Monday, March 30, 2009

Scott Pilgrim, Volume 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together



It might be hard to keep the events of volume four in their own context after I immediately read the fifth upon finishing, but I'll try anyway. You could see the tone of the story shifting a bit the last time around, and that continues in earnest here as it's no longer a silly, carefree book with crazy fights and an absurd situation. It still retains those elements but it's really more about how Scott finally starts to grow up thanks to his time with Ramona. As they get closer, things become more worrisome as questions of their long-term compatibility and possible lingering affections for people from both their pasts arise. It ultimately ends on a happy and triumphant note, but overall I found myself worried most of the time, a feeling that only continues in part five. Despite the mood shift, if anything it makes the book stronger, and it's a sign of a really good story when I suddenly realize how much I actually care about these characters after just a few hundred pages. Every fan of comics should read Scott Pilgrim.

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