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Scott Pilgrim #5
Scott Pilgrim, Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe
Scott Pilgrim just turned 24, and things couldn't possibly be better! This means things are about to get infinitely worse! Suddenly, TWO of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends are in town, and they're playing dirty. His band is in turmoil, and his own exes aren't making things any easier. And what's up with Ramona, anyway? She's been acting kinda weird ever since they moved in together! Scott's precious little life is coming back around to bite him in the butt, and it may not be pretty!
184 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2009
333 people are currently reading
12367 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Lee O'Malley
62 books4,413 followersBryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. His first original graphic novel was Lost at Sea (2003), and he is best-known for the six-volume Scott Pilgrim series (2004 to 2010). All of his Scott Pilgrim graphic novels were published by Portland, Oregon-based Oni Press. In July 2014 his graphic novel Seconds was released by Ballantine Books. He is also a songwriter and musician (as Kupek and formerly in several short-lived Toronto bands).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,418 reviews
July 22, 2016
This volume was a tad repetitive and didn't stand out amongst the others, but I feel like it's leading up to a great ending!
September 16, 2016
Fifth Level!
This is the fifth book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
PILGRIM’S PATH GOT A GLOW
I don’t care who you are, or where you’re from. Or… what you did. As long as you love me.
I’ve done bad things
We both have. Everyone has!
Scott Pilgrim is now 24 years old (with Birthday party, cake and stuff), and Ramona Flowers revealed in the previous book that she’s 24 years old, so now they both are of the same age…
…of course, 24 years old in a woman is something TOTALLY different than 24 years old in a man, and Scott is a very, very, VERY good example of that discrepancy in mental maturity between genres.
Ramona’s head is starting to glow in moments of stress…
…yes…
…you’d read right…
…glow…head…
This situation is like in Harry Potter’s when they explained that it’s not a good sign to speak serpents’ language, even in a world full of magic users. Here, even in a looney world like Scott Pilgrim’s is quite odd to find that the head of a woman begins to glow.
Fighting robots, common. Glowing heads, uncommon.
And this is definitely NOT good for Scott’s love life!
Since the Glow seems to make people quite bitchy!
About the good ol’ Sex Bob-Omb’s band, resulted that the three-months process of recording its first album (of only seventeen minutes long!) ruined the really small not-sucky dexterity of its members about playing as a group. It’s not a loss for humanity like when The Beatles broke up, but still is kinda of sad, watching the path that it’s taking our merry indie Canadian band.
THE LEAGUE: FIFTH & SIXTH ROUND – DOUBLE CHALLENGE
So I guess you’ve dated some real jerks, eh?
Yeah, but who hasn’t?.
Kyle & Ken Katayanagi, twins (but one colored blonde his hair and each wears different outfit (in real life I can understand (the search of your own identity and all that stuff) but in a graphic story… who shows twins (of the same genre) that they don’t like identical?! That’s the whole fun of using twins in a story!), Japanese, martial artists (Japanese, duh!), award-winning roboticists, handsome jerks, perfect asshats, and they like to be properly introduced, and BOTH…
…are Ramona’s Evil Ex-Boyfriends!
In the movie version (yeeees, it was after of this, but pleeeease, woooork with me!), Ramona commented that she never was dumped. I guess that’s part of her aura making understandable (in the wacky logic of Scott Pilgrim’s world) why her ex-boyfriends ended so obssessed about her. However, in this book, Ramona mentioned in a very casual way that some Doug indeed dumped her. Maybe isn’t relevant for you, but for me, it’s like finding a teeny weeny stain in that masterpiece paint. Who was so moron for dumping Ramona Flowers?! Well, she added that this Doug was kind of a dick, though (so that explains it!).
The book story still goes incognita (for those (like me) that watched the movie before) and the battles (plural (there are many plurals in this book!)) of Scott against the Japanese twins are totally different from what you’ve seen in the film. However, I am saying this as something bad, just establishing that the battles are different. What is kinda bummer is that almost all battles (but the final one), are constantly got out of “screen” and while what you get is also interesting and relevant, well, the battles against of the evil ex-boyfriends is one of the major issues in the general story so not being able to witness them, left you with some feeling of uncertainity.
Another thing that I didn't like in this fifth volume, it was that there were some "mysterious" characters, those that they are mentioned, but you never get to see them, that's always something cool; Lawrence (Scott's brother) and Mobile (Wallace's boyfriend) were quite mentioned but never on "screen", but hey whadda you know? They are put in "screen"! Geez! Okay, it was funny that Scott thought that they were Gideon (and a potential cool twist, but not true), so if they won't do anything vital in the story, why show them? They were cooler as not-seen characters.
The update on my hunch (see reviews of books 3 & 4)…
…is that there isn’t any update to tell!
But I am not giving up, there’s still a final volume and anything can happen there!
This is the fifth book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
PILGRIM’S PATH GOT A GLOW
I don’t care who you are, or where you’re from. Or… what you did. As long as you love me.
I’ve done bad things
We both have. Everyone has!
