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Hey folks,
Catching up on some reviews for books that I read last month during the insane period.

Great Expectations: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour
Just gonna make myself clear up front: I love Scott Pilgrim. Ever since I took home and read volume one titled Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, I was hooked. I remember sitting down with volume 1 and reading it in the course of an afternoon without being able to stop. It was so much fun. I got instantly caught up in this video game-esque world where vanquishing opponents turns them into coins. So finally we come to Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour. For me, your humble reader, expectations for this conclusion were ridiculously high. Waiting 18 months will do that. As I picked up my pre-ordered copy I was nervous. Would I be elated or disappointed? Well having read the book I’d use a different word to describe my feelings: Surprised.

Writer/Artist Bryan O’Malley finished up his epic with a lot of action, a touch of darkness, and ultimately a hopeful ending. I did not predict that nearly ¾s of the book would be the final battle between Scott and the “super-boss” Gideon Graves. Although we had some cameos from side characters, and wrap up to their stories, this really came down to the triangle of Scott, Ramona, and Gideon. He eschews the focus on characterization in order to give us as much visual eye-candy as he can.

O’Malley has shown great improvement in his use of sequential art over the years. He has always emulated a manga-esque panel style. He mashes it with video games visuals to create a unique look. In volume 6 O’Malley uses this to explore dreamscapes and psychology more in-depth than in previous entries. In particular this pertains to Ramona and her own relationship issues. I found this very interesting because Ramona has maintained an air of mystery and emotional aloofness. It’s been implied that this enhances her attractiveness. It is her ability to constantly be cool but unattainable that has so many evil ex-boyfriends willing to fight for her.

This was a surprising turn in characterization to shift the focus to Ramona. Whereas the book is called Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour it could easily be called Ramona’s Darkest Therapy Session. Like Scott Ramona has her own issues to overcome that are linked to her fears. I never expected any of this from this series. Ramona has been held up on a pedestal until the aforementioned Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe. Call me pathetic or a “shipper” but I’ve always felt invested in the Scott/Ramona romance. I’ve felt that Ramona is a great dream girl in volumes 1-4. Her supercool ever-changing hair color and deft use of the subspace highway are just a few of her awesome attributes. However I was not happy when in Vol. 5 Ramona suddenly became an unlikable character. It was like a betrayal to see this sudden turn in character. She’s pissed and unhappy with Scott at the end of Vol. 5. Now I see that O’Malley was laying the groundwork to de-mystify Ramona in Vol. 6. As we head into the final confrontation Scott and Ramona are on equal footing which completes an emotional arc for the two of them.

Ultimately this elevated storytelling shows a maturity in O’Malley’s writing. It’s unfortunate that O’Malley doesn’t extend this to the side characters as he wraps up this story. I was really hoping for a cool ending for Kim Pine, Stephen Stills, and Wallace. These characters are fun enough to have spin-off books of their own. Instead O’Malley settles for some cheap laughs. I was not impressed and it felt like a step back compared to the finale that O’Malley gave Scott and Ramona. The lack of characterization with these side characters, especially Kim Pine, was particularly cheap.

Endings are hard. As a fan of the series I wanted everything to be great. In the end it turns out that Vol. 6 fits in somewhere in the middle quality-wise. I still feel that the series peaked during volumes 3 & 4 with its strong focus on the characters and relationships. However it’s not like the final volume ruins the whole series for me. It’s hopeful view of Ramona and Scott’s emotional journey is enjoyable, without being schmaltzy. It’s unpredictable and ambiguous which is one of the wonderful things about Scott Pilgrim. I hope that O’Malley continues to maintain this aspect of his style. Can’t wait for his next book.

Hey here's the past reviews for the other books in this series in chronological order (BTW I read Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life before the blog, so no past review to link): Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Scott Pilgrim vs. the Infinite Sadness, Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe.

Have a great week! Book Slave.