Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life - Color Edition

All I kept on thinking while reading this graphic novel is I need to see the movie again, it's been to long. About everybody is familiar with Scott Pilgrim and the story line so I don't need to go into a major description. I really liked this graphic novel, how it's put together in a hardback book, great full color illustrations and a very entertaining dialogue. The Afterword was very informative to learn how Bryan Lee O'Malley started writing Scott Pilgrim and how it evolved.

Having heard scattered word of mouth reviews from blogs I frequent, I picked the first book up while at Borders. Seeing the manga format, I expected to find something piffle and trite that I would somewhat disdain, but instead I was laughing out loud, drawing irritated stares from my wife and other customers. I sat there and read the first couple books in the series and came back as soon as possible to finish all that were available.

And *THEN* I bought it. And I don't regret it one bit. I recommend this to friends highly.

Bryan, the author, writes with an enthusiastic earnestness that name-checks your obscure childhood favorites while crafting an ongoing romance where you care about the characters. Video game silliness abounds as fallen enemies disappear in a poof, leaving behind coins or perhaps a 1up! The protagonist irresponsibly breaks a girl's heart, and you feel sympathy for both sides. Cartoon expressions bubble by, but they're not crude; their simplicity convey subtle emotions with economic style.

Again, I recommend and I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out. You should even run this by people who usually don't like comics.

Scott Pilgrim is a truly excellent series, but it needs to be said that some people get turned off by the first book. That's partly because the story isn't really like anything that's been done before, and partly because the story doesn't unleash its true weirdness until the climax. It's a rom-com, but with surreal action elements inspired by video games--but O'Malley takes most of the first book to establish the characters and set the scene before bringing those in. (Sort of like how, if you walked into Shaun of the Dead not knowing what it was about, you might be a little startled when the zombies show up 20 minutes in.) I usually recommend that people read the first two books to get a better overall sense of the story. And keep an open mind! The series gets better and better as it goes along (even the art improves) so it's well worth continuing on even if you found yourself a little bewildered by this first book.

I read almost exclusively super hero comic books. I never thought I'd rate a comic book higher than Batman: Dark Knight Returns. I am doing just that right now.

Not sure what compelled me to try something different, but I gave this a shot and wound up reading all Six Volumes in about 2 days. That's about 1,000 pages worth of comics. Quite frankly that's the most I've every read (comic-book wise) in a two day span in my entire life. I cannot say that I've ever been more entertained while reading before.

The only down side to enjoying a book this much is that I came late to the party, so-to-speak. Not many message boards discussing the book anymore. There is actually a 24-hour "downer period" when finishing this. Meaning that you are not sure what you just read or why you like it so much, but you wish that there was more.

The good news is that Bryan O'Malley will have a new work out in 2014 entitled "Seconds"(it was supposed to be out in 2013, but he had a shoulder injury). From the limited information he's made available it appears to be of the same "genre."

Speaking of "genre" I firmly believe that Scott Pilgrim should be the start of just that, it's own new genre. While there will never be another O'Malley I believe that what he does could/should revolutionize comic book making in creating a whole new category. He meshed serious-Manga with a "Simpsons" like humor (but more serious drama as well). This comic is comedy at its best, but when it wants to be dramatic, it transitions into drama as smooth as butter. The manga style facial expressions (Scott saying "Wait! What?!" with sweat occurs repeatedly and I laugh everytime) and manga style fights inter woven into the story is the most innovative thing I've seen.

10/10.

I watched the movie Scott Pilgrim vs The World long before I read the graphic novels. I love the movie and put off reading the books because of that. I now love both and can not wait to read more. Even if I wind up liking the books more I will still enjoy the movie. Sometimes I'm not ok with movie adaptations especially if I have read the book first.

I have read the Scott Pilgrim series multiple times over. I had no idea these were being released until I walked into a comic shop and spotted it in the recent releases section. Since this is my favorite graphic novel series I couldn't leave the store without it. Upon reading I found it was like starting the series for the first time again. One thing I enjoyed about this edition is the post story special features. There's the original plot outline, character sketches, behind the scenes-esque notes about how Scott Pilgrim came to be, and even a pre release promo. I'd advise getting it online rather than in stores and save about $10.

