Get your corgis ready, it’s time for “So You Want To Read Comics”, a weekly article where we take a look at a single topic, then give you a pair of comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic.  This week we’re looking at the anime classic Cowboy Bebop.

3…2…1… Let’s Go!

Cowboy Bebop made its Japanese premiere in 1998 and then ran on various networks until 1999. It would later be translated and make a memorable run on Adult Swim in the US.  The show centers around Spike, a jovial bounty hunter, and his crew as they go after various targets across the galaxy. It is often credited as being one of the greatest in not only anime circles but in animation as a whole.  Blending science fiction with noir, with westerns, with martial arts, Cowboy Bebop was a commercial and critical success often being cited as the show that got people into anime in general as well as the inspiration for other animes as well as non-anime properties like Firefly and The Mandalorian.  Director Rian Johnson specifically name checks this series as a visual influence on some of his movies.  It also features a critically acclaimed soundtrack comprised of jazz, country, blues, and rock fusion tracks.  Recently it was turned into a live action show for Netflix.  So, with something so influential with so many fans, it’s only natural to wonder where else someone could find similar flavors.  Comics got ya covered.

Here are two comic series, perfect for fans of Cowboy Bebop who are new to the world of comic books.

NOTE: Titan Comics has announced a Cowboy Bebop comic based on the Netflix adaptation, but it hasn’t been released as of the writing of this article.

East of West

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Publisher: Image Comics

Much like how Cowboy Bebop manages to take a lot of different genres, tones, and themes and cram them together in a way that makes it something completely its own, so does East of West.  This comic series sees a mixture of science fiction, political drama, fantasy, even a bit of biblical mythology just for the heck of it, brought together into a sprawling epic.  The story shifts its focus to a number of characters, but at its core is the story of The Four Horsemen of the apocalypse as they navigate through a dystopian version of the American Wild West, while various political factions and power players vie for the upper hand in the middle of the end times.  It’s a series dripping with style and you can practically hear the harmonica playing in each panel.  Also, depending on how you digest your media, East of West has ended at this point, so it’s possible to pick up the entire series and never have to wait for the next issue.

Firefly

Writers: Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

One of the easiest leaps to make from Cowboy Bebop to other media, is the notoriously short ran TV series Firefly.  It’s set in space, it has plenty of western and noir trappings, it features a crew of bounty hunters, heck they even both feature a passenger that’s the result of experiments from a shady government.  As mentioned before the TV show of Firefly did not last very long, just one season in fact.  But, thankfully there’s no shortage of comics that pickup the story and run with it.  In this particular volume we get a collection of stories featuring the crew from the show.  It’s basically more of the show, which remember, is very similar to Cowboy Bebop.  Some knowledge of the show might be nice to have if you’re getting into this one, but I don’t think it’s completely necessary, there’s plenty of gunslinging fun for everyone here.

Do you have your own recommendations?  What’s your favorite episode of Cowboy Bebop? Let us know in the comments section below.

See you, Space Cowboy…

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