Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Bryan Lee O'Malley (2005-06-15)

Artwork- Awesome
Story- Gnarly
Cover Art- Epic

Overall, this volume is awesome. Why? I've been a SP fan since I saw the film, and now reading the source material makes me an even bigger SP nerd, and I couldn't be more happy about it.

Musician and slacker Scott Pilgrim is dating two girls, and he needs to make a choice.

And furthermore, if that choice is to keep dating Ramona Flowers, he must still defeat the remaining six members of the League of Ramona's Evil Ex-Boyfriends. And next up on that list is Lucas Lee (not to be confused with Luke Wilson, apparently), a former pro skateboarder turned bigtime Hollywood star.

Meanwhile, Ramona meets Scott's friends, and becomes friends with Scott's sister. She also gets to meet Scott's other girlfriend, Knives Chau, and, well, Scott is not the only one with a fight scene in this volume.

There is also useful tourist information for Toronto-area sightseeing spots, and a recipe for vegan shepherd's pie. Plus a flashback to Scott's high school days.

Scott is grating at times, but that is part of the point. The story is frenetically paced and endlessly quirky, with great interplay between a diverse supporting cast, and a nice sprinkling of video game references.

There's something so magical about these books that I just can't seem to completely put them down. The mixture of story being told and artwork which presents itself seems to fit so perfectly while, at the same time, seem so completely opposite of each other.
In the end, the tale being told is filled with such ironic detachment that I'm not even certain what I should take seriously and what is just crazed dreams occurring within Scott's head.
In fact, the beginning of book 2 does exactly that, almost becoming aggravating in its jerky storytelling methods, until you realize that there's a good reason for this.

I don't remember much from the movie anymore, but I really appreciate that it seems in the books there is a growing evil ex army for Scott as a parallel to Ramona's army. And Knives seems like the perfect character to lead it. I'll be interested to see how that plays out as the series progresses.

Scott Pilgrim's saga continues. Cursed with having to battle supernaturallly powerful ex-boyfriends of his current girlfriend (Ramona Flowers in this volume), Scott muddles through life. A twenty something trying to make it in a band, Scott Pilgrim is a bit of schlemiel, yet when he releases his inner powers when battling evil, he can be so much more. Living in a studio slacker pad with a gay roommate, stalked by ex-girlfriend, high schooler Knives Chau, coincidences swirl around the people in Scott's life. And yet, perhaps his band will get their big break, when his ex-girlfriend Kim, asks him to open for her band. This only will pull us into volume 3 and beyond.

Bryan Lee O'Malley's art is the perfect foil for his story line. The expressions on people's face tell us as much as the dialog. The absurdity of Scott's life is reflected in the action (or lack of action at times) in the images.

Ah Scott Pilgrim, what a cute, funny, numinously readable little comic you are! Scott's new girlfriend Ramona Flowers has a string of Evil Ex-Boyfriends which Scott must battle if he is to have a relationship with her. Following his first battle in the first book, he has a second battle in the second book (I foresee a third boyfriend battle in book 3 and so on), and the battle plays out like superhero Manga fighters rather than hipster twentysomethings in Canada dossing about which is the rest of the book.

But even if it seems that the characters' pursuits are largely vacuous, and they are, it's still an incredibly fun book that makes you want to keep reading once you've started. Something about Scott Pilgrim's puppy-dog innocence and melodramatic behaviour toward tiny things like his sister knowing his girlfriend casually make him likeable and interesting. Even when he's sitting around playing video games, you don't mind that he does this rather than worry about getting a job to pay rent and whatnot - he's a free spirit but not in an insufferable way.

So yeah the Scott Pilgrim odyssey continues with an excellent second volume and I highly recommend the series thus far as shaping out to be great fun for those looking for a larger than life story drawn in an anime style with lots of humour and some cartoonish violence thrown in.

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2 / 9781932664126

I first came to the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels after being introduced to the concept by the delightful movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2 provides some much needed backstory on the characters, as well as some more in-depth characterization of the love triangle between Scott, Ramona, and Knives.

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2 opens with a flashback of Scott and Kim in high school and how -- as Scott remembers it -- they met and fell for each other. The flashback could perhaps be better orchestrated, as some of the many flavor characters in the flashback are hard to keep separate, but the overall feel is a well-executed play on Scott's (and the series') obsession with video games and play fighting. The volume then continues through the Lucas Lee fight and ends with the opening of The Clash at Demonhead and Envy and Todd on stage.

