"Scott Pilgrim" by Bryan Lee O'Malley

I know that previously I've reviewed the first and second installments of the six volume Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels individually, but since I read the other four books back to back over the past day I decided to cover them all in this one post:



Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness (2006): Scott Pilgrim finds himself pitted against Ramona Flowers' third Evil Ex-Boyfriend, Todd Ingram who, due to his vegan lifestyle, has developed devestating psychic powers and, to make matters worse, Todd is dating Scott's ex-girlfriend Envy Adams, who Scott has still not managed to get over after she broke his heart over a year previously and who is now a world-famous rock star.



Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (2007): Two months after the events of the previous volume things are finally going well for Scott and Ramona. However the lease is up on the tiny apartment that he shares with his best friend and roommate Wallace Wells, meaning that Scott has to find somewhere to live and worst of all get a job for the first time in his life. Add to that he is being pursued by the half-ninja Roxie Richter, Ramona's Evil Ex-Girlfriend.



Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe (2009) Now turned 24 and living with Ramona Flowers, Scott has to start facing up to adulthood properly for the first time. As well as being forced to face up to his own less than exemplary romantic history, Scott has to defeat Ramona's fifth and sixth Evil Ex-Boyfriends, the Katayanagi Twins and their robot army.



Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour (2010) Ramona has vanished and Scott has fallen into despair. He faces his toughest challenges attempting to pull his life together, find Ramona and confront Gideon Graves, the seventh and most powerful of her Evil Ex-Boyfriends.

Summary: These comics blend comedy, romance, coming of age drama, bizarre fantasy and numerous references to indie rock music, vintage video games, movies and comics. The comic is drawn in the style of a Japanese manga comic and is simple but effective. The dialogue is clever and witty and frequently hilarious with almost every page peppered with humorous captions and details. The Scott Pilgrim comics also have the almost unique ability to be at turns hilarious, exciting and also genuinely moving. Definitely among the best comics that I've read in a long time.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Year: 2010
Director: Edgar Wright
Screenplay: Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall, based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Hader
Running Time: 112 minutes
Genre: Comedy, romance, fantasy, action

Summary: In present day Toronto, Canada, Scott Pilgrim (Cera) is an unemployed 23 year old slacker who plays bass in a struggling band called Sex Bob-Omb, lives with his sarcastic gay best friend Wallace (Culkin) and is dating a 17 year old high school student named Knives Chau (Wong). Scott's life is shaken up when he meets mysterious American delivery girl Ramona Flowers (Winstead) and falls madly in love with her. However, in order to win her heart, he must encounter and defeat each one of the seven members of the League of Ramona's Evil Exes.

Opinions: This movie is based on the six-volume series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley and, like the graphic novels, it blends comedy, romance, coming of age drama and surreal fantasy with references to video games, indie rock music, movies and Japanese animation and comics into a hilarious and heart-warming whole. The movie utilises a whole range of cinematic techniques including animation, on-screen captions and stylish camera angles which perfectly replicate the look and feel of vintage video games and Japanese anime. The movie is very well performed by a talented cast, and brilliantly directed by Wright.
This is a superb and stylish comedy.

"Scott, if your life had a face I'd punch it."
- Kim Pine (Alison Pill) in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Year of Publication: 2005
Number of Pages: 200 pages
Genre: Graphic novel, comedy

Summary: In present day Toronto, unemployed slacker Scott Pilgrim spends his time playing video games and playing bass with his band Sex Bob-omb. He is also enjoying a burgeoning romance with mysterious, super-cool American delivery girl Ramona Flowers, but he is also dating seventeen year old high school student (and self proclaimed "Scottoholic") Knives Chau. However before long Scott finds himself locked in battle with Hollywood action star Lucas Lee, one of the League of Ramona's Evil Ex-Boyfriends, as well as having to deal with the re-emergance of his own ex-girlfriend from high school.

Opinion: This is the second of the six volume Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels (basically book length comics) and it maintains the high standards set by the first book, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. The comic blends video-game, movie and music references, slacker culture with surreal action sequences. Funny, clever, cool and packed with plenty of laugh out loud moments. The artwork is simple but effective and heavily influenced by Japanese manga. There is more depth to the characters in this volume with flashbacks to Scott's high school years. It is important to remember though that the books are all installments in one long story.

"Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life" by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Year of Publication: 2004
Page Number: 168 pages
Genre: Graphic novel, comedy

Summary: Scott Pilgrim is an unemployed, 23 year old, who lives in Toronto with his sarcastic gay room-mate Wallace. Scott's main interests in life are playing bass in rubbish rock band Sex Bob-Omb, and his relationship with his 17 year old high school student girlfriend Knives Chau (although they don't really do anything other than gossip about her schoolfriends). However Scott's life is turned upside down when he meets dangerously cool, rollerblading delivery girl Ramona Flowers who he instantly falls for. However, to win Ramona's heart, he must first defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends.

Opinions: This book is the first in the six volume Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels (basically novel length comic books) from Canadian cartoonist Bryan Lee O'Malley. The book is an enjoyable and often hilarious account of slackers in love along with surreal elements and bizarre videogame style kung-fu action. The artwork is done in very simple black and white Japanese manga style which works well for the story. The book only serves as the first installment of the six part story, and as such it isn't really a stand-alone story, although it definitely made me want to check out the rest of them. Another thing to bear in mind is that it really won't take long at all to read the book because, like most graphic novels, it's a fairly easy and quick read. However, the book, which is full of references to videogames and slacker culture, is very funny, clever, silly and effortlessly cool.
A movie adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim series is due to be released in a couple of weeks directed by Edgar Wright and starring Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.