In anime circles, the \u201cCowboy Bebop\u201d name needs little introduction. A late 90s juggernaut that was instrumental in helping Japanese animation cross over to the West, the show soon spawned a manga series to give viewers even more adventures in that universe. Debuting in Monthly Asuka Fantasy DX magazine in 1998, writer Yutaka Nanten created 11 new stories for the Bebop crew spread across three volumes.<\/p>\n
The \u201cCowboy Bebop\u201d manga<\/a> is a sleek and stylish trip across the solar system that assumes you are at least somewhat familiar with the anime, as it will do little to explain its world\u2019s lore or backstory for newcomers. Each chapter is almost completely self-contained, varying wildly in both length and subject matter. Some stories get quite risqu\u00e9 or make rather questionable decisions, but the manga is an overall faithful and fun extension of the show for those looking for more time in the Bebop universe.<\/p>\n Editorial Note: Because he acquired the books for Freddy to review, Joseph Rauch wrote this section.<\/em><\/p>\n Like in our review of the other Bebop manga series<\/a>, \u201cCowboy Bebop: Shooting Star<\/a>,\u201d I decided to move this section to the top and write it differently than our usual format.<\/p>\n The \u201cCowboy Bebop\u201d manga is different from \u201cShooting Star.\u201d It has a different author, and it was published later. Of the two manga series, \u201cCowboy Bebop\u201d is the one with the same art style as the anime. Both series have been out of print for decades.<\/p>\n Because this manga series has exactly the same name as the far more famous anime, finding and buying the books can be a confusing process. Once you do find listings for the correct series, the prices might scare you away.<\/p>\n I ultimately bought both series at once on eBay. After a bidding war that lasted a few days, the final cost reached $308.12.<\/p>\n Unless you are a collector, superfan or reviewer, don\u2019t spend this much money. As I stated in our other review, this series is not the one that\u2019s worth it for normal readers to buy.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re determined to acquire all three volumes \u2014 with or without \u201cShooting Star\u201d \u2014 here\u2019s a breakdown of how you can compare listings and prices:<\/p>\n The price of volume 3 is the main reason I tried eBay. If you buy these three volumes on Amazon, you\u2019ll pay $192.08 plus shipping, taxes and so on.<\/p>\n The Amazon pages for volume 1 and 3 have \u201cOther Used, New, Collectible\u201d options that are cheaper. Some of these prices, such as $5.58, seem too good to be true. This manga series is out of print and rare. Even if the volume was in horrible condition, it would be foolish to sell it for less than $10. There is a degree of risk in buying any out-of-print, used book, but I imagine the risk level jumps when trying these suspicious-looking sublistings.<\/p>\n The Carolina Manga Library<\/a> was the eBay seller I bought from, and I was completely satisfied with the product quality and shipping time. I don\u2019t know if they have any more copies of the series.<\/p>\n Search for \u201cCowboy Bebop manga\u201d on eBay, and you\u2019ll see many reputable sellers with reasonable prices. Remember to scroll. For whatever reason, the first listings at the top often have the worst prices.<\/p>\n Like the eponymous anime that preceded it, the \u201cCowboy Bebop\u201d manga follows the bounty hunting crew of an interplanetary spaceship called the Bebop. After an accident during the installation of a space travel gate ravages Earth, humanity is forced to scatter across the solar system. The galaxy soon becomes a lawless wasteland, and the police are forced to hire bounty hunters to help quell the crime and chaos on each planet.<\/p>\n The plot of \u201cCowboy Bebop\u201d picks up several decades after the gate disaster that destroyed Earth. The ragtag crew of the Bebop is comprised of five members: the skilled but hotheaded Spike Spiegel, the coarsely paternal Jet Black, the femme fatale con artist Faye Valentine, the hyperactive kid hacker Ed, and their hyper intelligent data dog, Ein. Each chapter of the manga covers an individual mission the team undertakes, usually due to needing money in dire straits. What follows are comedic hijinks and intense action scenes, with the occasional glimpse into the pasts and motivations of our leads.<\/p>\n The main characters in \u201cCowboy Bebop\u201d are unique, but there are plenty of well-written manga series that are similar in terms of setting, plot and action. Here are some worth browsing. Feel free to suggest other titles, and we\u2019ll consider adding them to the list.<\/p>\n Set in modern day, this series also follows a crew: Rock, Revy, Dutch and Benny. Technically they are mercenaries, not bounty hunters, but their work involves the same amount of gun fighting. Instead of a spaceship, they are the crew of an old boat named the \u201cBlack Lagoon\u201d or the \u201cLagoon\u201d for short.<\/p>\n Similar to how the hyperspace gates catalyzed the setting in Bebop, the world of \u201cDimension W\u201d runs on \u201ccoils,\u201d cross-dimensional electromagnetic pieces of technology. When Kyouma is out finding and dealing illegal coils, he finds a mysterious girl who could bring him closer to understanding the rumored fourth dimension.<\/p>\n<\/div>How to Buy the \u2018Cowboy Bebop\u2019 Manga Series: An Interesting, Frustrating and Expensive Consumer Journey<\/h2>\n
Amazon<\/h3>\n
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eBay<\/h3>\n
\u2018Cowboy Bebop\u2019 Manga Summary: Bounty Hunting in a Desperate Future<\/h2>\n
Manga Like \u2018Cowboy Bebop\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Black Lagoon<\/a>\u2019<\/h3>\n
\u2018Dimension W<\/a>\u2019<\/h3>\n