Loved the movie and wanted to see how close it was to the source material. Surprisingly it was pretty dead on. This first installment was fun and definitely worth the read. Helps if you like video games and quirky surrealism.

So I finally read Scott Pilgrim and I really wish I read this 10 years ago. Now, I know that's impossible but I think twenty-three year old me would have really liked this more. Its not that I didn't like it, but I would have certainly related better then. I did really enjoy the cast and the art was well-suited for the script. The video game stuff and some of the music stuff was a little misplaced for my ancient butt. Overall, I can see why this is so popular but I think I'm just a little too old to enjoy it more.

I really liked this comic book. I watched the movie a long time ago and bought these books for my nephew who has really enjoyed them. The artwork is fun and the story is exciting. I'm looking forward to reading the next ones.

I am a fan of video games and indie culture, but I don't get what the hype is about this comic. The art isn't bad- very expressive with some interesting sequences and characters, but the whole thing reads like one big strung-together inside joke. Events happen without any foundation and the characters don't evolve or grow. Everything in it is some sort of stereotype or another, and the story jumped and staggered about so much it was sort of disorienting.

I admire O'Malley, and I realize he has a huge following so he must be doing SOMETHING right, but for me this whole series sort of fell flat to the hype. It was amusing, but I wouldn't read it a second time.

I've never read a comic, graphic novel, or even book with this much life, personality, and attitude in it. It's really worth a read. Originally the art is what kept me away from it but as all good comics or graphic novels, it'll grow on you. After than you'll really start to appreciate the use of colors and how it really just sets the mood. READ IT!!

Far be it from me to take a page from another review (except for that one time with the Gundam Wing show), but as Publisher's Weekly says, just this first volume of Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic seems to have all the ingredients for the perfect adolescent fantasy. Mindless action, video games, the internet; and slackers who rock 'n' roll all night, sleep every day, and eventually gets the girl. Is it just me or is there always snow in Scott's town year-round? Anyway, O'Malley's cartoonish art style is reminiscent of Biker Girl, a comic by Misako Rocks. But it really meshes well with the comic's fantasy themes and I look forward to experiencing the 'epicness' of the next volume.

This comic is rated T for Teen: Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations.

Fun and irreverant, Bryan Lee O'Malley's Canadian slacker is one of the most appealing fictional characters I've come across, with or without pictures, and by the end of this first volume, I had a ridiculous grin on my face as I anticipated jumping right into Volume 2. I laughed out loud several times throughout the story, but more importantly, I felt connected to each of the primary characters, interested to see what happens to them next, not because of the [insane] plot they were involved in, but because I cared about what fate had in store for them. Which is weird, because I usually hate slacker stories. Scott Pilgrim, though, is awesome!

I love these books. They are entertaining and fun. The characters are all so unique and developed and the story is very intriguing. I’d highly recommend anyone looking for a fun new story to check out Scott Pilgrim.

Scott Pilgrim is the best comic I have read in years! That's really saying something. Being a comic creator myself, I read a lot of comics. No, seriously, *a lot* of comics.

Bryan O'Malley is able to blend innocence and humor and just over-the-top craziness with an art style that is deceptively simplistic and so achingly honest and perfectly expressive that, being an artist myself, it makes me want to choke him. He can do with just three lines what I -- what would take me -- what, honestly, I just can't do.

I was trying to think of a "if you like such-and-such you'll love Scott Pilgrim" comparison, but you know what, I can't imagine anyone not liking this book. It's fun. It's heart warming. It's hilarious. It's infinitely quotable. It has great characters and a great story ...

Hey, just buy it already. I swear you will not be disappointed.

I came to this series thanks to the movie from a few years back. The movie, unfortunately, was one of those things that never really got me thinking, "Hey, I really need to read those books!"

However, I came across this little gem at the library last week and decided to give it a try. It seems like the movie used this thing almost like a verbatim script, but still just didn't do it justice. Perhaps it's the rather innocent looking artwork, maybe it's how illustrated Scott Pilgrim just speaks to me more than Michael Cera. I really don't know.

