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Lynx, Vol. 1
Beyond the end of the world, the angels have claws…
What remains after the end of the world? For the last of humanity in a world of perpetual winter, the only way to survive is to adapt—but for Lynx Takuma, the past cannot be so easily left behind.
Lynx Takuma is standing still. As a bio-enhanced detective in New Borealis, one of the last habitable cities after worldwide climate disaster, Lynx knows what she’s meant to break up crime syndicates, track down rogue Qual technology, and keep the peace alongside her reckless-but-trusty partner Task and her crime-fighting talking cat Skua. But ever since Simone…
Well, she’s not thinking about Simone. Or about anything beyond getting through the next day, and the next, and the next…
Until, while on the trail of a series of grisly murders, Lynx sees something impossible that turns her world upside down—something that looks like an angel…
What remains after the end of the world? For the last of humanity in a world of perpetual winter, the only way to survive is to adapt—but for Lynx Takuma, the past cannot be so easily left behind.
Lynx Takuma is standing still. As a bio-enhanced detective in New Borealis, one of the last habitable cities after worldwide climate disaster, Lynx knows what she’s meant to break up crime syndicates, track down rogue Qual technology, and keep the peace alongside her reckless-but-trusty partner Task and her crime-fighting talking cat Skua. But ever since Simone…
Well, she’s not thinking about Simone. Or about anything beyond getting through the next day, and the next, and the next…
Until, while on the trail of a series of grisly murders, Lynx sees something impossible that turns her world upside down—something that looks like an angel…
224 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2026
About the author
Samuel Sattin
34 books155 followersSamuel Sattin is an American writer. His books include the multi-volume Unico series for Scholastic Graphix, Buzzing, Side Quest, The Silent End, and (as co-author) both A Kids Guide to Anime and Manga and The Essential Anime Guide: 50 Iconic Films, Standout Series, and Cult Masterpieces. He has also adapted the Academy Award-nominated films WolfWalkers, Song of the Sea, and The Secret of Kells to the graphic novel format. He graduated with an MFA in comics from the California College of the Arts and works as a studio writer for Schulz Creative Associates, aka Snoopy Central. Samuel resides with his wife in Northern California, and travels frequently to Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
May 8, 2026
This manga deals with a female police detective, named Linx, and her genetically modified cat partner. In an alternate future class distinctions are even more evident.
While investigating a crime Linx seems to see an angel who escapes her attempt to capture it. Murdered victims begin to appear with feathers somehow planted in their brains.
This is the first book in a series.
While investigating a crime Linx seems to see an angel who escapes her attempt to capture it. Murdered victims begin to appear with feathers somehow planted in their brains.
This is the first book in a series.
March 13, 2026
Really enjoyed this! Great concept, interesting characters and the end left me immediately wanting the next installment!
March 4, 2026
A hard boiled lesbian detective with a talking cat companion who can see angelic horrors? It would be hard to convince me NOT to enjoy that.
This first volume introduces us to a cold, dystopian future where augmented humans serve in law enforcement—as a punishment? Perhaps. That’s a little unclear. It doesn’t seem like anyone who’s had enhancements done is happy or living their best life.
Lynx, for example, is still deeply grief-stricken from the loss of her wife. It would seem to have been unexpected. Further, Lynx appears to be walking on thin ice at work—no doubt due to lingering grief and some falling out that may have happened between her and Valo management. There’s also the child that Lynx and her wife adopted (maybe) who’s grappling with their own grief.
So, there’s a lot going on.
Admittedly, I think some of the finer details are a bit muddy—you’ll notice I was making a lot of assumptions and filling in the blanks on my own. But, it’s also the first volume. I imagine more will be revealed.
Anyway.
I would add this to your TBR. It seems interesting so far~
[I work at a library and they got a comp copy of this first volume which is how I was able to review it. No one else on the staff really reads manga~)
This first volume introduces us to a cold, dystopian future where augmented humans serve in law enforcement—as a punishment? Perhaps. That’s a little unclear. It doesn’t seem like anyone who’s had enhancements done is happy or living their best life.
Lynx, for example, is still deeply grief-stricken from the loss of her wife. It would seem to have been unexpected. Further, Lynx appears to be walking on thin ice at work—no doubt due to lingering grief and some falling out that may have happened between her and Valo management. There’s also the child that Lynx and her wife adopted (maybe) who’s grappling with their own grief.
So, there’s a lot going on.
Admittedly, I think some of the finer details are a bit muddy—you’ll notice I was making a lot of assumptions and filling in the blanks on my own. But, it’s also the first volume. I imagine more will be revealed.
Anyway.
I would add this to your TBR. It seems interesting so far~
[I work at a library and they got a comp copy of this first volume which is how I was able to review it. No one else on the staff really reads manga~)
October 17, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley and Viz Media for the DRC
Lynx is a sci-fi manga that follows a female detective and her talking cat, solving a case involving murder and angels.
The character art in this is great, however, the panels for any action scenes are quite gritty in style and difficult to interpret/ understand. I often found myself confused about what was going on because of a mixture of unclear panels and world building terminologies that were not explained.
Someone with more experience reading sci-fi/manga might have a more clear understanding of this book and enjoy it more.
Lynx is a sci-fi manga that follows a female detective and her talking cat, solving a case involving murder and angels.
The character art in this is great, however, the panels for any action scenes are quite gritty in style and difficult to interpret/ understand. I often found myself confused about what was going on because of a mixture of unclear panels and world building terminologies that were not explained.
Someone with more experience reading sci-fi/manga might have a more clear understanding of this book and enjoy it more.
Read
May 4, 2026Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
LYNX, Vol. 1, story by Samuel Sattin and by tokitokoro is a manga-style sci-fi graphic novel. In a future where the world has ended and left behind an eternal winter for what remains of humanity, Lynx Takuma is a detective still haunted by the past. As her son struggles in school and her world is thrown into disarray when she sees an angel, Lynx will need to find a way to protect what's left of her family while dealing with the impossible.
The worldbuilding is slowly peeled back for the reader and a lot of it is inferred instead of outright explained. I'm not entirely sure what exactly a Qual is, but it seems to be some kind of enhancement that leads to greater physical abilities and perhaps perception. The existence of angels is revealed fairly quickly, but they are part of a much larger mystery rather than something the reader or Lynx have grander knowledge of within the context of this volume.
While the angels are more on the fantastical side and there's a talking cat, I think I would still put this as a sci-fi because it is very much climate fiction at its heart. The world ending and leaving behind only a few small cities for humanity to try to rebuild as winter rages around them and many species have been wiped out is so quintessentially climate fiction that to call it anything else wouldn't feel right. If anything, this feels like an updated version of those sci-fi detective noirs in a war-torn world from the 70s.
