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''Scott Pilgrim'' is a series of
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
s by Canadian author and comic book artist Bryan Lee O'Malley. The original edition of the series consists of six
digest size Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine, but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately . It is also a and format, similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes evolved from the printing ...
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
volumes, released between August 2004 and July 2010, by
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
-based independent comic book publisher
Oni Press Oni Press is an American independent comic book and graphic novel publisher based in Portland, Oregon, best known for publishing such series as '' Scott Pilgrim'' and ''Rick and Morty''. In 2019, it became an imprint label following the company's ...
. It was later republished by Fourth Estate, an imprint of
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
. Full-colour hardback volumes, coloured by Nathan Fairbairn, were released from August 2012 to May 2015. The series revolves around the titular Scott Pilgrim, a
slacker A slacker is someone who habitually work aversion, avoids work or lacks work ethic. Origin According to different sources, the term "slacker" dates back to about 1790 or 1898. "Slacker" gained some recognition during the UK, British Gezira Sche ...
and part-time musician who lives in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and plays
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
‍in a band, dating a
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
student while recovering from a traumatic breakup. He starts a tentative romance with American delivery girl Ramona Flowers, soon discovering that Ramona possesses superpowers. It transpires that her seven
supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...
exes have similar abilities. They are manipulated into targeting Scott in combat by her most recent ex boyfriend, Gideon Graves, forcing both Scott and Ramona to come to terms with their respective pasts, relationships, and behaviors. The ''Scott Pilgrim'' series received widespread acclaim and garnered a significant
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
. A film adaptation of the series titled '' Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'', directed by
Edgar Wright Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English filmmaker. He is known for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical Film genre, genre films, which feature extensive utilisation of expressive popular music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zo ...
, was released in August 2010. A video game adaptation, '' Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game'', developed by
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...
for
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
was released the same month. An animated series adaptation titled ''
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ''Scott Pilgrim Takes Off'' is an anime adventure television series developed by Bryan Lee O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski for Netflix. The series is based on the ''Scott Pilgrim'' graphic novels written and drawn by O'Malley, with the entire ...
'' was released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
in November 2023, with the cast of the 2010 film reprising their roles, O'Malley writing the script, and Wright serving as an executive producer. Because each adaptation in the franchise covers the same story as the graphic novels, but with slight changes between each of them, ''Scott Pilgrim'' has been widely discussed as an example of
transmedia storytelling Transmedia storytelling (also known as transmedia narrative or multiplatform storytelling) is the technique of adapting a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies. From a product ...
.


Publications

The main graphic novel series is: Other appearances * ''Comics Festival'' (40-page anthology including a one-page Scott Pilgrim comic; released on
Free Comic Book Day Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to attract new readers to independent comic book stores. It usually takes place on the first Saturday of May and has historically been cross ...
2005) * ''
PENG Peng may refer to: * Peng (surname) (彭), a Chinese name * Peng (state) (大彭), a state during the late Shang dynasty * Peng (mythology) (鵬), a legendary Chinese creature * ''Peng!'', 1992 album by Stereolab * ''PENG!'', a 2005 comic * P.Eng. ...
'' (72-page one-shot comic book by
Corey Lewis Corey Sutherland Lewis (also known as Rey, Reyyy or The Rey) is an American comic book creator. He is primarily known as the creator of ''Sharknife'', published by Oni Press. Other works include ''PENG'' for Oni, and providing back-up comic stri ...
where Scott Pilgrim appears in one panel; released in 2005) * ''Free Scott Pilgrim No. 1 FCBD 2006 Edition'' (32-page comic book featuring a 17-page original Scott Pilgrim story; released on
Free Comic Book Day Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to attract new readers to independent comic book stores. It usually takes place on the first Saturday of May and has historically been cross ...
2006) This story is available for free online a
the Scott Pilgrim Website
* ''Comics Festival 2007!'' (40-page anthology including a half-page Scott Pilgrim comic and a 4-page Wonderful World of Kim Pine comic; released on
Free Comic Book Day Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to attract new readers to independent comic book stores. It usually takes place on the first Saturday of May and has historically been cross ...
2007) * ''Scott Pilgrim: Full Colour Odds & Ends 2008'' (collects ''Free Scott Pilgrim #1'' – newly coloured by Dean Trippe, ''Wonderful World of Kim Pine'' four-page story, ''Now Magazine Best of Toronto'' two-page strip in black-and-white, the Comics Fest 07 ''sushi'' strip, and various watercolours, pin-ups, and advertisements) * ''Scott Pilgrim Print Collection 2004-2024'' was released September 24, 2024 and will contained 21 prints by Bryan Lee O'Malley including never-before-seen art. All of these ancillary stories are available to read on th
Scott Pilgrim Website
A collector's box containing all six volumes and a fold-in poster was released in North America on November 3, 2010. ''Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life'' was re-released in colour in August 2012, with the others being released on an irregular schedule, the last in May 2015. In addition to all of the ancillary strips, the hardcover colour editions contain bonus content such as original sketches, creator notes, promotional material, and deleted scenes. The entire series was re-released in colour again in July 2019 as the ''Scott Pilgrim Color Collection'', collected into 3 larger-format paperback volumes. These three books were released individually and as a box set. The series was re-released again in both black-and-white and color in August 2024 for the twentieth anniversary, with the extras from the color versions being combined into one book: ''Scott Pilgrim Collected Extras'' along with other physical items.


