Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS Volume 1

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness #1

by Bartosz Sztybor, Asano (Illustrator), Brendon Hull (Letterer)

Il Paladino Panini fa il suo ingresso nel mondo di Night City con un’illustrazione esclusiva realizzata da Asano, artista della serie manga scritta da Bartosz Sztybor Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS, ora protagonista di una variant cover!

La Variant Panini Exclusive del primo numero del manga prequel di Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, la pluripremiata serie animata ispirata al videogioco Cyberpunk 2077, ritrae gli aspiranti edgerunners in una veste unica: Pilar imbraccia la lancia del Paladino, il misterioso personaggio al centro lo scudo, Rebecca torreggia sulla formazione indossando l’iconico elmo con il pennacchio rosso mentre il cagnolino Cup-Cup indossa l’armatura completa.

Genres: Manga, Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Comics

248 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2026

About the author

Bartosz Sztybor - polski dziennikarz, publicysta, krytyk filmowy i komiksowy, scenarzysta komiksowy. Wielokrotny laureat konkursu na krótką formę komiksową na MFK. Publikował m.in. w pismach Ozon, Wprost, Esensja, Chichot, Machina, Cinema, periodykach komiksowych i zinach.

Reviews

[Mark Sullivan]

I'm loving everything Cyberpunk. So looking forward to the TCG. One thing...the more of the lore I get into, the more I don't buy Smasher zeroing Rebecca. Crazy-ass chick isn't going down that easy.

[Randy Jackson]

Love the dynamic of Becca and her brother, brings comic relief to a brutal world! Cyberpunk has been for a while, and glad to see more from it!! Edge runners are the top tire!

[Brian]

I liked this one well enough. It does a great job of mimicking the vibe of the anime. Once the new character is introduced, who is a sort of blank slate/savant, things start to pick up a bit. But of course, this being vol. 1 it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I did enjoy seeing iconic characters from both the anime and the video game. The coolest aspect of this manga is that, much like the anime, the background locations in the book are based on real locations you can visit in the game. The best part is that they actually include a map of night city with these locations marked in the back of the book so you can go visit them yourself in-game! Very cool addition.

[ryan ฅ^._.^ฅ]

bein an edgerunners real life and death shit, so, what’s the point? i mean why risk it all? / shouldnt we find out who we wanna be? / becca was always my fav in the show, so it was nice getting some more insight into her as a char! unfortunately now im sad. shame knowing what’ll eventually happen to blondie.

[Thor]

4.25 / 5

Great start to prequel,
I enjoyed Pilar from the anime… it’s good to see more of his madness (RIP),
Exited for next volume,
Cliffhanger was enjoyable.

[Nadja]

An entertaining short story. The prequel to the anime. Pretty cool!

[Sappie]

Not as emotionally devastating as the anime (yet), but this feels like the start of something that’s gonna hurt later.

Rebecca and Pilar just running headfirst into Night City chaos trying to live up to their dad? Yeah, that’s not ending well.

If this ramps up like I think it will… I'm fucking cooked choom.

[FrontalNerdaty]

A quick and fun read that helps flesh out the characters felt the show. The art really nails the look of the world and the action is in keeping with the show.

[Nani]

Rebeccas und Pilars Dynamik liegt im Fokus. Es herrscht pures Chaos. Das Kapitel lebt von der unberechenbaren, hochexplosiven Chemie zwischen den Geschwistern. Rebecca hyperaktiv und aggressive Art ist anstatt abschreckend, einfach liebenswert. Der wahnsinnige Bruder passt perfekt dazu. Provokant und vulgär fungiert er als perfekter Katalysator für Rebeccas Wutausbrüche. Der Manga ist sehr dynamisch gezeichnet. Asanos Zeichnungen fangen die extreme Geschwindigkeit hervorragend ein.

[Mehsi]

Welcome to a world of action, sensation, and all excitement. Welcome to Night City!


So I still want to watch the show, but since this one is said to be a prequel I thought it wouldn’t be a problem to first check this one out!

The book immediately dives into action with a gruesome scene at a restaurant/cafe with Becca in the center of the chaos and gore. And then we are going back in the past again. Some backstory on the characters + see them in the now and how they ended up at the restaurant. To be fair, I could understand why Becca went full chaos goblin. It was a tad overkill, but I do like that she stood up for someone. After that the chaos continues with Becca and Pilar trying to get jobs so they can become Edgerunners. One of the targets they have to deliver is one they (or well Becca) adds to their team instead, which made me laugh. Oh Becca. The whole manga is just one big ride with some silly moments in between the more serious and gore ones.