This volume provides a lot of valuable backstory and characterization of Kim, and and O'Malley shows a lot of talent in crafting someone who could very easily be totally unlikable to the reader and instead making her sardonically charming and almost vulnerable. At the same time, we see more of the burgeoning rivalry between Ramona and Knives -- including a delightful fight scene between the two girls that sadly did not make it into the movie -- and with a well-placed and utterly misunderstood flashback on the part of Knives, the author drops the first notice on the reader that memories in this novel are not necessarily to be relied upon, and that we're looking at a cast full of unreliable narrators.

If you liked Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1 and are interested in more backstory and characterization, Vol. 2 is here to provide; but if you really just liked the fight scenes and video game references of the first volume, be aware the the second volume is a little more slower paced in some ways.

~ Ana Mardoll

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

I liked this book much better than the first one, but I've given them the same rating. I felt the same way throughout this book as I did when I finished the first one, if that makes sense. My problems with book one have mostly been taken care of now and I found this a pleasant, humorous diversion. I can understand the cult appeal this has had. I still don't think it is suitable for younger audiences and while this book is not as "adult" as the first book it still is about college students, not YAs and I was pleased to see that my library has it shelved in the adult section. So, anyway, lots of fun. I love the video game angle, it's cute. Scott is a jerk, but Ramona is cool. This volume does a lot of flashbacks to Scott's past so we learn a bit more about him, these transitions are shaky though and one doesn't often realize one is in the past right away. The battle scenes are good and I'm really starting to enjoy the characters' personalities, except for Scott, of course. I'll continue the series, but I'm wondering if Scott is going to develop as a person throughout the series or is it just going to be about him beating the evil boyfriends.

The first volume in the Scott Pilgrim series introduced us to one of the most bizarre faux-anime concepts (and casts) ever conceived. Scott Pilgrim is the ultimate slacker: he is 23 years old, is between jobs, plays in a bad band, and was, until recently, dating a high school girl. He left the 17-year-old Knives Chau for the more age-appropriate Ramona Flowers, an the store.ca delivery girl. However, Scott soon learned that in order to keep dating Ramona, he would have to fight and defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. The fight against the first boyfriend was an over-the-top awesome fest of unrivaled proportions. So the question was, "Would the second volume, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World be as good?" Yes.

Scott and Ramona (who he refers to as "Rammy" sometimes) are still getting to know each other as Scott is forced to fight Lucas Lee, Ramona's second evil ex-boyfriend, who is also a pretty-boy movie star and ex-skater. But things get more complicated when Scott's ex-girlfriend Natalie "Envy" Adams threatens to come back into the picture. Best of all, Knives engages Ramona in a fight for Scott's heart that is even better than the fight against Matthew Patel in the first volume. There are plenty of other humorous moments, especially those involving Wallace, Scott's roommate, as well as a scene that plays like a cooking show.

If you are a fan of video games, anime parody, and sweet fights, you should definitely check out Scott Pilgrim. The humor is top-notch, and the story is great.

There are a lot of Scottoholics out there, and the praise for the Scott Pilgrim books is lavish. That's fine, because it is well deserved. My question as I started this Volume 2 was whether Bryan O'Malley could keep the story and the characters rolling forward, or would just start circling around with nowhere new to go. Well, the answer is that, now that we've become comfortable with the basic cast of characters, O'Malley has the opportunity to develop some hitherto secondary characters, to expand on the main protagonists, to start up new sub-plots and storylines, to flesh out some characters' backgrounds, and to just generally continue to develop and expand the Pilgrim universe, (although it never leaves Canada, which is great by me).

And as a bonus it isn't all-Scott-all-the-time. Knives actually has a lot more to do here than in Volume 1. Ramona gets a lot more ink. We really do start to get more of an ensemble, with Scott at the center, but not taking up all of the space. I applaud that.

This volume includes notes and concept drawings and the like, and while they are not as complete or interesting as in Volume 1, they are certainly a nice bonus.

So, if you were hesitant about whether the Scott Pilgrim story had anywhere left to go, the answer so far seems to be a resounding yes. Excellent.

Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review.

Yeah, this series is just as weird and awesome as it sounds. It is full of videogame references and music jokes. This would be a good place to start reading, even though it's volume 2. This is when the story gets to the point of warped oddness, that stands as the reason for its greatness - and also this volume begins with a prelude to the first volume. So now, you understand...I would say see the movie as well, because the books can still be enjoyed even after you've seen it. My point is that this is an awesome series and totally worth your time. Recommended soundtrack: I Want It All/Queen, Tom Sawyer/Rush, Walking After You/Foo Fighters, Accidents Will Happen/Elvis Costello, Extraordinary Girl/Green Day, Rock The Night/Europe, Walk/Foo Fighters, Suffagrete City/David Bowie, Simple Man/Lynyrd Skynyrd, All-star/Smash Mouth, Rock'n'Roll High School/The Ramones, Afterlife/Avenged Sevenfold, Girl U Want/Devo, and Love Will Tear Us Apart/Joy Division.