Development

Creator Bryan Lee O'Malley was inspired to create the series and eponymous character of Scott Pilgrim after listening to Canadian band Plumtree's 1998 single "Scott Pilgrim", a song then-Plumtree singer Carla Gillis describes as "positive, but...also bittersweet." In particular, O'Malley was inspired by the lyric, "I’ve liked you for a thousand years." O'Malley wanted to write a shōnen-style comic book series, although he had only read one such series at the time, ''
Ranma ½ is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from August 1987 to March 1996, with the chapters collected in 38 volumes by Shogakukan. The story revolves a ...
''; in the early 2000s, Japanese manga had not yet achieved significant popularity in North America. O'Malley gained inspiration from the book '' Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga'' by Koji Aihara and Kentaro Takekuma. In 2002, O'Malley's roommate, who worked in a comic book store, brought the book to him while O'Malley was working on '' Lost at Sea'' and was planning ''Scott Pilgrim''. Upon reading the book O'Malley realized that, despite the satirical tone, it could be an effective guide to how the Japanese comic book industry worked.Hudson, Laura.
Bryan Lee O'Malley Talks 'Monkey Manga' with the Men Who Influenced 'Scott Pilgrim' Exclusive
." ''
ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance is an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the categ ...
''. July 14, 2011. Retrieved on September 6, 2011.
O'Malley said that ''Ranma ½'' was the strongest influence and Atsuko Nakajima, the character designer of the ''Ranma ½'' anime and other anime, was an influence to a lesser extent.Questions & answers VI
"
Archive
Radiomaru. Retrieved on December 4, 2012.
He added that the "exploded page layouts" of ''
Koudelka is a role-playing video game developed by Sacnoth for the PlayStation. The game was published by SNK in Japan in 1999, and by Infogrames internationally in 2000. Set in the haunted Nemeton Monastery in Wales, the plot follows protagonists K ...
'', a work by
Yuji Iwahara Yuji or Yu Ji may refer to: * Yūji, a common masculine Japanese given name * Yu Ji (painter), a Qing dynasty painter and calligrapher * Consort Yu (Xiang Yu's wife) (虞姬; Yuji), the concubine of Xiang Yu, subject of the play ''Farewell My Co ...
, directly influenced the "full-bleed layouts" of ''Scott Pilgrim''. O'Malley said that
Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu'', – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist and animator. Considered to be among the greatest and most influential cartoonists of all time, his prolific output, pioneering techniques an ...
began influencing his work as he created Volumes 3 and 4. He said, "You can see his influence start to creep in here and there but he's a larger inspirational figure to me than just his drawing style." In regards to the ''
FLCL is an anime created and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Yōji Enokido, and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which consisted of Gainax, Production I.G, and King Records. The series tells the adventures of the ...
'' anime, O'Malley said that while it was an influence, it was "not as much of a direct influence on ''Scott Pilgrim'' as people seem to think." O'Malley used black and white because it was less expensive than creating the series in colour, and so O'Malley said that he "embraced the B&W manga aesthetic". When writing the series, O'Malley's first step was developing the direction of the story by creating notes in notebooks, sketchbooks, and computer text files. His second step was to create an outline. His third step was to write a script. His fourth step was to develop thumbnails. His final step was to develop the finished comic book page. To ink, O'Malley usually used brushes, including No. 2 and No. 3 brushes. He mostly used computers to build the screentone; he stated that he encountered difficulty finding screentone in North America. O'Malley himself created most of the ''Scott Pilgrim'' material. When production on Volume 6 had begun, O'Malley had hired two assistants. The backgrounds in Volume 6 