Scott Pilgrim Vs. the Universe (Scott Pilgrim, #5)

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Scott Pilgrim Vs. the Universe (Scott Pilgrim #5)

4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 · rating details · 11,713 ratings · 447 reviews

Scott Pilgrim just turned 24, and things couldn't possibly be better This means things are about to get infinitely worse Suddenly, TWO of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends are in town, and they're playing dirty. His band is in turmoil, and his own exes aren't making things any easier. And what's up with Ramona, anyway? She's been acting kinda weird ever since they moved in toget...more

Paperback, 179 pages

Published February 17th 2009 by Oni Press

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Jun 28, 2010 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

Scott Pilgrim continues to capture my roughly defined subculture (at least as we [in my case, a post college graduate still living in his college town and working part time jobs, occasionally playing old NES and SNES games, and somewhat often attending local shows:] stood or stand in our early to mid twenties. I'd like to think I've already somewhat moved out of the scene which Scott Pilgrim seeks to describe) better than any other work of art in any medium. In this particular volume, Scott cont...more

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Feb 22, 2009 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, comics

First of all, why does it take O'Malley A YEAR to write a book that it takes me TWENTY MINUTES to read?! Cripes, it went so fast that I barely even noticed it, despite like a year of anticipation.

This installment of Scott Pilgrim reads like this series' "Empire Strikes Back." It's the one that's really plot heavy where everything goes to shit to hopefully build up to a giant, spectacular climax with lots of Ewoks. (Okay, I don't know if there will actually be Ewoks in SP6, but it would be awesom...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Harold Ogle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, contemporary, ensemble, humor, pop-culture

This volume has the best cover, by far.

That's neither here nor there, but...it's so shiny! Ramona's expression is so grim, too.

The story takes an interesting turn here, as apparently Scott and Ramona's relationship has turned a corner. (view spoiler)...more This volume has the best cover, by far.

That's neither here nor there, but...it's so shiny! Ramona's expression is so grim, too.

The story takes an interesting turn here, as apparently Scott and Ramona's relationship has turned a corner. (view spoiler)[This makes sense; they're living together and he's confessed his love for her. Her reaction is to become more distant, more acerbic even than earlier. We get some insight into this when her next evil exes appear - the gorgeous Japanese Katanayagi twins - and this provokes some weird reactions from Ramona. She withdraws, often refusing to acknowledge Scott (O'Malley renders this in a lovely, subtle way, by rarely drawing them together). Kim can sense that something's wrong, and she tries to make it work for them. While the K Twins repeatedly sic attack robots on Scott, Kim is working the Ramona angle, trying to draw her out. She's the one who notices that, in times of stress or anxiety, Ramona's head starts to glow, emitting beams of light like a halo. Ramona denies any knowledge of this phenomenon. Stephen, meanwhile, depressed at the turn his life has taken, takes out his frustration and bitterness by trying to crush Knives' spirit, telling her that Scott cheated on her with Ramona (in actuality, Scott dumped her to pursue Ramona). Knives determines that Ramona is a siren, but because she's ingratiated herself into their lives, she decides to "tell" Ramona that Scott cheated on her, too, hoping to spread the pain around. This turns into a fight, but the story that Scott cheated on her plays to a lot of Ramona's insecurities. She withdraws further from Scott, who has no idea how to handle this. Ramona grows her hair out (possibly to please Scott, as she mentions Envy Adams and her long hair a few times) but, with its light color and the perpetual scowl on Ramona's face, she becomes even more difficult to distinguish from the other female characters. Kim takes a photo on her cell phone of Ramona's glow, and this depresses Ramona enough that she and Kim get super drunk with Scott. This is another sweet attempt by Kim to draw the couple closer together, but her efforts have not gone unnoticed...by the bad guys. The Katayanagis kidnap Kim while Ramona and Scott get into a drunken argument about Scott's cheating on Ramona with Knives. Ramona is determined to pick a fight, and Scott becomes terrified that she's going to break up with him. She cuts off her hair and takes a shower, but while she's in the bathroom, Scott gets reads a text on Ramona's phone from Kim that she needs help. He rushes off to rescue her just like he did in high school, but this time, she manipulates the situation, lying to him about Ramona ("She can't wait for you to come home. She believes in you.") to inspire him to victory against the twins. He rescues Kim, and she lets him go. He rushes back to Ramona, who has no idea where he was and wasn't waiting for him to come home at all. Sensing that something is wrong - he can see her head glowing - he reaffirms his love for her all over again. She admits that she's a bad person, and thanks Scott for a good time. Then she vanishes in an overwhelming flash of light. He finds an envelope he's seen before that she addressed to "Gideon" and then locks himself out of their house chasing her cat. He becomes obsessed with the cat, as it's the only link he has to Ramona. He ends up crashing at other people's houses, including sleeping in Kim's bed, which finally puts the nail in the coffin of her dreams of someday getting together with him. She announces that she's going back home and Scott sees her off at the bus station. After she's left, some time passes, and Scott's parents come to bail him out, setting him up with his own apartment. Scott's brother arrives, and Scott returns his brother's bass, further shutting the door on any future plans of being in a band (no drummer - Kim's gone - and no instrument). Now, months later, he find the envelope in his pocket and opens it. Inside is a letter from Ramona to "Gideon" saying that "it's over" and she's "never coming back." Just then, the phone rings. It's Gideon, conversationally asking Scott when he'd like to die. (hide spoiler)]