Scott Pilgrim is now 24 years old (with Birthday party, cake and stuff), and Ramona Flowers revealed in the previous book that she’s 24 years old, so now they both are of the same age…
…of course, 24 years old in a woman is something TOTALLY different than 24 years old in a man, and Scott is a very, very, VERY good example of that discrepancy in mental maturity between genres.
Ramona’s head is starting to glow in moments of stress…
…yes…
…you’d read right…
…glow…head…
This situation is like in Harry Potter’s when they explained that it’s not a good sign to speak serpents’ language, even in a world full of magic users. Here, even in a looney world like Scott Pilgrim’s is quite odd to find that the head of a woman begins to glow.
Fighting robots, common. Glowing heads, uncommon.
And this is definitely NOT good for Scott’s love life!
Since the Glow seems to make people quite bitchy!
About the good ol’ Sex Bob-Omb’s band, resulted that the three-months process of recording its first album (of only seventeen minutes long!) ruined the really small not-sucky dexterity of its members about playing as a group. It’s not a loss for humanity like when The Beatles broke up, but still is kinda of sad, watching the path that it’s taking our merry indie Canadian band.
THE LEAGUE: FIFTH & SIXTH ROUND – DOUBLE CHALLENGE
So I guess you’ve dated some real jerks, eh?
Yeah, but who hasn’t?.
Kyle & Ken Katayanagi, twins (but one colored blonde his hair and each wears different outfit (in real life I can understand (the search of your own identity and all that stuff) but in a graphic story… who shows twins (of the same genre) that they don’t like identical?! That’s the whole fun of using twins in a story!), Japanese, martial artists (Japanese, duh!), award-winning roboticists, handsome jerks, perfect asshats, and they like to be properly introduced, and BOTH…
…are Ramona’s Evil Ex-Boyfriends!
In the movie version (yeeees, it was after of this, but pleeeease, woooork with me!), Ramona commented that she never was dumped. I guess that’s part of her aura making understandable (in the wacky logic of Scott Pilgrim’s world) why her ex-boyfriends ended so obssessed about her. However, in this book, Ramona mentioned in a very casual way that some Doug indeed dumped her. Maybe isn’t relevant for you, but for me, it’s like finding a teeny weeny stain in that masterpiece paint. Who was so moron for dumping Ramona Flowers?! Well, she added that this Doug was kind of a dick, though (so that explains it!).
The book story still goes incognita (for those (like me) that watched the movie before) and the battles (plural (there are many plurals in this book!)) of Scott against the Japanese twins are totally different from what you’ve seen in the film. However, I am saying this as something bad, just establishing that the battles are different. What is kinda bummer is that almost all battles (but the final one), are constantly got out of “screen” and while what you get is also interesting and relevant, well, the battles against of the evil ex-boyfriends is one of the major issues in the general story so not being able to witness them, left you with some feeling of uncertainity.
Another thing that I didn't like in this fifth volume, it was that there were some "mysterious" characters, those that they are mentioned, but you never get to see them, that's always something cool; Lawrence (Scott's brother) and Mobile (Wallace's boyfriend) were quite mentioned but never on "screen", but hey whadda you know? They are put in "screen"! Geez! Okay, it was funny that Scott thought that they were Gideon (and a potential cool twist, but not true), so if they won't do anything vital in the story, why show them? They were cooler as not-seen characters.
The update on my hunch (see reviews of books 3 & 4)…
…is that there isn’t any update to tell!
But I am not giving up, there’s still a final volume and anything can happen there!
February 23, 2021
Scott Pilgrim has just three evil ex-boyfriends to go to keep his girl Ramona... when he finds he might have a case of double trouble AND attack robots ahead. A volume that sees ties loosen amongst the cast and between Scott and Ramona as the book sets itself up for the final volume. Still not that impressed with this series, and it's more curiosity than interest that keeps me reading it. 5.5 out of 12.
November 29, 2016
4.5
TRE-MEN-DO.
"—I don’t care who you are, or where you’re from. Or… what you did. As long as you love me.
—I’ve done bad things.
—We both have. Everyone has!"
TRE-MEN-DO.
"—I don’t care who you are, or where you’re from. Or… what you did. As long as you love me.
—I’ve done bad things.
—We both have. Everyone has!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2020
I adore the film, but I'm loving the extra content you get in the books 😍 So much awesome was left out!
Also, I'm pretty sure Scott fighting multiple robots automatically means a book gets 5 stars 🌟
Also, I'm pretty sure Scott fighting multiple robots automatically means a book gets 5 stars 🌟
July 26, 2010
not sure why I didn't get this on my first read but...
Vol. 4 okay, is a retread of all the moves of the series so far, the ex battle, the game elements, the girl from Scott's past, Scott being clueless & dumb. Amplified, played for laughs sure, but the moves are old, tired and you've seen 'em before. There's a cursory feint towards Scott growing up, getting his shit together which gives it an illusion of change, but really, Vol. 4 is the same ol' Scott Pilgrim, the one you know and love. And you know what? what you love is really kinda boring.
Vol. 5 kills that noise. Oh there's still recurrence - the series has a formula after all - but it's pushed off camera. The important stuff, you see, isn't the pee meter or ninja sword fights. The important stuff is what the characters are thinking, feeling, saying to each other. And even more important, what they aren't saying.