are more detailed than the backgrounds in the previous volumes (O'Malley said that " st fans don't seem to notice the change"). O'Malley stated that he wanted to create a "hybrid" work that received inspiration from American and Japanese comics, and that he "wanted to reach towards the japanese comics from my own starting point." When asked if he considers ''Scott Pilgrim'' to be a manga, O'Malley responded by saying "Um… No, I think I was just thinking about that today. I guess I was just thinking about the whole OEL thing. I think it's influenced… I like the term 'manga-influenced comics,' but I only like it because no one else likes it." O'Malley said that he expected ''Scott Pilgrim'' to sell around 1,000 copies. He did not expect the series to sell millions of copies and to produce a film adaptation. O'Malley cited the United States comics industry and how it differs from the Japanese comics industry; the United States comic book companies specialize in
superhero comics Superhero comics is one of the most common genres of American comic books. The genre rose to prominence in the 1930s and became extremely popular in the 1940s and has remained the dominant form of comic book in North America since the 1960s. Supe ...
and many newer concepts originate from
underground comics Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...
. The United States also lacks weekly and monthly comic book magazines and American comic companies generally do not have the system of story editors and assistants that Japanese comic companies have. O'Malley said that the most difficult portion of ''Scott Pilgrim'' to write was the ending. O'Malley deliberately did not consider constructing the ending until he began writing Volume 5. He intended for Volumes 5 and 6 to reflect one single story, with 5 being the "darkest hour" and 6 being "the redemption arc." O'Malley said "there was a lot of stuff to juggle, a lot of plot lines to tie up, and I just had to try and focus on the stuff that mattered most in the time I had." In addition, he wanted to create an ending that would "compete ..a little" with the ending of the film version; he was aware of "how BIG the finale was". About the ending, O'Malley said, "I think the stuff with the girls and the relationships works pretty well and the stuff with Gideon and the glow is weaker. But hey, some people love it warts and all, and it's not like I'm gonna go back and change it." To illustrate his reasoning for eventually ending the ''Scott Pilgrim'' series, O'Malley used a quote from famed Belgian comics writer and artist
Hergé Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé ( ; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian comic strip artist. He is best known for creating ''The Adventures of T ...
, creator, writer, and illustrator of the well-regarded ''
The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' ( ) is a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. By 2007, a c ...
'' comic book series, from 1929 until his death in 1983. Hergé told his wife, "And right now, my work makes me sick. Tintin is no longer me. And I must make a terrible effort to invent (him)… If Tintin continues to live, it is through a sort of artificial respiration that I must constantly keep up and which is exhausting me." O'Malley said, "If I was still doing Scott Pilgrim in ten years, I would be dead inside." O'Malley said that he did conceive of a continuation centering on Scott and Ramona and involving the other major characters, except for Gideon and the other evil exes of Ramona. He said, "maybe in a few years I'd think about playing with Scott Pilgrim some more" and although "there doesn't need to be more Scott Pilgrim", he agreed that "more would be fun". The cover of the third Japanese ''Scott Pilgrim'' volume, which includes content from the original volumes 5 and 6, was based on an illustration from '' Street Fighter Alpha 2'' (''Street Fighter Zero 2''). O'Malley used the font Swiss 721 Bold Condensed, which was also used in the film. In later books, the regular weight and italic versions of this font were also used. M04 FATAL FURY is the pixel font used in Book 4 and beyond.