This was the volume where both I as the reader and O'Malley as the author acknowledged that the excitement in the story is not the combat, but rather the relationships/character interactions. Whenever there was combat, I was impatient for the story to "get back to the good stuff." Kim is a wonderful character, and though I'm sad at how it turned out with her, I think it was very well done. I itch to read the next one soon, for the conclusion of the story.(less)

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Mar 16, 2013 John Beck rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, fiction, graphic-novels

http://andalittlewine.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-of-scott-pilgrim-by-bryan-lee....

There are spoilers here.

From here
Reading Bryan Lee O'Malley's six Scott Pilgrim books (Precious Little Life, vs. the World, & the Infinite Sadness, Gets It Together, vs. the Universe, Finest Hour) has been on my to-do list for a number of years, and they moved into my "read very soon" stack when I read and enjoyed Lost at Sea back in January.

Scott Pilgrim and his friends inhabit a world of magic realism, where...more http://andalittlewine.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-of-scott-pilgrim-by-bryan-lee....

There are spoilers here.

From here
Reading Bryan Lee O'Malley's six Scott Pilgrim books (Precious Little Life, vs. the World, & the Infinite Sadness, Gets It Together, vs. the Universe, Finest Hour) has been on my to-do list for a number of years, and they moved into my "read very soon" stack when I read and enjoyed Lost at Sea back in January.

Scott Pilgrim and his friends inhabit a world of magic realism, where their otherwise normal lives are occasionally interrupted by video game style fighting, 1-ups, and intrusions into their dreams. I think of it as a digital-age twist on Watchmen. Where Moore asks, "what would superheroes be like in real life," O'Malley pushes at "what would happen if a 23-year-old slacker handled his problems like a character from Street Fighter 2?"

I really enjoyed watching Scott struggle to grow up. He doesn't know what to do with his life, he doesn't know how to be a reliable friend, and he certainly doesn't know how to behave in a relationship. This, of course, doesn't stop him from believing that he is awesome. I especially the moment in the 6th book when he realizes that the way he remembers himself is not how others remember him, when he's forced to confront the fact that his creation myth (how he learned to fight, how he became friends with Kim by beating up a bully and rescuing her) is a lie he's told himself so many times that he believes it. Kim forces him to remember that the kid he beat up was just another nerd, and more importantly, was a person. The world is not divided into friends and enemies; that approach only works in video games and (some lesser) comic books.

