Breakout Cartoonists: Bryan Lee O’Malley

Our Top Indie Cartoonists to Watch For in 2008: Keeping true to our “Anti-Superheroes in Tights” mood at fanboy, we took a look back at the comic books and graphic novels that caught our eye:

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, by Bryan Lee O’Malley

OK, this series has received it’s fair share of hype, but in case anyone has missed it, there’s a forth Scott Pilgrim book out and it may easily be one of my favorite releases for 2007.

In a nutshell, Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series is about a sort of aimless 23 year old Canadian guy who plays in a local band called Sex Ba-bomb, and falls for a mysterious American ninja delivery girl named Ramona Flowers. Probably because she gets into his head-literally-while traveling through sub-space. In order to date her, Scott must defeat her seven evil exes, which might be seen as a metaphor for the baggage people bring into a new relationship except there are literal explosive and hilarious fights with each ex encounter. Meanwhile everything is implied from this all being a giant video game to Ramona not being the oh-so cool chick she seems, but only enough so to keep readers hanging on for the next volume.

Vol 4. presents along with more of the same action/comedy readers have come to expect, a bit of a maturation process on Scott’s part (and possibly Ramona’s)., as he deals with the likes of getting a job and dealing with his relationship at a more advanced level than previously seen.

Jenny Gonzalez is a New York City cartoonist and punk rock singer. You can see her stuff at jennydevildoll.com.