We’re taking a break from teen angst this week to move on to twenty-something slackerdom. Scott Pilgrim is in his early twenties, plays in a band and likes video games – so far, so average. Then Scott falls in love with rollerblading delivery girl Ramona Flowers and he is faced with previously unimaginable challenges. Her seven evil exes to be precise.
The Scott Pilgrim series by Bryan Lee O’Malley consists of six volumes full of epic battles, band competitions, hipster jokes, relationship woes and a lot of growing up deftly portrayed in a manga-influenced style of illustration. The cast of characters from Scott’s roommate Wallace Wells, to his band mates Kim and Steven and the many curious inhabitants of Toronto are sharp and funny, while the story is laced with classic video game and pop culture references.
Made into a film by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and starring Michael Cera, check out the comics if you want more background on the story and the characters or just want to experience the original Scott Pilgrim adventure.