Fans — or at least, some of them –were disappointed when Netflix decided to cancel its live-action Cowboy Bebop series starring John Cho. However, those eager for more Cowboy Bebop will find solace in an accompanying side story coming this November titled Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing. Set in the year 2171, this story brings together the Bebop crew to hunt down an ex-gang member who has stolen a vest that gives its wearer unparallel powers. This isn’t an altruistic hunt, mind you: Spike, Faye, and Jet are down on their luck and need both a win and a way to be financially stable for a while, and the original owner of the vest has put a bounty on it that would give them both. However, they are not the only ones after the vest, as the Syndicate is also looking for it.

Think of the story as a play on Jason & The Argonauts, and the hunt for the almighty fleece in that story and you have the proverbial skeleton. However, this story is told with that classic Bebop flair. There is a casino heist that does not go the way the group hopes it will, and leads them to a planet that intoxicated the whole crew. This setting gives us more of an opportunity to see how drunken thoughts reveal sober truths for Jet and Faye, and how these three ultimately need each other for more than just good times. The artwork is what you have come to expect from Cowboy Bebop, but it is really the story that brings you in and hooks you from the beginning. Dan Watters, in a way that maybe the Netflix series didn’t get a chance to, captures the tone of the Bebop universe and its need to be multi-layered perfectly. This story goes from emotional (these are three characters thrown together not because they wanted to, but almost out of necessity) to funny (there’s a ramen exchange that works really well) to philosophical (the three characters often find themselves asking each other about the meaning of life in ways that are not often found in these mediums). The humor allows us to breathe during the more emotional beats, and the art helps but does not overwhelm this story.


Speaking of the art, Lamar Mathurin deserves a shout-out because Cowboy Bebop is not Gumbo (Mathurin’s graphic novel). As such, he is the one tasked with adapting his style to an already existing world, and he knocks it out of the park. Having to juggle so many different settings, stylistically, could have been a challenge for any other artist, but not here. The action itself, had it not been curated properly, could have looked awful on the page, but Mathurin displays both reverence for these characters and a desire to showcase them with his own style.

If you loved the Netflix series, then you will absolutely love this and the other standalone novels that have been released. If you have been on the fence about giving Cowboy Bebop a shot, this is a quick read that could be a good springboard for you because it doesn’t require past knowledge of the characters. It, also, gives you everything the series gave you in a much more consumable medium, which may whet your appetite to try the series. Watters and Mathurin deserve so much credit for their great work here and for their love of this universe.

So shoot me, but this was my first (known) experience of the franchise Cowboy Bebop. Three paper-thin bounty hunter characters, drawn by artist and writer both so naffly it's almost impossible to care which is which, are up against it when the latest villain to cross their paths seems to have a waistcoat of wonders – a "vest" that offers him seemingly infinite wins against infinite odds. You don't have to know why, just accept that "it's quantum, baby". Of course, the Beboppers certainly want the bounty on the villain, and/or the vest. But so do others…

But they're pretty much the only people interested in the thing; the readers shouldn't be. This was weakly done by the artists – amazing how the fact they're American, Russian and Italian respectively didn't fully work – and the plot didn't exactly engage much, either. Jim DiGriz would have lapped this nonsense up before breakfast – then gone back to the hedonist moon and seen what may.

I love, love the original anime. I couldn't watch the live version that they created. I was hoping that the comic would blur the look of the real people and it does mostly. There are breaks like Faye's to outfit.
The story itself is fun with a dark overcast like many BeBop stories. But without all the cast it seems weird. I loved that Ein finally showed up at the end of the book.
The art is typical comic shying away from any of the Cowboy BeBop Manga. Everything is sharp and deeply colored.
I both liked and disliked this so I give it three stars.

A new comic series tie-in of the TV series, this is a solid but somewhat forgettable entry into the Cowboy Bebop cannon.
It's a largely action packed script with strong artwork but doesn't really offer that 'wow' factor to stick out.

“Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing” is a short story in graphic novel which heavy influences towards the movie adaptation rather than the original graphic novel series.

Last November, Netflix released their live-action version of the popular anime Cowboy Bebop. Despite its mixed reaction, not least from anime fans who were going to dislike it anyway, the live-action show was more fun than people give it credit for even it never reached the multi-layered brilliance of its source material. However, Netflix canceled the show after just one season. Titan Books has published several books based on the series since then, including a four-issue comic miniseries, which is what we are here to discuss.

Written by Dan Watters with art by Lamar Mathurin, Supernova Swing opens like any episode of Cowboy Bebop: the crew members of the spaceship Bebop – Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine and Jet Black – set their eyes on a bounty. During their hunt for the scientist Melville, the crew discovers he possesses a vest that grants a wearer unlimited luck, which catches the attention of the Syndicate.

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Considering the bad timing of releasing this trade, given its position as a tie-in for a short-lived show from almost a year ago, you can read this as a standalone narrative separate from the Netflix show. It’s interesting how the creators approach this story – despite its connections to the live-action show (there is no Ed by this point), they lean more into some of the sensibilities from the original anime. Although you don’t have Yoko Kanno’s iconic music in the background, the comic maintains that retro aesthetic that resembles film noir and ’70s cop shows, wrapped in a futuristic setting.

The struggle most have dabbling into the world of Bebop is trying to capture that multi-layered tone, which can go from stylishly cool to comically quirky to soulfully melancholic in the blink of an eye. This is something Dan Watters completely nails. The best things about Bebop for me are the conversations that are steeped in science and philosophy, and what they say about the main characters, leading purposefully to an outcome that isn’t that triumphant. The tone is absolutely spot-on in this book.

