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Tuesday 8 September 2015

Scott Pilgrim vs The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley Review (Scott Pilgrim #2)


Grrrrr, I spent the last 2 hours trying to write a musical version of this review - it was titled “Battling For Love” and I’ll include what I’ve got at the end - because it’d be appropriate as Scott’s in a band and he writes simple, terrible songs. But it’s too hard so I’ve given up! I always knew I wasn’t a songwriter but now you know too. 

(It was weirdly a waltz-y tune. I think that was because I was trying to cram in too many words so it needed to be slow-ish. Also I changed the rhyming scheme in the second verse for no reason. That’s one thing I learned about songwriting: it’s not the chords, it’s the words but mostly the tempo that are important. Actually, scrap that, I don’t know what I’m talking about! I still like the chorus and title though.)

ANYWAY: back to doing it the more mundane way! Scott Pilgrim Volume 2 is bloody fantastic like the first volume! Scott’s roommate Wallace pressures him into breaking up with Knives, his 17 year old high school girlfriend, as he’s two-timing her with Ramona Flowers, the pink-haired girl who’s swept Scott off his feet. Unsurprisingly, Knives doesn’t take it well and decides to battle Ramona while Scott has to battle Lucas Lee, Ramona’s second Evil Ex-Boyfriend. 

The book is so full of small amazing moments that made me laugh. Scott’s dad has a cameo at the start and he’s in all of two panels but leaves an impression: he’s got this shit-eating grin when he’s teasing Scott about his latest girlfriend that was ridiculously funny. I also loved his parents calling him up from Europe and heckling him when he’s in bed and there’s an entire mini-saga about Scott’s haircut! Comedy genius, thy name is Bryan Lee O’Malley! 

There’s melodramatic comic-book action galore. An awesome fight in the rain as Scott battles for Kim Pine in a flashback to high school at the start, there’s an epic battle between Knives and Ramona in the mall, and Scott and Lucas’ fight was just as cool as it was in the movie (right before Chris Evans became Captain America forever!). 

Kim Pine gets a lot more attention in this book as we see her past with Scott and her current life, adding a touch of melancholy to this perfect recipe of a comic (there’s also the perfect recipe for vegan shepherd’s pie included here too!). Love Kim. Love Scott too, even if he’s inadvertently a bit of a jerk sometimes - he’s too good a character to dislike and keeps making me laugh too. 

I can’t say a single bad thing about this second book - it’s the (sex) bob-omb! A perfect comic that gets better with re-readings and now has a snazzy new look thanks to Nathan Fairbairn’s colourful treatment. Scott Pilgrim vs The World is like wrapping yourself up in a warm flapjack amidst the cold stale toast of (too many) other comics - recommended to anyone with a pulse! 

*

Battling for Love (guitar chords in brackets)

(G)It’s Scott Pilgrim 2 and it (C)opens in (G)high school
When he and (D)Kim Pine first (G) met
She played the drums and(C) they fell in (G)love
And then bastard (D)Scott moved (G)away 

(G)Present day and (C)Scott’s dating (G)Knives
A 17 year old high (D)school (G)girl
He’s gotta break it up (C)‘cos he’s fallen for(G) Ramona
And that’s Scott (D)Pilgrim vs The (G)World

(Chorus)
And they’re (C)battl(D)ing for (Em)love
Yeah they’re (C)battl(D)ing for (Em)love
Everyone’s (C)battl(D)ing for (Em)love (G)(in this comic)
(C)Battl(D)ing for (G)love

And that’s where I abandoned this sooooooong! (G - let the chord ring out to dead silence)

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

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