I also loved that we got some backstory on Becca and Pilar and their “dad”. Putting that between “” because given everything I wonder if he is their dad or just a guy who adopted/taken them in. I am definitely more curious about the dad and what kind of things he did, I hope we get more backstory as the story continues.

Becca is definitely my favourite. She is also the main reason why I want to watch the show. I am normally not an action girlie, but I do love fab looking characters and Becca’s design is so interesting. Plus, she is such a goblin. She can go from fierce to adorable. And I love that throughout the manga she is thinking about what she wants in the future. Does she really want to become an Edgerunner like her dad? Like what her brother wants? Or does she want something else. I hope that she figures things out as the story continues!

The guy they (or well Becca) added to the team is super sus. Throughout the whole story I just couldn’t get a read on if he was a baddie or a goodie. He does some things that definitely yeet him in the bad category, but then he does things that are so innocent and definitely match his amnesia/the way he works. Before strange things happen he blinks his eyes weirdly and I am definitely curious about why he does that, hopefully in the next volumes we find out more!

Oh, and there is also a cute doggo! I hope that this cutie sticks around for a long time because I love what he adds to the story.

The references. Next to the whole GTA vibes that I got, we also have a Pulp Fiction and Akira reference and maybe even others but at a point I was just getting so much in the story that I didn’t notice, haha.

At times the gore got a bit much for me. As I have said before me of many years ago would be fine, me with a stomach that hates life is a different story. So at times I just had to glance away.

The art was such a good one! Really fitting the chaos, the madness, and the action. I really loved seeing Becca in all her craziness~ Oh, plus, I love the extra profiles at the end of each chapter with some information on the characters we met in the story. Some made me laugh.

All in all, I really really would like the next volume in the series as I want to know how things continue. What will Becca choose? What more adventures will she have with her brother?

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Maxime Facon Lisiak]

Not particularly a fan of the character design or the art style, but it's alright. The story is simple but still enjoyable, the cliffhanger is good, and I appreciated the panel layout when the three stories They cross paths at the end. I'd give it 12/20.
🇫🇷
Je ne suis pas particulièrement fan du design des personnages ni du style graphique, mais ça passe. L'histoire est simple mais divertissante, le suspense est bien mené et j'ai apprécié la mise en page lorsque les trois histoires se croisent à la fin. Je lui donnerais 12/20.

[Barni]

Opowieść świetnie wpisana w medium, jakim jest manga. Nie każda cyberpunkowa historia nadawałaby się do opowiedzenia w sposób wymagający tego typu brawury, przerysowania i głupkowatego humoru - ale historia Beccy i Pilara pasuje do tego jak ulał.

[Zare]

This is background story of Rebecca and her brother Pilar, children of the Night City's mercenary, who try to find their way in the merciless world of Cyberpunk 2077.

When they finally steal the job from other team, they find out that target is well mannered, and rather friendly person. Rebecca does not see it fit to surrender him to their handler so they slowly get ever more involved with this guy, who seems to be a collection of multiple personalities, person who has lived dozens if not hundreds of lives and possesses some very deadly skills.

Story culminates with our heroes finding themselves cornered by multiple gangs going after them for what they did - that garage job, I mean wtf? - and ..... that is that :) it ends on the bloody cliffhanger and now I need to wait for vol 2 to come out like .... right now! :) lol :)

Art is excellent, very crisp and done in excellent black and white. All the characters are very much matching the look and feel of the animated series (after all this is manga style book), and I am sure that this would look beautiful in color. Story as is case with this universe is rather dark and bleak - that disturbing break in the house, I mean .... kid, man ..... I just wish that at some point something more .... positive (in lack of better term) is written and set in the Night City. I understand the depression of this dystopian society and everything, but there needs to be some light somewhere, it cannot be always be dog eat dog situation. There are some comic relief situations but overall it is standard hard boiled crime story with, as mentioned, some very dark elements.

I came across this book by accident and was very positively surprised. Excellent art, and cannot wait for volume two to see what happens next.

Highly recommended.