Ramona & Kim on the balcony during Julie Power's Day of the Dead party. Ramona & Knives in the ladies' room at Sneaky Dee's. Ramona & Kim & Scott getting drunk together in the loft bedroom at another one of Julie's parties.
Fights with twin-exes & robots? "C'mon he's Scott Pilgrim." That ain't shit to be worried about.
Letters unsent to ex-boyfriends. The terror of new haircuts. The inability to escape yr past. The fear of being alone.
That's the shit that scars and scares.
When you think you have the world in hand, but the Universe, well, it has other plans.
Vol. 4 okay, is a retread of all the moves of the series so far, the ex battle, the game elements, the girl from Scott's past, Scott being clueless & dumb. Amplified, played for laughs sure, but the moves are old, tired and you've seen 'em before. There's a cursory feint towards Scott growing up, getting his shit together which gives it an illusion of change, but really, Vol. 4 is the same ol' Scott Pilgrim, the one you know and love. And you know what? what you love is really kinda boring.
Vol. 5 kills that noise. Oh there's still recurrence - the series has a formula after all - but it's pushed off camera. The important stuff, you see, isn't the pee meter or ninja sword fights. The important stuff is what the characters are thinking, feeling, saying to each other. And even more important, what they aren't saying.
Ramona & Kim on the balcony during Julie Power's Day of the Dead party. Ramona & Knives in the ladies' room at Sneaky Dee's. Ramona & Kim & Scott getting drunk together in the loft bedroom at another one of Julie's parties.
Fights with twin-exes & robots? "C'mon he's Scott Pilgrim." That ain't shit to be worried about.
Letters unsent to ex-boyfriends. The terror of new haircuts. The inability to escape yr past. The fear of being alone.
That's the shit that scars and scares.
When you think you have the world in hand, but the Universe, well, it has other plans.
November 16, 2015
THIS is actually probably my least favourite of the series so far because it felt very repetitive and there wasn't much plot happening. Ramona is mad at Scott, they fight and he sleeps at the houses of his friends. They make up. The twins appear. Lather, rinse and repeat.
I still love the art style and the quirky humour; plus I am really keen for the last volume but this one was kind of disappointing.
I still love the art style and the quirky humour; plus I am really keen for the last volume but this one was kind of disappointing.
August 15, 2015
Scott pilgrim never disappoints. This was such a AWESOME Graphic novel. It opens up and makes it ready for the final volume. This has also got to be one of my favorites in the whole series. So EPIC!!! The ending had me like "I need the final book now!!!" It had everything you need in graphic novel. Epicness, humor, action and much much more. The evil ex boyfriends were AMAZING! And just everything was AMAZING!Overall this book was KICKASS and AWESOME
January 9, 2016
This started with the typical nice way. It was all like cool lines, humor, Scott fighting guys, cute moments and Ramona vs Knives…. and then
image:
image:
May 8, 2018
Scott really is the worst. I mean, he might be hilarious but he complains and complains and complains and does nothing to help his situation. Basically, the kind of lazy person I hate in real life. The ‘epic battle’ with the twins was a downer. Luckily, the humour was still there and as strong as ever.
June 18, 2014
These books man. Sometimes it's like reading about my friends. Here we are, 24 or so, dead broke, trying to make a go of it, hurting each other every time we turn around. My favourite part in this book is when Kim gets on a train:
Scott: Sorry about... everything.
Kim:Not your fault.
Scott: *thinks really hard for a couple of panels* I'm sorry about me.
Kim: Apology accepted.
The moments of realizations, the coming to terms with ourselves as bad people, and then taking those steps and saying the hard thing. I mean, I love the Wolverine and Magic references, and I love the evil exes, but sometimes these books just get me so close to home. We're so young, and so stupid, and that's what I love about these books. These characters are hardly likable, but they're so familiar.
And I think we're going to be okay.
Scott: Sorry about... everything.
Kim:Not your fault.
Scott: *thinks really hard for a couple of panels* I'm sorry about me.
Kim: Apology accepted.
The moments of realizations, the coming to terms with ourselves as bad people, and then taking those steps and saying the hard thing. I mean, I love the Wolverine and Magic references, and I love the evil exes, but sometimes these books just get me so close to home. We're so young, and so stupid, and that's what I love about these books. These characters are hardly likable, but they're so familiar.
And I think we're going to be okay.
April 21, 2013
Ramona, oh Ramona..
December 19, 2016
Honestly, i was a little disappointed with Twins. I had my hopes up for a more epic battle and the rest of the story line was OK but a bit confusing. Ok, on to the conclusion now...
December 16, 2020
The color editions are the best way to re-read and enjoy all over again, the saga of Scott Pilgrim. That said, having Sex Bob-omb drummer Kim Pine on the cover is appropriate. This volume only underscores the importance of her character in the development of the main character. In modern anime terms. she is the best girl. We all know that Scott-Ramona is the main ship, but Kim's presence and role made sure that the couple were sea-worthy to begin with.
This volume totally deconstructed Scott and removed off the board (for now) the relationships that defined and sustained him. Wallace moved on to a new apartment. The band has become discordant. Even Knives has realized Scott did her wrong. Ramona left for Gideon, but Kim was the last one to leave town on a bus. This totally sets up the epic battle that will culminate the series in volume 6.