Known for his web comic Gumbo, Lamar Mathurin’s art isn’t the most obvious choice for the world of Bebop. Despite maintaining the iconography of the characters and the ships (including Spike’s Swordfish), Mathurin’s loose style took some getting used to, especially when it comes to faces as the characters don’t look like John Cho, Mustafa Shakir and Daniella Pineda. That said, along with Roman Titov and Emilio Lecce’s coloring, the art can go from moody to energetic where the action just slaps, particularly when it showcases Spike’s Jeet Kune Do skills.

Despite its connection to the Netflix adaptation, Supernova Swing has its own aesthetic that works on its own merits, whilst still capturing the feeling of the original Cowboy Bebop.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing' by Dan Watters

Okay so, this was epic. The art style is so pretty and works perfectly with this fun story. I do have qualms with certain scenes that just seem strange but of course, that doesn't change the fact I enjoyed this.

I loved the netflix version this has great colour and style. there early review copy i had did't have words yet. lots of fast paced action.

I will preface by saying I've never read the manga based off the anime but I did watch the anime. I thought this was a super enjoyable read and made me want to go back and rewatch the series. It had all the heart I loved to begin with and the art is great. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books, Titan Comics, Dan Watters, and Lamar Mathurin for the opportunity to read this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

This adaptation is a stand-alone side story to accompany the live-action Netflix series, Cowboy Bebop.

I really enjoyed this story. It was wholesome and really had the Bebop feel to it. Spike, Faye, and Jet seek the bounty of Melville, as it's more than enough money to supply their needs for quite some time. When a casino heist goes awry, they seek clues to finding Melville. Their lead takes them to a planet deemed "uninhabitable" due to its high nitrous-oxide levels (basically everyone is in a good mood and acts drunk).

They seek a "lucky vest" along with Melville and find a great clue. They are only asked for ramen in exchange! Of course there are many other cowboys out there seeking Melville's bounty...and the quantum vest that bestows luck upon the wearer!

There are perfect moments of humor here and there to break the tension of this rather serious side story. It is action-packed, target-focused, well-rounded, and quite an interesting tale. I'll even go so far as to admit the end made me tear up a bit with its powerful pathos. A great addition to the Bebop universe!

The art is somewhat hard to see, but that might be because this is an ARC rather than the finished version. Perhaps fans of this show would enjoy this, but I was completely lost about who the characters were. We didn’t get very much in the way of personality from any of the main characters. Still, the setting is pretty unique.

When I found out Cowboy Bebop was being made into a graphic novel, I was really excited.

I watched the anime a few years ago, and this bears very closely to what I remember of it. Very Firefly-esque with fantastic artwork!

An enjoyable, quick read.

The artwork is fantastic. You can really get a sense of the dark gritty world these characters live in. If you like the Walking Dead or any other western graphic novel, this is the book for you.

This comic reunites us with the Cowboy BeBop characters. It’s perfect for newbies and old hats. The story is a gritty tale of bounties, hustling and retribution (and as always with anticipation you read on waiting for it all to all go to pot) and with lots of humorous banter (wouldn’t be half as much fun without it!) The artwork is simply superb; it draws you in and allows you to visually become part of the Cowboy BeBop world scape. Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Titan books for an advanced copy of this graphic novel featuring the adventures of my favorite space cowboys.

The great thing about science fiction is that anything frankly can happen. One future could feature giant Dyson spheres surrounding angry red suns powering an entire armada of deadly assault ships. Another could feature a quite story about aliens and a language based on smell. Or even bounty hunters traveling the galaxy, always broke, always bittersweet yet always trying to do right with a great soundtrack to boot. Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing written by Dan Watters, with illustrations by Lamar Mathurian, is a stand- alone story featuring Spike, Faye, Ein, and Jet in a tie-in story featuring the designs of the Netflix show, but with the kind of plot that harkens back to the old anime.

The crew of the Bebop are broke on Mars when a bounty is offered that they can't pass up from an old companion of Jet's. Traveling to a casino the gang is just beginning to move in when a gang bursts in guns are fired, their target disappears and Spike is blown up, well nearly. The rumor is that the target they are after has incredible luck, more luck than he should, and the bounty rises, witch adds more competition for our heroes, as other cowboys and Syndicate people join the pursuit. Tracking this lucky man seems impossible, until Spike makes a deal with cases of noddles as collateral.

This graphic novel is a good self- contained story that could fit in quite nice with the anime, though again it does feature the faces and designs from the Netflix show. The story is both funny and bleak, with characters being dealt hands that seem very unfair, but that is the world our characters live in, along with the life we seem to have. The characters seem a little more adult than both shows, dealing with consequences of actions both emotionally and physically, which is different and refreshing, but act like they do in the show. The art is good, kinetic and yet with a way of making the faces of the characters show that while they might be acting like all is good, their is a cost and sometimes they can't hide it. A nice mix of realism and whimsy in the fights help also.

An enjoyable story for fans both new and old. I enjoyed it quite a bit as it seemed to reflect alot of what the old anime offered story wise. I have not watched the Netflix show, I am as behind on streaming as I am on reading, so don't know how close the shows are to the source, but this story should appeal to fans of the crew of the Bebop. I was unfamiliar with both the writer and artist, but now will have to find more by both.

If your a fan of Cowboy Bepop, then definitely try reading this! This is a Netflix adaptation version but this graphic novel also captured the aspect of the actual anime series which I was happy with!!!

As a self-contained story, this captured the magic and philosophical leanings of the original anime perfectly. It felt more related to the original than to the Netflix adaptation, despite being branded as a tie-in for the remake. Definitely one I'd recommend for fans of the anime.