The art is so richly detailed and every page felt like it was bringing the world to life, which is exactly what I want in a manga or something with a manga style. This might just be me, but I feel like I have a higher expectation for worldbuilding the more detailed the art is and for it to all feel real and lived in instead of just set dressing, so I'm very happy to get all that detail here. The characters are just as detailed as the world without detracting from each other.
I would recommend this to readers of manga and graphic novels who love a mystery and want things to slowly unspool instead of getting fast answers
LYNX, Vol. 1, story by Samuel Sattin and by tokitokoro is a manga-style sci-fi graphic novel. In a future where the world has ended and left behind an eternal winter for what remains of humanity, Lynx Takuma is a detective still haunted by the past. As her son struggles in school and her world is thrown into disarray when she sees an angel, Lynx will need to find a way to protect what's left of her family while dealing with the impossible.
The worldbuilding is slowly peeled back for the reader and a lot of it is inferred instead of outright explained. I'm not entirely sure what exactly a Qual is, but it seems to be some kind of enhancement that leads to greater physical abilities and perhaps perception. The existence of angels is revealed fairly quickly, but they are part of a much larger mystery rather than something the reader or Lynx have grander knowledge of within the context of this volume.
While the angels are more on the fantastical side and there's a talking cat, I think I would still put this as a sci-fi because it is very much climate fiction at its heart. The world ending and leaving behind only a few small cities for humanity to try to rebuild as winter rages around them and many species have been wiped out is so quintessentially climate fiction that to call it anything else wouldn't feel right. If anything, this feels like an updated version of those sci-fi detective noirs in a war-torn world from the 70s.
The art is so richly detailed and every page felt like it was bringing the world to life, which is exactly what I want in a manga or something with a manga style. This might just be me, but I feel like I have a higher expectation for worldbuilding the more detailed the art is and for it to all feel real and lived in instead of just set dressing, so I'm very happy to get all that detail here. The characters are just as detailed as the world without detracting from each other.
I would recommend this to readers of manga and graphic novels who love a mystery and want things to slowly unspool instead of getting fast answers
September 3, 2026
A disorienting story that might be more enjoyable with less disorienting artwork. Very little explanation or context for why things are happening, which again could be helped by stronger, more grounding artwork. Very little reason to continue this series unfortunately
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My Selling Pitch:
Cyberpunk noir
Pre-reading:
Love a dystopian. That cover is beautiful.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Nerdy cat!
Dystopian noir? I'm down.
Why they all kinda hot tho?
Def thought Lynx was a man not a woman. Whoopsies.
I like Task.
I can't tell what her powers are from the panels. They're too busy and unclear. I don't know what forder means
Oh was she dating his mom maybe? Simone and that's what she was saying in the alley
These action sequences are really unclear.
Task better not die. I like him
These action sequences are pissing me off though. I can't tell what's happening in them.
He looks more like Baymax or the Michelin Man than beef jerky. I don't get it
Ohhh, Baymax was red. I’d go Clifford before beef jerky but that's just me.
But I want more!
Post-reading:
I’m so intrigued! Something about a moody cop drama just does it for me. The characters are spins on familiar archetypes. It’s a little cliche, but in a satisfying way. Some of the narrative is a little chill out, edgelord, but the rest is a pretty intriguing mystery. This volume doesn't offer up much in the way of answers. It throws you into the dystopian world and expects you to pick up the vocab as you go. It's not gonna stop the story to define something for you. I know this can frustrate a lot of readers, but I'm willing to go with it as long as it’s answered eventually. I think the book mixes in a good bit of humor which is an easy shortcut to endear a character to me, so the stakes feel real when they're in danger.
My biggest complaint is with the art funnily enough. The regular panels are very pretty, but the action panels are almost abusive. They're so unclear that it makes the narrative almost indecipherable. I skimmed the action constantly because I couldn't tell what was happening during the fights. There’s too much heavy black ink and too many directional lines of motion when the rest of the art is more delicate. It was very frustrating to read, and it spoiled my time. One of the monsters is also referred to as beef jerky, but it’s drawn completely in white, and the reader doesn't learn that apparently it’s been red this whole time until much later in the story. That’s really sloppy, and I think most of your readers are going to have to backtrack their visuals.
The mystery has me so curious though that I'll definitely be picking up the next volume.
Who should read this:
Cyberpunk fans
Noir fans
Altered Carbon fans
Detroit Become Human fans
Ideal reading time:
Winter
Do I want to reread this:
Yes
Would I buy this:
If the second volume is also good, I want this on my shelf.
Similar books:
* Headlights by C. J. Leede-paranormal horror, crime, romance, family drama
* No Man’s Land by Szymon Kudranski-graphic novel, crime, thriller
* You’ll Do Bad Things by Tyler Boss-graphic novel, meta fiction, crime, thriller
* The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim-myth retelling, urban fantasy, romance, crime, thriller
* Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales-graphic novel, historical, crime, noir, social commentary
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cyberpunk noir
Pre-reading:
Love a dystopian. That cover is beautiful.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Nerdy cat!
Dystopian noir? I'm down.
Why they all kinda hot tho?
Def thought Lynx was a man not a woman. Whoopsies.
I like Task.
I can't tell what her powers are from the panels. They're too busy and unclear. I don't know what forder means
Oh was she dating his mom maybe? Simone and that's what she was saying in the alley
These action sequences are really unclear.
Task better not die. I like him
These action sequences are pissing me off though. I can't tell what's happening in them.
He looks more like Baymax or the Michelin Man than beef jerky. I don't get it
Ohhh, Baymax was red. I’d go Clifford before beef jerky but that's just me.
But I want more!
Post-reading:
I’m so intrigued! Something about a moody cop drama just does it for me. The characters are spins on familiar archetypes. It’s a little cliche, but in a satisfying way. Some of the narrative is a little chill out, edgelord, but the rest is a pretty intriguing mystery. This volume doesn't offer up much in the way of answers. It throws you into the dystopian world and expects you to pick up the vocab as you go. It's not gonna stop the story to define something for you. I know this can frustrate a lot of readers, but I'm willing to go with it as long as it’s answered eventually. I think the book mixes in a good bit of humor which is an easy shortcut to endear a character to me, so the stakes feel real when they're in danger.
My biggest complaint is with the art funnily enough. The regular panels are very pretty, but the action panels are almost abusive. They're so unclear that it makes the narrative almost indecipherable. I skimmed the action constantly because I couldn't tell what was happening during the fights. There’s too much heavy black ink and too many directional lines of motion when the rest of the art is more delicate. It was very frustrating to read, and it spoiled my time. One of the monsters is also referred to as beef jerky, but it’s drawn completely in white, and the reader doesn't learn that apparently it’s been red this whole time until much later in the story. That’s really sloppy, and I think most of your readers are going to have to backtrack their visuals.