O'Malley's artwork is a real treat. Simple, clean lined characters inhabit a richly detailed world. The fullness of the world was reiterated over and over again. Pop-up balloons frequently appear with notes on who's who, what items are laying in the background, what action a character is in the midst of performing. Again, this emphasized the video game spirit of the books, playing to our expectation of unlockable tools and skills, while also serving as a way to make the world more textured (and more dork-tastic).

The framing of the panels was another tastefully handled reminder of just how big Scott Pilgrim's world really is. In comics, framing works just like the framing of a shot on television; it tells us where our attention should focus. Throughout Scott Pilgrim, O'Malley's framing skewed off center, so that the characters (and sometimes even their speech bubbles) would spill off the frame and off the page. What we are given is truly a "window on the world" in the classic sense, allowing us to see but also limiting what we can see. O'Malley's deft framing was one of the first things that stood out to me in Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, and I was thrilled and rewarded to see it continued throughout the series.(less)

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Jan 05, 2013 Nicola rated it 2 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

This was the worst book in the series for me. It's Scott's 24th birthday and he has matured a bit like I wanted him to over the course of these books. At least he's no longer using girls and being a major jerk, though he is still a jerk. Ramona's behaviour is suddenly all out of character and she appears to just disappear. o..kay?... Anyone doing the math is not surprised to know that this book's boyfriend will have to be twins, otherwise how do we get 7 ev...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Sam Quixote rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you’ve made it to the fifth volume, chances are you won’t need much to get you to read it and then the next – you’re probably too invested in the series to even question whether or not it’s as good, etc. But of course it is. With Scott and Ramona in relationship heaven, living together happily, stormy weather was bound to make its way to them sooner or later, and it does. Ramona finds out Scott’s was in a relationship with Knives Chau when he began seeing her and she flips out.

While Scott wa...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Paul Riches rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Scott Pilgrim 5: They Depart Each Other

They are together. They are in love. They are forever.

If they can survive the prospect of forever.

And with this part of the journey, we are about to enter Scott Pilgrim Volume 5 Vs. The Universe. As always, it is written and drawn by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers are dating. Her Seven Evil Exe’s are after Scott. And the world keeps turning.

In this latest dispatch from the evolution of Scott and Ramona, our couple are now living togeth...more Scott Pilgrim 5: They Depart Each Other

They are together. They are in love. They are forever.

If they can survive the prospect of forever.

And with this part of the journey, we are about to enter Scott Pilgrim Volume 5 Vs. The Universe. As always, it is written and drawn by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers are dating. Her Seven Evil Exe’s are after Scott. And the world keeps turning.

In this latest dispatch from the evolution of Scott and Ramona, our couple are now living together, having breakfast together, and taking care of a cat together. Marriage is being whispered about by their friends. They are on the verge of entering into adulthood, with all the unknown dangers that encompasses.

Scott knows not what he does, but is trying to figure it out. Ramona does know what it is happening, but is pulling an old Scott. She is becoming the irresponsible slacker in the emotions department. Any excuse to be angry, any reason to be mad, any way to hurt Scott and drive him away, must be tried. Eventhough the seeming alternative is the dreaded Evil Exe Gideon.

She knows Gideon is a horrible, terrible, possessive man-child. She knows he is wrong. But the spectre that her damaged self esteem will somehow recover and she can be herself again is so tempting. Gideon holds her soul. Ramona does not know how to reclaim it. Scott has no idea how to help. They should be a happy couple. And Gideon should leave them alone and vanish. At this point, in a perfect world, we should be living in a two couple play.

Real life fiction is constantly a part of Scott Pilgrim. Any one of us can see the daily drama that afflicts Scott and Ramona mirrored in our own life’s. This is not a cheap drama, but a painful human story with all the foibles of our favourites exposed all over. Even more so because of cell phones. The subtle disintegration, pieces chopped off bit by bit, from their relationship makes you fervently wish you could reach into the pages to soothe and comfort them. Maybe that is because whenever this kind of turmoil have occurred to people we know in our daily lives, our inert helplessness make us feel impotent.

