Iambaytor Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley is the tale of Scott Pilgrim, a Canadian slacker living with his gay best friend in a one-room apartment. The story starts with Scott (age 23) dating 17-year-old high-schooler Knives Chau. The bulk of act one is used to introduce us to Scott's band Sex Bob-Omb, his room-mate Wallace. However soon Scott falls in-love with ultra quirky roller skate delivery girl Ramona flowers. Hijinks ensue, romances are formed, and just when you think this is just some fluffy indie-teen romance book someone busts through the roof of an auditorium and Scott and a mysterious stranger compete in mortal kombat. It turns out that by dating Ramona, Scott must now defeat her 7 Evil-Boyfriends before they can ever be happily together. The story is laced with video game references between soft drinks offering skill points and each of the evil boyfriends turning into coins when they die. If I were to try and describe it I would say it's a cross between SCUD (in terms of surreality) and Jeph Jacques Questionable Content in the whole indie-rock comedy style. The characters are all well fleshed out (Wallace is 15 kinds of awesome) and the surreality just fits so well with the reality that it never seems forced or ridiculous. All in all, it's a fun book that's well written and I highly reccomend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 sorry 'tor, had to make a thread of your review. so yeah, on baytor's say-so, i checked this one out last night, and made it a few chapters into volume 1 - enough to know that i love it. I wish it woulda been around years back when i was on an indie kick and was reading everything this side of Box Office Poison...its just a really fun read. There's more gaming references than Spaced (if the covers didnt give that away), and in short bursts the zany antics mightve felt more like webcomic, only it actually works here and the supporting cast has enough of a voice for me to be interested in their plight, too. im looking forward to reading more tonight, but if it keeps up, these trades are bought. I keep hearing about them on the bendis boards, sad i slept on the series this long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelogan Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 It has begun. Micheal Cera in the titular role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Wallace is my favorite comic character ever, it pissed me off that he only had a cameo in Vol. 5, I can't wait to see Kieren Culkin playing him. I'm more psyched about seeing Wallace than I am about seeing Scott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jables Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley is the tale of Scott Pilgrim, a Canadian slacker living with his gay best friend in a one-room apartment. The story starts with Scott (age 23) dating 17-year-old high-schooler Knives Chau. The bulk of act one is used to introduce us to Scott's band Sex Bob-Omb, his room-mate Wallace. However soon Scott falls in-love with ultra quirky roller skate delivery girl Ramona flowers. Hijinks ensue, romances are formed, and just when you think this is just some fluffy indie-teen romance book someone busts through the roof of an auditorium and Scott and a mysterious stranger compete in mortal kombat. It turns out that by dating Ramona, Scott must now defeat her 7 Evil-Boyfriends before they can ever be happily together. The story is laced with video game references between soft drinks offering skill points and each of the evil boyfriends turning into coins when they die. If I were to try and describe it I would say it's a cross between SCUD (in terms of surreality) and Jeph Jacques Questionable Content in the whole indie-rock comedy style. The characters are all well fleshed out (Wallace is 15 kinds of awesome) and the surreality just fits so well with the reality that it never seems forced or ridiculous. All in all, it's a fun book that's well written and I highly reccomend it. No offense, but that review makes me like it even less than the -10 interest points I already had. How does this shit happen? Do you just pick shit at random & doggedly like it Baytor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 Yeah I cobbled that shit together because Nick insisted I sell it to him. You probably wouldn't like it though, it has no shit monsters or fucking with big steel guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jables Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I dunno, batty for the sake of it just does nothing for me. Scud's great because it's genuinely funny within the crazy events & surreality, not to mention the writer breaks the fourth wall a fair bit and somehow it still works. Mostly I think my aversion to indie books is that I can't fucking stand the percieved underdog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 Everything you just described about SCUD applies to Scott Pilgrim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 its not arthouse indie, skeets - its enjoyable fanboy shit. i went out and bought all 5 trades, so if you're still doing that thing where you hate something before you inevitably love it, you can read it come november. shit's a lot of fun, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jables Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 That's the safest bet, since ordinarily when I do the 'I'll try it out' thing, it falls flat on my face. Scud is such a genius concept though: A Disposable assassin that needs to keep his first kill alive in the name of self-preservation. I feel richer having it in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 So Nick, since you're pretty much the only other person here reading this, what'd you think of Volume 5? It got rave reviews but I thought it kinda fell flat. First of all it did that "2-in-1 enemy" copout thing that all series that involve a certain number of enemies to beat do. And I though it lacked a lot of things (Wallace, namely) and the comedy just wasn't as prevalent as in past books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I haven't read this book, but from the way you're describing it, it sounds like a fun book, (and correct me if I'm wrong here) but not a good concept for a live action feature film. It sounds to be as ill-advised