[Lucien Blackthorne]

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Volume 1 delivers a fast-paced and stylish return to the streets of Night City, capturing much of the energy and atmosphere that made the anime so memorable. The story throws readers into a world dominated by corporations, cybernetic enhancements, and the constant struggle to survive, creating an engaging experience from the start.
The artwork does an excellent job bringing Night City's neon-soaked chaos to life. The action scenes are dynamic, the cyberware designs are impressive, and the setting feels as dangerous and alive as fans would expect. The visual presentation helps maintain the franchise's distinctive identity.
One of the volume's strengths is its ability to capture the themes that define Cyberpunk: ambition, desperation, identity, and the cost of chasing dreams in a system designed to exploit people. The characters are interesting, and there are enough emotional moments to keep readers invested in their journeys.
However, the story occasionally moves too quickly, leaving some character development and emotional beats feeling rushed. Readers unfamiliar with the Cyberpunk universe may also find certain concepts introduced without much explanation. While these issues don't ruin the experience, they prevent the volume from reaching its full potential.
Even with those shortcomings, Volume 1 is an entertaining read that successfully expands the Cyberpunk universe while delivering action, tension, and plenty of style.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Volume 1 is a strong start with great artwork, exciting action, and a compelling setting. It may not hit every emotional note as effectively as it could, but it's still an enjoyable read for both Cyberpunk fans and newcomers alike. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Steppenwolf]

A fun, fast-paced, and action-heavy manga set in Mike Pondsmith’s Cyberpunk universe, Madness dives into the backstory of Rebecca and Pilar, two characters many fans already know and love from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The energy is high, the violence is unapologetic, and Night City feels just as brutal and alive as it should.

I’ll be honest: this might be an unpopular opinion, but I never particularly liked Pilar and I didn’t care that much about Rebecca either. Because of that, I went into this manga fairly skeptical, unsure whether a story centered on the two of them would really work for me.

Surprisingly, it absolutely did.

What makes this volume work so well is how unapologetic it is about their story. It doesn’t try to soften them or retroactively justify everything, instead, it shows how their upbringing shaped them, especially the influence of their father, and how survival in Night City leaves very little room for innocence. Seeing how both siblings learned to navigate violence, loyalty, and desperation gave them a depth I hadn’t fully appreciated before.
In the end, Madness managed to make me care about characters I previously felt indifferent toward and that alone says a lot. It’s stylish, brutal, emotionally sharp where it needs to be, and a great expansion of the Edgerunners world.

Actual Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5)

[Dani Wladdimiro]

No es un manga que me haya volado la cabeza, pero sí creo que es un excelente complemento del universo de Cyberpunk 2077. Tanto los detalles del mapa como los de los personajes están muy bien cuidados, y eso hace que todo lo relacionado con Night City se sienta mucho más vivo.

Al mismo tiempo, el hecho de centrarse en dos personajes cuyo destino ya conocemos por el anime de Edgerunners resignifica bastante su final. A medida que se van mostrando las distintas motivaciones de Rebecca y Pilar, une empieza a entenderles mejor, incluso desde esa distancia que ya impone saber lo que les ocurrirá. Eso me gustó mucho, porque les da más espesor y más humanidad.

Además, me pareció muy interesante cómo la trama se va complejizando poco a poco, hasta llegar a mostrar varios bandos, cada uno con motivaciones distintas. Como punto de partida funciona muy bien, y como material complementario me parece excelente.

Un detalle que me encantó, además del mapa con las localizaciones del manga, fue la biografía o presentación de les personajes. Eso ayuda a darle un poco más de humanidad a esos personajes secundarios que, aunque estén ahí para mover la trama, también contribuyen a darle vida a Night City.

[Żaneta]

‎Cyberpunk Edgerunners Madness
‎Scenariusz: Bartosz Sztybor
‎Ilustracje: Asano
‎Wydawnictwo: Studio JG
‎*Zakup własny*
‎
‎Q: Oglądaliście lub graliście w Cyberpunka?
‎
‎Manga skupia się na losach Beccy oraz jej brata Pilara. Po śmierci ojca próbują kontynuować jego spuściznę jako edgerunnersi jednak z powodu braku kasy i zleceń średnio im to wychodzi. Dostają szansę wypłynąć na powierzchnię, jednak i to zlecenie wywraca ich los do góry nogami.
‎
‎~~~
‎
‎Kurcze jakie to było dobre. Jestem ogromną fanką anime/serialu Cyberpunk i tam bardzo spodobała mi się postać Beccy. Barwna, zabawna, chaotyczna. W sumie jak ta manga.
‎
‎Mamy dużo akcji, przekleństw, humoru i krwi. Między tym wszystkim gdzieś nawet można się rozczulić nad bohaterami, którym nie jest lekko.
‎
‎Kreska jest fajna, przejrzysta. Na plus większy format dzięki czemu nic się nie zlewa i wszystko wygląda ładnie .
‎
‎Myślę, że dla fanów tytułu będzie to fajne uzupełnienie historii bohaterów z ekranu, gdzie będziemy mogli poznać ich bardziej. Dla mnie 8/10
‎