What I can say is that I'm really excited to pick up volume 2 the next time I head out to the library. This is a ton of fun.

Got this for free via the store prime. Was it there as a taste to hook you?

The movie is awesome and I now realize it's surprisingly true to the original material. Saw it once at Alamo Drafthouse with special music and props.

Scott Pilgrim is a series about Scott, a twenty-something slacker-type, who deals in his own way with the burdens of life and does what is best for his precious little life. This is a dork-fun-filled entertainment from beginning to end, and at times will have you laughing-out-loud. The author created a hilarious story with beautiful artwork, and there's lots of drama. If you like games, watch TV and movies, then you will love this comic. Enjoyable, lots of fun, and Highly Recommended!

I started to read the series some years ago, when there was only three books and have been following ever since. With the final book being released I'm rereading and reviewing the earlier books.

This first book stands up pretty well. The artwork is a lot rougher and dirtier (in look, not subject matter) then later books. O'Malley was either using inferior tools, or hadn't learned to use them effectively. His use of black and white space, and a wonderful understanding of composition shines through.

The story is funny and page turning. The wit and characters are not as developed yet. This first book is more reality based then later volumes, which I feel gives the series a point of reference for readers. This book, and the series as a whole, is perfect for the 17 to 25 year old range, that are growing up in the same culture and going through the same experiences as Scott and his friends. Anyone up into their 30's can get a kick out of the series, being able to look back and laugh about that time in their lives.

Great graphic novel. I liked the color edition. The book reads very quickly and is punctuated with quick wit and one liners. If you have seen the movie (or haven't seen it) it does a fantastic job of replicated the graphic novel frame by frame

I watched the movie and I loved it, but Scott didn't look like a cool guy who could get any girl he wants. Now in the comic I found a cooler Scott version and he's a more coherent version for this story. I'm definitely going to red the other books!

When you first have Scott Pilgrim Vol 1 in your hands take a breath before you open the book, as the ride you're about to take will leave you gasping for air at the end. Bryan Lee O'Malley doesn't hold back in this comedic and emotional assault. What seems so quaint from the cover and editorial blurb quickly evolves into something far deeper.

The world of Scott Pilgrim seems simple enough, he's in a band, has a high school girlfriend, and is the best fighter in the area. Coolness oozes out of every page, even when the simple everyday events are all that occur. O'Malley's art and storytelling have a subtle way of captivating the reader and keeping them deeply immersed in the world he has created.

There is no simple way to sum up the adventure that is Scott Pilgrim Vol 1. It will leave you wanting more, and if you didn't catch it earlier, grab it now. The journey that Scott and his friends begin here will stay with you and your friends for days to come.

This is an awesome book. It's fun and intelligent, and the art really conveys the emotions well. The characters are easy to relate to, and it helps them feel more human. There are all kinds of neat little things in the story you wouldn't expect to find in a comic, too (like the ratings that appear with the characters, or the interactive playalong with Sex Bob-Omb, complete with chords and lyrics). This book also had me laughing harder than any comic I've ever read. And it leaves you wanting more, and only having to wait until early 2005 to get it!

I'm not scraping the tip of the iceberg, though. Buy this book and you won't regret it for a second.

It's hard to write a review for something like Scott Pilgrim so I'll be brief.

Were you born around 1979-1987? Do you like old school video games and punk rock? If so then this book is for you.

The basic plot of the book follows Scott Pilgrim, a 20 something Canadian slacker, as he attempts to woo Ramona Flowers by defeating her seven evil exes. What follows is a mangaesque pop culture extravaganza. It's also hilariously addictive. It's refreshing to see something so unique out there on the market. Sit back. Read this book. Let the sheer awesomeness of Scott Pilgrim take over. It's new. It's different. It's fantastic. The characters are great. The humor is priceless. The black and white art is a perfect fit. If you're feeling brave, jump into the world of Scott Pilgrim. It's good times.