Synopsis

The series follows the escapades of Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old Canadian slacker from
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, who lives in a very modest apartment with his gay roommate Wallace Wells, and is a bass guitarist in the local
garage band Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
"Sex Bob-Omb" with his friends Stephen Stills and Kim Pine. Scott is initially dating a 17-year-old high school student named Knives Chau, but he soon falls for a mysterious American woman named Ramona Flowers, who recently moved to Toronto and appeared in his dreams. As Scott desperately tries to initiate a relationship with Ramona, he finds out that he must defeat her "seven evil exes", each with supernatural abilities, in order to be with her. Amidst the battles, the story also includes several flashbacks that focus on Scott's adolescent experiences and previous tumultuous relationships, offering insights into his past and the origins of his fears and insecurities.


Main characters

* Scott Pilgrim - the titular protagonist, a 23-year-old slacker who is a bassist in the local garage band "Sex Bob-Omb" and cited as the best fighter in
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
. Scott finds out he has to defeat the seven "evil exes" of his love interest, Ramona Flowers. * Ramona Flowers - a mysterious American girl, working as a courier for
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
, who recently moved to Toronto from New York and who becomes Scott's primary love interest. She is able to use interdimensional "Subspace" to travel long distances quickly, and frequently changes her hairstyle. * Knives Chau - an innocent 17-year-old high school student of Chinese descent whom Scott is dating at the start of the series. Scott breaks up with her after he meets Ramona, and Knives repeatedly attempts to win him back through violence. * Wallace Wells - Scott's "cool gay roommate". * Stephen Stills - the lead singer and guitarist of the band "Sex Bob-Omb" who is also Scott's best friend. * Kimberly "Kim" Pine - the drummer of the band "Sex Bob-omb". She was Scott's first girlfriend in high school. * Stacey Pilgrim - Scott's pragmatic younger sister. * "Young" Neil Nordegraf - the youngest member of the band "Sex Bob-Omb" who admires Scott and tries to imitate him. * Natalie "Envy" Adams - a successful pop star and Scott's ex-girlfriend.


Plot


''Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life'' (Volume 1)

Twenty-three year old Canadian slacker Scott Pilgrim lives in Toronto, Canada. He lives in a cheap apartment with his gay roommate Wallace, performs in the band "Sex Bob-Omb" along with Stephen Stills and Kim Pine, and is casually dating a seventeen-year-old high school girl named Knives Chau. Kim, Wallace, and Scott’s sister Stacey resent this idea, but Stephen and his roommate, “Young” Neil Nordegraf, support it, especially when Knives becomes obsessed with their band. One night, Scott begins to have recurring dreams of a pink-haired girl, whom he falls in love with. After seeing the same girl at the library, he becomes determined to go out with her; his obsession causes him to spend less time with Knives and put less effort into the band. Later, at a party hosted by Stephen’s girlfriend Julie Powers, Scott discovers that the girl's name is Ramona. Scott awkwardly interacts with her, then secretly stalks her until she leaves the party. Julie and Stephen inform him that Ramona just had a bad breakup with someone named Gideon, motivating Scott to pursue her. After learning she works at Amazon, he buys multiple CDs in an attempt to see her. On Scott's next date with Knives, she kisses him, causing him to freak out. The next day, Stephen informs the group that Sex Bob-Omb will play in a battle of the bands with another popular band called Crash and the Boys. Later that day, Ramona delivers Scott's package. She reveals that she can travel quickly over long distances using a "subspace highway", an interdimensional transitway that passes through people’s minds; Scott's mind is so empty that he is able to see her in his dreams. Scott awkwardly asks her out, and she accepts. They end up at Ramona’s house and almost have sex, but decide not to. While there, Scott notices a mysterious letter from Gideon. Ramona agrees to come to Scott’s battle of the bands, and they officially start dating. When he informs Wallace about this, Wallace forcefully tells him to break up with Knives. At the battle of the bands, Crash and the Boys knock the audience unconscious with a song so they can win the battle of the bands by default. When Sex Bob-Omb begins to play anyway, a mysterious man crashes through the ceiling and attacks Scott, introducing himself as Matthew Patel, Ramona's first "Evil Ex-Boyfriend". Ramona explains that they barely dated in middle school. Scott and Matthew fight, initiating a music battle between Sex Bob-Omb and Matthew's "Demon Hipster Chicks". Scott defeats Matthew, shattering him into $2.10 in Canadian currency. On the bus ride home, Ramona informs Scott that he must fight her seven evil exes to date her, but they agree to continue their relationship. When Scott asks if Gideon is one of the evil exes, Ramona’s head begins glowing and she doesn't answer.


