That’s right, folks! Put down the video game controller! Skip that rehearsal for your band! Make whatever sacrifices you must to those comic gods you hold so dear! Just make sure you’re ready because Bryan Lee O’Malley and SCOTT PILGRIM are back! Well, a couple months have passed since the last time we caught up with our intrepid hero, but what can change in a few short months? Well, not much has... Scott’s still living with his roommate Wallace Wells. He’s still playing in a mediocre rock band named Sex Bob-omb. And most importantly, he’s still dating the lovely Ramona Flowers while working his way through the gaggle of superpowered, superstylish, superevil ex-boyfriends determined to take him down. But something is different. Don’t look now, but Scott Pilgrim may actually be getting it together. And it’s a good thing, too, because Scott is about to confront Ramona’s most intimidating ex yet!
Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. His first original graphic novel was Lost at Sea (2003), and he is best-known for the six-volume Scott Pilgrim series (2004 to 2010). All of his Scott Pilgrim graphic novels were published by Portland, Oregon-based Oni Press. In July 2014 his graphic novel Seconds was released by Ballantine Books. He is also a songwriter and musician (as Kupek and formerly in several short-lived Toronto bands). -Wikipedia
This is the fourth book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
PILGRIM’S PATH GOES INCOGNITA
Are… are you recording music? You have a home studio?! Oh my god.
Do you want something? Can I help you?.
Can you record our album? Sex Bob-Omb needs to record an album! We need to take it to the next level! You saw us in play in volume 3, right? We aren’t all that sucky, right?
Life is good for good ol Bryan Lee O’Malley (the author, duh!) since we notice improvements in the publishing of this fourth book with 8 opening pages in full color, and the best backcover ever (well, so far in the series) especially if you are fan of the old 8-bit video games!
As I guessed while reading the third book (see review), the experience on the fourth was a delicious "terra incognita" since many of what you watched in the film adaptation, was used in the original third book, so while certainly is the same evil ex-"boyfriend" here, the events weren't pictured in the movie version, and along with several other exclusive book events, certainly you'll never know what may happened here, until you read it!
Ironically in this fourth book, you’ll get a pretty straight narrative (if you got my pun! Wink, wink! Well, if you don’t anything about the fourth book, maybe you’ll need to read the second section of this review to get the pun, but don’t worry, you’ll reach it soon enough). Anyway, in this fourth volume you won’t get flashback chapters or flashback glimpses, and nothing related to a flashback at all.
So, you can say that it’s a volume quite attached to the present…
Don’t you just wish this moment could last forever?
This moment with your hand on my boob?
…Smooth, Scott. Real smooth.
Our heroes of the Sex Bob-Omb band are quite busy in this fourth volume…
Scott Pilgrim is maturing, gaining a lot of experience points, and now he has a real job! Washin’ dishes in a restaurant, yes I know, but what can you expect with Scott’s resume? NASA?! This is a looney world, but not that looney!
Also, Scott is finally leaving Wallace’s nest (not that he would have any choice, but still.) and thanks that he isn’t a jobless loser anymore (oh, no! Now he’s a loser with a job! Big difference!), so Ramona Flowers allow him to move in her house.
Stephen Stills is coordinating the record of the Sex Bob-Omb’s first album.
And Kim Pine, well, Kim, mmh… let’s just say that beer and misandry is a terrible mix.
THE LEAGUE: FOURTH ROUND
Your dreams suck, Pilgrim.
Nuh-uh… They’s cool. Like anime.
Roxanne “Roxie” Richter, accomplished fine artist, half-ninja, versed in subspace, armed with a ninja sword, kinda chubbier than she used to be in college and the fact that she is a woman isn’t a deterrent to be…
…the fourth evil ex-boyfriend! I mean girlfriend! I mean ex-girlfriend! Darn it! Evil ex-girlfriend! Geez!
