Review: Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness

Poor Scott Pilgrim. After being single for over a year, he became romantically entangled with a high schooler, only to meet, literally, the girl of his dreams. Things with the dream girl were going pretty well, but of course, there's a catch: if he really, really wants to be with her, he's gotta fight all 7 of her evil exes. Sucks to be Scott Pilgrim.

When we last left Scott Pilgrim, his somewhat sucky band, Sex Bob-Omb had been asked by the totally popular and awesome band, The Clash at the Demonhead, to open for them at an upcoming concert. This posed a bit of a dilemma for Sex Bob-Omb as The Clash at the Demonhead are fronted by Scott's very own evil ex/love of his life, Envy Adams. About a year ago, Envy broke Scott's heart, and having her back in town is not really helping the guy. To make matters worse, Envy's new boyfriend, Todd Ingram is The Clash at the Demonhead's bass player, and Ramona's 3rd evil ex. To top it all off, Todd has some hardcore Vegan Powers.

Yeah, once again, more awesome stuff from Bryan Lee O'Malley. The first two volumes of Scott Pilgrim may have seemed like they were packed to the brim with action and hilarity, but this third volume really loads on the action and drama. O'Malley incorporates a handful of flashbacks that help flesh out both Scott and Envy's back stories. Given Scott's realtionship with Envy, it is easy to see why he's stuck in a state of arrested development.

The character Envy is a great addition to the already stellar cast in these Scott Pilgrim books. Envy is not a nice person, she's one of those classic characters that you love to hate. However, watching her manipulate and torture Scott was pretty damn hilarious...maybe because I hate loving Scott Pilgrim, dude reminds me of someone every now and then...

On top of the ex-girlfriend hating and awkward relationship angst, this volume also packs some solid action. Chick fights, bass battles, and some horribly cheesy in-fight banter from Todd Ingram. I love the arcade/video game style fight showdowns. Somehow, this quality makes the fights more dramatic and more hilarious.

O'Malley cranks out about one Scott Pilgrim book per year, and it has been interesting to watch his artwork improve over the course of the first three volumes. The guy definitely has a "Scott Pilgrim" style that is maintained over the course of the books, but within that O'Malley's skill has noticeably improved. The improved artwork works well with the writing, and Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness flows smoothly.

No big surprise here, Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness is fantastic. It is amazing to me how consistent O'Malley is. Three books in three years, and they all maintain a very high quality, not to mention continue to be entertaining, and hilarious.

Grade: A