This ones just as entertaining as the first volume. I love the comedic style and the video-game references. I read this one in just a day, due to the length and the enjoyment. I don't want to spoil anything but this one picks right up where the first stopped, and it seems like this book has more of an element of suspense. The Knives Chau arc becomes intense, and I liked to see more action in this book. I got confused, again, at some moments when they introduced new characters. Because of the style of the book, it becomes easy to confuse one character for another, or to become lost because a lot of the people look very similar. That would be my only complaint about the book, but the complaint doesn't stand a chance against all the awesome joy I received while reading Scott Pilgrim.

Read Volume 2!!!! It's getting better!!!

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.

Though still funny, this book is much more action and story centered then the last. We learn more about Scott's (and his friend's) past, giving the series the 'epic' feel that follows throughout the rest of the series. The artwork is much better, but still not as good as the later volumes.

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.

But, seeing as you are obviously still reading this, I'll tell you why Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is such an awesome comic. If you read SP vol.1 then you should already have a pretty good idea what's in store, but new readers can probably pick this up and start reading (though why would you want to? Just read Scott Pilgrim vol.1!).
There's nothing else like Scott Pilgrim being published right now. Bryan Lee O'Malley draws influence from pretty much everything (manga, video games, comics, movies) to make something completely different. The art is cartoony and fun without being simple or complicated. It's fun to read SP just to notice smaller details in the story and art.
The plot has already been outlined in the editor's notes above, and even if it wasn't I'd be hesitant to say much about it. The less you know going into this series the better. Basically the world revolves around Scott Pilgrim a 23-year-old base player in a Toronto. Everything's going fine till he meets Ramona Flowers, an American delivery girl. In volume two Scott is finally going out with Ramona, who doesn't know that he's also dating a high school girl named Knives Chau. This would be bad enough except that Ramona has some troublesome ex-boyfriends who Scott must defeat in mortal combat order to continue dating Ramona.
The first book made it seem like Ramona's past boyfriends would be a big part of the series, but in volume two that doesn't seem to be the case. Scott has fought one ex per book so far, and the fight in volume two wasn't as climatic as the one from book one. The legion of ex-boyfriends is takes backseat to the day-to-day life of Scott and co, which is pretty off-the-wall and biazarre even without the super-powered beings showing up.
But what would a comic with a surreal slice of life/rock star plot and great, unique art be without good characters? Well, actually, it would still be pretty good, but the fact that Scott Pilgrim does have a fantastic cast is what pushes it into greatness territory. The people in this comic are by different degrees selfish, kind, funny, sincere and in Scott's case at least, in over their head. Everyone manages to be cool and interesting while still believable.
I could go on about Scott Pilgrim all day, but I'm hungry and must eat. For anyone looking for original and entertaining, Scott Pilgrim will not disappoint.

Scott Pilgrim vol. 1's biggest problem was that it ended too soon...! Well, here's vol. 2 to help sate your mad little appetites! Now, finally, after all those agonizing months of waiting, we can all clutch a copy of Scott Pilgrim vol. 2 in our grubby little hands!

For all you new readers out there, Scott Pilgrim is a series about Scott, a twentysomething slacker-type, and his romantic foibles. Will he be able to defeat his dream girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends and keep his claim on her heart? And what about Scott's high-schooler girlfriend, and the mysterious "Gideon?" Joined by a cast of likable and unique characters, will Scott be able to deal with the burdens of life and lost love and do what's best for his "precious little life?"

Oh BOY, can I be cheesy. But anyway...

This volume starts off with some back story on Scott, and Kim's character is especially given a lot of attention. Learning about Kim's character is one of my favorite parts of the book, and it's great to see that the background characters have as much personality as the title character. Learning more about each of the characters is definitely what I look forward to in each new volume. While the story might be interesting alone in its basic premise (boy fights dream girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends so he can date her), it would totally be easy for it to turn into a major snoozefest if the characters were zilch-o void-type personalities. What a relief that they're not! Each character is so individual from the way they look, dress, and speak... it's an absolute joy!