The mystery has me so curious though that I'll definitely be picking up the next volume.
Who should read this:
Cyberpunk fans
Noir fans
Altered Carbon fans
Detroit Become Human fans
Ideal reading time:
Winter
Do I want to reread this:
Yes
Would I buy this:
If the second volume is also good, I want this on my shelf.
Similar books:
* Headlights by C. J. Leede-paranormal horror, crime, romance, family drama
* No Man’s Land by Szymon Kudranski-graphic novel, crime, thriller
* You’ll Do Bad Things by Tyler Boss-graphic novel, meta fiction, crime, thriller
* The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim-myth retelling, urban fantasy, romance, crime, thriller
* Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales-graphic novel, historical, crime, noir, social commentary
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2026
In a future world where climate has reduced humanity to a few barely surviving cities, Lynx Takuma is a detective with enhanced abilities and a talking cat. She's facing the most dangerous case of her career and it's pointing her in dangerous directions.
The mix of gorgeous art style and noir storytelling really captured and kept my attention. There are a couple of moments when it could have benefited from giving readers a bit more information, but I think I get what Sattin is going for, and I'm willing to give them one more volume to build it up.
My main complaint is that the art gets a little too chaotic to follow. I read a preview copy that had a massive VIZ logo taking up about 80% of the page. It didn't ruin the experience completely, but some pages were hard to read, and I can't decide if it was the grayscale watermark messing with the art or just the art being too artsy to tell the story clearly.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for the intriguing read!
The mix of gorgeous art style and noir storytelling really captured and kept my attention. There are a couple of moments when it could have benefited from giving readers a bit more information, but I think I get what Sattin is going for, and I'm willing to give them one more volume to build it up.
My main complaint is that the art gets a little too chaotic to follow. I read a preview copy that had a massive VIZ logo taking up about 80% of the page. It didn't ruin the experience completely, but some pages were hard to read, and I can't decide if it was the grayscale watermark messing with the art or just the art being too artsy to tell the story clearly.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for the intriguing read!
May 2, 2026
What an interesting start to a story! I’m sold and ready for the next!
In New Borealis, Lynx is seeing angels and talking to dead people, but in a world filled with quals (human enhancements), they’re not sure if what they’re seeing is real or their imagination. Enter Task, their former partner, and Skua, a talking enhanced cat, and you have a mismatched team. Throw in Boro, Lynx’s ward who is morning the death of Simone, Lynx’s wife, and you’ve got a jam-packed cast of interesting characters.
I genuinely really loved this first volume. Since this was an ARC, my copy had a large watermark in the middle of the pages, which made it difficult to read some dialogue and understand quite a few of the pages. This did disrupt my reading experience, and I’ll be interested to see if there was anything I missed when I read this after it’s published.
Besides that, I had a blast. Thank you NetGalley and VIZ Media for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
In New Borealis, Lynx is seeing angels and talking to dead people, but in a world filled with quals (human enhancements), they’re not sure if what they’re seeing is real or their imagination. Enter Task, their former partner, and Skua, a talking enhanced cat, and you have a mismatched team. Throw in Boro, Lynx’s ward who is morning the death of Simone, Lynx’s wife, and you’ve got a jam-packed cast of interesting characters.
I genuinely really loved this first volume. Since this was an ARC, my copy had a large watermark in the middle of the pages, which made it difficult to read some dialogue and understand quite a few of the pages. This did disrupt my reading experience, and I’ll be interested to see if there was anything I missed when I read this after it’s published.
Besides that, I had a blast. Thank you NetGalley and VIZ Media for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2026
The artwork is imprecise and I often had no idea what was happening on page. Combined with poorly placed word bubbles, and this was a struggle to read. The story started off strong, but slowly devolved. I liked our MC Lynx and their talking cat. I got excited by their dynamic, the mystery, and the dystopian sci-fi noir setting for the first couple of chapters. But once the full mystery was revealed, the plot stopped making much sense, the world remained unexplained, and the story became less grounded in character. By the end, scenes were switching abruptly, new characters were showing up on page with no context, and climactic scenes had no emotional impact because I couldn't follow why they were happening or what was happening on the page because the art was so messy.
September 8, 2026
3 stars for the art
The story was messy and very confusing. Not what I expected at all. That cover had me thinking about more mystical rather than detective work.
The story was messy and very confusing. Not what I expected at all. That cover had me thinking about more mystical rather than detective work.
October 4, 2026
Rly cool but i’d rather watch it
September 6, 2026
Thanks VizMedia for the ARC! This was an interesting futuristic take on noir with an added bonus of bio-engineered powers. FMC Lynx is a cop solving a gruesome murder case with a mysterious piece of evidence left behind. Enticing plot end of chp 4 to get you hooked. A little confusing but I'm sure it'll payoff.
July 30, 2026
A OEL manga - read in western style left to right.
Initially the vibes were Batman mixed with Sin City - detective in a gritty town with inky black and white panels.
However volume 1 is a struggle. The writer tries to input a complex plot and themes that leaves readers confused as there’s so little explanation to setup the first volume is more info dumping
The art style is well done in some of the panels but I couldn’t tell what most of them were when it was meant to be action sequences. The art is sloppy to be fast paced and I spent so long just staring at shapes to try to get the panels to show me the truth. But l, like a magic eye illusion, I never saw anything in them. This was frustrating but like my boy Frodo I told them to just keep their secrets and moved on.
And I had trouble trying to follow the plot. There were scenes so short and I couldn’t understand what happened from scene to scene and the backstory panels took me ages to understand it was the past. This drastic shift is inconsistent and so jarring I keep t having to flip back and forth to confirm the page numbers were back to back.
Most characters are drawn androgynous (which I don’t mind) but I struggled telling people apart or remembering names. This is something I struggle with often with black and white panels ( hells paradise is one I can’t always tell who the character is). It’s something maybe vol 2 would have character page to help or by then it’s easier to remember.
I hate the asshole boss trope so much and this is one of the worst offenders. Lynx who I think is supposed to be some well respected detective should easily be like I quit bro and not tolerate men who act like lethal babies I am guessing she can’t but having an alcoholic partner and a worthless boss is just such boring storylines. It’s so overused and not well done. I would have DNF after the boss is introduced but wanted to be able to write an actual review.
The book was waaaaay too much happening
- single parent (mom)
- asshole boss
- crimes / detective work
- alcoholic partner
- gritty / harsh climate
- wealth disparity
- corporations
- rampant drug abuse
- enhanced humans with some type of tech
- some mysterious backstory
- cat
- some plot about angels
- child is acting out and being bullied
That’s not all of them I missed some I think could be spoilers. To try to keep the subplots coherent is impossible. And a lot of the subplots are thrown in midway do these backstory and things people know that’s not revealed to the readers to keep them straight until the reveals happen just sounds terrible. And they are at least in this book feel so trite and boring.