This book [actually the entire series] is hilariously epically awesome. If this book had a life, I would kiss its face.
If you got that reference, then you have probably already had the great pleasure of reading this book. But if you haven't, here is a light summary and/or list of things that I think are important:

1) Scott Pilgrim is awesome [in a slightly pathetic way]
2) Scott Pilgrim sucks at dealing with girls
3) Scott Pilgrim has a fantastic cool gay roommate/best friend, Wallace Wells [my favorite character]
4) Scott Pilgrim plays bass in a band... it is questionable whether they rock... or just suck
5) Scott Pilgrim [the books] made me wish that I had played more video games in my life
6) Scott Pilgrim, due to a series of events, now has to battle and win against Ramona Flowers' evil exes [they formed a league]

There you have it. NOW GO READ!

This is a great title. Very unique style, and a very fast read. The art style is great, excellent at showing motion (and emotion as well). I read this on a plane, on an iPhone 7 Plus. It was a very nice read -- albeit short.

Welcome to the world of Scott Pilgrim. In the first of a series of graphic novels, author Bryan Lee O'Malley has the unenviable task of introducing not only his protagonist but also establishing what is, truth be told, a kooky narrative style which flits between the everyday trials and tribulations of 23-year-old Scott Pilgrim (currently between jobs) and, oh yes, the fact that he must defeat the seven evil ex-boyfriends of his new girlfriend in order to win her hand. Cue a Crouching Tiger fight sequence with the first former beau, throw in a slightly unhinged 17-year-old obsessed with Mr Pilgrim, add a very public gay kiss involving Scott's roomie Wallace and toss in an advert for the store.com's Canadian counterpart, mixing it all up together with O'Malley's sensitive but cartoony drawing and there you have it - the excellent introduction to what I hope will be a successful series of books. Now, Mr O'Malley, can we talk about a Wallace spin-off?

This is the first volume in a mangaesque series. The hero, Scott Pilgrim is a Canadian slacker and bassist in a terrible rock band. As we start his story, he is dating a high school girl named Knives Chau, but he soon falls for an American girl named Ramona Flowers. The series seems somewhat grounded in reality at first, but at the band's first concert, one of Ramona's ex-boyfriends shows up and has a video game like fight with Scott. This is a fun start to the series and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books.

It's rare to read something and actually laugh out loud, yet reading O'Malley's manga you will do just that. Why? Mostly because of his surprising characterization of Scott and his frenemies, partly because the situations he encounters are mildly relate-able, and lastly because everything seems so random. At first I started to read this because I love manga, and thought I would causally peruse it. Fortunately, I was wrong and couldn't put it down until I had read it twice.

Some people might criticize O'malley for his minimalistic approach to the art. However, much like Bill Waterson, author of Calvin and Hobbes,O'Malley strives to give life to his character's through nuance rather perfectly drawn scripts. The effect: the art comes to life inside your head (in a good way). Whether you like it or not Scott Pilgrim is anything but forgettable, and certainly worth your time.

Saw the movie a while back and liked it. Decided to read the comics and was not disappointed. They are very well done, funny and smart, with awesome artwork and style. Definitely give it a chance if you enjoyed the movies or are looking for a good comic to read.

Scott Pilgrim is one of my favorite comics ever! the humor is just my type. It's kind of sarcastic and dry with a little kick of cuteness i guess you can say. I recommend this to anyone that wants to start reading comics. It's a classic for me other than spiderman, batman, deadpool etc. I think scott pilgrim is one cool as mother effer :D
check it out for yourself and see!

No wonder the movie did such a great job with everyone who read this comic. The movie and this comic is the same from word to word and scene to scene. You rarely see that and it honestly blew my mind.

I haven't read comics since a very long time. I downloaded this as part of a promotion and was reluctant to start reading it, however, I suddenly did today and finished it in a short time! It was funny and the characters were interesting and diverse.

I recommend giving it a try and I look forward to reading the following volumes.

The art is clean and refreshing, the characters fairly interesting (well, not yet, but one can tell that they will be), and the storytelling style unique and interesting. There's little not to like.