This volume totally deconstructed Scott and removed off the board (for now) the relationships that defined and sustained him. Wallace moved on to a new apartment. The band has become discordant. Even Knives has realized Scott did her wrong. Ramona left for Gideon, but Kim was the last one to leave town on a bus. This totally sets up the epic battle that will culminate the series in volume 6.
August 1, 2016
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.
This volume felt more serious and kind of depressing in comparison to the others and I think the reason for that was the idea that things need to get worse before they get better. In a nutshell.
I also thought that here we saw more mature themes and more sexual innuendo than in the previous volumes and most of all, worse moments for both main characters. This was a defining volume for Ramona as a character and I really pitied her in the bedroom scene. Scott is always pitiful but in a comic and "make the best out of it" way, while the same does not apply to Ramona usually.
Nevertheless, I think volume 5 was focused less on the group of characters and more on setting the mindset for the final volume and especially, getting everyone in their places for the final stand.
That, obviously, meant many characters leaving and Scott ending up in a pretty bad situation, but that is also the charm of him as a character, he gets himself out of hard situations. Having mentioned that, there is not much more that I can add to this review, because I really saw the entire volume 5 as "setting the ducks in a row", which might have taken something from the overall idea of the volume, but it arrived at the right places for the final book. Even the villains were setting ground for the one big ex, Gideon, whose appearance I was really looking forward to and we finally almost approached.
This volume felt more serious and kind of depressing in comparison to the others and I think the reason for that was the idea that things need to get worse before they get better. In a nutshell.
I also thought that here we saw more mature themes and more sexual innuendo than in the previous volumes and most of all, worse moments for both main characters. This was a defining volume for Ramona as a character and I really pitied her in the bedroom scene. Scott is always pitiful but in a comic and "make the best out of it" way, while the same does not apply to Ramona usually.
Nevertheless, I think volume 5 was focused less on the group of characters and more on setting the mindset for the final volume and especially, getting everyone in their places for the final stand.
That, obviously, meant many characters leaving and Scott ending up in a pretty bad situation, but that is also the charm of him as a character, he gets himself out of hard situations. Having mentioned that, there is not much more that I can add to this review, because I really saw the entire volume 5 as "setting the ducks in a row", which might have taken something from the overall idea of the volume, but it arrived at the right places for the final book. Even the villains were setting ground for the one big ex, Gideon, whose appearance I was really looking forward to and we finally almost approached.
January 13, 2016
This isn't the last vol. in the series, and yet it feels like the end.
After so many physical fights Scott has endured over his girlfriend Ramona (her ex-boyfriends show up throughout the entire series), it appears he still hasn't won. Her heart that is. Ramona seems discontent with him. She no longer disguises her loss of interest in his band, dislikes his possessive nature of checking her cellphone and seems bored of putting up with his immaturity (Scott is 24 and works part-time. Can't afford a place on his own.) Can Scott change Ramona's mind before she ends up leaving him?
I'm uncertain of what exactly the author has in mind for the gran finale, but I assume it's character growth on the part of Scott. Him and his friends seem stuck in the same routine of having a band but not rehearsing, or having to move back to live with their parents. Hopefully the conclusion is a lot more cheerful than this volume.
After so many physical fights Scott has endured over his girlfriend Ramona (her ex-boyfriends show up throughout the entire series), it appears he still hasn't won. Her heart that is. Ramona seems discontent with him. She no longer disguises her loss of interest in his band, dislikes his possessive nature of checking her cellphone and seems bored of putting up with his immaturity (Scott is 24 and works part-time. Can't afford a place on his own.) Can Scott change Ramona's mind before she ends up leaving him?
I'm uncertain of what exactly the author has in mind for the gran finale, but I assume it's character growth on the part of Scott. Him and his friends seem stuck in the same routine of having a band but not rehearsing, or having to move back to live with their parents. Hopefully the conclusion is a lot more cheerful than this volume.
January 1, 2022
First Read: February 2nd, 2016
Second Read: February 4th, 2017
Second Read: February 4th, 2017
June 27, 2022
The depression hits hard in this one.
Also this is a side note but the fashion in this series is literally iconic.
Also this is a side note but the fashion in this series is literally iconic.
June 12, 2022
I am so hooked on this series now. I love the blend of social, slice of life and action beat em up genre. Lay it all on top of the mid 2000's Indy vibe and attitudes of Toronto this book feels so organic from the author.
December 13, 2016
After that Lisa Miller encounter in volume 4, everything felt mediocre thereafter. Especially here in volume 5. Not that it would stop me from finishing Scott Pilgrim since there's only one volume left, but volume five is very underwhelming. The Pilgrim vs. the Twins fight is muddled by exposition and uninspired dialogue. I am not interested with this sudden coldness of Ramona towards Scott. Her mysterious disappearance IMHO would have been more impactful if the two were in very good terms.
In fairness with the material, much of the blandness I have experienced in this volume perhaps is due to me reading the series straight for almost a week now. And as with any series, reading fatigue is likely to be experienced at a certain level no matter how good the work is.