Overall I didn’t enjoy very much and won’t keep up with series. My recommendation is to wait for a few volumes to come out so you can read them back to back to hopefully clear up all the clunkiness info dumping and see if the root main plot is worth the read. And also look if the art style is something you’d enjoy. This is also made for people who prefer trope and stereotypes and don’t care for original or fresh ideas in the detective genre.
Overall I can’t say I recommend this one. But I am still appreciative of NetGalley and VIZ media for an advanced copy of this book.
Initially the vibes were Batman mixed with Sin City - detective in a gritty town with inky black and white panels.
However volume 1 is a struggle. The writer tries to input a complex plot and themes that leaves readers confused as there’s so little explanation to setup the first volume is more info dumping
The art style is well done in some of the panels but I couldn’t tell what most of them were when it was meant to be action sequences. The art is sloppy to be fast paced and I spent so long just staring at shapes to try to get the panels to show me the truth. But l, like a magic eye illusion, I never saw anything in them. This was frustrating but like my boy Frodo I told them to just keep their secrets and moved on.
And I had trouble trying to follow the plot. There were scenes so short and I couldn’t understand what happened from scene to scene and the backstory panels took me ages to understand it was the past. This drastic shift is inconsistent and so jarring I keep t having to flip back and forth to confirm the page numbers were back to back.
Most characters are drawn androgynous (which I don’t mind) but I struggled telling people apart or remembering names. This is something I struggle with often with black and white panels ( hells paradise is one I can’t always tell who the character is). It’s something maybe vol 2 would have character page to help or by then it’s easier to remember.
I hate the asshole boss trope so much and this is one of the worst offenders. Lynx who I think is supposed to be some well respected detective should easily be like I quit bro and not tolerate men who act like lethal babies I am guessing she can’t but having an alcoholic partner and a worthless boss is just such boring storylines. It’s so overused and not well done. I would have DNF after the boss is introduced but wanted to be able to write an actual review.
The book was waaaaay too much happening
- single parent (mom)
- asshole boss
- crimes / detective work
- alcoholic partner
- gritty / harsh climate
- wealth disparity
- corporations
- rampant drug abuse
- enhanced humans with some type of tech
- some mysterious backstory
- cat
- some plot about angels
- child is acting out and being bullied
That’s not all of them I missed some I think could be spoilers. To try to keep the subplots coherent is impossible. And a lot of the subplots are thrown in midway do these backstory and things people know that’s not revealed to the readers to keep them straight until the reveals happen just sounds terrible. And they are at least in this book feel so trite and boring.
Overall I didn’t enjoy very much and won’t keep up with series. My recommendation is to wait for a few volumes to come out so you can read them back to back to hopefully clear up all the clunkiness info dumping and see if the root main plot is worth the read. And also look if the art style is something you’d enjoy. This is also made for people who prefer trope and stereotypes and don’t care for original or fresh ideas in the detective genre.
Overall I can’t say I recommend this one. But I am still appreciative of NetGalley and VIZ media for an advanced copy of this book.
August 31, 2026
**Thank you to Viz Media for the ARC; all opinions are my own.**
4⭐️
This is a very interesting start to a new futuristic manga. I loved the detective aspect and I thought the quall powers were intriguing. I'm hoping that we get more backstory in the next volume because the world-building was little and there were some things that were confusing. Overall, I am very intrigued about what happens next, what the Angels are, and what exactly Lynx may be hiding.
☆cyberpunk-esque
☆talking cat
☆detective
☆sapphic-ish
4⭐️
This is a very interesting start to a new futuristic manga. I loved the detective aspect and I thought the quall powers were intriguing. I'm hoping that we get more backstory in the next volume because the world-building was little and there were some things that were confusing. Overall, I am very intrigued about what happens next, what the Angels are, and what exactly Lynx may be hiding.
☆cyberpunk-esque
☆talking cat
☆detective
☆sapphic-ish
February 8, 2026
This is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi graphic novel that explores bio enhanced machines. It is fast paced and very easy to read while still being engaging. Even though it ends on a cliffhanger, I definitely am interested in continuing on with the series (hoping to see further volumes released).
The artwork is beautiful and highly descriptive, often telling the story clearly even without text. The panel layout flows smoothly and is comfortable to read. The lettering is clear, and complements the artwork nicely.
I do wish the story was slightly longer so there could be more background and development for the characters. Overall, It was enjoyable and visually engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the ARC!!
The artwork is beautiful and highly descriptive, often telling the story clearly even without text. The panel layout flows smoothly and is comfortable to read. The lettering is clear, and complements the artwork nicely.
I do wish the story was slightly longer so there could be more background and development for the characters. Overall, It was enjoyable and visually engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the ARC!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
cyberpunk noir 🤝 bio-enhanced detectives 🤝 "i have absolutely no idea what's happening... but i'm intrigued"
okay but...
this manga really just throws you into the deep end and says:"good luck."
and honestly???
i kind of respected it.
was i confused during the first few chapters? absolutely. did that stop me from wanting to know what was going on? not even a little.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i loved was THE ATMOSPHERE.
this world is SO cool, i mean we've got frozen cyberpunk cities, bio-enhanced detectives, mysterious "angels", noir-inspired investigations and just enough unanswered questions to keep me hooked.
it has this cold gritty feeling that immediately pulls you in and i loved slowly piecing together how everything fit into the bigger picture. and can we talk about SKUA???
because i don't think i've ever met a talking animal companion that i didn't immediately adore.
every time they showed up i couldn't help but smile.
instant favorite.
the artwork was another huge highlight.
it's detailed, atmospheric and does such a great job capturing the bleakness of the setting.
there were a few action scenes that i had to reread because i wasn't always sure what was happening, but i also read an ARC with watermarks, so i'm curious to see how much smoother those scenes feel in the final edition.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
BUT...
okay, this first volume definitely expects you to keep up.
there's very little hand-holding and a lot of terminology, worldbuilding and mysteries are introduced before you fully understand any of them.
which meant i spent a decent chunk of the beginning thinking:
"...am i supposed to know what that means?"
thankfully, the more i read, the more my confusion turned into curiosity and by the end, i was much more invested than i expected to be.
i also would've loved just a little more context about the world early on.
not enough to spoil the mystery...
just enough to help me find my footing a little sooner.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this is a really promising first volume, it doesn't answer many of your questions...but it gives you just enough to make you want the next volume immediately.
the world feels unique, the mystery has a lot of potential and the artwork alone is worth picking it up.
