Scott Pilgrim Review: Bryan Lee O'Malley's Indie Gem 2026

Few comics capture the feeling of being in your early twenties — broke, in love, and slightly delusional — as perfectly as Scott Pilgrim. Written and drawn by Bryan Lee O’Malley, the first volume, Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, was published by Oni Press in 2004 and kicked off a six-book series that became a genuine cultural phenomenon. It’s funny, fast, deeply Canadian, and stitched together from video games, indie rock, and manga in a way nobody had quite done before. Here’s our full review of where it all begins.

What is Scott Pilgrim?

Scott Pilgrim is a six-volume graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, originally published in black-and-white digest-sized paperbacks by Oni Press between 2004 and 2010. Volume 1 runs about 168 pages and introduces the whole delightful mess: Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old unemployed slacker living in Toronto, playing bass in a going-nowhere band called Sex Bob-omb and dating a high-schooler named Knives Chau. Then he meets Ramona Flowers, an American delivery girl who literally skates through his dreams — and his life turns into a video game.

The hook, revealed at the end of the first volume, is instantly iconic: to date Ramona, Scott must defeat her seven evil exes in combat. When someone loses a fight, they burst into coins. People have extra lives. There are pause menus, XP, and 1-Ups. O’Malley fuses the mundane comedy of young adulthood with the logic of a beat-’em-up, and the result feels completely fresh even two decades on.

The story: romance meets Street Fighter

Volume 1 is mostly setup, and it’s a joy. We meet Scott’s endlessly patient gay roommate Wallace Wells, his bandmates Stephen Stills and Kim Pine, his loyal little sister Stacey, and the sweet, star-struck Knives. The comedy comes from Scott’s cheerful self-absorption — he’s a bit of a jerk, honestly, and the series knows it — colliding with a reality that keeps bending toward the surreal. By the time the first evil ex, Matthew Patel, crashes through the ceiling of a house party demanding a fight, the book has fully earned its absurd premise.

What keeps it grounded is that the emotional stakes are real. Underneath the jokes and the fight scenes, this is a story about baggage — about how everyone you date arrives carrying their past, and how growing up means actually dealing with your own. That tension between goofy fantasy and genuine feeling is why the series endures.

The manga influence

O’Malley draws in a style openly indebted to manga: big expressive eyes, speed lines, chibi-style reaction shots, and a loose, kinetic energy that makes the pages fly by. This is one of the great “OEL” (original English-language) manga-influenced comics, and it’s a big part of why the series reads so quickly and appeals so strongly to readers who grew up on Japanese comics. If you love manga’s visual language but want something set in your own cultural backyard, Scott Pilgrim is a natural fit.

Meet the cast

Scott Pilgrim — 23, unemployed, well-meaning but oblivious; the bassist hero.
Ramona Flowers — the mysterious, ever-changing-hair delivery girl with seven evil exes.
Wallace Wells — Scott’s razor-sharp roommate and the book’s voice of reason.
Knives Chau — the 17-year-old whose crush on Scott gets complicated fast.
Sex Bob-omb — Scott’s band, including the no-nonsense drummer Kim Pine.

The humor and tone

More than anything, Scott Pilgrim is funny. O’Malley’s comic timing is impeccable, whether he’s dropping a video-game caption over a mundane conversation, cutting away for an absurd character-stats box, or letting a joke play out over a wordless panel or two. The humour is affectionate rather than mean, the pop-culture references land without feeling like homework, and the whole thing radiates a warmth that a lot of “ironic” comedy comics lack. It’s a genuinely feel-good read, even as it pokes fun at its own hero.

Content notes

This one’s refreshingly mild. There’s cartoon-style fighting, some mild language, a bit of drinking, and off-page relationships, but nothing graphic. It’s a great pick for teens and up — one of the few “cool” indie comics you can hand to a 14-year-old without a second thought. That accessibility is a big part of its charm.

Pros and cons

Pros

Genuinely, consistently funny
Effortlessly readable — you’ll finish it in one sitting
Perfect for gamers and manga fans
Teen-friendly with real emotional depth

Cons

Volume 1 is mostly setup
Scott himself is deliberately a bit annoying
You will immediately want all six volumes

Black and white or color? Which edition to buy

This is the key decision for a new reader. The series was originally published in six small black-and-white digest paperbacks. Years later, O’Malley and colorist Nathan Fairbairn produced the gorgeous, oversized Color hardcover editions, which recolor the entire series and add bonus material.

Edition	Format	Approx. price	Best for
Original B&W digest, Vol. 1	Small softcover	~US$12	Budget / the original feel
Color Edition, Vol. 1 (HC)	Oversized hardcover	~US$25	The definitive version
Color Odyssey box set	All 6 color hardcovers	~US$130+	Fans committing fully

Our recommendation: if budget allows, the Color hardcovers are the way to go — Fairbairn’s coloring is beautiful and the larger page size flatters O’Malley’s art. The original black-and-white digests are cheaper and totally charming in their own right, so you can’t really go wrong. Either way, this belongs in any collection of the best indie graphic novels.

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The movie and the anime

Scott Pilgrim has been adapted twice, and both are worth your time. Edgar Wright’s 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a hyper-stylised cult classic that crams the whole series into two frantic hours; it’s a blast, though it necessarily flattens a lot of the books. In 2023, Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off anime reunited the film’s cast and went in a surprising, remixed direction that rewards knowing the source. Neither replaces the comics — the books have room to breathe that the adaptations don’t — but both make great companion pieces after you’ve read Volume 1.

Is Scott Pilgrim a good first comic?

It’s one of the best on-ramps there is. It’s cheap, fast, funny, and instantly relatable, with none of the continuity baggage that scares people off superhero books. We regularly recommend it in our best comics for beginners guide for exactly that reason. Gamers, music fans, and anyone who came up on manga will feel at home immediately.

The verdict

Two decades later, Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life still feels vital, funny, and true. It’s a near-perfect distillation of a specific time of life, told in a style that helped define a whole wave of indie comics. Whether you go black-and-white or color, start here — and clear your schedule, because you’ll blow through all six volumes in a week. It’s a standout in our Indie hub and a book we’d happily hand to almost anyone.

Frequently asked questions

How many Scott Pilgrim volumes are there?

Six. The series ran from Precious Little Life (2004) through Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour (2010), and each volume is available individually or bundled in the color hardcover collection.

Should I read Scott Pilgrim in black and white or color?

Both are great. The original digests are cheaper and have a nostalgic charm; the oversized color hardcovers by O’Malley and Nathan Fairbairn are the definitive, best-looking version. If budget allows, we lean color.

Is Scott Pilgrim appropriate for teens?

Yes. It’s one of the more teen-friendly indie comics — expect cartoon violence, mild language, and some drinking, but nothing graphic. It’s a great pick for readers around 13 and up.

Do I need to see the movie or anime first?

Not at all. The comics came first and stand entirely on their own. If anything, read Volume 1 first and enjoy the adaptations as companion pieces afterward.

Looking for more like it? Browse our best indie graphic novels, or start somewhere gentle with our best comics for beginners guide.