[DeLeonsLiver]

This is exactly what you would expect out of a manga centered around Rebecca. Guns blazing, cyberpunk style humor, with lots of heads being blown off. Its a nice perspective on how Becca got into the life she did.

Is this as good as the show? No, but I dont think its meant to be. There's a reason the show was centered around Lucy and David and not Rebecca. The manga is meant to be a run and gun, explosion filled, crude but hilarious humor type of read. Perfect for what it is.

[Jessica Delia]

3.5/5

As an Becca fan and avid lover of cyberpunk edgerunners, I thoroughly enjoyed this.
There was a couple moments that didn’t feel very accurate to the edge runners lore but nothing too major.

I cannot believe it ended on a cliffhanger and there’s no information on when volume two is being translated into english😭

[Chad]

This is a prequel to the anime. It's not very good. It's about a brother and Sister who want to be Edgerunners (whatever that is because it's never explained). They keep getting themselves into lots of problems that require bullets flying everywhere so if that's your thing, you'll probably like this.

[Scott Uhls]

The book spent more time showing Pilar trying to convince a hobo that he and Rebecca weren’t hobos than anything actually interesting. I know this is a prequel and it was the start of the prequels, but like, cut out all the “we’re not hobos” and ~250 pages drops to like ~170.

In short, it just made me want to go watch the show again and forget I even read it.

[Shelby Lessard]

Rebecca was my favourite character in the anime, so I really enjoyed getting to see more sides of her personality. I also loved getting more insight into Rebecca and Pilar's relationship. I think this is a great start to the prequel, and I can't wait for the next volume! If you liked the anime, I'm sure you'll like Edgerunners MADNESS.

[Aubrey]

I am officially obsessed with the Cyberpunk Edgerunners world and I need more!!!! I'm so upset this ends on a cliff hanger but very much looking forward to the next volume! I'm so glad we get more time with Rebecca (and Pilar too, I guess lol) after her tragic fate in the show (I screamed 😭😭😭) I hope we eventually get Lucy and Kiwi backstories too!!! 🙏🙏

[Les petits livres]

Je suis assez mitigée par ce tome 1, j'ai aimé en apprendre plus sur Rebecca et son frère mais c'était assez introductif tout en allant dans tous les sens (après c'est du cyberpunk donc c'est pas vraiment étonnant) mais du coup j'étais assez perdue par moments et ça me sortait de ma lecture, j'espère que la suite me plaira davantage

[Mathéo Siron]

En tant que grand fan de la série ou encore du jeux vidéo. ce premier tome est top ! Pilar et Rebecca méritent je trouve, un approfondissement de leur histoire et le fait que Bartosz Sztybor le scénariste de la série participe à l'écriture du manga me donne beaucoup d'espoir pour la suite !

[Johnnie]

If you like the Netflix series you will love this story. It hits the ground running and definitely will have you wondering what’s in store for the brother and sister duo. Are work is great, wish there was a bit more color pages, but in all, definitely a good read….😏

[Payton Brodie]

This was a good start to the series and I hope it continues. Seeing Rebecca and Pilar struggle to make a life for themselves reminds me of Alita: Battle Angel where fame presides over happiness in a crime and squalor-ridden dystopia

[Archos]

This book was just right. I could hear the characters in my head. Here for the madness that is Rebecca in this prequel book from the anime series Cyberpunk EdgeRunners. For anyone who wanted more of this character, pick up this book.

[D Gifford]

This was my first manga book (probably not my last) and it was quite good. The authors clearly love the source material as much as I do
I loved little maps at the end showing right where events happened in Night City
Any excuse to go back there!

[Aiden McKinney]

This was fun! Nothing all too deep or complex, but just a fun, simple story with humor and enough emotional weight to attach to the characters. I also loved how all the locations are from the game, and a map is provided in the back so you can go visit them yourself!