so if you like: cyberpunk worlds and detective mysteries a sci-fi type manga with gorgeous artwork
and stories that slowly unravel their secrets...i think you'll have a great time with this one.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
My final thoughts;
i came for the cyberpunk detective story...
i stayed because apparently one mysterious talking cat is all it takes for me to become emotionally invested. 🐈⬛❄️🖤
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC!
cyberpunk noir 🤝 bio-enhanced detectives 🤝 "i have absolutely no idea what's happening... but i'm intrigued"
okay but...
this manga really just throws you into the deep end and says:"good luck."
and honestly???
i kind of respected it.
was i confused during the first few chapters? absolutely. did that stop me from wanting to know what was going on? not even a little.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i loved was THE ATMOSPHERE.
this world is SO cool, i mean we've got frozen cyberpunk cities, bio-enhanced detectives, mysterious "angels", noir-inspired investigations and just enough unanswered questions to keep me hooked.
it has this cold gritty feeling that immediately pulls you in and i loved slowly piecing together how everything fit into the bigger picture. and can we talk about SKUA???
because i don't think i've ever met a talking animal companion that i didn't immediately adore.
every time they showed up i couldn't help but smile.
instant favorite.
the artwork was another huge highlight.
it's detailed, atmospheric and does such a great job capturing the bleakness of the setting.
there were a few action scenes that i had to reread because i wasn't always sure what was happening, but i also read an ARC with watermarks, so i'm curious to see how much smoother those scenes feel in the final edition.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
BUT...
okay, this first volume definitely expects you to keep up.
there's very little hand-holding and a lot of terminology, worldbuilding and mysteries are introduced before you fully understand any of them.
which meant i spent a decent chunk of the beginning thinking:
"...am i supposed to know what that means?"
thankfully, the more i read, the more my confusion turned into curiosity and by the end, i was much more invested than i expected to be.
i also would've loved just a little more context about the world early on.
not enough to spoil the mystery...
just enough to help me find my footing a little sooner.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this is a really promising first volume, it doesn't answer many of your questions...but it gives you just enough to make you want the next volume immediately.
the world feels unique, the mystery has a lot of potential and the artwork alone is worth picking it up.
so if you like: cyberpunk worlds and detective mysteries a sci-fi type manga with gorgeous artwork
and stories that slowly unravel their secrets...i think you'll have a great time with this one.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
My final thoughts;
i came for the cyberpunk detective story...
i stayed because apparently one mysterious talking cat is all it takes for me to become emotionally invested. 🐈⬛❄️🖤
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Overall, I enjoyed reading Lynx and think that it shows a lot of promise as a first volume in a new series. Lynx leans heavily into a lot of noir detective tropes. We have the seasoned, traumatized detective who starts investigating something the higher ups don’t want them to. We have a classic partner dynamic between a more serious Lynx and a more carefree Task. Nothing in the story really felt surprising or new, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Those tropes can help ground the reader in the kind of story they are reading and also leave room for more interesting subversions and twists later on. I do think there is already some groundwork being laid for that. Lynx being a queer woman and a parental figure shifts the tropes of her character in an interesting way. The sci-fi setting mixed with religious iconography leaves a lot of room for the creators to do interesting things.
The art is also mostly good in this volume. I think it especially shines when we get panels of the city in the snow. They really do a magnificent job of capturing the long cold winter of New Borealis. The character design is also pretty strong. Our characters look distinct and the greyscale the artist uses works very well in the quieter scenes that drive this volume. I thought it was an interesting choice to make Skua, the cat character, have a very different art style than the rest of the world. It very intentionally made this character stand out and be a sharp contrast to some otherwise gritty imagery.
The main area where this graphic novel really struggled was in the action scenes. In all fairness, this eARC did have a very large watermark on every page which did not mesh well with the greys used in a lot of the art style. However, even when I slowed down and spent several minutes on the pages with action scenes, I found it very hard to follow. The panel construction didn’t give a clear flow to the scenes. The linework mixed with the choice to use a lot of greys muddied what could have been clearer panels. I think that this is the main area that needs improvement going forward, especially if fight scenes are going to be key parts of the narrative. But, if they do improve, I think Lynx has a lot of potential.
Right now, I would say that this is a series I will be keeping an eye on, but not one I will be recommending to readers until I see more of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Overall, I enjoyed reading Lynx and think that it shows a lot of promise as a first volume in a new series. Lynx leans heavily into a lot of noir detective tropes. We have the seasoned, traumatized detective who starts investigating something the higher ups don’t want them to. We have a classic partner dynamic between a more serious Lynx and a more carefree Task. Nothing in the story really felt surprising or new, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Those tropes can help ground the reader in the kind of story they are reading and also leave room for more interesting subversions and twists later on. I do think there is already some groundwork being laid for that. Lynx being a queer woman and a parental figure shifts the tropes of her character in an interesting way. The sci-fi setting mixed with religious iconography leaves a lot of room for the creators to do interesting things.
The art is also mostly good in this volume. I think it especially shines when we get panels of the city in the snow. They really do a magnificent job of capturing the long cold winter of New Borealis. The character design is also pretty strong. Our characters look distinct and the greyscale the artist uses works very well in the quieter scenes that drive this volume. I thought it was an interesting choice to make Skua, the cat character, have a very different art style than the rest of the world. It very intentionally made this character stand out and be a sharp contrast to some otherwise gritty imagery.
The main area where this graphic novel really struggled was in the action scenes. In all fairness, this eARC did have a very large watermark on every page which did not mesh well with the greys used in a lot of the art style. However, even when I slowed down and spent several minutes on the pages with action scenes, I found it very hard to follow. The panel construction didn’t give a clear flow to the scenes. The linework mixed with the choice to use a lot of greys muddied what could have been clearer panels. I think that this is the main area that needs improvement going forward, especially if fight scenes are going to be key parts of the narrative. But, if they do improve, I think Lynx has a lot of potential.
Right now, I would say that this is a series I will be keeping an eye on, but not one I will be recommending to readers until I see more of it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I would like to thank NetGalley and VIZ Mediar for an eARC of LYNX Volume 1, story by Samuel Sattin and art by tokitokoro, with an expected publication date of August 11, 2026, in return for an honest review.
This is a tech noir, cyberpunk graphic novel with a story by Eisner Award-nominated American [Sattin] and the art by Tokyo manga artist and illustrator tokitokoro. While I am an occasional reader of graphic novels, less so of manga, I am a big fan of noir and cyberpunk, so I was excited to get an eARC of LYNX. In my opinion, you definitely get a manga vibe from the art work.
