The Best Graphic Novels to Read After Scott Pilgrim | Wealth of Geeks

The arrival of Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has inspired many to go back and reread the original graphic novel series. But what happens when the reader reaches the end and wants more? We’re here to solve that problem. Enjoy a list of comics to read after Scott Pilgrim filled with loser protagonists, young adult love, and snowy settings.

1. Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley

This first follow-up to Scott Pilgrim decided to go big by coming in full color. The coloring by Nathan Fairbairn compliments O’Malley’s style perfectly as the story follows Katie Clay, a chef who discovers magical wish-granting mushrooms. Do we even have to say it? “Be careful what you wish for.” Much shorter and self-contained than Scott Pilgrim, Seconds can, and should, be gobbled up in a single sitting.

2. Solanin by Inio Asano

Solanin takes place in Japan, which could be considered almost as exotic as Scott Pilgrim’s Canada. This manga from the creator of Goodnight Punpun fits right next to Scott Pilgrim with its tales of the boredom of 20-something slacker musicians. The couple Meiko and Taneda have grown sick of their meager, directionless lives and decide to throw everything they have into escaping their monotonous existence in favor of finding true passion.

3. It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood

This comic easily earns the title of the most experimental book on the list. Zoe Thorogood uses ever-shifting art styles and narrative structures to deliver the narrative of her own life. She talks through her depression, attempts to reunite a lost pet with its owner, and recounts the personal and professional effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on her. She’s been called “the future of comics” for a very good reason.

4. Ducks by Kate Beaton

We wouldn’t dream of writing a list like this without including another black-and-white comic set in Canada. Kate Beaton’s autobiographical graphic novel portrays the years she worked in the Alberta oil fields to pay off her student debt. It juxtaposes Kate Beaton’s playful cartooning style with the isolating reality of living in a frigid mini-society separated from the rest of the world.

5. