Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let's Start With Launchpad McQuack (That's not the actual name of the review)..., July 3, 2005
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
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Wholesome Fun, July 1, 2005
Rarely can one find a work that has just the right amount of staying power. Often times a piece will be overpowering or leave an unsatisfying aftertaste that sours the memory of it. Yet sometimes we find ourselves captivated by something that is so pure, mere mention of it can bring forth laughter and conversation among any of those lucky enough to have experienced it.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is one of those few gems.
The art and story weave themselves together into such an unbreakable mesh that one finds him/herself drawn into the world of the 23-year-old Canadian bass playing protagonist and his close circle of friends. Where most stories would keep the spotlight on the singular star and never think of feeding the curiosity of the reader concerning the supporting cast, Vol.2 dives into the personalities and desires of those around Pilgrim. We find ourselves not only rooting for Scott, but for the friends that surround him.
In Vol. 2 we learn more of how Sex Bob-Omb came to be, why Kim is so often looking at Scott with a roll of the eye, and just a few details are sprinkled as to why Pilgrim must face Ramona Flower's Seven Evil Ex-Boyfriends. The pacing between action and dialogue is seamless, as there are no jerky transitions that break the mood created by the setting and characters.
Volume 2 succeeds at doing what Volume One left everyone wanting: More. There's more action, more drama, more heartbreak, and more content all around. Whether it was more of a particular character, feeling, or just information. You're given it in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.
The characters are the driving force behind the mesmerizing properties. Scott is a loveable fop lost in a world of video game references, rock, and relationships. His friends compliment him by having their own hang-ups and quirks. Floating items and public battle royals aside, the characters feel real, their personalities can be related too and don't require a supporting argument or narrative to explain why they act as they do.
The book is a must own, as it demands re-reads. The witty, original dialogue is a joy to read again and again, coupled with the fact that O'Malley hides references to fellow creator's works (such as the Secret Friend Society) makes the work so much more enjoyable.
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World achieves excellence by being humorous, sad, awkward, and absolutely crazy, but most of all, by being true. It successfully captivates moments of life and dramatizes them into such an entertaining fashion that one is left in gleeful awe for days to come.
Buy the book, buy volume One if you don't own it already, buy copies for your best friend, and then you too can shout from the hilltops:
I am a Scottaholic.
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scott Pilgrim. Rating: Awesome., July 1, 2005
Ever pondered the deeper meaning of life, why we're here and what your place in the world is? Well now... you can keep on pondering. Everybody does. You'll get over it. But until then, one sure-fire way to take your mind off the existential malaise is to read Scott Pilgrim. Bryan Lee O'Malley's Toronto exists somewhere between Dragonball Z, the Mushroom Kingdom and Spaced, a wonderfully bizarre amalgam of real life, nostalgia and sheer lunacy. It's packed with references to pop culture, old and new, but its sheer energy and enthusiasm is so joyful and inclusive that it doesn't matter whether you get them all or not. I know I don't, but this is the kind of book that makes me want to go and seek them out and enjoy the story all over again.
Volume 2 picks up pretty much straight after the fantastic "Precious Little Life", and while I'd recommend the first volume both purely on its own excellent merits and as part of the ongoing story, I'm not even sure you'd need to have read it to be swept up by this. Scott's obsessive high-schooler Knives Chau lives up to her name in a hilarious, art-vandalising face-off with Ramona Flowers, Scott faces the second of Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends - a sell-out actor who he keeps confusing with Luke Wilson - and his band get the opportunity to move into the big league. The mysteries from Volume 1 - what the hell keeps happening to Ramona's head?! - deepen, while new facets of Scott's life - particularly his own past relationships - are revealed.
The art is fantastic, every page intriguing, and the story is a runaway train of sheer inventiveness. However - and here it reminds me of my favourite graphic novel series, Jeff Smith's `Bone' - none of the wackiness or joyful lunacy ever obscures the heart this comic has, which beats on every page. This is a moving look at the pitfalls and springboards of any new courtship, the trials and worries everyone has to face, the rewards and the sorrow that relationships can entail. Bryan Lee O'Malley is clearly a man who clearly wears his heart on the sleeve of the wackiest, coolest-looking shirt you ever saw.
In summary - buy this book. In fact, buy two copies - one to keep close, and one to share with all the people you care about. Oh, and maybe a third to keep in the kitchen, so you have its recipe for a delicious vegan shepherd's pie handy.
Fun fact: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is complete and utter genius.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Bryan Lee O'Malley
by Bryan Lee O'Malley
by Bryan Lee O'Malley
DVD ~ Neil Patrick Harris