In a future, dystopian society, Lynx Takuma, is a female detective with an implant providing additional strength/powers and is accompanied by a bio-enhanced, talking cat, Skua. She is partnered with Task, an alcoholic detective. Lynx has a wife, and an adopted boy, Boro, who is an orphan of a former friend of Lynx. Lynx is one of the longest serving detectives on the force. There is a murder to be solved, which may actually be just one of many related deaths. And there appears to be intrigue between Lynx and Task’s supervisor, and one of the wealthy elites of the society.
So the eARC that I received was in black and white, and I could not tell if this was the final version, or if the book would be inked [?] before publication. The art, while striking, made the story difficult to follow, especially with a watermark [Sample PDF VIZ Media] on each page.
I gave LYNX four stars. If the final product is actually in color, and the art is less confusing without the watermark, I would probably upgrade this to a 5 star review. However, this is not for everyone. The world building is minimal. I like that you are just dropped into the story, and things are revealed as you go along. Some of my friends would definitely down rate LYNX because they prefer a fully fleshed out world. Volume 1 ends without resolving much which wants me coming back for more of the story, but not everyone likes that. Clearly, this is not for all readers, but if you are a cyberpunk fan and enjoy a little ambiguity in your story telling, give LYNX a try.
This is a tech noir, cyberpunk graphic novel with a story by Eisner Award-nominated American [Sattin] and the art by Tokyo manga artist and illustrator tokitokoro. While I am an occasional reader of graphic novels, less so of manga, I am a big fan of noir and cyberpunk, so I was excited to get an eARC of LYNX. In my opinion, you definitely get a manga vibe from the art work.
In a future, dystopian society, Lynx Takuma, is a female detective with an implant providing additional strength/powers and is accompanied by a bio-enhanced, talking cat, Skua. She is partnered with Task, an alcoholic detective. Lynx has a wife, and an adopted boy, Boro, who is an orphan of a former friend of Lynx. Lynx is one of the longest serving detectives on the force. There is a murder to be solved, which may actually be just one of many related deaths. And there appears to be intrigue between Lynx and Task’s supervisor, and one of the wealthy elites of the society.
So the eARC that I received was in black and white, and I could not tell if this was the final version, or if the book would be inked [?] before publication. The art, while striking, made the story difficult to follow, especially with a watermark [Sample PDF VIZ Media] on each page.
I gave LYNX four stars. If the final product is actually in color, and the art is less confusing without the watermark, I would probably upgrade this to a 5 star review. However, this is not for everyone. The world building is minimal. I like that you are just dropped into the story, and things are revealed as you go along. Some of my friends would definitely down rate LYNX because they prefer a fully fleshed out world. Volume 1 ends without resolving much which wants me coming back for more of the story, but not everyone likes that. Clearly, this is not for all readers, but if you are a cyberpunk fan and enjoy a little ambiguity in your story telling, give LYNX a try.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC
I want to start off this review by disclaiming that I am not typically a manga or comic book reader so this is coming from someone fairly new to the genre (although, I have read a few).
This is a dystopian sci-fi book following the main character Lynx, who works in solving crimes with the help of being genetically enhanced. She does this alongside her animal sidekick, Suka, and her friend, Task, who is also a genetically modified human. Lynx is a very strong main character who was fun to follow!
The plot was also very intriguing and starts off extremely strong with a murder. Throughout the story, Lynx uncovers more details about who the killer could be, which was my favorite part because it was a very unique take on a crime story. I think this book's biggest strength is its unique sci-fi elements, including genetic modification, the world's perpetual winter, and the use of talking animals. However, I like how it mixed these elements with more magical elements like angels. Overall, a very interesting mix.
My gripe with the novel is that it had very little world-building to help me understand the world and why I should care about the characters. We are just kind of dropped in the midst of the story without any explanation. For some people, this could be a good thing because you don't have to sit through a boring exposition, but for me, I prefer a little more intro to get to know the characters so I feel more connected to the rest of the story. I did appreciate the humor woven into the book, which helped with this, but I still would have preferred a bit more backstory.
All in all, this was a very entertaining start to a manga series and ends in a cliffhanger (as do most manga). I enjoyed the concept a lot, and I'm sure the characters and storyline will continue to be fleshed out further as more volumes are released!
I want to start off this review by disclaiming that I am not typically a manga or comic book reader so this is coming from someone fairly new to the genre (although, I have read a few).
This is a dystopian sci-fi book following the main character Lynx, who works in solving crimes with the help of being genetically enhanced. She does this alongside her animal sidekick, Suka, and her friend, Task, who is also a genetically modified human. Lynx is a very strong main character who was fun to follow!
The plot was also very intriguing and starts off extremely strong with a murder. Throughout the story, Lynx uncovers more details about who the killer could be, which was my favorite part because it was a very unique take on a crime story. I think this book's biggest strength is its unique sci-fi elements, including genetic modification, the world's perpetual winter, and the use of talking animals. However, I like how it mixed these elements with more magical elements like angels. Overall, a very interesting mix.
My gripe with the novel is that it had very little world-building to help me understand the world and why I should care about the characters. We are just kind of dropped in the midst of the story without any explanation. For some people, this could be a good thing because you don't have to sit through a boring exposition, but for me, I prefer a little more intro to get to know the characters so I feel more connected to the rest of the story. I did appreciate the humor woven into the book, which helped with this, but I still would have preferred a bit more backstory.
All in all, this was a very entertaining start to a manga series and ends in a cliffhanger (as do most manga). I enjoyed the concept a lot, and I'm sure the characters and storyline will continue to be fleshed out further as more volumes are released!
February 18, 2026
“LYNX, Vol. 1” is an intriguing introduction to a frozen post-apocalypse cyberpunk society. Lynx, a genetically enhanced detective, and Skua, her enhanced talking cat partner, are a fun duo, along with her enhanced human partner Task. I liked the bleak tone but I was glad it was broken up by occasional moments of levity from the side characters. I also appreciated that Lynx’s gender and sexuality were taken in stride, it’s not a big deal that she’s a badass detective or that she had a wife in this world. Lynx was never overly sexualized for a male gaze like so many female characters in manga are, she just gets to be cool and confident, and that is way more “sexy” to me personally. I feel like the writing for this story is headed in a good direction for her. (I swear if I have to read another manga where a strong female main character is put into a situation where she has sexual violence threatened against her for the titalation of male readers, I will throw that book across the room. Don’t let me down “LYNX” creators.) How refreshing to have a depressed female detective haunted by the death of their wife, that’s equality, haha! But really, I found this an intriguing start to a sci-fi mystery, there’s lots of teases and questions, and the mysterious angel creatures that Lynx is pursuing are beautiful and terrifying. The art from tokitokoro is gorgeous. I think Samuel Sattin might have something special with “LYNX” if he can deliver on the promise of volume 1. I was left with a lot of questions by the end, who created the winged creature, what happened to Simone, is this somehow connected to their son? But that just has me looking forward to volume 2!