But there is something. Everything about it feels like it's been designed particularly to attract me to it. The band's name "sex Bob-omb" is a Mario reference, for instance. I love video games and this culture, so this didn't necessarily hurt, but it didn't help either. It felt far more fake. Does the author think I need to be tricked into liking this? It took me a while before I realized I liked it for the story regardless of the lame pop culture references. I imagine someone who doesn't actually like these things will be alienated from a good story right away.

If you have seen the Scott Pilgrim movie, then you will love the manga. It is more complex then the movie. I mean WAY more complex. But, it is totally worth it. It is completely freakin' awesome! There is really no better way to explain it. It's just one of those weird little gems...

I really liked the comic the art style was nice and it was definitely better than the movie. I didn't give it 5 because you have to get the other books not cool I understand most comics are this way but I like reading everything at once. Don't judge me.

Scott Pilgrim might just very well be one of the funniest and most enjoyable things I've read in the last five years. The pacing is swift, the dialogue is witty, the plot simultaneously familiar and mundane and also completely outlandish and awesome. The closest thing I've seen in comics to Veronica Mars (and that's not saying one is better than the other), and I think a reviewers quote of VM also sums up Scott Pilgrim nicely: it "explores the fears and anxieties of near adulthood without belittling them." If you haven't already purchased this book, do it.

I have seen this referred to as one of the best graphic novels of all time which may be a little too much. It is entertaining and well done but is about a slacker 20-something that doesn't do a whole lot because... He's a slacker. The real story comes near the end with the first evil ex Scott has to defeat but even then it felt like the author made that up just as a way to end the first book and it just happened to work out for the series.

A book filled with comedy, ronin battles, character growth, and lots of 80's 90's reference. It is the most fun you can have reading comics. What's great is it appeals to everyone. There is a pilgrim in us all and we have all been there and wished to do the things he does.

Hype kills everything for me. When people started going on and on about how awesome this book was, I did my best to distance myself from it. But eventually I caved and bought it. And I'm glad I did.

Bryan Lee O'Malley is a genius. His art is so amazing, and his writing is brilliant. Scott Pilgrim is one of the coolest books to come out in a long time. This is the kind of book you read and say, "DAMMNIT! Why didn't I do this first?!"

Have you ever been in love? Have you ever been in a band? Have you ever stayed up all night playing Super Mario Bros. 3? Then this book is for you.

this is one of my favorite graphic novels--o'malley takes a 20-something jobless musician and makes you fall in love with him and his adorable and amazing life. the characters are all totally sweet--especially scott pilgrim's high school girlfriend, who is too embarrassed to kiss him--and their adventures are all about romance, rock 'n' roll and rhyming fight scenes. plus, the art is great!! really, i cannot accurately describe what a touching, sweet, and fun story this is. all i can say is--i can't wait for volume two!

I`'ve seen the movie, beaten the game, and I then decided to read the graphic novels. This first installment was excellent, a quick read with great illustrations. Can`t wait for the rest of the series to release!

I didn't even know about Scott Pilgrim until my friend told me about it, and I thought, hey, I like cartoons and books, I'll give it a shot. I was hooked from the beginning. It really appeals to the audience of video game fans who read comics and can relate themselves to any one of the characters. O'Malley has a great way of displaying action shots in a simple comic layout that's easy to follow. He also does portrays the emotions of the characters very well. I'll be a fan till the end, and I'm hoping the movie rumors are true.

I don't say this about many books, but I was hooked after the first chapter. The art looks like it was drawn with a felt-tip pen. The language will not expand your vocabulary. Get past that. Regardless of what he used to draw it, I think the art looks great, and the dialouge is simple because the dialouge is not between Gods, it's people aged 17-25 or so living in Toronto. Natural-sounding dialouge: it's a good thing.

I thought it was amusing. I liked it, and I recommend it to someone who wants something entertaining to read.

Let me start by saying this: Scott Pilgrim, a canadian slacker who has some baggage and just so happens to be the best fighter in the Canadian province. This was a really cool, really comical book. I enjoyed it ALL.

I don't read comics. I read a few, select graphic novels. I read about this online and was very impressed. The art is perfect. The story is great.