Past love life of Ramona was anything but boring! So, she had a phase in college and got a thing for a time with Roxie Richter, and of course now Roxie want to kill Scott. Nothing that shocking in this story.
However, in the defiant life of Scott Pilgrim, always there are more than one challenge (at a time!) and his hands will be full (besides of Ramona’s boob, of course) with a mysterious stalker with sword (yes, there will be A LOT of swords in this fourth volume) (nope, I won’t spoil who the mysterious stalker is!) and the return of Lisa Miller (do you remember her? From volume 2 (see that review but don’t see the movie, since she isn’t there) Ha! I knew that she would come back!)) with the dangerous accumulated unfulfilled crush for Scott that will put to the test the still fresh and fragile relationship of Scott & Ramona.
About my hunch in the third volume (see that review), well, it wasn’t what I thought. Nope. Not even close. However, I still think that the good ol’ Bryan Lee O’Malley is messing with my mind! Since there is something odd in that secondary (almost tertiary) character and noticing something odd in a world like the one of Scott Pilgrim isn’t cheap talk, so we’ll see (okay, I’ll see!) if there is indeed some hidden surprise about that character.
This irreverent look at dating, slackers and artists continues as Scott Pilgrim tries to determine where he is in is relationship with Ramona whilst ex's abound both friendly and assailant-like in his life. He also may have job, memory and housing problems. A little bit better than the preceding volume with a more linear story line and some interesting hyper-real intermissions. I get why this is popular, but it all feels pointless, even though fun, to me. 6 out of 12
Better than Vol 3, Scott Pilgrim gets it together was a fun read. Knives' dad was a cool character, the Kim Pine twist was interesting and Ramona's evil girlfriend was a trip (especially bursting into rabbits!) looking forward to Twins and the final episode.
*2.5/5 This was my least favorite in the series so far. I think it had way too many stories happening at once. This was also the volume with my absolute least favorite Ex. I really don't like how they are handled either in the movie, or in this volume. Plus, this one gave me the least number of reasons so far for why Ramona and Scott should even be together in the first place. Super sad this one just didn't impress me.
After the first half of this volume you’ll be wondering. Wow is Scott growing up? Who’s that dude with the sword? Who’s that cheek with the sword? How old is Ramona? She’s kind of hot right? ......uuum I mean you know, for a fictional character, not that im kind of weirdo who’s into fake women -<> -Yeaaah so anyways Scott has a job now and he said the L-word to Ramona. The L-word is love, not lesbian ( hey it’s not my joke ok? )
Scott Pilgrim gets it together - he grows up quite a bit in this volume. He gets a job, worksup the courage to say the L-word to Ramona, and sorts out his apartment. He also defeats Ramona’s fourth evil ex.
I really loved the intimate scenes between Ramona and Scott, and among the group of friends. Lisa was a nice touch as a catalyst for Scott and Ramona’s working things out. This volume really shows why Ramona and Scott make sense together. They are just darn cute. The movie completely missed the warmth of their relationship.
Best Ex-Fight Yet! Geez am I turning into one of those people that swears the latest book in a series is always THE BEST...or are these books just getting progressively better? I really am beginning to think that scott and ramona's relationships is one of the most honest and realistic depiction of early 20's love I've seen in a while...you know minus the samurais chopping moving buses in half and people exploding into piles of bunnies.
The fourth volume of SP is HILARIOUS! I'm not joking - my sides are aching! There's plenty of action, subspace skits, half-ninja moves, piss-taking, cute moments, heart-achingly cute moments, and sword fights!
Succinctly put...it's brilliant...and Scott finally does get it together! (He finally tells Ramona he loves her and earns the power of love as a result.)
Lisa Miller comes back on the scene and even though she really doesn't add much to the story, we learn about Scott through her...I also thought that there might have been some activity between her and Kim...but maybe that was just wishful thinking...anyway...there is girl on girl action but you'll never guess who!!
We also discover who Ramona's evil ex is...and who Scott will have to face next...there's two of them...