Thank you VIZ Media and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you VIZ Media and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As a warning, this volume ends on a cliffhanger — as many of them do — with no sign of book 2, yet. Taking place in a city of the haves and the havenots, Lynx and Task, two officers from the small police department, decide to go angel hunting. These angels aren’t biblical horrors or the kinder guardian angels of popular culture, but people (maybe?) who are the victims of a new drug. In the midst of all this Task is dealing with his PTSD and alcoholism, Lynx is dealing with the loss of her wife, and Lynx’s son is acting out at school. Oh, and their boss has it out for them.
Lynx comes across as flat and monotone, but she’s going through a great deal of trauma and grief, and her way of coping is to ignore the pain and just keep walking forward. She doesn’t know how to help her son, or how to help Task who is facing his own demons. Task drowns his sorrows in drink, a few drugs, and maybe some extracurricular activities, but he’s a loyal friend and willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lynx as they try to do their jobs, even though all they seem to do is collect bodies, these days.
I loved the art, both of the humans and the monsters, which is stylized enough to turn this violent book about the abuse of power by those with money and the suffering of those without into a sleek, almost elegant visual story. From robotic forms to angels, people mutated by the drugs they take and fluffy bunnies, it paints a vivid picture of this grim and broken world.
I can’t wait for the next book to find out what’s going on. Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
LYNX is a gritty tech noir following detective Lynx Takuma as she works a case that leads her to catch a glimpse of an angel, setting off a chain of mysterious events. While the character art was for the most part sharp and defined, I thought that the backgrounds were seriously lacking. A lot of it was just filled with pencil lines, white flecks, or empty space. Random characters' faces were blank and expressionless. I didn't care much for any of the characters aside from Lynx, Task, and Skua. There was also a lack of clarity in some panels, leaving me confused at what exactly I was looking at (an object on a table, a close up of a character's hand in motion, an entire location, etc). While I had a grasp of the story, things felt a bit tricky to follow. It didn't help that characters dropped random words for made up techy things (solfoil, rolfolic acid, phinflooders, forder, etc). I have to say that I am obsessed with Skua the cat and his little pair of glasses. I think his character was the reason I gave this volume three stars instead of two (his addition was a nice change of pace where generic detective duos are concerned). Overall, not the most memorable story or art. I might read the second volume and give this series a second chance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for the e-ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for the e-ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a new story where we primarily are with a bio-enhanced detective named Lynx. She has lost her wife and is responsible for the son they adopted. Her partner, Task, is also bioenhanced and is struggling with addictions. He also shows up with black eyes. My favorite character is Skua, a bioenhanced cat that can talk and tends to be snarky. Lynx, Task, and their supervisor are the only 3 still alive with this old and powerful technology still in them.
They live in one of the last cities remaining after a climate disaster. It is clear that the city has been divided into sectors, with some being slums and others acceptable. Some people live much better lives than others.
As the detectives investigate a gruesome murder, Lynx sees feathers and what she thinks might be an angel. Skua finds the angel to have a very repulsive scent and sniffs it out on the corpse as well. Turns out there is a feather in the dead guy's brain. It's an important clue. Task had heard of a project Angel. He and Lynx investigate. They find a big blob of a thing that the coroner struggles to cut open. It revives and goes after Task.
The book contains violent sequences. It reminds me of a cross between X/1999 and Evangelion. I suspect in part because of the "Angels."
I was given an advance copy via Netgalley and Viz Media.
They live in one of the last cities remaining after a climate disaster. It is clear that the city has been divided into sectors, with some being slums and others acceptable. Some people live much better lives than others.
As the detectives investigate a gruesome murder, Lynx sees feathers and what she thinks might be an angel. Skua finds the angel to have a very repulsive scent and sniffs it out on the corpse as well. Turns out there is a feather in the dead guy's brain. It's an important clue. Task had heard of a project Angel. He and Lynx investigate. They find a big blob of a thing that the coroner struggles to cut open. It revives and goes after Task.
The book contains violent sequences. It reminds me of a cross between X/1999 and Evangelion. I suspect in part because of the "Angels."
I was given an advance copy via Netgalley and Viz Media.
September 3, 2026
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Lynx is a beautifully drawn western style manga written by Samuel Sattin and illustrated by tokitokoro. Released 11th Aug 2026 by Viz, it's 224 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
The art is reminiscent of DK and Sin City era Miller, full of motion and an almost strobe effect, quite jagged in places. The story, a post apocalyptic "girl and her dog (who's a bio-enhanced cat)" story is similarly disjointed... but also engaging and interesting. The art and story fill one another out to a sufficient degree to make an intriguing whole. There's not much back-story in this (the first) issue, but wrapping anything around the core idea of a queer female detective and her intelligent talking cat investigative partner trying to figure out how murder victims keep showing up dead with angel feathers in their brains in a post-apocalyptic frozen world is worth the price of admission just for the setup.
Art is 5/5, story is 3/5 (but promising to be more understandable in future issues hopefully). Overall a solid 4/5.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Lynx is a beautifully drawn western style manga written by Samuel Sattin and illustrated by tokitokoro. Released 11th Aug 2026 by Viz, it's 224 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
The art is reminiscent of DK and Sin City era Miller, full of motion and an almost strobe effect, quite jagged in places. The story, a post apocalyptic "girl and her dog (who's a bio-enhanced cat)" story is similarly disjointed... but also engaging and interesting. The art and story fill one another out to a sufficient degree to make an intriguing whole. There's not much back-story in this (the first) issue, but wrapping anything around the core idea of a queer female detective and her intelligent talking cat investigative partner trying to figure out how murder victims keep showing up dead with angel feathers in their brains in a post-apocalyptic frozen world is worth the price of admission just for the setup.
Art is 5/5, story is 3/5 (but promising to be more understandable in future issues hopefully). Overall a solid 4/5.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I teach a graphic novel course, and so many of my students draw inspiration from Manga that I try to expose myself to new materials when I can. When Viz and NetGalley made this available, I grabbed it.
It's interesting to see the story from an American writer, Eisner-nominated writer Samuel Sattin, and tokitokoro, a Japanese artist. As a result, I see it as having slightly deeper characterization than I have previously experienced with modern Manga.
We're in a post-apocalyptic world where biotechnology for humans and animals is more commonplace. Our protagonist is Lynx Takuma, a bio-enhanced detective in New Borealis, accompanied by her cat Skua. She and her volatile partner Task are on the case of some new menace, some new drug that seems to change people. It also suggests that something divine is at work, which rocks her world.
Then there's her son, who is having issues at school, although the reasons seem vague, and Lynx's reaction seems extreme.
