identifies the Tyrell Corporation's vice president as Dr. Herman Schlect, who provides Deckard with Sebastian's phone number. This exchange originally appeared in the February 23, 1981 draft.
Cover gallery[]