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Netflix's 'Bass X Machina' Debuts, Reimagining Bass Reeves as Steampunk Lawman

Studio Mir's six-episode animated Western, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry, draws praise from critics for blending Old West history with mechs and magic.

newest coverage 7d agosummary written 8d ago12 pieces NewswiresMastodonRedditGoogle News

What to know

  • Netflix's new six-episode adult animated series reimagines historical Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves in a steampunk, post-Civil War alternate Old West.
  • Created by LeSean Thomas and produced by Studio Mir (X-Men '97, The Legend of Korra), with Brian Tyree Henry voicing and executive producing.
  • Critics at IGN, Polygon, Collider and Variety have given early positive reviews, praising its animation, Janelle Monáe's theme song, and its treatment of post-war American violence.
  • Polygon's review notes the final two episodes' shift to 3D animation as a weaker point in an otherwise strong season.

“saddled with thousands of Black soldiers they didn't know what to do with”

Bass Reeves (voiceover), character narration · IGN ↗ · Nov 2

Bass Reeves (character) Protagonist, fictionalized historical lawmanBrian Tyree Henry Voices Bass Reeves, executive producerLeSean Thomas Creator of the seriesStudio Mir Animation studio producing the seriesTati GabrielleTati Gabrielle Voices Dana StarrJanelle MonáeJanelle Monáe Voices Bass's wife Glory; composed the opening theme

Netflix's 'Bass X Machina' Debuts, Reimagining Bass Reeves as Steampunk Lawman
IGN

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

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  1. background

    Netflix releases Bass X Machina's six-episode season — The animated steampunk Western series, created by LeSean Thomas and produced by Studio Mir, becomes available in full on Netflix, reimagining Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves with a cybernetic arm in an alternate post-Civil War Old West.

  2. 2

    Variety publishes its own review of the series

    Variety describes Bass x Machina as 'a crackling mix of fantasy and reality' in a review shared via its social feed, adding another outlet's assessment to the day's wave of coverage.

    1. 1 outlet Netflix Steampunk Western ‘Bass x Machina’ Is a Crackling Mix of Fantasy and Reality: TV Review

      first by Variety, 7d ago

  3. 1

    Collider calls the series 'the dark Western epic you didn't know you needed'

    Collider's review highlights the show's handling of post-Civil War division and corruption, and notes a mid-season train episode built around a debate on revenge and identity.

    “You're back with 'em now…”
    — Bass Reeves (Brian Tyree Henry), character dialogue · source
    1. 2 outlets Bass X Machina Episode 1 Review

      first by IGN, 8d ago · also Screen Rant? placeholder

      1 more headline

    • Bass X Machina is a wildly ambitious and stylish Western for anime fans https://www. polygon.com/bass-x-machina-rev iew-netflix/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Reviews @ reviews-polygon

      polygon@flipboard.comMastodon8d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  4. background

    Polygon praises the full season as a genre mash-up — Polygon's review of the complete season calls it a reimagining of Bass Reeves' story that tackles cycles of American violence while adding mechs and magic, though it flags the final two episodes' 3D animation as a weak point.

  5. background

    IGN reviews the series' opening episode — IGN's review of episode one calls the series a 'fun and violent excursion into the world of the steampunk Western' and outlines the setup involving missing scientist Eugene Starr and 'magic metal' experiments.