''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'' (Volume 2)

In a flashback to Scott’s teen years, Scott met Kim and a girl named Lisa Miller after transferring to a new school, and the three started a band. The following week, a gang controlled by a bully named Simon Lee kidnapped Kim, and Scott fought through his forces to rescue her. After saving Kim, the two began dating. Everything went well until Scott had to move to Toronto, causing him to break up with Kim. In the present, Scott learns that popular movie star and pro skateboarder Lucas Lee is shooting a film in Toronto. Later, while on a date with Knives, Scott breaks up with her after she confesses she is in love with him. Scott copes with his guilt by thinking about Ramona. On his next date with Ramona, she suggests he cut his hair, though he is averse to the idea, associating his last haircut with a previous breakup. The next day, Wallace discovers that Lucas is one of Ramona’s ex-boyfriends, which Ramona confirms, though she admits she hardly remembers their relationship. Scott buys many of Lucas's movies to study him. As time passes, Stacey and Ramona start hanging out, much to Scott’s chagrin. Knives, feeling jilted and brokenhearted after seeing Scott on a date with Ramona, swears revenge. She dyes her hair and begins practicing ninjutsu, intending to kill Ramona and win Scott back. Meanwhile, Wallace helps Scott organise a battle with Lucas and accompanies him to it. Scott is quickly overpowered by Lucas' strength before the pair stop to take a lunchbreak and discuss Ramona, where Lucas reveals she broke his heart by abandoning him for her next ex, and reveals the existence of the 'League of Evil Exes'. Thinking quickly, Scott tricks Lucas into attempting a dangerous skateboard grind on the Casa Loma stairway rails; Lucas flies down the stairs at supersonic speeds and combusts at the bottom, leaving behind about $14 in coins and a mithril skateboard. Later that evening, Knives attacks Ramona and Stacey at the Toronto Reference Library. After Ramona defeats her, a fleeing Knives realizes that Scott was actually cheating on her with Ramona. That night, Scott receives a call from his ex-girlfriend, Envy Adams, who now is a successful pop star with the band The Clash at Demonhead. She asks Sex Bob-Omb to perform at her next concert in a few days, but the call disturbs Scott so much he slips into a brief coma. Things quickly go from bad to worse at Envy's concert: Scott's resolve is shaken, Knives is dating Young Neil as payback for Scott cheating on her, and Ramona informs Scott that Envy's bassist and current boyfriend, Todd Ingram, is Ramona's third evil ex-boyfriend.


''Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness'' (Volume 3)

