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Scott Pilgrim the Complete Series

(Scott Pilgrim #1-6)

Bryan Lee O'Malley

4.53 · Rating details · 6,815 ratings · 325 reviews

Scott Pilgrim is in love, but there are complications. Having to battle his new girlfriend's evil exes was nothing he planned on, but love makes you do funny things. Follow his story in the complete Scott Pilgrim saga in this Scott Pilgrim set. This set contains all six graphic novels in one handy shrink-wrapped pack.

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Paperback, 1208 pages

Published August 13th 2010 by Oni Press (first published January 5th 2010)

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Mar 21, 2016 J.G. Keely rated it it was ok

Shelves: reviewed, comics

You know that thing, where you find this great webcomic and spend half an hour clicking through it backwards, seeing whether it only had a few good strips, or whether its actually solid throughout, and then you figure "what the hell, I'm not doing anything tonight" and so you click the 'archive' button, and go back to the first comic, and it's from 2002, and it's just bad--flat art, dumb jokes, no sense of pacing? That's the experience of reading Scott Pilgrim.

The jokes lack subtlety and insight ...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Prongs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

BREAD MAKES YOU FAT?!?!

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Dec 28, 2010 Tung rated it liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels

Everyone brings a context to their book reviews. Someone who has worked in the fast food industry, for example, brings a very different perspective to a review of Fast Food Nation than someone who hasn’t. For me, I bring two contexts to this review: (1) I broke my rule of always reading the book before watching the film adaptation (Scott Pilgrim vs the World was one of my favorite movies of 2010); and (2) I was (am?) an awkward, video-game obsessed, neurotic-about-girls guy – so I’m sorta pre-di Everyone brings a context to their book reviews. Someone who has worked in the fast food industry, for example, brings a very different perspective to a review of Fast Food Nation than someone who hasn’t. For me, I bring two contexts to this review: (1) I broke my rule of always reading the book before watching the film adaptation (Scott Pilgrim vs the World was one of my favorite movies of 2010); and (2) I was (am?) an awkward, video-game obsessed, neurotic-about-girls guy – so I’m sorta pre-disposed to liking this whole graphic novel series – and I absolutely do. These stories are focused on a 23-yr-old boy (certainly not a man when we first meet him) living in Toronto who plays in a band. He is your typical twenty-something slacker: out of college with no ambition, job, or direction for his life – until he falls in love with a girl named Ramona Flowers. His life goal then becomes trying to make this relationship work, even if it means defeating her seven evil exes and his own failed-relationships demons. While there are other significant characters in these volumes, the focus is clearly on Scott. Scott views each conquest (emotionally and over the evil exes) through the lens of video games and the conventions of that activity. The art style is clearly anime-influenced, with very expressive faces throughout. My one criticism of the art styling is that sometimes I had a hard time telling some of the female characters apart when they were together as a group (especially Ramona and Lisa). Fans of the movie will most likely be fans of these books, too, although there are pros and cons in approaching these books in the context of having seen the movie. On one hand, the books go into greater detail in the lives and thoughts of all of the characters (especially Ramona, who was fairly limited and one-dimensional in the movie, but who is much richer as a character in the books). On the other hand, the books feel a bit less focused than the movie did. Overall, however, I found the series engaging, funny, and emotionally sincere. Recommended read. ...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Alex Griffiths rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites

Rather than rate each book individually, it made more sense to review them as a contingent.

I got into the Scott Pilgrim series backwards. I follow a few webcomic artists' Twitterfeeds, and there was mention of buying Scott Pilgrim books from Brian Lee O'Malley. Naturally, I checked out Scott Pilgrim, and found out about the film. After seeing the film and being left in awe, the next natural progression was to read the books.

Scott Pilgrim, the story of the eponymous character's battle against his Rather than rate each book individually, it made more sense to review them as a contingent.

I got into the Scott Pilgrim series backwards. I follow a few webcomic artists' Twitterfeeds, and there was mention of buying Scott Pilgrim books from Brian Lee O'Malley. Naturally, I checked out Scott Pilgrim, and found out about the film. After seeing the film and being left in awe, the next natural progression was to read the books.

