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Reviewed by Tom Rosin "Are you dreaming about playing video games?" "Oh...Uhh...apparently." "That is so, so pathetic." "Are you kidding? You wouldn't believe how great this game is!" "Anyway, quit dreaming and get your ass out of bed." "But...But it's night time!!" "It's 11:30 A.M.! It's late!" "What?! 11:30 A.M. is not late!" But this book is! The original release date was 23/02/05, one day before my birthday!! Oh how perfect that would have been. We could have spent all day together, had dinner... maybe gone to the zoo, this book and I. But no it was not to be. Instead I have stewed in agonising anticipation for the last (counting on fingers) FIVE months!!! Then it arrived. And I thought, "what if it doesn't live up to my expectations?" And why not, I have been obsessing over it since the second I put down vol.1. And I know I'm not the only one. So I thought I'd sit on it for a few days, calm down you know?. Thing is I missed and sat right next to it. Read it. And it's still the best damn thing since... since... I discovered THB!! Or my first French kiss!! Or the Bass line to Dirty Boots by Sonic Youth!! Or the first time I tried stuffed olives (about a month ago)!! And the list could go on for comedic value, but Scott will still be on a pedestal on top. You can get jaded working in any specialised area (talk to anyone in a record store) but this series has been big slap in the face for me. Why? It starts with the inside front cover. It doesn't look like other books, it starts straight away. No big, white, bland pages filled with copyright info, the credits are worked into the double page spread. It's almost cinematic and reminds me of the first time I watched SPACED. No jaunty theme tune or names in lights. The only hint of the title was when it scrolled across the screen for all of two seconds. It looked epic and at the same time so subtle. You knew you were dealing with something of a whole different calibre. Same here. Usually with comics, especially "indie" comics, the protagonist is just a projected facsimile of the author himself. Yeah, the character make a mistakes, does stupid, possibly horrible things, but he'll learn his lesson, they always do. Not so here. Scott is incredibly flawed. From his incredibly wonky dress sense to his total lack of social awareness. He is you, he is me. An everyman for the NINTENDO generation. If you don't agree than you never owned a SNES and I feel sorry for you. And Ramona is every young punks dream girl. So wowed by her impeccable dress sense x sassy comebacks + hint of kooky formula that we ignore the fact that she probably likes Motley Crue. She is the new girlfriend you really shouldn't introduce to your friends because there will be awkwardness. Mark and I noticed it with (Bryans' first solo book) Lost at Sea. Bryan really thinks about what he's doing. There's a great moment in vol.1 where Scott's band, Sex Bob-omb, are practising. They're rocking out over a two page spread, smaller panels frame this, zeroing in on hands tackling chords, mouths barking lyrics and sticks hitting skins. Between the smaller panels and the spread are the lyrics accompanied by the tab. So you can play along!! Simply the most original melding of comics and music I've ever read. This volume has a similar "try this at home" scene but with a recipe for vegan shepherds pie. We are told how to make it as the four of them sit around a table chatting as they chop. Stephen Stills (singer) donning the apron and bosses everyone about while Kim P (drums), Scott (bass) and Ramona (American Ninja delivery girl) slack off. Kim trying to figure out the new girl. That subtle interrogation only girls know how to do. Turns out none of them are vegan, they just like to be inclusive. Lol. "What?!" "It's a long story,okay?? Read the book sometime. Anyway, he's evil, and I have to fight him if I want to keep dating Ramona." "Oh, yeah, your new girlfriend. How do you know all this anyway? Are you actually stalking the guy?" "Wallace told me. Wallace knows everything." "Wallace who?" "Wallace Wells! My cool gay room-mate?" "Oh, right." "How'd you end up living with that guy, anyway?" "I'd rather not talk about it." "Is it a really gay story?" "The story is somewhat gay, yes." Comment on this review of Scott Pilgrim v2: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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