Thankfully Scott still has his mojo, kicking butt all in the name of Ramona. The first major battle here takes place in the background, while Ramona and Kim discuss life some distance away. The next major battle is less reality distorting, with Ramona and Kim playing deceiving roles in the conclusion. Methinks O’Malley is saving the main fireworks for the epic ending coming up next, and letting this one breathe on it’s own.

Unlike the last Volume, this parcel of our trip ends with a sad note. The couple we have so routed for are on the brink. Gideon is now making his presence fully felt. But I have hope for true love. I hope you do too.

And I can’t wait for the Sex Bob-omb reunion to happen.

Scoopriches(less)

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May 17, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, graphic-novels, owned

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe is the fifth installment in the Scott Pilgrim series. This volume gives us the battle of Scott vs. the Katayanagi twins and their robot creations. We also get to see the slow deterioration of the relationship between Scott and Ramona, and finally her leaving for good. We continue to see Scott act like a brat and find that Ramona is actually quite a hypocrite. So Ramona can make out with Kim while they are drunk and Scott is in the bed with them, she can make out wi...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Michelle. Tsunami. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gotta-love-those-guys, loved, want-to-own

So this is a review for the entire series.
it was amazzzzing by the way.

The characters were so unique and interacted with each other soooo well and it was just awesome!!!
Scott- Funny as hell.
Ramona- Cool as hell.
Knives- Obsessed as hell.
Stephen Stills- Laid back as hell.
Kim- Awesome as hell.
Stacey- Normal as hell.
Wallace- Amazing as hell.
Young Neil- Cute as hell.
Gideon- Annoying as hell.
Natalie(aka Envy)- Retarded as hell.
Lisa- Random as hell.
Julie- Mean as hell.
Mathew Petal- Amusing as hell.
Luca...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Cassidy Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 15, 2011 Sofia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels

Posted on my book blog.

Knowing this was the second to last volume of the Scott Pilgrim series, I was expecting this to be the book in which everything sort of goes wrong in preparation to the redemption at the end of the series. Well, I was right. This one is much grimmer than the others, and consequently isn't as fun to read.

It feels like every character has gone downhill for this one. With the exception of Scott, who despite all his failings, actually manages to mature somewhat, and Kim, who s...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

By far this is one of the best!!

The pictures were fab and I freaking LOVE all the pannels with the cat in it!!

- A Review from a mother of a 13 year old boy -

* Not really a ton of crude language in this one. I was shocked that the word Asshat was used. I mean... This was written by a dude... I actaully had to explain to my hubz what an asshat was, a couple of months ago. He then told me that dudes don't say that word. Maybe he just didn't get the memo.

* There are 3 pannels of shadow nookie but th...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Raj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, sci-fi

(One review for all six Scott Pilgrim books)

These six short graphic novels are the basis of the film Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Although I enjoyed the film, I found the main character incredibly annoying. He's annoying in the books as well, but much less so. I found myself enjoying them much more than the film. Like the film, the basic plot of the series is that the eponymous Scott Pilgrim must defeat the seven evil exes of his girlfriend Ramona Flowers in order to be with her.

The books provide...more

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Feb 17, 2010 Lausº rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I guess it’s my fault, I tried not to read anything about the comic until I finish the last volume (at this time I thought that Vol. 5 was the last volume)... so when was about to finish it, I was thinking "we miss one evil ex-boyfriend!!!" this couldn’t be over until we defeat Gideon and we have the happy ending that Disney always taught us to hope for. Silly me I was in the last pages mad as hell and with no happy ending, perhaps this was a lesson... Brian O’Malley was trying to teach us that...more

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Apr 21, 2009 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars

All the Scott Pilgrim books are winners, and this one is no exception. I kind of appreciated the way that the action of Scott's fights, esp the lead-up fights with the Twins robots was put into the background. I mean really, we've seen lots of it before, so why not show something different.