Scott Pilgrim, the story of the eponymous character's battle against his new girlfriend's seven evil exes, himself, and pretty much everyone, is a surprisingly deep narrative. There are things in this which the film really glossed over, and those things are what makes me think:

What Bryan Lee O'Malley accomplishes within one or two volumes is a lot more than J.K. Rowling ever accomplished in six books.

The characters are believable, to a point, though once you insert yourself into this alternate universe they begin to flesh out and make a lot more sense. There are, it must be said, very few superfluous characters, as they all end up playing a part somewhere along the way, whether it's Other Scott affirming Wallace's homosexuality, or Comeau for his role as one of the few totally level-headed people in the entire story.

The art style, while not truly 'detailed' per se, is quite fetching in the way it holds the story together under one manga style. The art even seems to change as we venture from real life, to SP, to subspace, to dreams. Or maybe that's my perception of what's actually going down in the world of Scott Pilgrim.

While most people recommend that the comics are read before viewing the film, I'd advise the total opposite. Go see the film, as it will make you question things. If you like the film, read the books as they will answer your questions and provide yet more fodder for your enjoyment.

[However, I would highly recommend reading up to the end of Volume 2 before viewing said film, just for the one line which really doesn't go over right, and makes Scott look like a total ass. The explanation is in Volume 2, with further explanation - which to be frank, is better left until after the film - in Volume 6.] ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Jorge Ramos rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This is one of the most influential comic books I have ever read. The pace and most importantly, the tone, defines a generation that just doesn't want to grow up. And that is a good thing. And a bad thing. And life itself, really.

Brian Lee O'Malley just gives us a mashup of sassy, funny, wholesome, absurd moments of the life of Scott Pilgrim and friends, and gets to encapsulate what those 20-30s were all about. It is a relatable and at the same time fantastical portrayal of what we go through in This is one of the most influential comic books I have ever read. The pace and most importantly, the tone, defines a generation that just doesn't want to grow up. And that is a good thing. And a bad thing. And life itself, really.

Brian Lee O'Malley just gives us a mashup of sassy, funny, wholesome, absurd moments of the life of Scott Pilgrim and friends, and gets to encapsulate what those 20-30s were all about. It is a relatable and at the same time fantastical portrayal of what we go through in life, and this journey is wrapped up in extremely idiotic situations, were quintessential characters just are themselves, unapologetic, funny, witty, absurd and at the same time, extremely real and surprisingly profound.

Another aspect I want to talk about is the importance of self reflection. the author knows the story he is trying to convey, and he knows he is telling us in the most bizarre, cool, funny way he has concocted up. He knows it is an utter absurdity bording on insanity. It somehow works. It works on every single god darn level. You will laugh, you will be and feel nostalgic, you will feel the love for music, art, games, pop culture that permeate every kid and teen's life, and how those tastes mold them as the adults they become, because in a way those choices we made so long ago when we knew nothing and were just admiring and dissenting what was good of what was bad, or what we liked and what we don't, remain with us and are at the very core of who we are.

So yeah, there are flying robots, witty remarks, casual relationships and true love, and there is also the importance of self awareness and owning up to the worst part of ourselves, understanding that the worst is also us, and that we must own it in order to move on, and learn from the mistakes and fight not only for what is right, but for what we love.

All of that is Scott Pilgrim, or at the very least, it did all of that for me. It is a hell of a ride that I try to re read every couple of years.

Hold on people, and don't let go. ...more

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Oct 01, 2019 DeAnna Knippling rated it it was amazing

A bunch of Canadian 90s kids in the music scene have All the Drama.

I thought this was stupid cute. Oh, Scott. You're such an idiot. The SF elements were very cool, and I liked the art a lot, more than I expected. This is a Romance With Nerd Elements, Including Farce. Do not read this if you are not up for a Romance With Nerd Elements, Including Farce.

--in one of the extras, there was an English/French warning that you were at the back of the book, and to read from the other direction, as a parod ...more

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May 31, 2012 Ethan rated it liked it

I don't get it. A lot of folks talk about how lovable these books are and OHOHOHOHOH AMAZING GRAPHIC NOVELS YES, but I don't see it. It's boring, predictable, filled with un-relatable characters, and just sort of trite.

I wasn't nerdy enough to think it was amazing every time he used OOOOOO VIDEO GAME FONT and said LEVEL UP.

