Scott Pilgrim’s Adventures continue in this review of the second volume of stories from Canadian cartoonist Bryan Lee O’Malley. If you recall my last review, you might recall that I really enjoyed seeing Scott work out his new relationship with his newfound girlfriend Ramona Flowers as well as taking down her evil ex-boyfriends in the process. So it is no surprise that I would be more than intrigued to continue to discover more about the unique and interesting world of Scott Pilgrim and all of its nerdy references. Even though this 2nd volume is more of what I came to expect, it was certainly fun and engaging to read through the wacky shenanigans of Scott and his friends.
Scott Pilgrim continues his mission to defeat Ramona Flower’s evil ex-boyfriends with the help and support of some of his best friends including his roommate Wallace Wells. However, Scott often finds himself tested into wondering if being with Ramona is the best thing for him as he tries to go about his life making his ends meet while also making amends with his past life that he didn’t know has come back to haunt him.
These stories continue the trend of creating a slice of life story with a nerdy and creative twist. The relationships between characters feel very real but it’s everything else that makes Scott Pilgrim different from other teenage stories because sometimes the narrative breaks the rules and the 4th wall sometimes by delivering us some out there scenarios that are really fricken epic and even humorous sometimes. Do expect there to be a lot of references to nerdy pop culture and typical teenage fantasies, but also expect that you’ll for the most part just be seeing characters going through relationships and life while trying to fit the norm of adulthood society.
Scott Pilgrim as a character is still as relatable in this volume as he was in the last because even though he gets to become all-mighty and powerful sometimes to take down Ramona’s evil Ex’s, in the end, Scott is just a normal and average young adult trying to find his path in life which is what makes him such an endearing protagonist. Some of the other characters get interesting arcs as well especially when it comes to Ramona and making her relationship work with Scott as well as Knives who misses her former relationship with Scott even though she is happy he’s with Ramona. Even characters like Wallace Wells get a little more time to shine as supportive friends which can lead to some interesting and great character-building characterizations. I could argue that the characters here are have grown up a little since the last volume which is a sign of maturity coming from how far they've come from compared to when the Scott Pilgrim comics have started.
Of course, I have come to expect the drawings to be nothing short of expressive and unique, and cartoonist Bryan Lee O’Malley sure does not disappoint in the slightest. Character designs go through full ranges of emotion and each of them stand on their own as memorable thanks to changes in their style of hair or style of clothing. One thing I never touched upon in the previous volume is how well these comics are great at portraying atmosphere whether characters are making out in a dark room or if they are in the neon-bright livelihood of your typical dance club. Since the comics are set in Canada, do expect them to bring the country to the limelight with some scenery you would find in the Canadian area. Once again there will be some gripping action and visual cues that show a nerdy but cute way of looking at random and minuscule things in life. There are even times when the comic will ditch its normal art style and go for a different art style completely such as the drawing being drawn in a very sketchy kind of way. If you have the chance to find the color versions of these comics please do so because even though they can be impressive in black and white, it's even more impressive to see the wide range of color and expression that help bring these visual stories into new limelight.
Scott Pilgrim has done it again and has impressed me once more with its memorable characters, colorful visuals, and endearing story that is cute and a whole lot of nerdy fun. There is still more from Scott Pilgrim that has yet to be encountered and you can bet your horses that I’m looking forward to seeing how Scott Pilgrim’s big adventure will come to its final conclusion. This volume left me wanting more in a good way and I’ve got a feeling more will be in store for Scott, Ramona, and all of their best buds in future chapters to come.
(Final Grade: A-)