That said, some of the plot mechanics here felt a little creaky, from the confusion over infidelity to where I think the narrative is taking Kim Pine, which I hope is just a red herring. It's like this was the...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Lizzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, chris-s, comics, borrowed

Fast one. Fastest books ever.

You know what, I wasn't crazy about this one! Well, for one thing it is just kinda funny, and not ridiculously funny. And of course it is sad seeing Scott's failures get a light shined on them, though that is part of the point. He's gotten away with lots and lots. I still like him so much though. Sometimes you just need a break. I guess I want to give him lots of breaks.

It's hard to critique these books because they're so short, with so few steps in each one. So it's...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Carina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reading-challenge, manga

So, five volumes in and I think I can say that I honestly do like this series - plus the volume I was reading has a shiny cover!!

In this volume of Scott Pilgrim, Ramona and Scotts relationship hits its first major bumps, Sex Bob-omb breaks up and Gideon gets really interesting.

Part of me does wonder why these books weren't just put together into one large graphic novel as very little happens from volume to volume, but they build up nicely so that this volume (and hopefully volume six) really wor...more

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Feb 16, 2012 insomnius rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some other Goodreads reviewers didn't like this book because things went wrong, people were mean and stupid, and the overall tone was much darker than previous volumes. These are probably the major reasons why I like it more.

Not only do the consequences of various characters' stupid behaviour (especially Scott's!) actually appear, but it even passes the Bechdel test (albeit briefly).

I like the way the ex fights for this volume were kept off centre stage; we're used to Scott fighting Ramona's evi...more

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Feb 19, 2009 Phayvanh rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: followers of the series

Shelves: 2009, comix, reviews

I really enjoyed the Scott Pilgrim series up until I read this book--it's a big downer, man! Scott has to "fight" the Japanese twins, and though of course he ultimately defeats them, he doesn't get any gain from this, no Easter Eggs, no love in return, no Thing that made it worth it.

Interesting plot twist with the women in Scott's life. Though I think Kim is rendered pretty realistically, Ramona has lost the uber-cool mystery that she once had, and, it seems (though I hope I'm reading it wrongly...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Simcha Wood rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe is an apt title for the fifth installment of the Scott Pilgrim series. No sooner has Scott's 24th birthday passed and it seems as if the whole world may have turned against him.

As finely paced, scripted, and drawn as O'Malley's previous entries, Universe doesn't hesitate to deal with many of life's most perplexing questions: What's with all the robots? Why does Ramona's head sometimes glow? Why do people keep going to Julie's themed parties if they suck so much and...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's difficult to explain why the Scott Pilgrim books are so good. They encompass so many interesting, unique qualities that blend together into a tapestry of epic epic-ness.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Scott Pilgrim exists in a world where the mechanics, ethos, and aura of video games (random fights with random robots, enemies exploding into heaps of coins - which may or may not be enough to cover bus fare - and other loot, etc.) are as common as breathing. And seriously, how can you dislike a guy w...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Gef rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, graphic-novels

It was May of last year when I read volume four in the Scott Pilgrim saga, so I was a little foggy where the story had left off the last time. The great thing about a Scott Pilgrim book is that as soon as I started reading, I was right back in the thick of things and enjoying all of the hijinks.

Scott has battled his way through most of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends, but it's taken a toll on his relationship with her and with his band-mates, too. Ramona's past is creeping up on her too, as the nef...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: post-uni