I'm too... not an emotional moron, for lack of a better term, to find any of the characters (with the exception of some minors) relatable or likable in any way. If the grand ...more

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Jul 11, 2014 Hannah Garden rated it really liked it

Aww it would be really hard not to like these books, even though it would be cool if everyone didn't say bitch gay and retarded like a million times each. Have you seen the movie? It is, quite possibly, the greatest film ever made.

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May 09, 2011 Ren the Unclean rated it liked it

Shelves: graphic-novel, fi-sci

I am reviewing these all at once. There isn't enough to differentiate each volume to warrant multiple reviews.

Scott Pilgrim is a fairly well told story about a hipster kid dealing with love and fighting in Canada. It is certainly flawed, but ends up being pretty entertaining.

The art in Scott Pilgrim is basically appealing, in a simplistic way, but tends to detract more from the book than it adds. The characters are plain and are not very well differentiated from each other, causing scenes to be I am reviewing these all at once. There isn't enough to differentiate each volume to warrant multiple reviews.

Scott Pilgrim is a fairly well told story about a hipster kid dealing with love and fighting in Canada. It is certainly flawed, but ends up being pretty entertaining.

The art in Scott Pilgrim is basically appealing, in a simplistic way, but tends to detract more from the book than it adds. The characters are plain and are not very well differentiated from each other, causing scenes to be confusing sometimes. It isn't clear who characters are at some points, since many characters look very similar. This is especially bad since Scott seems to be the model for what a normal guy looks like, so there are many characters who look like him. Even Ramona Flowers does, sometimes. In addition to this, O'Malley introduces a lot of random characters and gives them names and background information, but they don't actually end up having anything to do with the story. This leaves you with a large cast of characters that all look very similar, of which only about 10 are part of the story.

The characterization in the book is well-done and I liked many of the characters despite that fact that they were archetypal hipster douche bags. I think this is because Scott himself is so unlikable. You feel for his friends since they obviously know how much he sucks and you despise his enemies since they are so much worse than he is. It is a strange dynamic that somehow works in the context of the world O'Malley has created.

The story O'Malley tells is entertaining, and is basically the plot of a video game in comic form. Video game references abound and is one of the things I think I liked most about this series. One small problem I had was that (at times) it seems like O'Malley is throwing them in just to garner cred with the gamer crowd, since a lot of the references are to very specific games, but many others are so general that they don't apply to anything, or are applied incorrectly. I am probably judging him too harshly on this point, and in general I really enjoyed the inclusion of gamer culture.

Overall this is an entertaining book that I would recommend to most gamers/comic fans.

Also, the movie is more entertaining than the comics are. I would give it 5 stars. ...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Ben rated it really liked it

Shelves: a-rated, a-owned, comics

Much better than the film (where spastic Scott is replaced by generic Michael Cera and Ramona becomes a cardboard cutout), the Scott Pilgrim series was generally enjoyable and rather clever. I hold a particular fondness for the twins/robots, Julie, and the wonderful line near the end that reads something like, "His brain doesn't need any more damage from you!" "Wait, more damage?"

That said, there are a couple things to note. First, the characters are very two-dimensional, except maybe Scott and ...more

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Mar 09, 2016 Isaac Jourden rated it it was amazing

I read each book individually (rather than the bundle) but wanted to do a single review for all of them.

What a treat. Scott Pilgrim is filled with lovable but terrible people, plenty of wit, and quotable dialogue throughout. The best part, though is how O'Malley really uses the graphic novel format to great effect.

Nearly every panel has things in it to get a chuckle from the reader. His detail is meticulous and there are often jokes and humor stuffed into panels that are easily missed on a qui ...more

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Dec 25, 2010 Keith rated it it was amazing

Started checking these out from the library as it was cheaper than going back to see the movie a second time. My commitment to reading the whole series grew with each book, and by far my favorite section is the summer between evil-ex-fights in book 4. The latter books, in which it comes to light what a complete schmuck Scott really is and how, despite being 'the greatest fighter in the province', he is completely reliant on everyone around him for everything else -- well, it's the sort of group ...more

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Jan 30, 2015 Sebastien rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, comedy, canadian

