Edgerunners’ Prequel Manga Lets Rebecca Bask...

In 2022, Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Crimson and famend anime studio Set off collectively launched the Netflix anime sequence Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. In fast succession, the present joined the tremendous unique membership of phenomenal video game adaptations and revitalized its player base, which had lengthy misplaced religion within the monumentally hyped sport from its historically rocky launch. The present achieved a hat trick by profitable Crunchyroll’s 2023 Anime of the Year award—beating out exhibits like Assault on Titan, Demon Slayer, and Spy x Household.

Though CD Projekt Crimson has burdened that there are no plans to make a sequel season, they’re removed from finished with creating extra anime content material for the sequence. Key amongst them are characters like Lucy being a guest character in Guilty Gear Strive, a tabletop epilogue, and a spin-off animated series in production at Netflix. Whereas the aforementioned content material drops are a methods away from releasing, CD Projekt Crimson and Set off are holding of us sated with new prequel manga sequence Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness. The sequence, which is able to quickly get an English launch courtesy of Darkish Horse, follows the exploits of fan-favorite character Rebecca and her brother Pilar earlier than the anime’s occasions. A prequel to the prequel, if you’ll.

We spoke with manga author Bartosz Sztybor to achieve insights into the sequence’ creation and what followers can count on from CD Projekt Crimson and future Edgerunners tales.

Isaiah Colbert, io9:  What sparked the thought to revisit Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as a manga?

Bartosz Sztybor: There are numerous tales not solely in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners however in the entire Cyberpunk 2077 universe. Our concept for the entire franchise is to point out that this can be a large, genuine, and plausible world and you may obtain that by way of advanced characters and grounded tales. You want to really feel that these characters are alive, that they’ve their very own lives, that they’ve a previous and desires. That’s why Doc from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners had a job within the Cyberpunk 2077: XOXO comedian ebook. Cormac, a fixer from Cyberpunk 2077: You Have My Phrase was seen in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Cyberpunk 2077: Blackout and was even talked about in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

It makes the viewers really feel that these characters are alive, that they’re not simply from one story, however they’d a life earlier than that and perhaps after — in the event that they didn’t die after all, what can simply occur in our world… But in addition some characters’ arcs are completed, which is why we don’t like creating prequels or origin tales only for the sake of doing so.

V’s arc was advised from begin to end, David and Lucy had their story closed, however another characters have been passengers and have the potential to be principal stars. In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, there have been a number of characters with such potential. When Kadokawa, a legendary Japanese manga writer, raised curiosity in making a Cyberpunk: Edgerunners manga we have been tremendous excited. It’s a historic factor, as not many Western IPs have a manga remedy. So after we discovered concerning the alternative, I began considering what we might do.

David and Lucy have been out of the image for the explanations I discussed above, however there have been different characters with wonderful tales. Becca as a fan favourite appeared the very best concept, however I already knew that it shouldn’t be nearly her. As one in every of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ themes is parent-child relationships, we would have liked so as to add Becca’s brother Pilar to the story and clarify how their childhood traumas made them who they’re. They have been additionally an ideal match as I needed to inform a darkish comedy with this manga, following a really tragic anime; one thing extra enjoyable, however nonetheless brutal, after all. I all the time noticed Becca and Pilar as the right characters for a sitcom with a cyberpunk twist.

So you might have numerous slapstick, however you don’t chuckle when somebody slips on a banana peel however after they slip on a banana peel and shoot their head off with a shotgun. Although it’s not solely humor, it’s nonetheless a character-driven story with a
advanced story, so—as all the time with CDPR—it’s a story about morality and shades of grey.

io9: How lengthy has the manga been in improvement?

Sztybor: Virtually two years. Kadokawa preferred the thought of Becca and Pilar so I began writing fairly early, however it’s a giant mission; every chapter is 40 pages and the primary ebook can have six chapters in whole. After a number of passes on the storyline, I dove into the scripts and Asano (the wonderful artist behind the manga) began drawing the primary pages quickly after.

io9: In what methods has making a manga sequence in collaboration with Set off artist Asano differed from the manufacturing of the Edgerunners anime?

Sztybor: In some ways, however it’s as a result of making comedian books or manga is far completely different than making a TV present. It’s largely you, the artist, and editors which can be serving to inform the story in the very best method. And I’m blessed with wonderful editors right here. Our in-house CDPR editor Tetsuya Seya and Kadokawa’s Koeda-san are nice, and assist to carry the very best out in me.

In anime, you discuss with many extra folks: you might have producers, a director, and different writers. You all must be on the identical web page and also you all must imagine within the story you’re telling so it’s a for much longer course of to know one another and align. Making manga/comedian books is extra introverted; it’s a couple of spark between the author and the artist and fortuitously that spark occurred fairly early whereas engaged on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS. So making anime is a crew effort, it’s a soccer match. Making a manga is a date, sitting on the seashore, trying on the ocean, and holding palms.

◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤
『サイバーパンク: エッジランナーズ MADNESS』
エピソード 3（前編）公開⚡️⚡️
◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

戦闘の末、仕事を奪い返すことに
成功したレベッカ。

その仕事とは“謎の男”
を連行することだった…。… pic.twitter.com/vQXS1ZeoNW

— 月刊コミックアライブ公式 (@comic_alive) February 14, 2025

io9: Will the manga be a limited-run sequence, or are there plans to discover it additional as an ongoing work?

Sztybor: We’ll see. We’re planning to create two books, six chapters every, but when the readers will demand extra, then I’m prepared. I might write tales about Becca eternally!

io9: Rebecca is a well-liked character in Edgerunners. Did that influence selecting her as the main focus of Insanity‘ story?

Sztybor: In fact, however it was additionally the thought to create one thing extra mild and action-packed, and the manga format appeared good for telling a narrative a couple of very manga-eqsue character. At first, I used to be serious about Maine, Becca, and Falco. Maine appeared a bit too noir for the style I needed to deal with and Falco misplaced in opposition to Becca and Pilar due to their recognition, but in addition as a result of the concepts for Becca’s and Pilar’s storyline have been simply coming to my head in hordes.

io9: Ought to the prequel manga yield success, will different plans exist to discover the Edgerunners universe additional with completely different characters from the anime?

Sztybor: Truthfully, the success or lack of it received’t change something. If there’s a good story to inform about somebody from that universe, we are going to do every thing to inform it.

io9: Is there an anticipated date for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Insanity to be obtainable in English for readers?

Sztybor: The primary ebook, which collects the primary six chapters, will likely be out this summer time by way of Darkish Horse Comics. So, a pleasant deal with a number of weeks earlier than the third anniversary of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

Till then, you’ll be able to rewatch all 10 episodes of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners on Netflix and look ahead to copping its Blu-ray when it arrives later this 12 months.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to count on the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and every thing it’s essential to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.