Shōichirō was just another high school student. Now, he's Wyvern, one of the dreaded Judges of the Underworld, chosen to battle against the forces of Athena in a war that transcends life and death.

When an unexpected ambush during a school trip sends Shōichirō and his classmates into the land of the dead, they are thrust into a fierce struggle between the gods and their warriors. The mysterious forces of Hades have already begun their assault, and Shōichirō's destiny is forever altered. But he's not alone—Cattleya, the reincarnation of Athena herself, fights to defend the living, as shocking truths about a darker conspiracy threaten everything they know.

Saint Seiya: Dark Wing is written by Kenji Saitō and drawn by Shinshu Ueda. English translation by Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements. Lettered by Youssef Mohamed. Published by Titan Manga (September 18, 2025). Rated M.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

I think I first encountered Saint Seiya as Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque, although I have no real idea when or where that was, other than I was a very small child. That makes it fitting that I first learned about this latest spinoff from a French manga site, which proclaimed it to be “un spin-off isekai." Now that I've read the book, I'm not entirely sure where that statement came from, because while Shoichiro does end up in Elysium, it's specifically because he's dead, and Elysium (or the Elysian Fields) is a part of the Ancient Greek afterlife. So, yes, technically it's another world, but not really in the “died and reborn” isekai sense. But maybe I'm being overly picky.

In any event, while familiarity with any of the many Saint Seiya incarnations will doubtless help explain basic concepts present in this book, such as “cloth” and the basic structure of how the world works, I don't think it's strictly necessary, because the story's underlying issues are fairly universal. Talented pianist Shoichiro dies on a school trip while trying to save his crush, Yoruhime, and as he's sinking into the depths of the sea, he wishes that he could have saved her. (He does, however, manage to save the ship's cat, which wins him many points in my book.) The next thing he knows, he's waking up in the Greek afterlife with a buff body and a strange tattoo on his pec. Yoruhime, who is also there, explains that he has died and is now a specter, but a powerful one granted power by Lord Hades…and he's meant to use that power to defeat Athena and prevent her from further destroying Hades' realm. The catch? His twin brother and childhood best friend are both still alive and on Athena's side.

Although this volume is primarily set up, it's still addictive. Shoichiro's tragedy is never far from the surface, however, and writer Kenji Saitō not only keeps the basic feel of the franchise, but also allows readers to see the somewhat arbitrary nature of the Greek pantheon. Shoichiro was rewarded for sacrificing his life for someone else, and Yoruhime's recounting of what Athena has done to the underworld makes a good case for the goddess to be in the wrong – and Hades isn't analogous to Satan in the mythology, either, while Athena isn't exempt from poor decisions. The separation of the twins onto two different sides sets the stage for finding middle ground, as a past encounter between Sojiro (Shoichiro's twin) and Charlotte, who works for Pandora, bears out. The art feels appropriately rich, and if the writing and translation fully expect readers to be at least a little familiar with the original, well, that's what Wikipedia's for. I'm very excited to see where it's going.

Jean-Karlo Lemus
Rating:

I have a lot of love for Saint Seiya... but that's not a love that's generally shared among much of the American anime fandom. Right off the bat, Saint Seiya: Dark Wing faces an uphill battle in catching folks up to speed regarding the world of Saint Seiya: there are the Saints and their Cloths and the rankings for Saints... the good news is that Saint Seiya: Dark Wing manages to get people up to speed regarding the basics, and quickly (Athena has attacked the land of the dead, Hades is recruiting his own cadre of Saints to stop her). Shinshu Ueda's art is a good fit for the world of Saint Seiya with their own take on wiry, fluffy-haired teens punching each other with the power of middle-school math textbook covers. But with only three proper fights between Saints, this book is light on action—especially since each fight is over after just one exchange.

Moreover, over half of the book doesn't even star our protagonist, Souichiro—it fills us in on his twin brother, Sojiro. Great for giving us context, but uh... way to upstage your brother. Also, it appears that a twist in this series makes Saint Seiya: Dark Wing far more connected to the original than you'd think at first blush. I'm not sure how that'll go over for most readers who haven't read or seen Saint Seiya before. But the characters are well-defined and their personalities are quite charming; you'll find someone to latch onto quite quickly.

Speaking as a fan of Saint Seiya, the book is fine—though I do balk a little at the story introducing Gold Saints so early and easily, especially given how Earth-shatteringly powerful they're supposed to be. I do wish the fights were a bit longer, but the Saints' special moves are appropriately grandiose in their two-page spreads (even if they're so sporadic). And hey, Saints do get properly battered within an inch of their life. Also, Dark Wing continues the trend of women Saints not needing to wear the dumb masks.

As a part of Saint Seiya, Dark Wing is serviceable and a fair-to-good introduction to a new perspective on the beloved Saints, provided you don't mind the new cast (which I doubt will be much of an issue). And for folks who don't know anything about Saint Seiya, Dark Wing is a fair-to-good fantasy-action manga, though I definitely hope it ramps up a bit in later volumes. Recommended, with some reservations.