Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.07.2009, Síða 12

12
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2009
Welcome to Toronto Canada, the home
of Scott Pilgrim, unemployed twenty-
something bass guitarist of Sex Bob-
Omb. When we first join our main
character he is rebounding with a high-
schooler. Soon he meets the rollerblading
(yuck) delivery girl Ramona and falls in
love. There is only a minor problem.
Before they can get together he has to
fight her seven evil martial arts/mystical
power ex-boyfriends. The first evil ex
is supported by a group of bat-winged
cheerleaders.
The book is full of entertaining
conversations between Scott and his
friends and if you like Chynna Clugston-
Major ś “Blue Monday” you’ll love these
series. If you kind of hate Chynna's
forced wittiness you will be relieved that
Pilgrim and pals are a bit more relaxed
in the witty department.
The Scott Pilgrim series are being
transformed into the movie: “Scott
Pilgrim vs. the World” directed by Edgar
Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and starring
the awkwardly friendly Michael Cera
(Superbad).
To be quite honest, the movie sounds
more exciting than the remaining 5
books, but maybe that has more to do
with the appealing combination of
Edgar Wright and Michael Cera than the
first book being boring. This is not the
best comic ever but by far not the worst.
Maybe a bit like the country of Canada.
Anyway, it’s very popular you know, so
there must be something to it... right?
Frank Miller's new take on the Boy
Wonder's origins takes a few chapters
to get used to. Maybe because it takes
the story a few chapters to actually
begin. But mainly because you've never
seen the caped crusader like this. We
all know he's crazy. That's his shtick.
A crazy crimefighter chasing crazy
criminals. But in this extravagant epic,
he's just weird. He constantly refers to
himself as the "goddamn Batman," has
outdoor sex with other sexy vigilantes
(with masks on) and he laughs, yes,
he actually laughs, out loud – while he
beats his victims to a bloody pulp. Isn't
that supposed to be the M.O. of another
certain Gotham psycho? Maybe he's
just trying to out-f lake the other f lawed
superheroes in the book (including a
sexist Wonder Woman, Superman the
control freak and Green Lantern, the
douchebag).
Robin is kidnapped by Batman on
the night of his parents’ murder, thrown
into the bowels of the batcave and made
to stay there for days without bread and
water. That's child abuse, isn't it? Well,
it's for his own good. The boy needs to
be toughened up if he's gonna spend his
next years running around the big city,
fighting the scum of the earth in his
undies.
Miller's Sin City-esque dialogue
sounds a bit strange up against Jim Lee's
Image-esque artwork (which is f lippin'
gorgeous, by the way, and makes the
whole purchase worthwhile, whether
you like the story or not). But that too,
will grow on you. Some hardcore batfans
will hate this thing. Others will realise
that it's actually a dark comedy, and as
such, quite entertaining.
Comix | Reviews
When Batman Met Robin
Not The Best Comic Ever
hUGLEikUR dAGSSON
LóA hJáLMTýSdóTTiR
All Star Batman & Robin:
The Boy Wonder
Frank Miller and Jim Lee
Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little
Life Vol. 1
Bryan Lee O’Malley
Check out our brand new comix page! Awesome, right?
— by Hugleikur Dagsson
— by Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir
— by Bent
— by Elo Vásquez and Óttar Norðfjörð
Buy the reviewed comix - and many
more - at Nexus, Hverfisgata.
Yeah!