Actually rather good once you get past the part that's been covered by the movie (which is still good, but a bit repetitive as the adaptation is rather true to the comic). Never really clear about what's the evil ex-boyfriends' goals and all that. I think I actually preferred Knives in the movie, she seems rather unnecessary once the first volume is done. The ending is a bit saccharine. Scott's a bit more assholeish in there and, honestly, I didn't really notice him changing that much, but heck, ...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Mathew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011

I adored the Scott Pilgrim movie, so I just had to read the novels. I love how well the characters translated on screen, (except that they made Ramona a huge bitch when she's really not) and then you read the books and it's not like they are any different, but there's so much more to them. You really do get to know them better, as if they're becoming your friends. And plus, I'm an indie geek who likes video games, so these novels were pretty much made for me.

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Sep 29, 2011 Allison rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, ya, graphic-novels

This series is so much fun. Quirky, charming, and funny, with action and excitement. Loved the characters. The illustrations are great--simple looking, but so clearly depicting various nuances of emotion (and humor). There are plenty of in-jokes and references for gamers, but I myself have never played video games and still loved this series.

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Dec 11, 2015 Allison Morris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I hardly read graphic novels and/or comic books.

And when I do... I find that I forget the plot and don't hold onto anything of value.

So... speaking from a non-fan of the writing style, I think I read all six of the Scott Pilgrim books under a week laughing out loud and enjoying every second.

The whole series is unique and is easily relatable to anybody who is in cahoots with a gamer.

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Dec 21, 2010 Bryan Cottle rated it it was amazing

We are Sex Bob-omb! Scott Pilgrim Rocks! Action, Rock & Roll, and Scott dating Ramona Flowers...... heck I would fight seven evil ex-boyfriends just to read this series. ...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Jonathan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I would not be able to write a review better than Joss Whedon's - "Scott Pilgrim is the best book ever. It is the chronicle of out time. With Kung Fu, so, yea: perfect"

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May 16, 2012 Casey Peterson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Read the Graphic Novel, watch the movie, or play the video game. Doesn't matter what you do they are all a solid A+

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May 13, 2019 SapphicRogue rated it it was amazing

Fun, hilarious, colorful, and some of the best character development I've ever seen.

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Nov 07, 2017 Matt Wilson added it · review of another edition

I read Scott Pilgrim VS The World Vol. 2 By Bryan Lee O’Malley. In this book, Scott finally breaks up with his teenage girl friend knives, and starts i guess officially dating Ramona. He has to fight her second evil X, who turns out to be a cool movie star. They start fighting and the guy beats Scott up pretty bad, so they take a break. After their conversation, the guy offers to let Scott buy him off, but Scott asks the guy to try a skateboard trick and he falls. I’m not sure if he's supposed t ...more

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Jan 09, 2020 christine ♡ rated it liked it

Shelves: read-books-in-2020

I don't say this quite often but... THE FILM IS WAY BETTER THAN THE COMICS. There, I SAID IT. Getting this off my chest, oof, the relief. I can already hear the booing. Stop booing me folks, I am right.

I have obviously seen many times the superb movie adaptation directed by the one and only Edgar Wright. He took the best moments and lines from the comics and created something truly phenomenal, without even a single flaw. If you haven't seen "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" stop doing what you're d ...more

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Jul 24, 2019 StaySkeptic rated it it was amazing

Let me explain 3 reasons why this its unaviodable for me to love these books.

1:Scott Pillgrim seems to be everything the writer loved mushed together into one. Video Games, Anime/manga, Music and I assume romance stories. And well, aside from me not being into romance stories at all, the thing is pandering to me. Yeah sure there's a lot of very basic video game references of no relevance that to some people may be cringy, but it still hit me in exactly the right pander spot. it even kinda mixed Let me explain 3 reasons why this its unaviodable for me to love these books.

1:Scott Pillgrim seems to be everything the writer loved mushed together into one. Video Games, Anime/manga, Music and I assume romance stories. And well, aside from me not being into romance stories at all, the thing is pandering to me. Yeah sure there's a lot of very basic video game references of no relevance that to some people may be cringy, but it still hit me in exactly the right pander spot. it even kinda mixed together a western cartoon and a bit of anime art style together. I love the style. But if it was pandering without actually having a nice story to tell, I wouldn't be enjoying it so much.

