Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS Volume 1

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness #1

by Bartosz Sztybor, Asano (Illustrator)

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

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

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come. Lots of references (pulp fiction, Akira), tons of GTA feels, great characters, loved seeing Becca, cute doggo, tons of action. Wow what a ride.

[Sappie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Maxime Facon Lisiak · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Steppenwolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jessica Delia · Rating 4 out of 5]

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😭

[Les petits livres · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Amande · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5
Becca est très stylée, j'aime beaucoup ce début mais à voir la suite de l'histoire si ça a un véritable intérêt

[Konstancja L · Rating 2 out of 5]

manga to nie moje medium

[Craiyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

début prometteur !

[Elarona · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75/5⭐

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho bisogno del secondo subito 😩

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better ones probably be more interesting as an anime.
I like the story plot so far.
3.4✨

[Jeżo Zwierz · Rating 4 out of 5]

idealnie pasujacy prequel do anime, kreska tez spoko, czekam na drugi tom

[Amber The Ninth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forever proving why Rebecca is one of the best cyberpunk characters 🙌🏻🥹

[Kailo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like a few parts had me confused w the organization, but overall the artwork, storyline, and humor were peak. I’d read this again, and hyped for volume 2.

[sunny⋆˚࿔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this in mandarin so kinda hard but fun

[Atzin Nieto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gracias por ésta precuela. Me gusta porque conecta muy bien con varios personajes no sólo de la serie original sino también del juego. Espero no demoren mucho en sacar el tomo 2

[Xaylen Rozell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleshes out characters that didn't get much screentime in the show, adds new characters that are interesting, and the dialogue and story doesn't feel out of place or forced. Worth the read.