After the show, Sex Bob-Omb meets up with The Clash at Demonhead backstage, and the two bands quickly begin fighting. Todd easily manages to beat Sex Bob-Omb, due to his telekinetic powers that he gained from being completely
vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
. Flashbacks throughout the story show the timeline of Scott meeting Envy, who was a nerd and went by her birth name, Natalie, at the time. Scott and her began a romantic relationship and started a musical group alongside Stephen. However, as time passed, Natalie expanded the band by recruiting additional members and, ultimately, secured a record deal without obtaining consent, leading to both Scott and Stephen resigning from the group. Natalie, now going by Envy, began cheating on Scott and the two of them broke up, which Scott insists was Envy's fault. Todd's history with Ramona is also revealed: he used his burgeoning vegan powers to punch a hole in the moon for Ramona when they dated, but they broke up when he went to Vegan Academy. Envy proposes a challenge for Scott and Todd: a fight to the death at
Honest Ed's Honest Ed's was a landmark discount store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named for its proprietor, Ed Mirvish, who opened the store in 1948 and oversaw its operations for almost 60 years until his death in 2007. The store continued to operat ...
—whoever reaches the end of the store first wins. Neither Scott nor Todd win the challenge, and Todd begins cheating on Envy. At Lee's Palace, Envy and Scott talk backstage, and Scott attempts to apologize to Knives, who believes this means they can get back together. While Sex Bob-omb performs, Ramona and Envy get into an argument and begin to fight, with Envy winning before Ramona is saved by Knives. Envy catches Todd and Lynette Guycott, The Clash at Demonhead's drummer, leaving the bathroom together—her panties on Todd's head. She attempts to attack Lynette, who teleports away. Todd telekinetically flings Envy across the room when she refuses to forgive him for his infidelity, and Scott intercedes before the situation escalates. Todd and Scott then proceed to have a bass guitar battle, and Todd almost wins the battle until the "vegan police" show up and strip him of his powers for multiple vegan offenses, such as eating gelato. Scott headbutts the powerless Todd, who is reduced to a large pile of coins. Afterwards, Scott receives an extra life.


''Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together'' (Volume 4)

Scott, Ramona, and their friends go to Julie's beach hut for the Summer. Knives and Kim accidentally out themselves as bisexual and make out while blackout drunk, with only Scott remembering it, and Stephen and Julie break up. Kim moves out of her shared flat and in with her friends Hollie and Joseph, the latter of which has a recording studio. Scott reunites with Lisa Miller, who seems to have a crush on him and makes multiple advances at him. Scott and Wallace are faced with the impending deadline of their apartment lease, and Scott finally decides to be productive and get a job at a restaurant. Upon meeting Joseph, Stephen becomes obsessed with recording an album, unintentionally disillusioning Kim and Scott from their band. Scott is repeatedly attacked by an older Asian man, and believes him to be Ramona's next ex. Scott is later attacked by Roxanne "Roxie" Richter, a half-ninja with the same subspace abilities as Ramona and her actual fourth evil ex, upending Scott's assumption that all of her exes were boys. He later learns the man is Knives' father, seeking revenge for his treatment of her. After Lisa flirts with Scott too many times, Ramona becomes suspicious that they were a couple. Their quarrel worsens when Scott learns Roxie is staying with Ramona whilst in Toronto for an art exhibition. Scott ends up staying over at Lisa's, who admits her feelings, but Scott instead declares his love for Ramona. Roxie attacks Scott in a dream, but he awakens before she can kill him. Scott leaves but chooses to get his job back before reuniting with Ramona. Scott pits Roxie and Mr. Chau in battle against each other against Ramona's advice. Scott finally tells Ramona he loves her and will do anything to keep their relationship going. In this act of courage, Scott earns a sword pulled from his heart, the "Power of Love," which he uses to defeat Roxie and gain Mr. Chau's respect. Ramona declares her love for Scott as well and they move in together.


''Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe'' (Volume 5)

At a Day of the Dead party, Ramona spots her next two evil ex-boyfriends, Japanese twins Kyle & Ken Katayanagi, who were invited to the party by Julie. However, the twins are uninterested in fighting Scott instead sending an array of robots after him over the following days. Ramona becomes paranoid over Scott's history of ending relationships and forgetting all about them, and Sex Bob-Omb perform, but due to Stephen's obsession with the album they have had no practice and are awful. Knives confronts Ramona at the gig, where they fight until Knives realizes it is Scott's fault she was cheated on and not Ramona's. Ramona tells Scott they should have time apart. At a party, Kim manages to take a photo of the glow around Ramona, but Ramona denies knowing what it means. After a nightcap with Scott and Ramona, Kim goes home on the subway but is kidnapped by the twins. Meanwhile, Ramona confronts Scott over his infidelity and is unsatisfied with his evasive answers. The next morning, Scott fights the twins to save Kim; before they are defeated, the twins reveal that Ramona dated both of them at the same time without the other's knowledge. Scott tells Ramona he doesn't care about her past and loves her, but she is demoralised and with a new haircut. She thanks him as the glow around her head grows brighter and brighter until she disappears altogether, leaving behind a letter addressed to Gideon. Scott, heartbroken, accidentally locks himself out of his and Ramona's house. Scott stays at Mobile and Wallace's, then Kim's, as all of his friend's personal lives deteriorate, such as Kim's boyfriend, Jason, cheating on her with Hollie leading to Kim moving away with her parents. Scott moves into a new apartment paid for by his parents. With Gideon being the last evil ex to battle, Scott grows paranoid, perceiving anyone with glasses as Gideon. Gideon calls Scott, and asks him when he wishes to die.


''Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour'' (Volume 6)

Jobless, kicked out of Sex Bob-Omb, and scared to face Gideon, Scott spends most of his time alone in his apartment playing video games. He is also plagued by dreams of Ramona and his other ex-girlfriends. When he is finally convinced to go outside, he tries to reconnect with the now-18-year-old Knives, desiring casual sex, but Knives states that she has moved on. She agrees to make out, but the two part after a bad kiss. Envy meets Scott for coffee, but he refuses to make amends with her. Wallace forces Scott to leave town and stay with Kim and her parents. In the woods, Kim reveals that Scott misremembers their high school days: Simon Lee was Kim's boyfriend, and Scott stole Kim from him after attacking him unprovoked. Remembering this causes an evil doppelganger of Scott to appear, a physical manifestation of his mistakes called Nega-Scott. As they fight, Kim tells him that Nega-Scott will not disappear until he remembers and accepts his past. As Scott acknowledges his mistakes, Nega-Scott stops its assault and merges back into him. Scott comments that he doesn't deserve Ramona, but Kim tells him to fight and earn her back. She gives him one last kiss before Scott returns to Toronto. Scott arrives at Gideon's venue, the Chaos Theatre, for the final confrontation, where Gideon has collected his own ex-girlfriends as trophies. Scott learns that, whilst he was under the impression Ramona had returned to Gideon, Gideon was under the impression he and Ramona were still together, leading to them having no proper reason to fight. Gideon consequently offers Scott a position in the League of Evil Exes, but he refuses. Gideon stuns Scott with a punch, pulls Scott's "Power of Love" sword from his chest, and impales him with it, killing him. In limbo, Scott reunites with Ramona, who had been hiding in subspace, and they reconcile. Ramona apologizes for leaving him but admits she has only returned to confront Gideon, not to restart their relationship. Scott uses his extra life from Part 3 to bring himself back to life, bringing Ramona with him. Gideon reveals he started the League through a drunken rant on Craigslist after Ramona dumped him and was shocked that she hurt her exes enough that they replied. Ramona decides to run away but is killed by Gideon before she can teleport fully. Scott and Gideon fight in Ramona's mind, where a part of Ramona is still subservient to Gideon. However, present Ramona and other versions of herself appear, rejecting him. Ramona sacrifices her subspace bag to return the three to the real world. Scott sees Gideon objectifying Envy, prompting him to realize how badly his relationships with Knives, Kim, and Envy ended, thus generating a new sword — the "Power of Understanding." Ramona wields the "Power of Love" sword, which heals her injuries, and they deliver the final blow to Gideon. Gideon bursts into $7,777,777 worth of coins, pouring down painfully on the crowd. Envy hugs Scott, bringing their relationship to a proper close, and Gideon's ex-girlfriends are released from their capsules. Leaving the club, Scott and Ramona reaffirm their relationship and agree to give it another shot. Scott finds out that Stephen is gay and is currently dating Joseph. Scott and Kim start a new band called Shatter Band, but they only play covers and for fun. The next day, Scott sees Knives off to college. Finally, Scott meets up with Ramona, who is waiting for him at a subspace door, ready to begin their relationship anew. They then hold hands and disappear over the threshold together.


Critical reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
ranked the third volume, ''Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness'', as one of the best comic books of 2006 in a critics' poll. Scott Pilgrim was ranked 85th on
Wizard magazine ''Wizard'' or ''Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture'' (previously titled ''Wizard: The Guide to Comics'' and ''Wizard: The Comics Magazine'') was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by ...
's 2008 list of the "200 Greatest Comic Characters of All Time".