2: This hits the spot of the type of stuff I liked before I got into more serious stories.. My favorite shows growing up have always been animated adult comedies like Southpark, the boondocks, rick and morty, archer, Futurama, etc as well as just over the top wacky shit. 10 year old me also loved naruto. But later when I had a falling out with anime, was Evangelion that really made me more interested in well, actual stories that focus on being stories. Scott Pillgrim however scratches that itch of the stuff before that. Because in my eyes these books are fucking hilarious, and while being that, also have some substance to them.

3:I simply find it very creative and unique and refreshing. I mean yeah if you boil down what happens, its not, but the way it happens totally is. The thing just oozes with charm in its presentation and execution. So many things could have just been a drab boring panel but have some kind of quirky silly thing going on. The world itself is just crazy as well despite being toronto. Ultimately a big part of what I'm looking for with art is creativity. The coloring (glad it got colored by some folk) and art looks wonderful too.

These 3 things, as long as its actually done well in my eyes, already get me 3.5 or 4 stars. You can throw any of my other preferences completely out of the fucking window. Anything I'd critisize something else for? Don't care, I'm too busy enjoying these panels. The fact that the character dynamics where actually done very well as well makes it 5. At its core while certainly comedic, its a slice of life/romance thing (normally not even my thing) in the form of a sort of wacky arcade game settin. So I better need to care about these characters and find them interesting beyond just finding their dialogues and presentation amusing. And I did. It helps that a lot of the characters are very flawed human beings, not just for the comedy and dialogue but also making the dynamics and character arcs interesting. Though its mostly just interesting with Scott and Ramona. The rest is secondary, but you still feel like you went accross a journey with this gang. For a world where people fight to the death with swords and turn into coin drops and get stat boosts where people constantly talk in sarcastic quips, the relations between these people feel surprisingly grounded in reality causing it to still be relatable (Even if I can't at all relate to everyone screwing around and having gfs on a dime but whatever I'm also reading a book where demon hipster chicks shoot fireballs or some shit, the romance is the basis of the plot). It could have a bit more interesting in structure. Most of it is just ''Scott n friends dick around'' ''Oh yeah I still gotta fight the next evil ex''. But I think a good job was done in making each evil ex feel like a unique thing. Theme wise I mean, yeah we just get some pretty typical stuff about relationships and general life (being a douche in the past, moving on, hanging on, going through romance in general, etc). but I don't see that as a bad thing as long as its explored in a creative, well done manner and it was.

I watched the movie after reading, and while I think it did the best adaptation it could in that timeslot as it was just as visually charming and has its own nice ideas but in a way that works for movies,but at the same time because of a lack of time left a lot to be desired. Things moved too fast and many moments had little to no weight behind them due to missing context. I'm one of the people that believes more content does not automatically make the source material better, but in this case I don't find the adaptation just has enough to make things go beyond a 6. It also couldn't really help some of the comic is funny simply due to the way it looks. I do find that Scott wasn't enough of the asshole he actually is in the movie, and Ramona felt way too cold and unenergetic, that was a genuine complaint. But like, if the movie had 4 hours instead of almost 2, i'd have probably enjoyed it just as much. And hey it still stands on its own as something cool and as they were developed concurrently beyond the beginning of the comic they probably influenced one another.

Yeah, I ain't gonna be too detailed about this. I just really enjoyed it.Sometimes I don't need much of a reason to like something, I just do. ...more

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Sep 19, 2019 Benny Regalbuto rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really don't know why it took me so long to read Scott Pilgrim.

I'd always known about it. I knew how highly it was praised. I knew there was a movie that my brothers liked a lot. Hell, I even bought the box set a few years ago, which sat collecting dust, sidelined by other books (comics or otherwise) that I read instead. Part of the agonizing process of picking the next book I'm going to read is having choices, and Scott Pilgrim was just never one of them -- for no reason other than, "Eh, I'll ...more

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May 07, 2015 EA Solinas rated it it was amazing

It's hard to think of a slacker more endearing than Scott Pilgrim -- he's funny, cool, unpretentious, and awkwardly romantic.

