Netflix releases an adaptation of LeSean Thomas’ original comic Cannon Busters, blurring genres of spaghetti western, mecha, fantasy, and steampunk into one unforgettable road trip.

Philly The Kid is the youngest wanted vigilante at the age of 17 years old and the outlaw with the biggest bounty on his head. The reason why he’s so hard to capture is that he can’t be killed, as each time he dies Philly comes back with a new number from where he died. Being a wanted man doesn’t make his life easy, especially when two robots looking for him discover Philly. These two robots, a pollyanna robotic assistant named Sam and a small excitable mechanical robot Casey, enlist Philly The Kid’s help to escort them to Sam’s best friend, Prince Kelby. Begrudgingly, Philly accepts and the three begin their journey through the land of Gearbolt in his beat-up coin-operated car/mecha, affectionately called Bessie. Along the way, they encounter assassins, bounty hunters, cannibals, drunk samurai, wizards, and much more.

Cannon Busters started out as a comic published by Devil’s Due and UDON back in 2004 by LeSean Thomas. However, due to Thomas’ increasingly busy schedule, they printed only three issues. Between then and now, Thomas worked on numerous other projects, including storyboarding for Ben 10: Alien Force, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, The Legend Of Korra, as well as co-director and supervising director of The Boondocks and Black Dynamite respectively. With these experiences adding to his comic background, Thomas’ Cannon Busters brings forth a lot of genres in a single season. Within the first episode, audiences are treated to a western-style shootout, transforming robots, a giant mecha, a car chase, and what could only be described as magic bringing the main character back to life. Fans of 90s anime will enjoy how this series acts as a love letter to Trigun and Cowboy Bebop. It is quite reminiscent of GunXSword with a western type of setting with mechs. Overall, the anime is a wild ride from the very start, and one that will leave viewers wanting more.

Netflix released the first season of Cannon Busters in full last August. As of right now, there has been no news of a second season. Currently, the original comic by UDON is out of print and there has been no news of a re-release in the future.

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