Don't get me wrong with the two-star though, volume 5 still delivers the trademark Scott Pilgrim humor and intensity. The buildup for the last volume/fight has been set up effectively in this penultimate volume.
In fairness with the material, much of the blandness I have experienced in this volume perhaps is due to me reading the series straight for almost a week now. And as with any series, reading fatigue is likely to be experienced at a certain level no matter how good the work is.
Don't get me wrong with the two-star though, volume 5 still delivers the trademark Scott Pilgrim humor and intensity. The buildup for the last volume/fight has been set up effectively in this penultimate volume.
July 17, 2020
The series continues on strongly. This one centers on Kim, and enhances her friendship with Ramona and Scott. Ramona and Scott go through a rough patch as they are facing that Scott had originally two-timed Knives Chau with Ramona. Scott goes couch-surfing as a result of not having a stable relationship, and an apartment.
I must say the battle with the twins was a disappointment, as I was expecting something along the spectacular show of the movie. These guys weren’t even musicians and the fight was lame. They were lame.
This one ends in a rather desperate note as Ramona is gone... I don’t think that’s really a spoiler as we all know that Scott is not giving up on her. Onto the last one!
I must say the battle with the twins was a disappointment, as I was expecting something along the spectacular show of the movie. These guys weren’t even musicians and the fight was lame. They were lame.
This one ends in a rather desperate note as Ramona is gone... I don’t think that’s really a spoiler as we all know that Scott is not giving up on her. Onto the last one!
February 6, 2018
I got it because i love the movie and it was 4euro and now i need to buy the rest of the series.so fucking good
June 25, 2011
So this is a review for the entire series.
it was amazzzzing by the way.
The characters were so unique and interacted with each other soooo well and it was just awesome!!!
Scott- Funny as hell.
Ramona- Cool as hell.
Knives- Obsessed as hell.
Stephen Stills- Laid back as hell.
Kim- Awesome as hell.
Stacey- Normal as hell.
Wallace- Amazing as hell.
Young Neil- Cute as hell.
Gideon- Annoying as hell.
Natalie(aka Envy)- Retarded as hell.
Lisa- Random as hell.
Julie- Mean as hell.
Mathew Petal- Amusing as hell.
Lucas Lee- Cocky as hell.
Todd Ingram- Dumb as hell.
Roxanne(aka Roxie) Richter- Angered as hell.
The twins- Gay as hell.
The setting for the story took place in Canada (YEAHHHHHH! Go Canadians) and it was just awesome. because when reading the book, I actually knew all the places they were for I live in Canada(GO TORONTO!). but really, the setting fit perfectly with the whole plot with Fiona being American and all.
The plot was just genius, I have to say. Bryan Lee O'Malley is a complete genius for thinking of this and making it come to life. I mean, just, wow. This creation to the world was just a gift from god(is there a god?).
The series progressed really thoroughly. It didn't go to fast or too slow. The characters developed perfectly and yeah.
Awesome pictures. Just fa-nominal. Though, it kinda puts me on edge how Ramona looked fat during one point in the book but then looked skinny somewhere else...
Anyway, the series was AMAZING the movie wasn't bad itself and I recommend this book to everyone out there who can read a book.
P.S. in the books I wanted Scott and Kim to be together and in the movie I wanted Scott and Ramona to be together. :D
it was amazzzzing by the way.
The characters were so unique and interacted with each other soooo well and it was just awesome!!!
Scott- Funny as hell.
Ramona- Cool as hell.
Knives- Obsessed as hell.
Stephen Stills- Laid back as hell.
Kim- Awesome as hell.
Stacey- Normal as hell.
Wallace- Amazing as hell.
Young Neil- Cute as hell.
Gideon- Annoying as hell.
Natalie(aka Envy)- Retarded as hell.
Lisa- Random as hell.
Julie- Mean as hell.
Mathew Petal- Amusing as hell.
Lucas Lee- Cocky as hell.
Todd Ingram- Dumb as hell.
Roxanne(aka Roxie) Richter- Angered as hell.
The twins- Gay as hell.
The setting for the story took place in Canada (YEAHHHHHH! Go Canadians) and it was just awesome. because when reading the book, I actually knew all the places they were for I live in Canada(GO TORONTO!). but really, the setting fit perfectly with the whole plot with Fiona being American and all.
The plot was just genius, I have to say. Bryan Lee O'Malley is a complete genius for thinking of this and making it come to life. I mean, just, wow. This creation to the world was just a gift from god(is there a god?).
The series progressed really thoroughly. It didn't go to fast or too slow. The characters developed perfectly and yeah.
Awesome pictures. Just fa-nominal. Though, it kinda puts me on edge how Ramona looked fat during one point in the book but then looked skinny somewhere else...
Anyway, the series was AMAZING the movie wasn't bad itself and I recommend this book to everyone out there who can read a book.
P.S. in the books I wanted Scott and Kim to be together and in the movie I wanted Scott and Ramona to be together. :D
December 18, 2019
The battle with the twin exes was infintely more epic and fun in the film.