And you get to see all of that in "Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset," which adds a rock'n'roll sci-fi twist to the usual boy-meets-girl story. Most of it ambles across the daily adventures of Scott's life as he falls in love, but Bryan Lee O'Malley carefully it into a tale of good vs. evil, enduring love, evil exes, subspace passages, and the struggle to overcome the It's hard to think of a slacker more endearing than Scott Pilgrim -- he's funny, cool, unpretentious, and awkwardly romantic.

And you get to see all of that in "Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset," which adds a rock'n'roll sci-fi twist to the usual boy-meets-girl story. Most of it ambles across the daily adventures of Scott's life as he falls in love, but Bryan Lee O'Malley carefully it into a tale of good vs. evil, enduring love, evil exes, subspace passages, and the struggle to overcome the past.

23-year-old Scott Pilgrim has everything: a cool rock band, a forgiving gay roommate, and a high school girlfriend (they just talk! Don't worry!). But lately his dreams have been full of a strange young woman on rollerblades, who usually announces that he IS dreaming -- and one day at the library, he actually sees her in the flesh.

Her name is Ramona Flowers, and while Scott's first attempts to talk to her bomb horribly, an order from amazon.ca brings her right to her door (and a date). But it turns out that to officially date Ramona, Scott must defeat her seven evil exes, the League Of Evil Ex-Boyfriends -- a guy with demon hipster chicks, a famous actor, a snotty vegan rocker, an insecure lesbian ninja, and a pair of Japanese twins using evil robots.

Along the way, Scott has some ex-girlfriend problems of his own, especially with the haughty musician Envy and the high-strung teenager Knives. And when Ramona vanishes, Scott is left to deal with the final and most dangerous boyfriend: Gideon! Can Ramona and Scott overcome their flaws and terrible pasts, or will Gideon end Scott Pilgrim's precious little life?

When you boil it down, the Scott Pilgrim series is really just a boy-meets-girl story. But "Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset" establishes pretty quickly that Bryan Lee O'Malley has a rare talent for spicing up an ordinary story into a delightfully quirky, wacky little love story, and even adding a bittersweet quality in the first half of the last book. Subspace purses, ninjas, love dodecahedrons, love swords and rock concerts all come into play.

And O'Malley fills the story with amusing dialogue ("That must have caused my dad's brain to break in half, replaced by a purely mechanical engine of revenge!"), video-game-style level-ups ("Guts +2 Heart +3 Smarts +1 Will +1") and plenty of quirky characters (I wish I had a roommate like Wallace). He has an art style that makes me think of more rounded TV cartoon characters -- everybody looks rather childlike, with large dark eyes, round faces and cute hipster clothes.

As for Scott... what can you say about him? He's an even mix of of sweet, awkward boy and budding rock god, and even when he does questionable stuff you somehow can't blame him because he's so earnestly sweet and nice. And his love for Ramona is just so adorable. Ramona herself takes a little warming up to, but she's a fun butt-kicking hipster chick who can hold her own, but is afraid of being hurt again.

And there's a wide-ranging cast of supporting characters -- the evil boy (and girl) friends, the roommate with the wicked sense of humor, the fragile yet volatile teenager Knives Chau (and her scary dad), blunt Kim, nasty Julie, and the grumpy and unshaven Stephen Stills.

Be sure to get "Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset" instead of purchasing the graphic novels one by one -- these delightful, quirky little books are addictive. Like a handful of cinnamon candies.
...more

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Sep 11, 2019 Valeria Munguia rated it it was amazing

Favorite graphic novel series of all time EVER. I recommend that EVERYONE reads them. All of them. And then rewatch the movie. You appreciation for the movie will enhance 10fold after reading. Still waiting to adopt a white cat to name Gideon<3 ...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Shaun CG rated it it was amazing

I'm relieved that there's a 'bundle' list of these books to spare me from reviewing them all individually... which wouldn't be a problem save that I read them so quickly that some parts blur together.

Okay, context: I'd read Scott Pilgrim #1 through #4 or possibly #5 a few years ago when a friend lent them to me, and thought they were fantastic. With the rapidly approaching UK release of the film I thought it was about time for me to buy my own copies and read the final book(s).

For those not in I'm relieved that there's a 'bundle' list of these books to spare me from reviewing them all individually... which wouldn't be a problem save that I read them so quickly that some parts blur together.