My only warning is this: much of the humor only makes sense if you understand video games and the punk/emo culture. If you don't know anything about either of those topics, I wouldn't read this book.

Very satisfied with Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. It introduced me to the SP universe. I've read all the books since buying this one. Can't wait forthe sixth and final book! Loads of video game references and funny moments. It's an awesome read. Looking forward to the movie.

Scott Pilgrim is one of the best comics put out in recent years. This first book in the series, and it sets up the world perfectly. Bryan Lee O'Malley writes characters that everyone can relate too, and the art is fantastic.

An absolute great read. I found myself laughing throughout the entire book. Bryan Lee O'Malley concocts a story that integrates humor, romance, alt. rock and manga influenced emotions. My hope is that the movie keeps the balance of romance and comedy. 5 stars all the way.

This is the best comic book I've read in years!

If you like romance, mangas, video games, musicals and kung fu movies, this comic is made for you!

The drawings are also uber cute! Kudos to the author!

Bryan Lee O'Malley is a talented comic maker, and the first half of Scott Pilgrim is an excellent book, but by the end it is a hollow joyless exercise in hipster nostalgia.

The story begins as a surrealist romance between our slacker protagonist Scott Pilgrim and subconscious traveling delivery girl Ramona. This is a charming tale well told and just goofy and surrealistic enough to properly convey the craziness of love at that age. Unfortunately as time passes it becomes clear that Mr. O'Malley becomes less interested in telling a good romance story and more interested in aping nostolgia for a cheap laugh.

By the end the characters all become 1 dimensional, and the interpersonal conflicts are replaced by feats of strength. It is a sad sign that the end of the first book climaxes with a literal boss battle where the "power of teamwork" (not to be confused with actual team work) is used to win the battle. This would be a whimsical diversion if it was not (in later books) taken so seriously.

This book series actually has grinding and sub-bosses, it sells out its own story to become a retelling of old video game cliches. As such it becomes about as exciting as it is watching a stranger play an old video game, Amusing for a few minutes, then endlessly tedious...

Had the opportunity to read the first volume of the Scott Pilgrim saga. At first the colorful pages and the quirky art caught my attention. As I read on it got funnier and peculiar. The only problem was that having seen the movie quite some time ago it became quite hard to follow through with it, as it was a story already known to me. Anyway, I went along for the ride in all it's graphic goodness.

This graphic novel is both unique and entertaining. Definitely read it. If you have seen the movie well it might not hold your interest for long, but it is worth mentioning that the comic is actually the source material for the movie, so please give it a go.

Thanks Netgalley for providing this galley for review purposes. This title was reviewed according to its merits

I'm a big fan of comics, particularly indie/underground comics, and after hearing so many rave reviews about Scott Pilgrim, I finally picked up vol. 1. Perhaps my expectations were high, but I was sorely disappointed. While the art is unique, refreshing, and captivating, the sudden genre-jumping from a slice-of-life comic taking place in the modern-day (though cartoonish) real world to a martial arts anime kids' show/video game comic was just too jarring for me. A lot of plot developments happened very suddenly, made no sense, and then were immediately swept aside, meant to be accepted at once by the reader, with no satisfactory explanation whatsoever. And on top of it all, I find the main character thoroughly unlikeable and unrelatable. While I appreciate the revolutionary technique of combining seemingly unrelated genres and the vast potential of comics as an art form, this one was just too much for me to swallow, and I can say I'm really confused as to why this comic has such a huge fan following.

This comic is indeed polarizing, you'll either love it or you'll roll your eyes.

I've read a lot of manga, I know geek culture, I understand what this comic is attempting to do, and while its art influences are clearly in manga, it took nothing from manga storywise that makes them so great and appealing.

The way in which this chapter ended with the teamwork power and boss-level idea had me wincing. It felt as though his ideas were left in the wash too long and all the colors had faded out; there was nothing crisp or refreshing, no real deep investigation, nothing that took me to a new place, just a bland mish-mash amalgamation of pop-culture throwaways. Being in a band is the automatic ticket to cool? How utterly original. The dialogue plastic, ready-made, and now with a live-action movie deal on the way, perfect fodder for the Hollywood machine.