Another thing that's very notable about this series is the dialog... It's just so fun to read! Fear not the word baloons, reader... you need not skip them over! The whole thing reads so easily, naturally, believably that you can happily dig right into each oncoming page. If you're looking for something different than the outrageously contrived teen-speak seen in too many of today's books and film, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the honesty coming out of these characters' mouths... Every page will glide by so deliciously smoothly, you'll just absolutely devour this book!

More notable praise for this volume:
-easily navigable panel layouts... you won't get lost here!... it's so uncluttered and has great flow and timing!
-deceptively simple linework that provides for an endless spectrum of expression in the characters
-believable, honest emotion... these characters are *feeling*, folks!
-recipe-time! a how-to recipe incorporated right into the story a la "Scary Godmother!" learn how to cook somethin' while you're sittin' on your rump readin' comics? Why, that's absolute INSANITY!
-"fantasy-kung-fu-gamer-drama" -- a fun injection of absurd pop culture elements directly into the lives of the characters that somehow makes their lives seem more real and relatable to the reader

Some of the other major plot points in this volume include Scott's high-schooler girlfriend Knives in a bigger role, the arrival of 2 more of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends, and more about Scott's mysterious ex. Also, a bunch of new characters are introduced that will definately play larger roles in the future.

And well... as for my biggest gripe about the book... just like the first volume, this second book is over way too soon! So many plot points are hinted at that there's so much to look forward to! It's just absolutely addictive! I can't wait for the next volume!

So, well, if you've been thinking about picking up this book... do it. There's something in it for everyone. Action, romance, comedy, drama, cool guys, cute girls, and chock fulla' crazy, this is definately one new graphic novel series to catch up on! So COME ON! Click on that lil' ol' "Add to Cart" button and snag yourself a copy!

This volume deals with ex boyfriend #2 and Scott meets ex boyfriend #3. Scott also dumps Knives so she goes crazy in this book and goes after Ramona. Also, we start seeing Scott's ex's and get a glimpse into Scott as a high schooler. This volume has a recipe, so bonus! Looking forward to volume three, loving the funny dialogue and great color graphics.

Absolutely love this book! I've had the series since they all came out. The colored editions are definitely worth the buy. At first I wasn't sure about buying the same series I already had but I don't regret it. I've reread them multiple times. It's so much nicer in color. It's completely different from the black and white edition, it's like you're reading a different series.

Scott Pilgrim Volume 2 has it all - dorky hats, gay roommates, skateboarding battles against evil ex-boyfriends, a slightly psychotic teenage girl called Knives out for chopsocky revenge and, if all that has left you tired and hungry, a recipe for vegan shepherds' pie. As you may have gathered, the second instalment of Bryan Lee O'Malley's series of graphic novels is quite unlike anything else on the market. The brilliance of the storytelling lies in the fact that O'Malley is able to deviate from the central storyline, playing with different genres and even breaking the 'fourth wall' to address the reader directly, whilst all the while keeping his eye fixed firmly on advancing the plot, so that these asides and deviances never slow down what is, in effect, a narrative told at breakneck speed. O'Malley's art is joyous and vibrant, but also capable of incredible subtlety, so that Scott and his friends - and, most especially his wronged ex-girlfriend Knives, come across as fully-formed characters whose stories carry real emotional weight. If you have not yet read Scott Pilgrim's adventures, I strongly advise you get in early so that you can follow the excitement of each new volume as it appears!

If one condensed the entirety of alt-lit, indie music, and gaming culture into a single black-and-white graphic novel, the result would be SCOTT PILGRIM. Quirky without being inauthentic, the second volume of this series continues the same roller-coaster ride of Evil Ex-boyfriend battling kicked off by SCOTT PILGRIM'S PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE.

Two Evil Ex-boyfriends down, five to go. SCOTT PILGRIM continues its upward spiral into the upper echelons of off-kilter fun. Cumulative speed: too fast to live. A

See the full review here:[....]

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.

Here we have the second Scott Pilgrim graphic novel of a projected six. It starts off with an extended flashback to Scott's high school years, before we get back to the present. Scott is happy with Ramona, but Knives isn't ready to give him up yet. And Scott still has to deal with more of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends. A fun comic book so far.

While I enjoyed the first book better Scott Pilgrim is still funny stuff. I clearly am not the age group for this book, as I didn't get some of the references, but I still enjoyed it. The plot was a little too spacey as opposed to the more straight forward tale in the last book. No matter what, I'm curious as to how Scott deals with all these evil exes.

Girlfriends are evil.

Even more so if they are exes in rock bands, or other oddities. Current girlfriends that have ex-boyfriends that want to fight you are also a bit annoying.

So are teenage girls that like to go ninja on your current squeeze.

Having something to sit on at your place is also useful.