as a FLCL (Furi Kuri) live action movie would be. Am I wrong here? Fanboy-humor laced pop surrealism sounds painful in live action, yet Baytor, a jaded motherfucker when it comes to movies in general and comic adaptations specifically, just said he was 'psyched' when talking about this movie. Why so optimistic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Reading up on this movie on wiki, I see Edgar Wright is directing, and he has yet to do anything wrong. The rest of the cast of minor character looks awesome too. Ann Veal from Arrested Development is in it, which is awesome. So this is all encouraging, still, from the way you're describing it, it seems to not be suited for the big screen. Guess I'll download it as see for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 It will be a bit surreal but as you said, Edgar Wright is helming and Michael Cera is the perfect choice for Scott and I'm warming more and more to Kieren Culkin. But yes I think this could be accurately brought to life and in fact will, picture Garden State as filtered through the sensibilities of Stephen Chow. Also: Ann Veal from Arrested Development is in it Her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Who??? Yeah, I mean, breaking the fourth wall in films is something that doesn't work very often like it does in comics and TV. It worked in Wayne's World, it worked in Annie Hall, but more often than not it's in a Scary Movie kinds way that doesn't play that well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 This never breaks the fourth wall, it's not self-aware "look at me, I'm the writer, this is me wanking" humor. If I wanted that I'd read Wanted (that was for Skeet ;) ) this is surrealist dramatic humor. Not parody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jables Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 It will be a bit surreal but as you said, Edgar Wright is helming and Michael Cera is the perfect choice for Scott and I'm warming more and more to Kieren Culkin. But yes I think this could be accurately brought to life and in fact will, picture Garden State as filtered through the sensibilities of Stephen Chow. Also: Her? Garden State was dook too. Is this more of that Napolean Dynamite too cool to make fucking sense? Because I'd love the chance to go all hitler and just camp up all those fucking toolheads with their 'Vote for Pedro' tees and tight short shorts(for the boys, mind), with their moptop hair and drop a cylinder of Zyklon B on their fucking unicorn-loving arses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 Garden State was dook too. Is this more of that Napolean Dynamite too cool to make fucking sense? Because I'd love the chance to go all hitler and just camp up all those fucking toolheads with their 'Vote for Pedro' tees and tight short shorts(for the boys, mind), with their moptop hair and drop a cylinder of Zyklon B on their fucking unicorn-loving arses. I don't recall a single moment of Garden State that even vaguely reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite. I swear you must be sitting in a chair with a blanket folded neatly over your lap, squinting through coke bottle glasses and shaking a cane. I imagine you punctuated that post with "BAH!" and ate a hard candy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jables Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I'll have you know that boiled sweets are kind on my digestive tract I'm not saying they're similar, but I tar all indie bullshit wit hthe same underdog brush. They can all choke on my dook. For every hidden gem in indie culture, there's a thousand no-talent burnouts just looking for a handout because they think they've done it tough. While mainstream mostly recognises only money & sex, it occasionally recognises talent, so get off the goddamned stage, roadie scum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 Regardless, try this before making judgment, you may like it but then again there's a good chance you wont. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I have read the first two volumes of this now, and though I am enjoying it, I strongly recommend to you (Baytor) that you retract your recommendation of this book to Skeeter. I don't want to pretend that I know Skeeter like he's my brother or anything, but I can't see him liking this book. He might dig things about the style and some of the humor, but the overall story is not his cup of tea. If he read this, you will have no future credibility in recommending an indie book he might actually enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 its true, it took years but im getting better about this: never recommend horror to jax, indei to skeet, RPGs where shit doesnt explode in the first 10 minutes to panch, or the postman to anybody. i keep a list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 I just told him I really doubted he'd like it. It has none of the things he likes (I don't actually know what those things are, I think tits and vegemite are among them) and a lot of the things he doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 its true, it took years but im getting better about this: never recommend horror to jax, indei to skeet, RPGs where shit doesnt explode in the first 10 minutes to panch, or the postman to anybody. i keep a list. Man, it's so true that you're terrible at recommending horror to me. It's not like I've never seen a horror movie I enjoyed, it's just that you have no idea what I would enjoy in a horror movie. "Jax, I'm telling you, you are going to love this one! It's about an atheist whose skeptical of the existence of ghosts, but the joke's on that stupid idiot cause ghosts are totally real! What a jackass! I'm telling you, you'll love it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 "Jax, I'm telling you, you are going to love this one! It's about an atheist whose skeptical of the existence of ghosts, but the joke's on that stupid idiot cause ghosts are totally real! What a jackass! I'm telling you, you'll love it!" Oh come on, I'm a Christian that's also a fan of Preacher. It's called escapism: Or How I Learned to Stop Being a Stuck-Up Ass and Love The Stephen King Adaptation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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