The second volume of Cyberpunk 2077 in a deluxe hardcover format collecting three standalone stories from the depths of Night City.
In XOXO, when love blooms in Night City it’s hard, fast, and bloody, especially when falling for a member of a rival gang. Then the action takes to the street as the daughter of a famed carjacker seeks to make a new name for herself in Kickdown. Finally, a MaxTac squad is divided when their new leader escalates to the extremes of their cyberpsycho opponents in Psycho Squad.
Written by Bartosz Sztybor (Cyberpunk 2077: Blackout, Cyberpunk 2077: You Have My Word), Tomasz Marchewka, lead writer of the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion Phantom Liberty, and Dan Watters (Batman: Detective Comics, Coffin Bound, Home Sick Pilots) with art by Jakub Rebelka (Judas, When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee), Jake Elphick (WWE: NXT Takeover), Tommaso Bennato (Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher: The Edge of the World), and Kieran McKeown (Crime Syndicate, Judge Dredd).
Collects Cyberpunk 2077: XOXO #1–#4, Cyberpunk 2077: Kickdown #1–#4, and Cyberpunk 2077: Psycho Squad #1–#4, and features a cover gallery and expanded sketchbook section!
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.
This second collection of stories from the world of Cyberpunk 2077 sadly isn’t as strong as the first collection.
XOXO XOXO shows us how love, albeit horribly twisted, can unfold in the world of Cyberpunk 2077. I enjoyed the mixing of the cartoons and the real world as it gave us good insight in to the mind of the main character but it lacked a little depth. The art is very ‘marmite’.
Kickdown Kickdown is a pretty by-the-numbers story I’d expect to have as a side mission within the game. It’s quite predictable and whilst the ending could be seen as a little shocking the protagonist tells us throughout the exact person she is.
Psycho-Squad This is the strongest story featured in this collection. The idea of cyberpsycosis is interesting and this tale gives us all aspects of it - someone cured of it - someone starting to show signs of it and someone in the midst of it. It’s all rounded out with a less predictable ending.
Overall this is a decent read that sadly lacks the depth/ character work of the first collection. The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is still rich for story telling so hopefully we get more.