Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe

Well, unsurprisingly, the latest Scott Pilgrim is an unparalleled joy, with brilliant wit, awesome robot fights, and clever interpersonal relationships. If you've read the other books, this lives up to the standard excellence, and if you haven't, well, start at the beginning. You won't regret it.

If you're a fan of Scott Pilgrim (as I am) & of Bryan Lee O'Malley's then you'll be looking forward to this chapter of the saga as Scott tries to take down the next of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends. It doesn't disappoint & makes you ache as you realize it'll be another year before we figure out how it all ends! I'm jealous of people who won't discover this series until the movie comes out... they don't have to go through all the WAITING! Great series- full of fun & mayhem.

"Scott Pilgrim" is an odd little comic, brilliantly summing up the experience of a generation (that would be Gen Y) in the most appropriate way possible: with rock and roll, superheroes, and video games. I'm about the same age as Scott (he ages slower than I do, sadly) and his situation feels familiar: out of college, going nowhere, and generally trying to find his way. English majors could read in many layers of subtext and symbolism as Scott fights his way through his girlfriend's evil exes and turns his otherwise humdrum little life into an ongoing game, which he has to win to survive. In the first volume, Scott meets Ramona Flowers, a delivery girl who uses the subspace corridor in Scott's head. He's instantly in love, but it takes a while (until Volume Four) for Ramona to realize she loves him too. He defeats the first four of her evil exes, gaining experience points along the way. One of the most genius moves on the part of Bryan Lee O'Malley, artist and writer, is to make the martial arts duels an ordinary part of everyone's daily lives -- background characters will even express boredom as another fight breaks out in front of them. Volume Five sets up the final book -- and the long awaited climax with the final boss, Gideon -- with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger. Scott has to fight a pair of twins, but that's secondary to the rocky path his relationship with Ramona has taken. Ramona transcends her initial status as the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl and turns into a complex character who might not be who Scott thinks she is. Mr. O'Malley's artwork is more polished than earlier volumes but just as detailed, and he's getting better and better at capturing gestures and facial expressions in his distinct style. The series always balanced the silly video game influences with the more grounded and serious story of its protagonist, and this book really benefits from a darker mood. Expectations for Volume Six are very, very high.

Admittedly, for fans of Scott Pilgrim, the previous volumes are hard to top. I, personally, think that the revelation of vegan powers for Todd Ingram will never be equalled. There will be many that find this latest volume a disappointment as the pace seems to slow and the fight scenes take a back seat to real emotional resonance. I disagree and think this downbeat interlude will be essential to the arc of the entire story. This is Ramona Flowers's volume and from finding out she's changed her hair--we know something has changed, but the mystery of her funk, the return of her glow, and the truth behind her relationship with the series' big bad, Gabriel, is more than enough to keep a reader flipping the pages. This book features the best gag I've seen employing the ubiquitous cell phone camera and does a great job of ratcheting up the dread associated with Scott's upcoming confrontation with Gabriel and the conclusion of the series. You've gotta read this and the cover is all shiny like its a 90s comic book, too!

The Scott Pilgrim books are in a class by themselves. There is so much to laugh at in each one but the surprising thing is how much there is that will move you. Even the most minor characters become like old friends when you read this incredible series. Book 5 is the most serious one yet, dealing with Scott and Ramona settling into life together. My favorite character, Kim Pine, finally gets her chance to shine in this volume. Her actions in the final battle....wow Kim, just wow. I don't want to give any details for fear of ruining the delight you will get reading it yourself, but there is a cliffhanger that will make you curse the year long wait until the final book that brings the series to a close. I cannot recommend these books enough. If you are between the ages of 13-45 this is guaranteed to become one of your favorite books. Not to diss the older folks I'm almost 40 myself), all the pop culture references may be lost on those people who weren't raised with a video game console in their house. But there is enough heart in these books for anyone to get a lot of them. But this book!