Cowboy Bebop

(Tokyopop, 2002)
™ and ©1999 Yutaka Nanten
Reads right to left, Graphic novel

The blurb on the cover may say, “As Seen on TV,” but the contents aren’t nearly as good as the space Western noir on which it’s based. But Bebop is one of the best anime series of the decade; keeping that in mind, the comic book does a fairly good job of recreating the feel of one of the sillier episodes (even by anime standards, this is a show that can go from bumbling to bloody in a heartbeat), though the art probably should be done in a slightly more serious style.

It certainly does a fine job of introducing the subtle, complex cast of characters, notably Fay Valentine (a would-be femme fatale who just isn’t very good at her job) and Zen hacker extraordinary Ed, whose inexplicable utterances (“Rice cakes, rice cakes, drawn in a picture … I’m hungry”) easily rival those of Zippy the Pinhead. If you’re not watching Cowboy Bebop on Cartoon Network, here’s a taste of what you’ve been missing.

— S.A. Bennett

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