January 5, 2013
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
This was the worst book in the series for me. It's Scott's 24th birthday and he has matured a bit like I wanted him to over the course of these books. At least he's no longer using girls and being a major jerk, though he is still a jerk. Ramona's behaviour is suddenly all out of character and she appears to just disappear. o..kay?... Anyone doing the math is not surprised to know that this book's boyfriend will have to be twins, otherwise how do we get 7 evil boyfriends out of 6 books; as any videogamer knows the last one is going to be reserved for the Boss. So no surprise there. The battle scene was very low key and seemed as if the author had actually gotten tired of the whole evil boyfriend plot himself! While fighting, this Japanese duo seemed to have much more fun dishing the dirt on Ramona to Scott than actually winning the fight. Not all characters appear in this volume and some only make cameo appearances; the book highly concentrates on Scott, Ramona and Kim. Scott has a rendezvous with Gideon, the last evil boyfriend, the Boss, the one behind all this madness, who has all the answers; by the volume's end. This sets up the final book but doesn't leave me excited in anyway. Though I've lost my get-go for this series, with only one more book to go till journey's end I will be reading the final volume soon.
This was the worst book in the series for me. It's Scott's 24th birthday and he has matured a bit like I wanted him to over the course of these books. At least he's no longer using girls and being a major jerk, though he is still a jerk. Ramona's behaviour is suddenly all out of character and she appears to just disappear. o..kay?... Anyone doing the math is not surprised to know that this book's boyfriend will have to be twins, otherwise how do we get 7 evil boyfriends out of 6 books; as any videogamer knows the last one is going to be reserved for the Boss. So no surprise there. The battle scene was very low key and seemed as if the author had actually gotten tired of the whole evil boyfriend plot himself! While fighting, this Japanese duo seemed to have much more fun dishing the dirt on Ramona to Scott than actually winning the fight. Not all characters appear in this volume and some only make cameo appearances; the book highly concentrates on Scott, Ramona and Kim. Scott has a rendezvous with Gideon, the last evil boyfriend, the Boss, the one behind all this madness, who has all the answers; by the volume's end. This sets up the final book but doesn't leave me excited in anyway. Though I've lost my get-go for this series, with only one more book to go till journey's end I will be reading the final volume soon.
September 9, 2024
I love having more of Kim in the graphic novels, she’s one of the best characters. I do get a little annoyed at the ongoing Ramona cheating scenario. Her and Scott are both such bad people but I know that’s kind of the point of the story.
May 6, 2022
4.5 Stars
August 5, 2015
I remember when Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5 came out. The anticipation. The excitement. The drama. The need to read it as son as I got my hands on it. The claim that once again Bryan Lee O'Malley really nailed it and knocked it out of the park.
But having read it again, now, finally, years after knowing how it ends and where it all goes, I find myself very... conlicted.
I'll go back to Harry Potter. That's the easiest comparison. I remember with Harry Potter that I really liked the sixth book, but didn't think it held up a candle to the fourth or fifth book. Half Blood Prince is short. It feels slight (or it felt slight on my first read through) and I remember reading an interview where JK Rowling pointed out that the sixth book in a vacuum was unfair to readers, because it really was the prelude to the ending. It's the one that sets all the pieces up and that (usually) leaves you on the cliffhanger before leading into the finale. Going back now, I find I love Half Blood Prince much, much more than I did that first time. But I still feel like it's not entirely satisfying for me taken on its own. It leaves me wanting the ending.
That same issue is present here, I think. There's something about reading this book back-to-back with Scott's Finest Hour that makes this one feel.... like a let down. I feel like there's a book missing, or that one needs to be longer. The entire book just jets along at a furious unrelenting pace, and a lot of what I love about Scott Pilgrim (the character interactions) feels to have gotten the short shrift here. Normally, that would translate to "oh so there's more action than anything else". No. It's not that either, because O'Malley very specifically sidelines almost all of the action in this book. Excepting the final fight between Scott and the twins, most of it takes place off screen (and now I think of it, always focusing on what Ramona is doing while Scott valiantly fights to be with her). It's a welcome change, and not something that leaves me wanting.
No, my problem with this book is how truncated it feels. It feels slight. It feels like things happen because they need to happen to set up the finale. Knives learning what she learns in this book and passing it to Ramona is an excellent development. Rich, long overdue, and exactly the sorta thing that should happen at this exact moment in the overall narrative.
Unfortunately, it's here that O'Malley drifts into the larger concerns of his fantastical mythos, placing emphasis on, for example, Ramona's head glowing. It's a metaphor, yes, but it's hard to read it as that given how much the final book focuses on answering the technical questions of the mythos rather than resolving the emotion of the situation. Yes, the last thing of Ramona in this book is a big deal, but I can't seem to get past knowing how it resolves in the next book, knowing the reasons for what she does, why it happens, how it happens.
It makes this book feel emotionally disingenuous. Everyone hates each other in this book. Stephen Stills is making enemies. Young Neil is in a dark place. Knives Chau is still rebounding. Kim is not getting along with her roommate. Julie is doing great and throwing parties. Scott and Ramona try to deal with what it's like to live together. All of that is good and what I'd want out of this particular volume. But it's not explored enough. There's not enough time spent dealing with all the characters satisfactorily. There's certainly not enough time spent on Ramona, who feels sidelined in the wake of Kim (which is weird).
