Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together #04

That's right, folks! Put down the video game controller! Skip that rehearsal for your band! Make whatever sacrifices you must to those comic gods you hold so dear! Just make sure you're ready because Bryan Lee O'Malley and Scott Pilgrim are back! Well, a couple months have passed since the last time we caught up with our intrepid hero, but what can change in a few short months? Well, not much has...

Scott's still living with his roommate Wallace Wells. He's still playing in a mediocre rock band named Sex Bob-omb. And most importantly, he's still dating the lovely Ramona Flowers while working his way through the gaggle of superpowered, superstylish, superevil ex-boyfriends determined to take him down. But something is different. Don't look now, but Scott Pilgrim may actually be getting it together. And it's a good thing, too, because Scott is about to confront Ramona's most intimidating ex yet!

"After three volumes of hilarious slacking — a jobless trek of playing in a band, wobbling between romantic entanglements and battling the seven evil ex-boyfriends of his current girlfriend, Ramona Flowers — Scott Pilgrim must finally make choices. Does he truly love mysterious messenger Ramona? Will his band SexBobOmb play out? Can he pay the rent? Can he keep a job? And why is be being followed by two ninjas? O'Malley's manga-tinged youth comedy has gotten more confident as the series has become a veritable institution, with an eight-page color section to open this volume, but the story, too, reveals new layers of character. This time out the main complication in Scott's life is Julie, a high school might-have-been-girlfriend. Cute Julie keeps showering him with attention, forcing him to deal with his feelings for Ramona, who also has a visitor from her past. The references from indie band lore, video games and manga keep the story sharp, while the occasional fight scenes — Scott must face two opponents at once! — are perfect metaphors for the uncertainty and excitement of being an early 20-something. O'Malley's sparkling dialogue captures the bravado, insensitivity and engaging cluelessness of a generation for whom a dishwashing job constitutes 'getting it together' big time." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

The series is about 24-year-old Canadian Scott Pilgrim, a slacker, hero, wannabe-rockstar, who is living in Toronto and playing bass in the band "Sex Bob-Omb." He falls in love with American delivery girl Ramona V. Flowers, but must defeat her seven "evil ex-boyfriends" in order to date her.