Another commentor wrote about the fetishizing of influences and name drops to which I have to agree with strongly. It detracts from the characters, it gets in the way of the story, it lacks humility, and it takes the spotlight off the characters and squarely onto the artist with their vast superior knowledge of pop-culture reference. "Yeah? Super Mario Bros right? You get it? It's funny right? I wrote that." That's not to say it can't be pulled off- shows like Venture Brothers come to mind who seem to have mastered it beautifully, or FLCL which employed references to create visual zaniness. If too blatant with nothing to back it up it can be perceived as simply flexing your muscles which in turn becomes a mindless gesture, a symptom of the "Look at me!" Generation. This along with the comic's very self-conscious "Am I cool yet?" motif was a real turn off.

If you're just starting out reading slice-of-life type mangas/comics with this then it's an ok place to start, but really this pales in comparison to what's out there. I'd recommend going to the source of the influence, to mangas like Nana, Paradise Kiss, even the ones that are more out there like 20th Century Boys or Welcome to the NHK! that will give you far more mileage out of your comic enjoyment experience.

I think that your take on Scott Pilgrim entirely (like, I guess, most things) on what stage of life you happen to be in. My guess is that anyone 15 to about 24 on the geeky side of the spectrum is the target audience and I'd guess that in ten years nobody will remember this series.

If you haven't read the book, read the following and guess the age of the title character. Scott is "dating" a high school girl for no apparent reason, he then moons over a woman (Ramona) based on simply seeing her and proceeds to act in a supremely creepy manner, orders something from the store just so she can deliver it and then they hang out only to become boyfriend/girlfriend in about two or three dates.

My guess is you'd say Scott was 16. He's actually supposed to be 23 (making him the most immature 23 year old in history).

Which is the core of what's wrong with this book. O'Malley has put characters into situations that don't make any sense given where the characters are in life. Aimless bands that can't actually play are not the purview of 23 year olds. Guys agreeing to fight ex-boyfriends within 2 seconds of meeting somebody is, if anywhere, high school stuff.

So...we are left with characters who are all caricatures of some weird vision of "hip" that O'Malley has come up with.

None of the characters have any depth or motivation. The first ex-boyfriend dated Ramona for a week in grade school and demands to fight Scott. But why?

In other words, it's light/frothy stuff that will appeal to a very specific range of person and be utter dreck to everybody else. Sadly, I am on the "everybody else" section.

The first volume of this hit, independent series about the life of a Canadian slacker. A fifth volume is hitting the shelf soon, and a movie is in the works. After reading this, I'm less baffled about Scott Pilgrim's success than I am disappointed.

Scott Pilgrim is essentially the indy Wanted. Basic wish-fulfillment fantasy, except, in this case, the comic book is fulfilling the ill-considered, pop-culture-inspired wishes of the gamer generation's squishy emo side. Perhaps the greatest tragedy is in the lackluster aspirations of the title character. The despicable lead in Wanted fulfilled his fanboy dreams with loot, rape and murder, but at least his goals were somewhat higher than 'underage girlfriend' and 'lead guitar for an ironically-named indy band'.

The end of this volume moved Scott Pilgrim from dull (and slightly despicable) to annoying (and slightly bizarre). Even when clumsily shoe-horned into an irrational super-hero universe, Scott Pilgrim is still merely a chronicle of sadly pedestrian fantasies.

I'm not the type to flame on people who love something I hate, so I'll just leave it at that,I hated it.

I wouldn't be writting a review if someone before me had posted a review and not a love letter.

A review should consider whether or not the art in question will appeal to anyone who consumes it or just your friends, this one is definately the latter.

Basically it's an emo/indie story full of emo/indie kids doing emo/indie things.

If you can draw a circle you can draw this book.

If you can write dialogue such as, "cool." and "yeah!", you can write this book.

There's nothing more to it, if you're into that you'll love it, if not, save your money.

Better yet, spend you're money on some Paul Pope or Brian Wood, lots of indie cred, but backed up with brilliant art and intelligent writing.