What I want out of this book is Scott and Ramona and Kim on a bed after a party all drunk and talking and hanging out. And this book doesn't do enough of that. It feels like it isn't long enough. It's still undoubtedly good. It's Scott bloody Pilgrim. it's one of the great comics of the last decade. But this volume is a let down after the previous volume, and remembering what I do about the last one, I'm gritting my teeth a little.
But having read it again, now, finally, years after knowing how it ends and where it all goes, I find myself very... conlicted.
I'll go back to Harry Potter. That's the easiest comparison. I remember with Harry Potter that I really liked the sixth book, but didn't think it held up a candle to the fourth or fifth book. Half Blood Prince is short. It feels slight (or it felt slight on my first read through) and I remember reading an interview where JK Rowling pointed out that the sixth book in a vacuum was unfair to readers, because it really was the prelude to the ending. It's the one that sets all the pieces up and that (usually) leaves you on the cliffhanger before leading into the finale. Going back now, I find I love Half Blood Prince much, much more than I did that first time. But I still feel like it's not entirely satisfying for me taken on its own. It leaves me wanting the ending.
That same issue is present here, I think. There's something about reading this book back-to-back with Scott's Finest Hour that makes this one feel.... like a let down. I feel like there's a book missing, or that one needs to be longer. The entire book just jets along at a furious unrelenting pace, and a lot of what I love about Scott Pilgrim (the character interactions) feels to have gotten the short shrift here. Normally, that would translate to "oh so there's more action than anything else". No. It's not that either, because O'Malley very specifically sidelines almost all of the action in this book. Excepting the final fight between Scott and the twins, most of it takes place off screen (and now I think of it, always focusing on what Ramona is doing while Scott valiantly fights to be with her). It's a welcome change, and not something that leaves me wanting.
No, my problem with this book is how truncated it feels. It feels slight. It feels like things happen because they need to happen to set up the finale. Knives learning what she learns in this book and passing it to Ramona is an excellent development. Rich, long overdue, and exactly the sorta thing that should happen at this exact moment in the overall narrative.
Unfortunately, it's here that O'Malley drifts into the larger concerns of his fantastical mythos, placing emphasis on, for example, Ramona's head glowing. It's a metaphor, yes, but it's hard to read it as that given how much the final book focuses on answering the technical questions of the mythos rather than resolving the emotion of the situation. Yes, the last thing of Ramona in this book is a big deal, but I can't seem to get past knowing how it resolves in the next book, knowing the reasons for what she does, why it happens, how it happens.
It makes this book feel emotionally disingenuous. Everyone hates each other in this book. Stephen Stills is making enemies. Young Neil is in a dark place. Knives Chau is still rebounding. Kim is not getting along with her roommate. Julie is doing great and throwing parties. Scott and Ramona try to deal with what it's like to live together. All of that is good and what I'd want out of this particular volume. But it's not explored enough. There's not enough time spent dealing with all the characters satisfactorily. There's certainly not enough time spent on Ramona, who feels sidelined in the wake of Kim (which is weird).
What I want out of this book is Scott and Ramona and Kim on a bed after a party all drunk and talking and hanging out. And this book doesn't do enough of that. It feels like it isn't long enough. It's still undoubtedly good. It's Scott bloody Pilgrim. it's one of the great comics of the last decade. But this volume is a let down after the previous volume, and remembering what I do about the last one, I'm gritting my teeth a little.
March 21, 2016
I think what annoys me about the sort of music fandom depicted by the Scott Pilgrim characters is not simply that they value music solely because of their emotional reactions to it, but they act as if this somehow makes them special, as if their emotional connection to the music were somehow more valid than the average jugglette's.
Then there's the obsession with the rarity of music: collecting unknown bands and staking claim, which is a symptom of the fact that most trendy people don't recognize the difference between a cause and its effect. It's true that a knowledgeable musicologist or musical historian will be familiar with a number of 'undiscovered' bands, but deliberately seeking out unknowns will not make you more musically knowledgeable.
I like to listen to music while reading comics, and finding appropriate music can really change the whole experience. Blueberry, for example, is even more enjoyable with an Ennio Morricone soundtrack, and many comics suggest their own music: Conan, The Crow, Heavy Metal.
For Scott Pilgrim, however, the most obvious soundtrack just wasn't working for me. Listening to The Smiths, The Ramones, and The Stones just made me feel like a music snob. I looked for something else, but realized I also couldn't rely on bad music without invoking the annoyance of quirkily deliberate irony.
Eventually I found the perfect match in mid-nineties heavy alternative rock, which was neither critically acclaimed enough to feel pretentious, nor the right sort of cheesy to be considered ironic. While the very fact that I bothered to do this made me feel pretentious and overly-complex, the effect achieved was unnatural enough to make it worthwhile.
Each issue has been incrementally better than the last, and this one is no different. The story is more streamlined, and he takes a lot more artistic chances, usually to the general benefit of the comic.
The comic has begun to get some story creep, growing more self-referential and melodramatic, which is rather funny, since it starts rather high on the melodrama scale in the first place. In this comic, the most noticeable effect is that all of the fights occur perfunctorily, off-screen, while the characters give exposition over them.
