Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
Review for the six volumes. I had heard about the Scott Pilgrim series in the past; however, the series really caught my eye when the movie came out a few years ago. I remember thinking it was pretty cute. It is a movie that I can re-watch over and over again when it is on television, because it has lots of little jokes hidden throughout the movie. When I got into my crazy-intense graphic novel reading binge, I knew I had to read the Scott Pilgrim series.As you may know, Scott Pilgrim is a series about a slacker named Scott Pilgrim, the mysterious Ramona, and some of Scott's friends. The characters are in their 20s, and are dealing with typical 20-something issues: love, jobs, and friendships. At first, Scott's world seems very similar to our own world; however, after a few pages, you discover that is not exactly the case. Ramona travels through subspace to make her Amazon.com deliveries. Also, Scott Pilgrim quickly becomes tasked with fighting Ramona's evil ex-lovers. Unlike in our world, when Scott defeats an evil ex, the ex disappears and turns into coins, just like in a video game.I had heard that there were a lot of changes when the graphic novel series was made into a movie. Although I definitely see the changes, the changes don't seem too way off base. At the same time, I'm glad that I saw the movie first. I probably would have been frustrated, if I had read the novels first.There was a lot that I liked about this series. First, I loved, loved, loved all of the nerdy and geeky references scattered throughout the series. The Scott Pilgrim series is what life would look like, if life really was an RPG video game. There were all of these little jokes scattered throughout the series like Scott getting +2 to heart or wanting an extra life. Many of these jokes are not necessary for understanding the plot; they just add to the atmosphere of the series and the universe. Second, although I couldn't connect with the characters (more on that later), I thought that O'Malley did a great job of creating interesting characters that felt three-dimensional even though the video game universe aesthetic would suggest that these characters would be a bit flat. Third, I love that this series was nice and compact. I was in and out in six volumes. The series had great pacing. I have been reading a ton of long graphic novels series (Fables will have 21 volumes when it is completed), and I am loving the "shorter" graphic novels.There was very little that I did not enjoy in this series. The only major gripe I have about the series is something that isn't the series' fault. I had a hard time appreciating the characters. In fact, there were several characters whom I did not like, including Scott Pilgrim. Although I definitely as someone who lives in the geek culture, I would never classify a period of time in my life during which I was a "slacker." Scott's lack of interest in getting a job and feeling comfortable mooching off his friends is fairly foreign to me. Granted, the reader is probably supposed to think that Scott is a bit of a jerk. At the same time though, I had a hard time appreciating why Scott (and sometimes his friends) was doing what he was doing. I spent most of my 20s in school (either college or graduate school), I think if I had spent more time in my 20s working (and finding jobs, etc), I think I would have liked this series more.Overall, I did enjoy this series. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped that I would. I give this series a 3 out of 5. What a series. It had it's ups and downs, but by the end it was definitely worth it. I started this series ,months ago, and lost interest. It wasn't until I saw the movie that I tried again. The book was a lot better than the movie. I feel like the movie, while entertaining, kept the characters at face value. Few of them change throughout the movie. In the books, even then minor characters change. Stephen Stills came out as gay. Knives got over Scott. Envy Adams and Scott reconcile.And how the main characters change themselves! Scott and Ramona are both imperfect heart-breakers. Both needed to realize this, accept their mistakes, and move on, changed and better than they were before. And they do. The whole journey Scott goes through is simply a coming of age story, albeit a lot more epic than the typical young adult goes through.The one thing I was disappointed in was that although we know Scott's was a jerk, it was more hinted at what he's done. I wish there was a flashback, showing us the actual events. Other than that, I was really happy with how the series ended. I am also glad that I stopped reading it back then. I don't think I could have fully appreciated it then.
What do You think about Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour (2010)?
What a series. It had it's ups and downs, but by the end it was definitely worth it. I started this series ,months ago, and lost interest. It wasn't until I saw the movie that I tried again. The book was a lot better than the movie. I feel like the movie, while entertaining, kept the characters at face value. Few of them change throughout the movie. In the books, even then minor characters change. Stephen Stills came out as gay. Knives got over Scott. Envy Adams and Scott reconcile.And how the main characters change themselves! Scott and Ramona are both imperfect heart-breakers. Both needed to realize this, accept their mistakes, and move on, changed and better than they were before. And they do. The whole journey Scott goes through is simply a coming of age story, albeit a lot more epic than the typical young adult goes through.The one thing I was disappointed in was that although we know Scott's was a jerk, it was more hinted at what he's done. I wish there was a flashback, showing us the actual events. Other than that, I was really happy with how the series ended. I am also glad that I stopped reading it back then. I don't think I could have fully appreciated it then.
—bendarch
It was over the top and my interest waned a little in the middle, but I found the concepts [spoiler]of a) seeing your own past through rose-tinted glasses as a means of avoiding having to confront what a terrible person you really are and b) getting stuck inside your own head for an unhealthy amount of time after someone you really care(d) about messes with your heart [/spoiler]to be very relatable on a personal level.
—devil07
This whole series was a fun read beginning to end and worth picking up.
—nsaunders
