Manga ● Review: Cryomemory – Volume 1

Very Average Joe
11 minutes ago
2 min read

Title: Cryomemory – Volume 1

Writer: Kyle Fewell

Artist: Kyle Fewell

Released: 2025

Length: 104 pages

Publisher: Koguchi Press

My Verdict: Young woman finds data doll with her long-lost/dead sister’s memories. Generic/derivative sci-fi so far, but good art and production.

● Cryomemory is an indie manga publication by Kyle Fewell, an artist based in Brooklyn, NY.

● The art is mostly manga in style but it is written in English.

● According to the introductory text, it is set on Earth 183 years after some war. This is basically a post-AI world in which humans are running the show again but not for the better.

● More pertinent to the story, orbital platforms are now used to store and process data using “data dolls” as containers. Assuming this is due to the capabilities of a cyborg/doll, then this makes sense. These dolls are destroyed to prevent sensitive data leaking.

● These dolls never reconnect to the world. Apart from the abovementioned reason, why this is the standard practice is unclear.

● Enter a young woman named Renee on her first solo mission, which is to destroy a doll. But her target contains the memories of her long-lost/dead younger sister, Gwyn.

● What follows is some hit squad targeting Renee and she fights back.

● The premise is clearly inspired by the likes of Ghost in the Shell, especially with memory and perception being the apparent themes.

● The art is generally well-executed with nice linework and graduations.

● There are some larger/wider panels of the environment that make cool establishing shots. They are not quite Nihei Tsutomu but they do somewhat remind one of his work. There could be more of it for better worldbuilding.

● The main problem is that the plot so far is confined; it is literally Renee and the doll trying to survive a hit squad turning up at her apartment. It is basically a two-act story, and therefore lacks a sense of plot progression.

● By the way, the soldiers are clearly a rip-off of the Zakus from Mobile Suit Gundam. They look good but not sure how he got away with it (lol).

● There is no shortage of action and Renee seems highly skilled. Yet, this is supposed to be her first solo mission. Is this to imply she is a rookie? Perhaps this is not true or there is a good reason; hopefully, this question is addressed in subsequent parts.

● The premise is already generic for a sci-fi, which is fine in itself, and whilst one does not expect any in-depth exploration into the themes of AI or memory in the first part, it needs better worldbuilding, which I think the author is capable of.

● Despite the above key weakness, it has potential. The next part needs more worldbuilding and to delve into why dolls and the data they carry are important and how it impacts the world.

● The art is generally good; there are a few panels that are too simple compared to the others but that is the case for most manga and comics. The print quality is solid and the paper is nice and thick. Overall, it is well-produced.