Customer Reviews

Cowboy Bebop # 1

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

I bought this volume of the Bebop manga at Anime Expo 2002 out of laziness since I didn't want to order online or go to a bookstore to get it. Go figure. ^_^ But anyway, most hardcore Bebop fans are in for a shocker since the artwork doesn't closely resemble that of the anime series, except for Jet, Ed, and Ein, who still look pretty much the same. Spike and Faye look a lot younger here, but who cares?!

Story and character-wise, the manga series stays true to the Bebop anime, retaining that "cool" style and humor. Plus, what makes the manga even more desirable is the fact that none of the stories in here are a retelling of the anime -- it's a collection of original side adventures that the Bebop crew embark upon.

In addition, since this is the translated, unflopped, Tokyopop release, I must say that they did an excellent job in the translations and comic wording department. It'll take newbies some getting used to since you have to read this book right-to-left, as goes with all Japanese manga. But after the first time around, you pick the reading format up easily, so it shouldn't be much of a problem afterwards.

In the end, is it a must for Bebop fans? Oh yes, most definitely.

*Side Note* I think this graphic novel is worth getting for the 2nd story alone, "We Will Rock You." Check out Spike trying to escape the clutches of a male-prisoner-turned-Marilyn-Monroe-wannabe. It's too hilarious to miss out on. Seriously.

They should have included the "manga style" warning on BOTH ends of this book.

Cowboy Bebop is an exceptional and brilliant work. This manga has truly done the anime a disservice especially considering is was produced post-series.

How the characters could be so uncharacteristically portrayed both visually and behaviorally is astounding, unless the artists and writers were asked to recreate them from memory after watching one session.

I know this is harsh, but its just a reflection of my profound dissappointment.

I highly advise against book #3. The inside cover art - an obvious rip off of the famous photo of James Dean in NYC -depicting Spike as though he were a dirty, emaciated heroin addict is truly disturbing!

Wow! I am a HUGE fan of the anime and let me tell you, the manga is no let down. It totally captures that intriguing mood of the series, which I at first didn't think was possible! :) I am 100% satisfied! This is a wonderful book that any Cowboy Bebop fan should read. You won't be dissapointed. :)

When it comes to Cowboy Bebop I'm a fanatic, so I felt compelsed to buy the manga to further my Bebop collection. At first I thought the manga art was a little odd but it grew on me and I was waiting for the next instalation of this great series. If you pay attention to what each character says not only do you catch odd bits of 20th century pop-culture, but some how our author and artist captures the original anime's slick humor and Shinichiro Watanabe's vision for the series. By far this is one of the best done series to manga conversions I've ever seen. Although it's a little disappointing that there are only books in the manga's installation. All I can hope is that there will more added to this great manga series. This series is most definitely worth your hard earned money!

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.

i could image all the stories in this manga being draw out and made into new episodes for the series. if your as sad as i am about the swift end to this remarkable series and are craving a little more, i highly recommend that you check out this manga.

I am a big fan of Cowboy Bebop so I was highly disappointed when I read this manga produced by Yutaka Nanten and Hajime Yatate. It seemed to be missing all the elements of the anime that made the series a classic.

There are 4 stories in this first book. "It's Showtime" is about the conflict that occurs when the Bebop crew tries to work alone but finds out that all their seperate bounties are all in the same place at the same time. In "We Will Rock You" Spike has to infiltrate and find a bounty already in prison, if that makes any sense? A rich man becomes so bored in the next story that he puts a bounty on himself to add spice to his life in "Cheap Trick". "Black Diamond" is the last story in which Faye Valentine becomes the hunted.

There were 2 things working against this book. The stories seemed contrived and lazily written. The whole reason the anime was successful was because it never went down a previously trodden path. This manga was like a hollywood production of Bebop. Superficial and dumb. Another thing working against it was the art itself. When action occurs the artist doesn't draw it coherently. Half the time, I was wondering exactly what went on in a panel because it was so unclear. Also, the book really wasn't funny and lacked the Bebop trademark humor of intelligence and irony and sarcasm. It seemed like it was written by someone who had never seen the show...

This book, despite the negative reviews, was actually fairly entertaining. The stories in book 1 kept me interested throughout (believe you me, its hard to keep my attention for too long). While they may not have been as exciting as the tv series the different scenarios kept you wondering what was going to happen next. The reason why this item wasn't as entertaining as it could have been, was the lack of music. The music made the anime so it was a kind of a bummer not to have it. But good news, you could listen to your own collection of music, which made the manga flow pretty well. If you like the series you might wanna take a look, if you're looking for something new...be my guest, no guarantees. =P