Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset

I smiled and laughed my way through all six volumes this quirky series. Scott is slightly awkward, doing things like learning the guitar line from Final Fantasy, and saying stuff like, “I wish I could turn into a morphing ball and roll to the bathroom from here, instead of having to get up.” The characters are likeable alternative types. The illustrations are well-done—expressive and humorous. It’s part manga, part comic book, and part video game, but the story and writing are strong enough for me to love it even though I’m not a gamer or comic book nerd. ( )

Much better than the movie, to begin with. Characters are cartoonish and yet they convincingly portray the psychological evolution of late adolescence/young age (which appears to consist mainly of the realization of one's own selfishness). The recurring theme of Ramona inhabiting two separate planes of existence is vaguely reminiscent of Chinese literature themes as can be found in the Dream of the Red Chamber. ( )

FREAKING EPIC! ( )

This six volume series follows the adventures of 23 year old Scott Pilgrim and his efforts to hook up with Ramona Flowers, a mysterious American who drops into his life in Toronto. Only when Scott starts dating Ramona does he learn that he must defeat her 7 evil exes, formed by Ramona's most powerful ex, Gideon, before he can date her in peace. Fights take place in a video game fashion, and though Scott is a bumbling, awkward bass player, he can inexplicably fight and wins change off of the villains he defeats.

I enjoyed this read, even though at first it feels a little too ADHD and skips around a lot, the humor is great, the art is wonderful and the story is entertaining. A quick satisfying read. ( )