Return to the world of the hit anime series set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS. Rebecca and her big brother Pilar pursue their dream of becoming a legendary edgerunner just like their father. And in Night City, where violence, greed, and corruption run rampant, they’ll have to abandon who they once were and dive headlong into the mayhem, where they’ll struggle, suffer, and sow chaos everywhere they go! But when a mysterious man appears, the trajectory of their future takes a turn. Witness pure madness as they rush through Night City to prove themselves as edgerunners!
The Cyberpunk 2020 franchise has taken the world by storm, with the CD Projekt Red video game and comic spinoffs generating a strong following. However, a solid argument could be made that the biggest success to come out of the franchise is the Netflix anime series – Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Produced by Studio Trigger – the acclaimed anime studio behind Kill la Kill and Promare, the series was a major hit for not only Cyberpunk fans but also struck a chord with anime fans. Studio Trigger’s stylish visual flair and the cool characters resulted in the show being a huge success culminating in winning Anime of The Year in the 7th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
With all this success, it was inevitable that this corner of the Cyberpunk world would be revisited. A sequel is currently in production and to hold over fans, this month sees the release of a prequel manga written by the anime’s screenwriter Bartosz Sztybor with art by Asano – who illustrated the manga adaptation of Trigger’s previous series BNA.
Right from the get-go, this is a spinoff that ticks all the right boxes. From a visual standpoint, Asano perfectly captures the aesthetic and tone that is such an integral part to the Cyberpunk world. As you’d imagine for a project where the visual style is key to the franchise’s identity, this is hugely important. Beyond measuring up to what has already been established, Asano’s experience working on Trigger properties gives them a big advantage when it comes to depicting the studio’s very identifiable style that fans have become accustomed to expect.
As far as story goes, this manga also excels under Cyberpunk regular key contributor Bartosz Sztybor’s watchful eye. As one of the main scenario writers of the game and screenwriter of the Edgerunners anime, he knows this world and characters inside out. He makes great use of this opportunity to delve into the characters of Rebecca and Pilar. Rebecca – who was already a fan-favourite following the anime – in particular benefits greatly from this prequel with several key events shown that mold her into the character fans know and love.
This is a perfect expansion of the already rich Cyberpunk world and will more than satisfy fans eager for the next chapter in the Edgerunners saga.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS Volume 1 is out 24 February from Dark Horse (9781506752921, p/b, £13.99)
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