Author: Bryan Lee O'Malley
Publisher: Oni Press
Source: Personal Library
Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs", and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? (Summary from Goodreads.com)
This was my first experience reading a graphic novel and, I have to say, it completely exceeded my expectations. Given my experience in art, I'm actually surprised I didn't look into graphic novels before now. One of my close friends
I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the characters. As an artist, you would think that I would have been a little more open to graphic novels in the past, and not so surprised. If anyone understands the depth that can be expressed from a single frame or picture, it should be me! Sadly, this was not the case. My eyes have definitely been opened and I have Scott Pilgrim to thank!
These book are so freaking hilarious! There were so many little things that made me laugh out loud. If I tried to explain any of them, you'd all think I was nuts. You really have to read the books. There are also so many awesome supporting characters! I think my favorite was Wallace Wells, Scott's gay roommate. They share a very tiny apartment and one bed. Wallace just adds a little something to the story that would be sorely missed without him.
In the beginning I wasn't so sure I was going to like Ramona. It took me a bit to warm up to Ramona, but I became very invested in the outcome of their relationship. Scott is a total slacker, but completely endearing. Kim is another one of my favorite characters. She's in a band with Scott called Sex Bob-omb, and rocks out on the drums. I was just as invested with the storyline surrounding Kim as I was with Ramona and Scott. I was very happy that Kim got her own awesome ending. And you have to give Sex Bob-omb some credit: they aren't that great but dang it, they keep trying!
Reading the books is a little like reading a video game, which was fine with me! Scott earns coins when he defeats an evil ex (although once he earned bunnies, which was something of a letdown for him), extra lives, and one-ups along the way. I thought it was a really creative and random aspect of the storyline, but at the same time felt completely natural.
I cracked myself up when I was reading these because I kept wondering if I was spending enough time on one page. How long are you supposed to linger? How long does it take the average person to take in all the elements in each frame and on each page? Was I taking enough time? Should I read that page again? Ridiculous, I know. But this is how my mind works. Whether I spent enough time pondering each page or not, I enjoyed these books immensely and will definitely be looking for more from Bryan O'Malley in the future. I've heard mixed opinions about the movie, but I'll definitely be checking it out. I have some pretty strong images of the characters in my mind, though, so we'll see how they stack up.
For more about Bryan Lee O'Malley, check out his website.
I'm really interested in reading more graphic novels. Anyone with recs, leave them in the comments!
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