All that's left to say is READ IT!!!! READ IT NOW AND DON'T LOOK BACK!
ANOTHER great volume of a great series. I'm loving this so much. I love the movie so that doesn't really come as much of a surprise but I think this is really clever, funny and quirky. Keen to finish the series soon!
I don't know, I have seriously mixed feelings about this. I still adore Ramona and Wallace but it really bothered me that Ramona said her girlfriend was "a phase" and Scott sexualizing girl/girl romance was pretty trashy. Why do they always do this with bi characters? Bi!Ramona Flowers 4ever. The art is incredible, though.
The tendency of me liking Ramona started only in volume 3 and in this one I am already a fan. My main issue with her was the fact that I simply dislike over-idealized characters but as the story unfolds she becomes more and more human and normal. A proof to that is the fact that details were actually provided about her. Like her age...
I liked the Lisa storyline because I was actually curious about her. I love it how the Scott Pilgrim series are not even trying to be mysterious as horror or superhero books do and yet they leave some question marks which, however, get resolved when the time is right and not important issue is just left like that.
This book presents my least favourite evil ex, but it is good in other ways. I absolutely loved the scene where Ramona made Scott hide in her bag. Seriously, COME ON, it's hilarious. I love her. (I can't believe I said that.) And the death of the evil ex (I'm treading carefully, give me credit) was also funny, a bit of a contradiction to the apparent seriousness of Scott getting the sword.
Wallace, though. I don't like Wallace. I know he is one of the biggest sources for humor, but he is not my type of character. He is kind of mean and snotty with his entire behaviour, and yet he is presented as the person that just about cares about Scott the most.
Each book I read in the series is the best one yet and the fourth book doesn’t disappoint. An older Chinese man with a sword and a female Evil Ex-Boyfriend too are trying to kill Scott but more pressing things occupy him – the lease on his flat is up and his sugar daddy gay flatmate, Wallace, is moving out so Scott’s got to find a new place to live. Meanwhile his band Sex Bob-Omb have given up live shows as they enter the studio to record their debut LP, and Scott gets a dishwashing job to earn his keep.
Though I saw the film first, I’m enjoying the books enormously, partly because there’s quite a lot in them that didn’t make it into the film (understandable as Edgar Wright tried to cram 6 books into one 2 hour film, doing an anti-Peter Jackson/Hobbit approach) like the concepts of subspace in their world and all that mundane (but cute) relationship stuff about moving in with each other and so on. There’s also more focus on Scott and Ramona’s relationship so as it give it more substance to the reader and make fighting 7 Evil-Exes more understandable.
There’s a whole other character introduced – Lisa Miller, a high school friend who could’ve been a girlfriend - who doesn’t add that much overall but is another story strand that makes the series that much richer overall. Couple all this relationship stuff with the energetic action sequences – this time Ramona gets to kick some booty too – and the comedy (some scenes made me genuinely laugh, the timing on them is excellent no matter your reading speed), and you’ve got another home run for Bryan Lee O’Malley and his masterpiece series.
Oh my my. If there is something that I love the most about this series is (aside from the you know, fights), it's Lisa Miller's sketchy relationship with Scott Pilgrim. I just love the two of them together, more than Knives an definitely waaay more than Ramona. But Scott Pilgrim is a total juvenile douche so his heart goes all the way with Rammy. Lisa is more of a story filler character than a mainstay though, so that is sad. The scene with Scott and Lisa together in the latter's apartment, with all their pent-up emotions for each other in this awkward-sexy-childish and definitely intense situation, it definitely took me back to those years where I have felt them too.
The mysterious samurai man and this half-ninja ex of Ramona's make some cool swordfights ala-Kill Bill and all other samurai clashes we have seen. RPG elements are definitely here - the level-ups, the items and the Zelda-ish dreams. The subspace gets utilized more in this book, and readers will know how it sorta functions until they see this weird BDSM-ish scene with Ramona in it. What the heck was that?
