Broken Frontier

Rarely does a book gain as much positive buzz around the comics internet as Scott Pilgrim. Read this book and you=ll know why.

When last we left Scott Pilgrim, he was in the midst of two relationships, one he desperately wanted and another he desperately wanted to be rid of. Here we see the furthering of both of those desires and the accompanying complications. These complications are hardly your typical relationship concerns though, unless you regularly deal with a league of evil ex-boyfriends, knife-wielding seventeen-year-olds, or vegan shepherd=s pie.

Bryan Lee O=Malley has quickly become one of the hottest names in the alternative comics scene. His debut, Lost at Sea, received acclaim and put his name on the map. He, then, subsequently, blew up with the first volume of Scott Pilgrim, a fun, action-packed romantic comedy. That book featured a charming and unique story and here we get more of the same, with even more fun now that the wonky idea behind the story has been set up. The title character is not a particularly good person, but O=Malley manages to make his readers root for him with a few endearing scenes. The rest of the characters play nicely off of Scott to make up a very intriguing cast.

As interesting as those characters are, it is the off-the-wall plot that makes Scott Pilgrim a success. The idea behind the book is just so fun. To date Ramona Flowers, his dream girl, Scott must defeat a league of her evil ex-boyfriends. O=Malley makes sure that the vast potential of that idea does not go wasted, very nicely exploring both the concept of evil and her ex-boyfriends. To go along with all of that, the book does not take itself too seriously and even includes a fair bit of humor. One running joke stands out as particularly funny, but there=s laughter to be had everywhere.

The storyline and formatting of Scott Pilgrim bare a strong resemblance to those of manga and so does O=Malley=s artwork. In fact, it has grown more and more manga-influenced of late. It works perfectly, as the large eyes typical of manga work fit nicely here to show the characters= exaggerated emotions. Like the book itself, O=Malley=s art just emanates Afun@ in every panel. Most impressively, O=Malley continues to show veteran story-telling skillsBit is thoroughly clear what is happening at all times, even in potentially confusing circumstances. Know this: if Bryan Lee O=Malley draws it, the art will be great.

All in all, Bryan Lee O=Malley has turned in his third straight winner, and the Scott Pilgrim series appears as if it could be headed towards Aclassic@ by its completion. As of now, Scott Pilgrim is an incredibly fun read.