It’s Scott’s birthday and before he blows out the candles he vows to be the best 24 year-old ever. But things are just as difficult as when he was twenty-three. Scott has to defeat the twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi, two of Ramona’s evil exes. While fighting two people at once is difficult as it is, Scott has to get past the twins’ fighting robots before he can even fight them. Although Scott won’t stop fighting for her, things with Ramona are difficult as well. Scott and Ramona both find out abo...more It’s Scott’s birthday and before he blows out the candles he vows to be the best 24 year-old ever. But things are just as difficult as when he was twenty-three. Scott has to defeat the twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi, two of Ramona’s evil exes. While fighting two people at once is difficult as it is, Scott has to get past the twins’ fighting robots before he can even fight them. Although Scott won’t stop fighting for her, things with Ramona are difficult as well. Scott and Ramona both find out about the other’s wrong doings in the past, which causes problems in their relationship. Not to mention Scott finds out that she doesn’t even like his band Sex Bob-Omb. While Ramona being mysterious was one of the things Scott initially liked about her, he learns about the downside to all that mystery. Things might be difficult now, but Scott will just defeat the twins and Gideon and everything will be perfect. Won’t it?

This is the penultimate book in the series and has a much darker tone than the previous books. This book was mainly building up to the final volume, and it definitely left me wanting to read the next (and last) book in the series. Of course, at the same time I don’t want to read it, since I don’t want this series to end! Once again this book starts off with a short recap explaining the different characters and their connection with one another. I like the artwork in the first pages a lot: the first page shows a picture of Ramona walking in the fall, and the next two pages show the title with a dragon around it. Overall, artistically I liked this book the most. Unlike the previous books in the series, Scott Pilgrim Vs The Universe wasn’t all that funny. This volume is more focused on character development, as well as Scott and Ramona slowly coming to terms with their pasts. Both Scott and Ramona have done bad things in the past and are trying to change for the better. But is that really possible? The cliffhanger ending worked well and I loved all the build up to the grand finale of the series. This book had a different mood than the previous books, and that was one of the things I liked. While it is definitely dark, I thought that was fitting for the second to last book in this series. While it is different from the first four Scott Pilgrim books, I enjoyed this one and I think it did a good job of setting things up for Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour.

4/5(less)

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Feb 08, 2009 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy, music-books

I read this this morning in one sitting. Volume 5 of Scott Pilgrim finds Scott getting "old" (24), and reaching awkwardly adult moments with his bandmates, his girlfriend, and her league of evil ex-boyfriends that he has to fight to win her heart. In short, it's just another Scott Pilgrim book :o)

The further I get into this series, the more I realize that Kim Pine is my favourite character in the series. She's snarky when she needs to be, emotionally mature when others require it of her, and hop...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Travis rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 03, 2010 Keely rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, reviewed

I think what annoys me about the sort of music fandom depicted by the Scott Pilgrim characters is not simply that they value music solely because of their emotional reactions to it, but they act as if this somehow makes them special, as if their emotional connection to the music were somehow more valid than the average jugglette's.

Then there's the obsession with the rarity of music: collecting unknown bands and staking claim, which is a symptom of the fact that most trendy people don't recognize...more I think what annoys me about the sort of music fandom depicted by the Scott Pilgrim characters is not simply that they value music solely because of their emotional reactions to it, but they act as if this somehow makes them special, as if their emotional connection to the music were somehow more valid than the average jugglette's.

Then there's the obsession with the rarity of music: collecting unknown bands and staking claim, which is a symptom of the fact that most trendy people don't recognize the difference between a cause and its effect. It's true that a knowledgeable musicologist or musical historian will be familiar with a number of 'undiscovered' bands, but deliberately seeking out unknowns will not make you more musically knowledgeable.

I like to listen to music while reading comics, and finding appropriate music can really change the whole experience. Blueberry, for example, is even more enjoyable with an Ennio Morricone soundtrack, and many comics suggest their own music: Conan, The Crow, Heavy Metal.

For Scott Pilgrim, however, the most obvious soundtrack just wasn't working for me. Listening to The Smiths, The Ramones, and The Stones just made me feel like a music snob. I looked for something else, but realized I also couldn't rely on bad music without invoking the annoyance of quirkily deliberate irony.

