Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness/ Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Graphic Novel, fast-paced action, comic violence, music, humor 192 pages

I find it very appropriate that Bryan Lee O'Malley's third entry in the saga of Scott Pilgrim is named after the Smashing Pumpkins album "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" because although music has been a part of the series thus far, the music doesn't really take center stage until this installment. At the end of the last book, we learned that Ramona Flowers' third evil ex-boyfriend and Scott Pilgrim's ONLY evil ex-girlfriend are both members of the underground rock sensation The Clash at Demonhead. This sets up the third book perfectly, because the plot of the third book takes place either AT concerts or in preparation for them. I also think the title fits perfectly with the mood of the book, because the characters are constantly second-guessing themselves and at this point in the story I think you could scour every main character in the book and not find two shreds of self-esteem to rub together.

O'Malley's narrative form and artistic style still work together beautifully. The artfully simplistic illustrations still manage to keep the story in the foreground while rewarding the intense reader with more goofy "easter eggs" (I'll only list one of my favorites this time: In the bathroom of legendary Canadian concert venue Lee's Palace, there is a poster right above one of the urinals that reads "WE ADVERTISE IN BATHROOMS BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU LOVE TO PEE"). I also like that Vol. 3 is the first graphic novel of the series that CLEARLY has a lot more to offer story-wise than the film that the series inspired. While I certainly am not undermining the first two volumes, I must say that reading them felt an awful lot like reading storyboards for a rough cut of the first hour of the Edgar Wright film. Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness changes things up and includes many events, locations, and characters (a fan favorite left out of the film is Lynette, the robo-armed drummer of Clash at Demonhead).

FAIR WARNING TO ANY AND ALL VEGANS, THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH WILL OFFEND YOU. MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE. I REALIZE THAT IF, IN FACT, SOMEONE WHO READS THIS IS VEGAN, THIS DISCLAIMER WILL ONLY MAKE THEM WANT TO READ FURTHER, BUT IT WAS WORTH A TRY.
My favorite aspect of the third book is evil ex number 3, Todd Ingram. This cocky vegan bassist provides hilarity on every page he is featured. Obviously a lot of this humor comes from O'Malley's decision to give Todd psychic powers that stem from his vegan diet. Being a college student, I have had many friends experiment with veganism and although they all take to it differently, the one thing they all have in common is the "i'm better than you are 'cuz I won't eat anything that had/has/has the potential to have a face" attitude. O'Malley displays this perfectly in Todd with his condescending description of ovo-lacto vegitarianism. Todd's vegan powers range from telekinesis to levitation and even make his hair stand up in the standard comic-book "I have super powers and you don't" style. The vegan jokes don't stop until the very end, and although I don't want to give anything away, the last vegan joke is without a doubt the best (hint: vegan police).

All in all, with the third volume, Bryan Lee O'Malley succeeds in not only grabbing your attention, but lifting it in the air and shaking it around a bit. I highly recommend it.