Okay, context: I'd read Scott Pilgrim #1 through #4 or possibly #5 a few years ago when a friend lent them to me, and thought they were fantastic. With the rapidly approaching UK release of the film I thought it was about time for me to buy my own copies and read the final book(s).

For those not in the know the Scott Pilgrim series is a collection of manga-style comics by Canadian writer and artist Bryan Lee O'Malley, published by the indie imprint Omni. They're a mish-mash of various contemporary youth themes, namely music (loving it and being bad at it), love (mostly being bad at it), and video games (actually being quite good at these). The plot centres around the eponymous Scott and his endeavours to date Ramona Flowers, a sub-space hopping hipster courier with a mysteeeeerious past! Unfortunately the only known part of Ramona's past is that a bunch of her exes have united to form the League of Evil Exes, and Scott is required to defeat them in order to... get on with dating Ramona without being hassled by guys with superpowers. Basically.

Interwoven with this brilliant gonzo nonsense (and it is a whole lot of fun, particularly if you grew up in the ages of 8- and 16-bit videogames and garage rock) are some mature and sensitive explorations of traditional young adult themes (growing up, falling in and out of love, betrayal by friends and lovers, lacking direction and purpose), explored by the books' sizeable but not overwhelming cast. O'Malley's got a great knack for inventing distinct characters who nonetheless feel like part of a larger social milieu; some of the dialogue is a particular joy to read ("Scott, if your life had a face I would punch it in the balls").

Artistically the books are great, drawn with an interesting hybrid of manga and Western forms. My only real criticism here is that some of the extended supporting cast can be tricky to tell apart thanks to the lack of colour / shades of grey and the big eyes & hairstyles of the manga style.

Scott Pilgrim: recommended for anyone whose life is not crushed and joyless. ...more

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Jan 09, 2019 Ethan rated it really liked it

This book is hilarious. It's way better than the movie and the movie is excellent.

It's chock full of clever nerd references (music, gaming, and your typical casual-friendship nerdism) this book really delivers.
Scott is a moron and he doesn't deserve such great friends and exes, but that's largely what makes this book so great. I rarely laugh out loud while I'm reading, but the dumb things Scott says are almost always clean and good humor and I just can't help myself. The L-word, bread, and pre This book is hilarious. It's way better than the movie and the movie is excellent.

It's chock full of clever nerd references (music, gaming, and your typical casual-friendship nerdism) this book really delivers.
Scott is a moron and he doesn't deserve such great friends and exes, but that's largely what makes this book so great. I rarely laugh out loud while I'm reading, but the dumb things Scott says are almost always clean and good humor and I just can't help myself. The L-word, bread, and pretty much any time he completely misses the point of something... Soooo funny. Plus, O'Malley did a great job of taking advantage of the graphic medium. This is not as polished as Watchmen, but there are still many moments when something is shown rather than told in a delightful way, such as when Scott is dodging Knives' "LOVE" bubbles or when their heads are glowing. The 4th wall breaks are ample, but not overbearing and the video game mechanics actually add structure to what might have just been a goofy montage of fights.
I especially appreciate how O'Malley shared the music he listened to while writing the books! They add a lot to the story. It was super cool learning through the interwebs that Metric is Toronto-based and that there are a lot of intentional parallels between Emily Haines and Envy Adams. Also Scott Pilgrim wearing all of the Smashing Pumpkins merch... Yeah. Awesome. Incidentally, I went to a concert in 2018 with Metric opening for the SPs so I'm totally biased.
The only downside is that the story is devastatingly relatable, particularly because none of the characters are perfect. In other words, it's totally affirms all of the totally depressing truths about your life that you've been trying to avoid. Not gonna lie: part of me cracked when Scott fought Nega-Scott and faced the lies he'd been telling himself. You could say that it's a plus... I mean, I generally don't like the Hollywood treatment most movies get, making everyone sparkle and wrapping up stories so everything comes out perfectly. In the end of Scott Pilgrim, everything works out, but only because they learn to accept their own imperfections (and they all have many severe imperfections). Is that a spoiler? I think anyone could have seen that coming. ...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Mike rated it it was amazing