Eventually I found the perfect match in mid-nineties heavy alternative rock, which was neither critically acclaimed enough to feel pretentious, nor the right sort of cheesy to be considered ironic. While the very fact that I bothered to do this made me feel pretentious and overly-complex, the effect achieved was unnatural enough to make it worthwhile.

Each issue has been incrementally better than the last, and this one is no different. The story is more streamlined, and he takes a lot more artistic chances, usually to the general benefit of the comic.

The comic has begun to get some story creep, growing more self-referential and melodramatic, which is rather funny, since it starts rather high on the melodrama scale in the first place. In this comic, the most noticeable effect is that all of the fights occur perfunctorily, off-screen, while the characters give exposition over them.

Which is odd, since the manga fight elements are really what set the series apart, and they have been more and more minimized, while in genre-rejecting works like FLCL, the surreal aspect eventually takes over, as a natural outgrowth of heightened conflict and climax.

There's still time for this in the final volume, but it would be amusingly anticlimactic for the artificial conflict of the power fantasy to take a backseat to the melodrama, especially when it is the source of all the arbitrary resolutions to the interpersonal problems in the series.

I guess there's just something funny about a story centered on character interaction that eschews psychological progressions or conflict resolution in favor of videogame powerups and ninja battles. But then, how many self-absorbed videogame-loving assholes wish that sex and relationships were acquired and maintained by minigames and xp grinding. I'm afraid it all seems a bit sad and delusional to me.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Greg rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm continuing to enjoy this and looking forward to the final resolution in volume six. I guess I just want to say that it has bothered me that O'Malley averages about one use of the "R" word per book. I don't mind obscenity to paint a picture of the characters and their environment but when it comes to derogatory terms, I need their use to have meaning and purpose. I don't remember exactly which characters used the term throughout the arc but my memory is that it wasn't always the same person a...more

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Sep 09, 2010 Melissa Rosales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

This sat on my shelf for a while before I got around to read it. Darn graduate school. It was probably the thrill of FINALLY getting to read the next in the SP series, but I plowed through this book. While it is good, it does lack some cool touches in the other books in the series. But I still gave it a pretty high rating since I had so much fun reading it. This book does contain more relationship drama which makes the plot meander more, but it is the second to the last in the series ... and he...more

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Oct 15, 2009 Deborah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

This volume of Scott Pilgrim's life is a little more grim than the others. Scott fights the evil ex-twin boyfriends and their many and increasingly gigantic robots, but no one seems too happy in this one. Scott seems to be maturing a little bit, Ramona doesn't seem sure or happy about the relationship, Stephen Stills practically disappears, Knives Chau tells Ramona Scott cheated on them, Young Neil is bitter, and Kim both looks out for Scott and grows tired of all of it. Is she really the one fo...more

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Jul 24, 2010 Ysabet rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: booksreadin2009, inmycollection, inmycollection-fiction, domestic-graphic-novels, reread, booksreadin2010

The X-Men shout-outs were my single favorite thing. One of the convoluted scenarios Scott babbles is pretty much where I started reading X-Men regularly, back when I was, I don't know...10?

(Update: reread July 2010)

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About Bryan Lee O'Malley

Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. His first original graphic novel was Lost at Sea (2003), and he is currently working on (and best-known for) the six-volume Scott Pilgrim series (2004 to present). All of his graphic novels thus far have been published by Portland, Oregon-based Oni Press. He is also a songwriter and musician (as Kupek and formerly in several short-lived Toronto bands).
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Books by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Scott Pilgrim, #1)

Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World (Scott Pilgrim, #2)

Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour (Scott Pilgrim, #6)

Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness (Scott Pilgrim, #3)

Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (Scott Pilgrim, #4)

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Quotes from Scott Pilgrim Vs. the ...

“You stole him with your advanced American slut technology! You're not nice!” — 7 people liked it

“We have a mutual friend, see, and she- Ah, screw it. This is Gideon. When would it be convenient for you to die?” — 2 people liked it

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Scott Pilgrim Vs. the Universe (Scott Pilgrim #5)

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