Anyway, the resolution at the end of volume four was kinda expected though it was mushy and funny at the same time. But yeah, I would definitely go with Lisa instead of Ramona. Just saying. So yeah, Lisa rules.
Just as Scott and Ramona’s romance is getting back on track and becoming more serious, more unforeseen obstacles come at them which include a familiar face from Scott’s high school past, a strange man with a sword an a surprising evil ex. Nevertheless, this will all be the ultimate confidence booster Scott needs. A (100%/Outstanding)
This volume continues the motif of Scott’s deepening relationship with Ramona serving as a path for him to blunder into being an adult. Now that he’s defeated Todd and sent Envy on her way, Scott is forced to deal with baggage of a more immediate nature: having no job, relying endlessly on others, and pathologically avoiding any kind of responsibility, all of which appear to be giving Ramona second thoughts. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’s also facing a distinct upswing in attacks by people with swords- first by a mysterious older man, and then by the next of the Ramona’s evil exes.
The meta-humor and disregard for the fourth wall work a lot more seamlessly this time around, and there aren’t any awkward flashbacks to screw up the narrative. The humor is a bit darker, which is appropriate considering the direction that the story is starting to go. Beyond that, the fourth volume has everything that made the rest of the series so fun to read: the bizarre genre-blending, the constant video game callouts, and the understatedly hilarious characters and dialogue.
I did have one gripe, though. Spoiler alert: Ramona makes a big point of correcting Scott with “evil exes” every time he says “evil ex-boyfriends,” presaging the arrival and surprise attack of the decidedly female Roxie. The problem is, Ramona never makes this distinction until this volume, which gives the distinct impression that O’Malley made this development up on the spot. Inconsistencies like that bother me, but honestly, it fits within the slacker chic feel of the series. After grumbling about it for a while, I decided to let it go after realizing how much I was enjoying the rest of the book.
This volume is back up to par, after the ever so slight disappointment of Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness. I'm noticing that I'm lot more generous with my comic reviews than I am with my book reviews. I guess one could argue that there's a lower bar to meet, but honestly, I rate them based on how much I enjoyed them, and this is an eminently enjoyable read. As with the rest of the Scott Pilgrim books, though, you need a sense of irony and at least a passing familiarity with 8-bit video games to really appreciate it.
I understand why the movie cut this volume almost entirely out of its script. The Lisa Miller and Old Man Chau subplots seem to be just fat that is extraneous to the overall story. But having read volume six already (this is a reread) Knives' father still has a role to play.
Lisa Miller may just be filler, but it does play a part in revealing that Ramona may not be the perfect girlfriend material Scot Pilgrim initially though he had.
I guess the movie adaptation has pretty much shaped my perception of the Scott Pilgrim canon. Hopefully, this reread will restore or uncover something hidden I've missed when I first read this wonderful series.
Very amusing. I was softly chucking with my mouth closed all the way through: "mhm hm...hmhmhm...hhm". Has lots of stuff that wasn't in the movie (you've seen that masterpiece of cinema haven't you?), or was rearranged for the movie. Looks nice in color.
This has got to be my favorite volume out of the Scott pilgrim series. It's was totally AMAZING!!!. Funny, romantic, action packed and everything you could ever ask for in a graphic novel. I loved the all the characters, and I loved ramona's evil ex boyfriend (aka it's a girl). Just everything was so was EPIC! And lovely about this novel.
lo REGULAR que son estos personajes... será verdad que todo el mundo in their 20s son morally grey at their fucking best nadie toma buenas decisiones en esta historia
As this series progresses, I'm growing to actively hate the character of Scott Pilgrim. I still love the whimsical promise of the world and the strange "rules" by which the world operates are consistent enough to make the story beats entertaining, but I keep waiting for Scott to learn how not to be an obnoxious millennial stereotype and it doesn't ever happen - even in this book which is supposedly showing his growth as an adult.