Reviews

I must admit, having a graphic novel series in your to read pile makes the annual Reader's Challenge a lot easier!

This final novel in the Scott Pilgrim series tied everything up pretty nicely. I was surprised at how different the ending is from the movie. I don't know if I suffered from the First-is-Best phenomenon but I gotta say I loved the screenplay more. It played with the video game motif more and had a more fulfilling ending to the love story/stories (if I'm remembering correctly).

I'm a little sad to know that my feelings might have been different had I read the books first (although a quick timeline check shows me that Edgar Wright had written and filmed the film before O'Malley had released Vol 6 originally... I have to assume both talked with each other, shared their ideas for the story, and eventually went their separate ways with the ending...) I guess it's unfair to compare this to Edgar Wright (I often try my best to judge a movie on its own without comparing it to the book, which is usually better) but I still have trouble rooting for such a doofus of a main character. Scott Pilgrim is pathetic and Ramona is basically a self-absorbed bitch. Do they deserve each other? I guess so. But the characters Wright crafted (and the cast portrayed) were so much easier to cheer for (or against in Gideon's case). Here Gideon didn't feel like the Level 7 Super Boss like he was in the film (sorry for the comparison).

Overall, I'm glad I read the series. It averaged out to a 4.5, but I'd probably round that down to a 4/5 for its overall execution. Two of the six books had great extras and the coloring looked great, even if it wasn't O'Malley's original vision.

larry1138's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This one was an up and down journey but I can definitively say that, at least for myself, this was the book that was the most emotional for me, and not just because of the sweet ending and the completion of a six volume series that has become such an important part of my love of the Scott Pilgrim franchise.

It was fascinating to observe my own mental state as I got annoyed at Scott for being a bum at the beginning of this volume as he continued acting as anti-social as previous volumes in which I highly disliked his character. However, the change he goes through in this volume is perhaps the most profound. There is even a line in here where he admits he may not be ready to be an adult before a friend pushes him to become one anyway. In several important ways, he does, and thus finally becomes a protagonist worthy of the term and even a heroic main character worthy of praise, a transformation I might add that was actually handled worse in the movie. Michale Cera's Scott only had to merely apologize for his previous sins and the audience just had to assume he was a changed man. This version of Scott truly accomplished mental reform and took responsibility for his past actions.

This evolution of Scott is particularly stark when compared to the final evil ex, Gideon Graves, and his interactions with Ramona and Envy Adams and a few other people he screwed over (no spoilers!). The emotional catharsis at the climactic final fight was satisfying for sure. Lot's of side characters had plotlines wrapped up neatly. Ramona and Scott walk through a door. And the series comes to an end. What a way to spend 15 minutes.

I may reread this series in the original black and white versions. I should note once again I'm reading the Evil Exes box set which itself is color and contains at the back of every volume behind the scenes pages delving in to O'Malley's creative vision and concept art for other versions of the volumes. Going through this series was an absolute joy. I am so glad I took a chance renting Scott Pilgrim vs the World on iTunes way back in 2009 so that now in 2023 I have the privilege of being able to experience this world again!

A high recommend from me, particularly since the reader of this has probably made it through the past five volumes and it sort of just wouldn't make sense to stop now. But also this is genuinely a good graphic novel!

papapizza's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

pbraue13's review against another edition

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3.0

This series used to be one of my favorites, I held onto my box set with very strong devotion, so I thought a reread was due after a solid 10 years or so since I had seen the film (still quotable with my and my friends for years) or read the comics. I must say I wasn’t as enthused as I used to be by the end. The first three books I gave 4 stars because they were fun and wild and flowed well, but the last three felt as though the author was jamming so much into three small books. I actually prefer the films way of ending it rather than the comics and I am now remembering why. I also started to notice how women are treated a good chunk of the time and not in the intentional way by the characters (especially Scott) but how they’re portrayed and judged by the author and other female characters in the story made me cringe. I guess you could say certain parts didn’t age well (especially the Joss Whedon blurb on volume 6 and the box set). The ending was unique and v different from the film (especially since the comic wasn’t done while they were filming the movie) and I appreciated it, but again too much crammed into the last three and certain things were best left in the early 2000s.

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