Which is odd, since the manga fight elements are really what set the series apart, and they have been more and more minimized, while in genre-rejecting works like FLCL, the surreal aspect eventually takes over, as a natural outgrowth of heightened conflict and climax.
There's still time for this in the final volume, but it would be amusingly anticlimactic for the artificial conflict of the power fantasy to take a backseat to the melodrama, especially when it is the source of all the arbitrary resolutions to the interpersonal problems in the series.
I guess there's just something funny about a story centered on character interaction that eschews psychological progressions or conflict resolution in favor of videogame powerups and ninja battles. But then, how many self-absorbed videogame-loving assholes wish that sex and relationships were acquired and maintained by minigames and xp grinding? I'm afraid it all seems a bit sad and delusional to me.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
Then there's the obsession with the rarity of music: collecting unknown bands and staking claim, which is a symptom of the fact that most trendy people don't recognize the difference between a cause and its effect. It's true that a knowledgeable musicologist or musical historian will be familiar with a number of 'undiscovered' bands, but deliberately seeking out unknowns will not make you more musically knowledgeable.
I like to listen to music while reading comics, and finding appropriate music can really change the whole experience. Blueberry, for example, is even more enjoyable with an Ennio Morricone soundtrack, and many comics suggest their own music: Conan, The Crow, Heavy Metal.
For Scott Pilgrim, however, the most obvious soundtrack just wasn't working for me. Listening to The Smiths, The Ramones, and The Stones just made me feel like a music snob. I looked for something else, but realized I also couldn't rely on bad music without invoking the annoyance of quirkily deliberate irony.
Eventually I found the perfect match in mid-nineties heavy alternative rock, which was neither critically acclaimed enough to feel pretentious, nor the right sort of cheesy to be considered ironic. While the very fact that I bothered to do this made me feel pretentious and overly-complex, the effect achieved was unnatural enough to make it worthwhile.
Each issue has been incrementally better than the last, and this one is no different. The story is more streamlined, and he takes a lot more artistic chances, usually to the general benefit of the comic.
The comic has begun to get some story creep, growing more self-referential and melodramatic, which is rather funny, since it starts rather high on the melodrama scale in the first place. In this comic, the most noticeable effect is that all of the fights occur perfunctorily, off-screen, while the characters give exposition over them.
Which is odd, since the manga fight elements are really what set the series apart, and they have been more and more minimized, while in genre-rejecting works like FLCL, the surreal aspect eventually takes over, as a natural outgrowth of heightened conflict and climax.
There's still time for this in the final volume, but it would be amusingly anticlimactic for the artificial conflict of the power fantasy to take a backseat to the melodrama, especially when it is the source of all the arbitrary resolutions to the interpersonal problems in the series.
I guess there's just something funny about a story centered on character interaction that eschews psychological progressions or conflict resolution in favor of videogame powerups and ninja battles. But then, how many self-absorbed videogame-loving assholes wish that sex and relationships were acquired and maintained by minigames and xp grinding? I'm afraid it all seems a bit sad and delusional to me.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
August 23, 2012
If you’ve made it to the fifth volume, chances are you won’t need much to get you to read it and then the next – you’re probably too invested in the series to even question whether or not it’s as good, etc. But of course it is. With Scott and Ramona in relationship heaven, living together happily, stormy weather was bound to make its way to them sooner or later, and it does. Ramona finds out Scott’s was in a relationship with Knives Chau when he began seeing her and she flips out.
While Scott wanders from friend’s couch to friend’s couch he has to battle further Evil Exes in the form of twins who are heavily into robots. Sex Bob-Omb seems to have broken up too while Stephen Stills is in the studio recording their debut LP with Kim Pine heading back home to her parents’ place. It was good to see Kim getting some attention for once, I think she’ s been an overlooked character and Scott’s biggest what-if? girl.
The Evil Exes in this book are the weakest of the series, they’re just there because that’s the series – Scott battling Evil Exes - and so he’s got something to do. But at this point the battling is and always has been a side story to the relationship which feels real and contemporary and for some reason endlessly fascinating. But that’s part of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s brilliance, making you care about characters he’s written.
I loved this book as I’ve loved every book in the series so far – maybe more, because O’Malley makes me interested in romance, a genre I’m never interested in. Anyway, excellent book in keeping with the rest of the series. Roll on, finale!
While Scott wanders from friend’s couch to friend’s couch he has to battle further Evil Exes in the form of twins who are heavily into robots. Sex Bob-Omb seems to have broken up too while Stephen Stills is in the studio recording their debut LP with Kim Pine heading back home to her parents’ place. It was good to see Kim getting some attention for once, I think she’ s been an overlooked character and Scott’s biggest what-if? girl.
The Evil Exes in this book are the weakest of the series, they’re just there because that’s the series – Scott battling Evil Exes - and so he’s got something to do. But at this point the battling is and always has been a side story to the relationship which feels real and contemporary and for some reason endlessly fascinating. But that’s part of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s brilliance, making you care about characters he’s written.
I loved this book as I’ve loved every book in the series so far – maybe more, because O’Malley makes me interested in romance, a genre I’m never interested in. Anyway, excellent book in keeping with the rest of the series. Roll on, finale!
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