Gift Guide: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Holiday Treat

Judging from the paltry box office performance of Edgar Wright's sure-to-be cult classic Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the fan base for the original graphic novel series isn't as big as Universal executives were hoping. That's too bad really; not because it was part of the reason why Wright's film fizzled at the box office, but because it means there are too many people walking around without an in-depth knowledge of Bryan Lee O'Malley's casual brilliance.

O'Malley imbues Scott Pilgrim with a sort of slacker brilliance that even Michael Cera -- he of slacker brilliance -- wasn't able to replicate in the film version. Scott's an idiot, with a wild selfish streak, but like Harry Potter, he grows up as the series progresses. By the close of the books, he's become not just a man, but a man deserving of Ramona's love. Whether or not the movie succeeded in accomplishing that is up for debate, but O'Malley nails the landing with grace and much humor. You can buy O'Malley's six Scott Pilgrim books individually if you want to give them as a gift this holiday season, but think about the stress that comes with having to wrap six tiny graphic novels. Stick with the Precious Little Box Set instead, which features not only all six books, but a Pilgrim poster as well. Fancy! For additional oomph, you can add the Blu-ray special edition of Wright's film to the package, too. Nothing says the holidays like an entitled Toronto hipster.

$45.36 @ Amazon