Scott Pilgrim vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

[DeForgeo]

Scott Pilgrim is the most fun I've had reading a comic in a while. The story follows the life of Scott as he deals with being 23, unemployed, playing in a band and dating a high school girl named Knives. His life takes a strange turn of events after falling in love with a new girl in town named Ramona, and the book closes with an awesome rhyming fight scene at a rock concert. In fact, that scene alone is worth the cover price.

The art suits the tone of the book, and O'Malley ends up channeling everyone from Jim Mahfood to Junko Mizuno through his work. His drawings are adorable: All the characters have enormous heads and eyes, and cute little skulls and hearts fly out of their instruments when they play.

Even though Scott Pilgrim is a fairly light read, O'Malley doesn't write down to his audience. These are still characters you care for and want to know more about, and you relate with their situations. Fans of Hopeless Savages, rock and roll, Jim Mahfood, Mike Allred, Blue Monday or Nintendo should give this book a shot.

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Scott Pilgrim is available through order from Oni Press. For more information:

http://www.radiomaru.com
http://www.onipress.com

EDIT- Volume 2 out in Febuary, thanks DJ! :)

[Paul M.]

I just sat down and read it yesterday. I agree it's a light read, but it's so fun. It also has one of the coolest endings i've ever seen. Can't wait for the next volume.

[MC Fumunda]

I just read DJ's copy last night. Man, that was a good comic. I really can't wait for the next volume.

I love how really weird stuff is talked about so matter of factly. Like Ramona's rollerblading through Scott's head.

There are so many elements to this story that kinda fly out of no where, but it's all anchored really well with a great cast, awesome dialog, and just a huge sense of fun.

The dialog interaction between friends is my fave part, 'cuz it's so true to my friends and I.

[Miss V]

Yeah, this comic pretty much rules. I didn't get any of the video game references, though. Now I feel like I had a deprived childhood. :(

Who'd've thought it would be possible to put music and synchronized dancing into a comic and make it work really well?

[NoiseMx]

After listening to Dj describe this to a few of us at the bar, I am on a mission to find and buy it. It sounds quite interesting.

[Carter]

Wow, I totally thought I'd replied to this thread. Guess not.

Anyhoo, I l hate to be one of those people that's like, "OMFG this comic is about my life!" but the parallels are uncanny. Except the gay roomie thing. And the Ramona chick would be a fine ass Mexican legal secretary instead of a delivery girl. And I don't know kung fu or guitar. But other than that... uncanny.

I can't wait for volume two.

[DJ Kenobi]

I've had Scott Pilgrim floating arouond my basement for months now, and everytime I glance over at it I end up reading it. Vol 2 seriously needs to come out soon; I've read Vol 1 about 9 times. I love how kinetic and lively it is.

[Inkthinker]

How many pages and how much?

[DeForgeo]

12 bucks, 168 pages.

[whibbage]

It's such a cute style and the storytelling's just great~ I loved all of the video game references and the easy going dialogue. Things started happening out of the blue towards the end, but it flowed so well it wasn't jarring. That takes serious skill! Look forward to getting volume 2~ something that should be on everyone's bookshelves!

[Knigge]

Damnit... I guess I'll have to buy this. You guys sold me.

[DJ Kenobi]

The Oni website says vol 2 will be out in February.

http://www.onipress.com/graphicnovels/gn.php?id=116

200 pages, $11.95, and enough rockin' to choke a donkey. I'm going to have to pre-order it since my shop doesn't carry much Oni and didn't carry vol 1. Everyone else should do likewise.

[DeForgeo]

Thanks DJ, I'm giddy! :)

If you liked Scott Pilgrim, you might also want to put in an order for O'Malley's previous GN, Lost at Sea. . . It's quite a bit darker, but still a great read.

[DJ Kenobi]

Yup, that's on my list. :D

I'm looking at getting Pilgrim Vol 2, Lost at Sea, and Love Fights Vol 2. I have the original issues of Love Fights, but it's so good I need the trades so I can force my friends to read it.

[DeForgeo]

I haven't read Love Fights yet! The covers always grab my eye, so maybe I should put an order on that too then :)

[DJ Kenobi]

I'll try to type up a Love Fights review tonight while I'm at work. Hurray for crappy 3rd shift jobs that give me lots of reading time!

Edit: Obviously I didn’t write a review that night, but I’ll try to get to it this weekend.

[Akira X]

I just finished this book and I can't add anything else besides I'm amazed at how well done this book is and how many times I found myself throwing the book across the room in a giggling fit. I have to get everyone I know to read this.

I'm just sitting here wiggling my finger over my lips making the that blibberty blibbery blibbery noise. Its like Bryan O'Malley had sex with my brains.


But in a good way.

[evilspacerobot]

I hear Edgar Wright (he directed Shaun of the Dead) has optioned the film rights to this.

I met Bryan at SPX last October, and I was surprised at how Irish he wasn't.

[Owen Heitmann]

I’m a little late to join this thread, but I thought I’d add my agreement anyway: I really enjoyed Scott Pilgrim vol. 1, much more than O’Malley’s first book, Lost At Sea (even though that was pretty impressive itself). Lost At Sea was the equivalent of an emo album, whereas Scott Pilgrim is rock ‘n’ roll, baby! Still, my favourite stuff by O’Malley would have to be some of the short comics on his website (http://www.radiomaru.com).

What I liked most about Scott Pilgrim was its optimism and sweet naivety; reading it just brings a goofy smile to my face. The fantasy elements were a bit of a surprise at first, but they just add to the fun (along with the occasional breaking of the fourth wall). And the art is really cute: I love his loose brushwork.

I did some Scott Pilgrim fanart for Bryan which he was nice enough to stick on his front page for a while, although it seems to have dropped off now. My old fanart for Lost At Sea is still archived on his Drawings page, though.

I’m fairly ambivalent about the Scott Pilgrim movie news (how can they do a movie when only one book’s been completed out of five or six?), but if it means money for O’Malley then that’s mega-magnificent.


Owen Heitmann
Co-writer/artist, 5031 (http://www.24hourcynic.com)