Pilgrim Fist Arcade

I got around to reading the final Scott Pilgrim book. I haven't been to see the movie yet, but I will, probably sometime this week.

I really enjoyed the Scott Pilgrim Series, and I'm glad it ended and really told the complete story of Scott and Ramona Flowers. I just wish that there was some way to recover that feeling I had gotten while reading the first book, of just delighted surprise/ WTF?. The rest of the series was great, but it was a little like watching "Fight Club" for the second time, in that you just didn't have that dawning moment of something amazing happening.

The last book was a little padded out for me, as it was my opinion that Bryan Lee O'Malley used many more splash pages than he had previously. The first book, at least in my memory, was much denser materiel to read through than the last one.

In any case, Scott Pilgrim is now officially "a great series" and I look forward to seeing what O'Malley gets up to next. I always liked "Lost At Sea", so I think that he's not Just a one trick pony.

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I recently had my copies for the first 3 HC Iron Fist books returned to me, and I have been slowly rereading them. Usually just before bed, and maybe an issue at a time. But hot damn, do I love those books. It's a great kung fu action movie in comic form, and that in and of itself is very rare. I've had the 5th book on the shelf waiting for me, but I was putting it off until I could go over the first few books again.

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I have also been reading "Penny Arcade vol. 6" this week. I love Penny Arcade, but this book has been losing steam. Maybe 2005 was just a weak year for the guys. I think I bought this one just to own the Skeletor/Wikipedia strip.

I think that Tycho's commentary has also been weaker in this edition compared to the first five. That's a little sad to me. He's not been catty enough. Not wise and insightful enough.

Even the cover isn't as great as the other volumes. I'm bummed, because I want to love this book, but I can't.

Draw! Magazine

Draw! Magazine has a new blog here on Blogger.

I've always liked Draw!, and I hope that the content on this blog is just as good as the mag. The last issue had features on Bryan Lee O'Malley and Guy Davis, of Scott Pilgrim and BPRD fame, respectively. Cool sketches, behind the scenes stuff that's really fun to read and reread.

Scott Pilgrim vol.4

I had been sitting on this purchase for a while, just waiting for the right moment to crack it open and enjoy it. Scott Pilgrim has been one of my favorite books to read over the past couple of years, so the much anticipated new volume couldn't be wasted by reading it while on the can, so I waited until I had an evening free just to myself to really sit back and enjoy it.

Now, it hurts me to say this but, while the evening itself was quite relaxing and nice, the actual book left me a little flat. Not to say that it's not better than 80% of what's out there, but this edition just seemed too introspective,too caught up in all the little pieces of the story rather than pushing the pacing forward. I usually have this great feeling of anticipation reading Scott Pilgrim, and this time around, it was missing, and then, just like that, the book was over.

Bryan Lee O'Malley has created a great cast of characters, and I get that he's trying to give everyone their screen time, but I just feel that it should be more organic to the narrative, and not merely scenes written to feature characters. Every scene should more the story forward, and scenes that don't should be trimmed, or else, you end up with the comic equivalent of an art house film; pretty looking, but unsatisfying.

Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together

Bryan Lee O'Malley has finished the 4th edition of his Scott Pilgrim books, and just put up some preview pages for the newest book.

I've spoken about "Scott Pilgrim" before, as it is one of my favorite reads, to say nothing of my patriotism being added to my enthusiasm. O'Malley is a fellow Canuck, true, but his books are just awesomely fun reads.

Also, in the news section of his site, I found this little tidbit:
"IS THERE GOING TO BE A MOVIE?

The Scott Pilgrim series has been optioned by Universal Pictures, which means they have the "option" of making a movie based on the concept. Edgar Wright wants to direct the film. He and Michael Bacall are writing it. No "stars" are "attached" and it isn't "green-lit", but we'll let you know if any of that changes."

Really, the more Scott Pilgrim, the better.