Product Description

What’s money between friends? But, wait who said they were friends?The lone wolf – the wizened vet – the femme fatale – the smart-mouth kid when Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed get together; it can mean only one thing: carnage is about to ensue. In keeping with the popular but off-beat anime, the manga begins a series of original stories that take the action to a whole new level. Spike, Jet and Faye all end up after the same bounty, Spike goes after a convict who’s already in prison, and Faye (the con-artist she is) ends up the victim of a con not once, but twice.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #258506 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-23
• Released on: 2002-04-23
• Original language: Japanese
• Number of items: 3
• Binding: Paperback
• 184 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781931514910
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Hardly a substitute for the anime, but still a great read.
"Cowboy Bebop" has been dubbed one of the greatest anime series ever, and rightfully so. Its plots are original and action-packed, its dub has been called one of the best ever done, and its characters are some of the most beloved characters in the anime community. So it's no surprise that TOKYOPOP decided to bring the "Cowboy Bebop" manga to the States. Using TOKYOPOP's new "100% Authentic Manga" format, the manga is a set of stories told within the universe of "Cowboy Bebop" before the final set of episodes. Sadly, the manga is nothing compared to the anime masterpiece; even so, fans of the series and fans of manga in general owe it to themselves to give this manga a look at least.

The anime series follows an episode-like format for the most of its 26-episode run (meaning episodes don't have overlapping storylines), and the manga is no different. The first volume of the "Cowboy Bebop" manga presents four different stories that deal with the characters of the "Bebop", following their adventures and misadventures as they try to nab bounties so they can collect the reward money and get food in their stomachs. Almost any "Cowboy Bebop" fan will praise the anime series as having highly original stories and adventures that define the series. Unfortunately, that same fan will most likely look at the stories in the manga and say they are formulaic. Also, the stories has odd pacing issues in several areas, making the volume feel a little unbalanced. Even so, the stories are quite entertaining and do capture some of the charm of the anime. But anyone hoping the manga will hold over as a substitute for the anime until the "Cowboy Bebop" movie arrives on American shores will be sorely disappointed.

Visually, some fans might be put off by the artist's interpretation of the characters. Characters in the manga do resemble their anime counterparts, but sometimes they can look a tad-bit distorted. And seeing Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein in chibi-like forms can be a little awkward, considering this rarely happened in the anime. Still, the visual artwork of the manga isn't anything to be disgusted at, but fans of the anime will wants to approach this with caution.

In terms of translation, I can honestly say that TOKYOPOP is getting better. Previous efforts such as "Cardcaptor Sakura" and "Gundam Wing" used text that was most likely typed in a machine, resulting in several horrible typos, and TOKYOPOP has always been known to deliver mediocre translations. With "Cowboy Bebop", the text appears to be drawn and not typed, resulting in fewer typos; I couldn't find any at all in this volume. While the translation might be questionable to some people, it doesn't sound static and flat; I actually consider this one of TOKYOPOP's better efforts. And with TOKYOPOP's new "100% Authentic Format", the volume is read right-to-left, giving it a more authentic feel. It also makes the artwork clearer to see; since it hasn't been photo-reversed, the artwork isn't blurred, dimmed, or distorted.

All in all, "Cowboy Bebop" is a good manga series, but only for the right kind of person. Fans of the anime will want to be careful with this series, and manga readers unfamiliar with the anime should also be wary. Still, the manga is very entertaining and is good enough to hold the "Cowboy Bebop" name. And thanks to TOKYOPOP's better-than-normal translation and their "100% Authentic Manga" format, the manga can be enjoyed even further.

Until volume 2, "SEE YOU, SPACE COWBOY..."

Sorry to be Such a Downer...
Don't get me wrong folks, I am an avid Bebop fan, but I was a little disappointed in the first gaphic novel. After watching the television series and buying three soundtracks (all of which were amazing), I expected to be completely blown away by the comic books.
Unfortunately, the plots for the most part are pretty weak and do not really hold the reader's attention. I also noticed the character designs in the manga have changed, especially for Spike and Faye (not really for the better in my opinion). In addition, the story "We Will Rock You" is probably the only one in the book that remotely lives up to the name Bebop.
I would only recommend this graphic novel for die -hard fans who aren't likely to let it ruin their impression of Cowboy Bebop. Otherwise, you are better off spending your money on the second book of the manga series.

In Search of a Payoff
It is no surprise that Cowboy Bebop refuses to die. Certainly one of the most successful action/comedy series of recent years, it really set a new standard for what anime is capable of when science fiction is focused on the characters rather than on giant mecha and evil aliens. Now that a new film is about to be released in the US, I though it would be interesting to read the manga.

Of course, I was hoping for a continuation from the spectacular ending, but that is not the case. These stories are set sometime after all the characters come together, but before the final five episodes of the series. In itself, this isn't a cause for disappointment. This volume contains four stories. The first is a classic comedy of errors when Faye, Jet, and Spike trip over each other on a trio of quests. The next sends Spike to jail in order to free a wanted man. Then an unhappy misogynist decides to take on all the female bounty hunters in known space. Finally, we get a classic bad cop story that echoes Jet's past.

This all sounds like fun, but I was honestly a bit disappointed. The stories are written for a younger audience (13+) and this weakens the narrative development. While Faye does some obligatory fan service, the truth is that the stories a mostly innocuous, lacking the biting dialog and styling of the original series. The illustration is a cut above average, but the vision is a bit claustrophobic. It is still fun to read, but I am afraid we are going to have to wait for the second TV series to get complete satisfaction.