I’d have to say that the best part of these colored re-releases is that it gives me an excuse to re-read them. Now when someone says, “Oh you’re reading Scott Pilgrim… again” I can point out that this is a colored version and so it warrants the additional read. It’s actually been a while since I’ve sat down with the third volume which is tied with the second as my personal favorites. It’s interesting to read it having watched the film because you see just how much was used for the film version, but lines are given to different characters or placed at another spot in the story. Of course any time I pick up anything Scott Pilgrim related it makes me want to read all of the books, watch the movie and buy the game. Yes, I need to buy the fucking game still… put it on sale Ubi-gouge-softly. I digress. Visually, this book is gorgeous. Since I’m not really going to talk about the story (we’re past that point in life) I’m mostly going to talk about the visuals. Okay, I’ll talk about the story. The reason this is my favorite volume is because we learn the most about Scott’s past with Envy. It’s even stated in the story while Ramona and Kim are talking, that Scott became very different after their break up. Scott wants closure on his relationship with Envy and even though he’s with Ramona, he still has old feelings for Envy. I think this is something that everyone can relate to when faced with their “big ex.” It’s like a rite of passage to see if you don’t fuck up your current relationship. It also stays true to the fact that you don’t always get closure in a break up, especially if you head butt someone so hard they turn into an extra life.
There really are some great lines in this issue and while some of them made it into the movie, there are a few that just didn’t fit. Wallace yelling at Envy while she fights Ramona produces quite a few hilarious moments and the entire scene with Wallace and the Bacon is always great. While one of my favorites involve Kim after she tells the band she has a date, both Scott and Steve produce comedy gold.
“Kim, you’re a hell of a catch.”
“You’re a damn fine woman, Kim. Damn fine.”
Okay so I’ve talked about the story, probably too much. The coloring and the larger format work. I mean I’m glad that the manga sized black and white issues exist, but when you see this there really is no contest. The coloring is incredible and breathes new life into this series. It was a worthy investment on Oni’s behalf as I’m sure these will continue to sell… forever. Seriously though, I’m not saying that Scott Pilgrim compares to something like V for Vendetta as they are two very different beasts, but it’s a series that doesn’t rest on the shelves either. Having a hardcover colored version is a great investment and if they really wanted to they could now do a colored trade version as well. It’s a series that keeps on giving and while I’m laying out print options, I’m not saying that Oni is expecting fans to buy them all. Instead it’s more of an investment in their future so that the series is always available to new fans like DC/Vertigo make sure that there are plenty of V for Vendetta’s on the shelves.
Without Nathan Fairbairn coloring this book I don’t know how it would have turned out. I’ve seen plenty of O’Malley’s colored pieces, and while he’s very capable, I don’t think he would have moved at the speed that Fairbairn has. He puts a piece of himself into this series and for that I greatly appreciate his work and you should too.
I will likely enjoy Scott Pilgrim for the rest of my life. Being that I’m in the same generation as O’Malley and can relate to the entire series… the parts that are emotional or reference other things, not the fantasy battles. There are only three volumes left and another one this year which makes me happy and sad all over again. If you’ve never checked the series out please leave me your address so that I can drive to your house and beat you with a copy of the first volume and spit on you. Seriously, fucking read this series already.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Bryan Lee O’Malley Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn Publisher: Oni Press Price: $24.99 Release Date: 5/22/13