Thanks to the power of a good movie trailer, I have borrowed and read all five volumes of Bryan Lee O'Malley's indie comic series Scott Pilgrim. I can now see why there's so much popularity and why a movie was made. The whole thing was highly addictive, fresh, hilarious, action packed and surprisingly deep. How many comic books can boast all of that?
You see, Scott Pilgrim, our main protagonist, is a 23 year old slacker with only a band, a teenage girlfriend and a staggering number of video game hours logged to his name. Things change when he meets Ramona Flowers, a hip ninja delivery girl for Amazon.ca. There's a slight catch to dating Ramona, however...she has 7 Evil Ex's that Scott must defeat. Over the next few volumes he tackles an assortment of villains in video-game style showdowns, as well as his own relationship history and coming to terms with being a grown-up.
What's truly surprising about all of this is how well the fantasy element works with the heavier stuff. Yes, it's real life set in a video game, but boy do you buy into it. Basically the evil ex's are metaphors for the emotional baggage so many people bring into a relationship, and the interplay between the characters can suck you in just as much as the awesome action.
Plus, everything is set in Toronto! I got so excited as I read through the books and recognized landmarks like Casa Loma and Dundas Square. And there's a bit of a professional connection. O'Malley cut his comic book teeth by working at The Beguiling, the Toronto based comic distributor that my library gets all their comic books from.
So, that just leaves Volume 6, the final chapter in Scott's quest where he will face off against Ex #7, the mysterious Gideon Graves. That's out on the 20th, and I'll have to read it quickly so I'll be ready for the August 13th release of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, the hopefully epic film adaptation. Keep your eyes peeled for my takes on both.
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