(P)Review : Volume One : Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

I was turned on to this series of graphic novels about 8 or so months ago, and have been mildly obsessed ever since. Finding out that Edgar Wright (the genius behind Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead) was doing a film version of the books was a major catalyst for sure, but I’d like to think that I would have stumbled upon these ferociously awesome books at some point in my life. I’m glad it happened when it did, though. I would be missing out on something stellar and a half.

Volume One, Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, was published in 2004 thru Oni Press and written by then 24 year old Bryan Lee O’Malley. It’s an introduction to the bizarre world of 23 year old ne’er-do-well Scott Pilgrim, and his somewhat skewed, definitely warped view of a universe sort of but not really centered around him. Steeped in video game mysticism and a healthy dose of post-90’s whateverness, Scott Pilgrim is the story of a life that has stalled, for better or worse. He has just started dating a 17 year old Chinese high schooler named Knives Chau, lives with his gay best friend Wallace Wells (they share a small basement apartment, and a bed), and is in a band called Sex Bob-omb with his ex-girlfriend Kim Pine (though we don’t find this out until a little later - it’s not really a spoiler, though) and the talent, Stephen Stills. His younger sister, Stacey, acts like she’s older than him. The cast of characters grows as the story goes on, but these are the main players. Oh, and they’re all Canadian.

If it seems like a lot to take in, it’s not. I promise.

From the beginning, this world feels familiar. It speaks to a certain age group for sure, and I’ve no doubt that’s why I found it so accessible. Regardless, the ease with which the characters interact, the very definable personalities of each character, and the deceivingly simple artwork (with a decidedly Manga bent) lend themselves to this accessibility. You can relate to a twenty-something with no direction, who wants things to be simple. You can relate to a talented musician more or less trapped where they are and stuck with who they’re with, but somehow content. You may not know these characters, but you know people like these characters. And let’s face it, if you’re reading a book like Scott Pilgrim, you’re one of them.

Then Ramona Flowers roller blades in to the story, and it goes a whole new, wonderful direction.

Sub-space highways that go through people’s heads, ninjas (secret and not so secret), concerts that turn in to vicious, operatic battles, and a league of Evil Ex-Boyfriends. That’s the tip of the iceberg. This is a love story, and it’s full of all the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, the comedy and the tragedy that every love story touches on, but rarely with as much warmth and devotion as the story of Scott Pilgrim and his quest to battle for the love of Ramona Flowers. Neither of them is perfect, and it’s never presented otherwise. Scott’s aloof demeanor and starry-eyed infatuation never comes off as anything but good-natured naiveté - though, his judgment is questionable sometimes - but whose isn’t? Ramona’s got a lot of secrets. We don’t find out her age until Volume 4. We don’t really know what’s going on with her and all of these Evil Exes. Only that they're “evil.” There’s a lot of mystery, and O’Malley isn’t quick to give any of it up. When you pick up Volume One, you better believe you’re going to have to stay with it if you want to know most, if not all, of the answers to the many questions you’ll no doubt have.

But I have to say that that’s part of the appeal of this story, of these characters. You don’t learn everything about your best friend in one nite. It takes years to really get it all out of them. O’Malley treats this story and all the characters like they’re his best friends, like they’re our best friends. It’s up to you to put the time in to get to know them. Like I said, if you feel like it’s a lot, I promise it’s not. This is a fantastic story, literally and figuratively, and you’ll be more than happy you gave it a chance.

As for the film?! Well, I don’t think they could have picked a better director than Edgar Wright. There’s something innate about this pairing. Something intrinsically right about it. I highly recommend checking out the movie website and all of the production video blogs so that you can get a sense of how seriously he’s taking this (and yes, I realize this is an ironic statement considering the inherent silliness of the story). This is a very detailed world created by someone with a lot of love for his characters, and the team putting the film together seems to understand that above all else. In order to sell the fantastical, mystical, and absurdly comedic aspects of the story, you have to believe in the world that you’re seeing. Everything on display would indicate that’s exactly what’s taking place. If you would like to check out the films IMDB page to see who’s playing who, get to it. I will say that Michael Cera was a great choice for Scott Pilgrim, regardless of all the grumbles I’ve heard otherwise. And Mary Elizabeth Winstead was about as perfect a choice as you could get for Ramona. Visually, this one’s going to be spot on.

What are we likely to see?! Well, that’s a good question. There will be at least 7 major battle sequences throughout the movie, as it will cover all 6 volumes (#6 of which is coming out prior to the movie’s release, if I am not mistaken). That’s a lot of asses to kick.

From Volume One, the most intense sequence will be Scott and Company versus Evil Ex Number 1, Matthew Patel. What I hope more than anything, though, is that we get to see and hear the exchange between Crash and the Boys and Wallace Wells. This brief exchange had me in tears the first few times I read it. It’s moments like that one that make these books something truly special. Amidst all the absurdity are these intensely funny comedic moments. That more than anything gives me hope in the film version, as we know what Edgar Wright is capable of in seeing his work with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Next week we’ll cover Volume Two, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, where we learn a little more about Ramona and the League of Evil Exes, Scott’s own Evil Ex Envy Adams, a sell-out skater-turned-movie-star and his role in this twisted tale, and what the wrath of a 17 year old high schooler with quasi-ninja skills is like. It’s a good one, and it keeps getting better.

Written and Posted By: Jared Bowers