Of course, being Manga, this is all set up and is continued, so it'll be a while before things really start to make sense.
It seems perfectly fine and serviceable despite the watermark marring some of the artwork's clarity, along with tokitokoro's habit of letting effects obscure storytelling.
It's interesting to see the story from an American writer, Eisner-nominated writer Samuel Sattin, and tokitokoro, a Japanese artist. As a result, I see it as having slightly deeper characterization than I have previously experienced with modern Manga.
We're in a post-apocalyptic world where biotechnology for humans and animals is more commonplace. Our protagonist is Lynx Takuma, a bio-enhanced detective in New Borealis, accompanied by her cat Skua. She and her volatile partner Task are on the case of some new menace, some new drug that seems to change people. It also suggests that something divine is at work, which rocks her world.
Then there's her son, who is having issues at school, although the reasons seem vague, and Lynx's reaction seems extreme.
Of course, being Manga, this is all set up and is continued, so it'll be a while before things really start to make sense.
It seems perfectly fine and serviceable despite the watermark marring some of the artwork's clarity, along with tokitokoro's habit of letting effects obscure storytelling.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
LYNX Vol. 1 is a refreshing tech-noir story set in a frozen future, where the last remnants of humanity cling to survival in the perpetual winter of New Borealis. Bio-enhanced detective Lynx Takuma and her sharp-tongued, cybernetically enhanced talking cat Skua are seasoned crime-fighters—until a surge of grisly murders leads them to something impossible: an angel with claws.
It’s dark, gritty, and steeped in crime-syndicate intrigue, with a deliberately measured pace that favors atmosphere and world-building. At times the characters have limited dialogue, and we’re given only fragments of backstory for our protagonist. For Lynx, the main anchor is that she’s a well-known bio-enhanced detective still haunted by the mysterious loss of her wife, Simone.
Tokitokoro’s artwork is a perfect match for the story. Their clean, dynamic linework captures the gritty, frozen atmosphere Sattin builds, successfully creating a world that is both terrifying and fascinating. LYNX Vol. 1 raises far more questions than it answers—a trait that may frustrate some readers but leaves you eager for the next volume. Close attention is required to catch the subtle clues about Takuma’s tragic past, the slow decline of New Borealis, and the chilling mystery of the ‘angels.’
It’s dark, gritty, and steeped in crime-syndicate intrigue, with a deliberately measured pace that favors atmosphere and world-building. At times the characters have limited dialogue, and we’re given only fragments of backstory for our protagonist. For Lynx, the main anchor is that she’s a well-known bio-enhanced detective still haunted by the mysterious loss of her wife, Simone.
Tokitokoro’s artwork is a perfect match for the story. Their clean, dynamic linework captures the gritty, frozen atmosphere Sattin builds, successfully creating a world that is both terrifying and fascinating. LYNX Vol. 1 raises far more questions than it answers—a trait that may frustrate some readers but leaves you eager for the next volume. Close attention is required to catch the subtle clues about Takuma’s tragic past, the slow decline of New Borealis, and the chilling mystery of the ‘angels.’
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks so much to VIZ Media and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this title to read and review prior to its publication on 8/11/26!
This graphic novel had an extremely interesting premise, and I was very excited to review this new title. I think the story certainly kept my attention throughout, but it did leave me wanting a bit more. The characters were not fleshed out very well, and they were all hard for me to attach to due to their limited dialogue, gruff personalities, and no backstory.
The artwork from tokitokoro is great; however, since I received an unfinished ARC with no color, it was honestly hard for me to follow along with the action in some panels. Not to the point that I "lost" the story, but to the point that I couldn't really tell what was going on (the VIZ Media watermark didn't help at all either tbh). I do believe that will be "fixed" when the novel comes out in color, but just something to note.
While this was not a perfect graphic novel, the story did leave me intrigued enough that I'd love to continue the story in future volumes to see how things conclude.
This graphic novel had an extremely interesting premise, and I was very excited to review this new title. I think the story certainly kept my attention throughout, but it did leave me wanting a bit more. The characters were not fleshed out very well, and they were all hard for me to attach to due to their limited dialogue, gruff personalities, and no backstory.
The artwork from tokitokoro is great; however, since I received an unfinished ARC with no color, it was honestly hard for me to follow along with the action in some panels. Not to the point that I "lost" the story, but to the point that I couldn't really tell what was going on (the VIZ Media watermark didn't help at all either tbh). I do believe that will be "fixed" when the novel comes out in color, but just something to note.
While this was not a perfect graphic novel, the story did leave me intrigued enough that I'd love to continue the story in future volumes to see how things conclude.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
TL;DR: A fantastic start to a new series.
Source: NetGalley, thank you so much!
Plot: Officer Lynx and her talking-cat partner are caught up investigating a genetic monster.
Characters: I enjoyed everyone in this cast. The unlikeable and the likable.
Setting: Again, this was also awesome. I found myself in that setting and vibe thinking about it days later.
Art: Absolutely stunning. I love the long legged look, it felt nostalgic but also fresh and new.
Thoughts:
I’m not sure what I expected going into this but it wasn’t what I got. Lynx is an investigating officer in a post disaster world with genetic modifications and changed wildlife. She is working her beat when a strange case pops up, and she sees something she shouldn’t.
Add into that she’s grappling with the death of her wife, and raising a young boy that doesn’t quite fit with her yet and it’s a great setup. The horror in this feeds so well into the entire story. It’s shocking when it appears but the monsters that are lurking around the corners in Lynx’s world are somehow tied to her grief or her wife.
I cannot wait for more of this. It’s not often I give a first volume 5 stars but this one really sold me on the series. A lot happened in this volume and I cannot wait to see more.
Source: NetGalley, thank you so much!
Plot: Officer Lynx and her talking-cat partner are caught up investigating a genetic monster.
Characters: I enjoyed everyone in this cast. The unlikeable and the likable.
Setting: Again, this was also awesome. I found myself in that setting and vibe thinking about it days later.
Art: Absolutely stunning. I love the long legged look, it felt nostalgic but also fresh and new.
Thoughts:
I’m not sure what I expected going into this but it wasn’t what I got. Lynx is an investigating officer in a post disaster world with genetic modifications and changed wildlife. She is working her beat when a strange case pops up, and she sees something she shouldn’t.
Add into that she’s grappling with the death of her wife, and raising a young boy that doesn’t quite fit with her yet and it’s a great setup. The horror in this feeds so well into the entire story. It’s shocking when it appears but the monsters that are lurking around the corners in Lynx’s world are somehow tied to her grief or her wife.
I cannot wait for more of this. It’s not often I give a first volume 5 stars but this one really sold me on the series. A lot happened in this volume and I cannot wait to see more.
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