The first time that I heard of this series like many people, was through a commercial for the movie, which actually did rather poor in the box office. So putting those two facts together, I assumed that the entire property itself was just some crappy retro video game like series in general and paid it no mind afterward. Then some of my favorite movie reviewers started claiming that it was truly a fantastic movie and just about anyone raised on video games should go and see. So with that in mind The first time that I heard of this series like many people, was through a commercial for the movie, which actually did rather poor in the box office. So putting those two facts together, I assumed that the entire property itself was just some crappy retro video game like series in general and paid it no mind afterward. Then some of my favorite movie reviewers started claiming that it was truly a fantastic movie and just about anyone raised on video games should go and see. So with that in mind I had to put my hands up to it and go see what was so great and man was it fantastic. After about two days I still couldn't stop thinking about the movie and how I related to some of the subtle nuances, even when I didn't quite understand all of them. So wanting more, I turned to the comic and god damn that was some great reading. After reading Franz Kafka, I really needed some modern literature to kick me back into gear and this was exactly what I needed. This entire series is about 1000 pages long but I power housed through it in about a week and loved every minute of it. It's been a long time since I have really read something that made me rush home just so I can read more, only to look at the clock and realize, damn I should have eaten something about about two hours ago. Apparently, this series was specifically made for my age range because I really adore it. Not all of the references, subplots and interactions are funny and entertaining but relevant to me in some shape or form. Scott Pilgrims gets with a girl named Ramona that he thinks is the girls of his dreams and guess what she has a lot of skeletons in her closet, in the form of 7 evil boyfriends. Scott himself isn't unclean of past mistakes either but he doesn't really hide them. Mostly because he doesn't realize his mistakes or just doesn't care, overall he's kind of a prick with a charming personality. Maybe if I were in my thirties and married, I wouldn't find it as great but I digress. The dialoge is not Shakespeare but it's good in a Catcher in the Rye sense. So this is my final word, I recommend you give it a shot, I did and I'm happy as hell for it. ...more

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Jul 11, 2014 Tzu-Mainn Chen rated it really liked it

I watched "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" when it first came out in movie theaters. I came out of the movie a) feeling extremely satisfied with what I had just seen, and b) knowing that I would never read the comic book on which the movie was based. I loved the movie for its distinctive characters and imaginative visuals; however I found the character of Scott Pilgrim extremely insufferable. Entitled, whiny, self-centered - I couldn't imagine following Scott through six volumes of his life.

It turn I watched "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" when it first came out in movie theaters. I came out of the movie a) feeling extremely satisfied with what I had just seen, and b) knowing that I would never read the comic book on which the movie was based. I loved the movie for its distinctive characters and imaginative visuals; however I found the character of Scott Pilgrim extremely insufferable. Entitled, whiny, self-centered - I couldn't imagine following Scott through six volumes of his life.

It turns out that I am, sometimes, maybe, on occasion, uh, wrong. A friend whose recommendations I trust said I should give the comic book series a try. At the library I flipped through the first few pages - then I grabbed all six volumes, checked them out, and ran home to read them in the comfort of my bed (sorry Brookline Library System, I know you "recommend" that patrons only check out three volumes of any given series, but some of us are rebels).

The difference between the comic book and the movie? In the space of a few panels, O'Malley deftly sketches out a Scott Pilgrim that is lost, ambivalent, and confused, something the movie failed to do (in my opinion). I read through all six volumes in the space of two days and was constantly impressed by O'Malley's skill in creating precise and poignant characterization in extremely compact space - one or two panels, a few word bubbles. There is an efficiency in storytelling that is quite remarkable.

The characters are sympathetic and relatable, which is important because O'Malley mixes them with subspace travelways and teenage ninjas and killer robots and all sorts of other insanity. This fantastical imaginativeness is extremely entertaining; yet it always remains grounded by the strong sense of character.

The movie is an efficient compression; yet it clearly lacks the depth of the comic book. I wonder if watching the movie after reading the comic book would change this perception; if the knowledge gained through the latter would seep into the former and make it a more complete experience. ...more

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About Bryan Lee O'Malley

Bryan Lee O'Malley

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Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. His first original graphic novel was Lost at Sea (2003), and he is best-known for the six-volume Scott Pilgrim series (2004 to 2010). All of his Scott Pilgrim graphic novels were published by Portland, Oregon-based Oni Press. In July 2014 his graphic novel Seconds was released by Ballantine Books. He is also a songwriter and musician (as Kupek and forme ...more