Scott Pilgrim Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World [Paperback]

Looking at the shelves of my local comics shop, things are getting darker and darker. The shelves are littered with the misguided sons of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, new comics that seem to eschew the philosophy that "gruesome and unpleasant" can mean the same thing as "mature." But while the Blue Beetle is taking one in the dome, while Batman is even grumpier than usual, while the Avengers are being torn apart by one of their own, and while the comics world gets darker and darker, Scott Pilgrim is in Canada, learning the bass line to Final Fantasy 2.

Through Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, Bryan Lee O'Malley manages to capture something essentially fun. He creates a world where the reluctance to let go of childhood, something most kids in our early twenties are going through, is celebrated instead of discouraged. From Scott being "between jobs," to his obsession with video games, to the high-school-drama style romance of the book, the series characters don't simply avoid putting away their "childish things" - they're trying to get the high score on them.

O'Malley saturates this fun into every aspect of the book, especially his pencils. The art is gorgeous, a mish-mash of manga and mainstream to create something wholly Mal. This reviewer isn't particularly fond of manga, and yet I was so taken by it that I own a page from Volume 1, and have one from Volume 2 on the way. His expression work is top notch, capturing on one page a character's true hurt, on another their true love, and on my favorite pages the blank stares of a confused Scott as he lays out another fantastic non-comeback ("I... but... you... you're not the boss of me?).

Why we care is the characters. O'Malley creates a dozen characters that get layers and layers as the story goes on, shining enough light on the ones we love from Volume 1 that we don't feel he's neglected anyone, and fleshing out the ones we don't love yet in Volume 2 so that we learn to. One character that didn't have much to do in Volume 1 gets so much attention and development that she's now one of my favorites.

Our protagonist, Scott, is the northern Every-Man. A complete lay-about who witlessly breaks hearts and sleeps until 2, but is so disarmingly innocent and charming that we root for him in almost every situation. He's dating a highschooler named Knives Chau, falls for a girl named Ramona Flowers, and has to fight her seven evil ex-boyfriends to win her hand. It's a premise that only works in O'Malley's world of video-game-logic (after defeating an Evil Ex, Scott is rewarded with coins, and if he's really lucky, an item!), but once you buy into these characters taking sub-space highways through each other's heads (not at all like in Super Mario 2), the more insane bits where a fight/dance number break out become your favorites.

Scott Pilgrim has something for everyone: if you're still kicking back with a SNES or Genesis controller it's for you. If you're into Manga, if you're into indie rock, if you just like Canada or have ever been in a relationship where you needed to prove yourself, this book is for you.

It's extremely tempting to just list all the things I love about the book, to recite each and every quote (as anyone who reads the book ends up doing in their day-to-day), and to talk about each and every character and their general awesomeness. I'd rather whoever reads this just go and buy the books, because with a story, with characters, with art and wit this good, I know you'll fall in love with it too.

My Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack - "WE ARE SEX BOB-OMB!"

1 Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes Remix) - Beck

2 Come On Home - Franz Ferdinand

3 5 Times Out of 100 - Hot Hot Heat

4 What Do I Get? - The Buzzcocks

5 Complete Control - The Clash

6 Korobeiniki (Theme From Tetris) - Ozma

7 Starman - David Bowie

8 Sheena Is A Punk Rocker - The Ramones

9 Debaser - The Pixies

10 Save it For Later - The English Beat

11 A Little More for A Little you - The Hives

12 Suspect Device (Album Version) - Stiff Little Fingers

Scott Pilgrim vol. 1's biggest problem was that it ended too soon...! Well, here's vol. 2 to help sate your mad little appetites! Now, finally, after all those agonizing months of waiting, we can all clutch a copy of Scott Pilgrim vol. 2 in our grubby little hands!

For all you new readers out there, Scott Pilgrim is a series about Scott, a twentysomething slacker-type, and his romantic foibles. Will he be able to defeat his dream girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends and keep his claim on her heart? And what about Scott's high-schooler girlfriend, and the mysterious "Gideon?" Joined by a cast of likable and unique characters, will Scott be able to deal with the burdens of life and lost love and do what's best for his "precious little life?"

Oh BOY, can I be cheesy. But anyway...

This volume starts off with some back story on Scott, and Kim's character is especially given a lot of attention. Learning about Kim's character is one of my favorite parts of the book, and it's great to see that the background characters have as much personality as the title character. Learning more about each of the characters is definitely what I look forward to in each new volume. While the story might be interesting alone in its basic premise (boy fights dream girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends so he can date her), it would totally be easy for it to turn into a major snoozefest if the characters were zilch-o void-type personalities. What a relief that they're not! Each character is so individual from the way they look, dress, and speak... it's an absolute joy!

Another thing that's very notable about this series is the dialog... It's just so fun to read! Fear not the word baloons, reader... you need not skip them over! The whole thing reads so easily, naturally, believably that you can happily dig right into each oncoming page. If you're looking for something different than the outrageously contrived teen-speak seen in too many of today's books and film, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the honesty coming out of these characters' mouths... Every page will glide by so deliciously smoothly, you'll just absolutely devour this book!

More notable praise for this volume:
-easily navigable panel layouts... you won't get lost here!... it's so uncluttered and has great flow and timing!
-deceptively simple linework that provides for an endless spectrum of expression in the characters
-believable, honest emotion... these characters are *feeling*, folks!
-recipe-time! a how-to recipe incorporated right into the story a la "Scary Godmother!" learn how to cook somethin' while you're sittin' on your rump readin' comics? Why, that's absolute INSANITY!
-"fantasy-kung-fu-gamer-drama" -- a fun injection of absurd pop culture elements directly into the lives of the characters that somehow makes their lives seem more real and relatable to the reader

Some of the other major plot points in this volume include Scott's high-schooler girlfriend Knives in a bigger role, the arrival of 2 more of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends, and more about Scott's mysterious ex. Also, a bunch of new characters are introduced that will definately play larger roles in the future.

And well... as for my biggest gripe about the book... just like the first volume, this second book is over way too soon! So many plot points are hinted at that there's so much to look forward to! It's just absolutely addictive! I can't wait for the next volume!

So, well, if you've been thinking about picking up this book... do it. There's something in it for everyone. Action, romance, comedy, drama, cool guys, cute girls, and chock fulla' crazy, this is definately one new graphic novel series to catch up on! So COME ON! Click on that lil' ol' "Add to Cart" button and snag yourself a copy!

It is dork-tastic and kind of stupid, but if you're a gamer, or now gamers or, you know, watch tv and movies, you'll love this comic. This art is a little unrefined, but I think that was sort of the point, and the manga style is spot on for this book.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 36 reviews  4.6 out of 5 stars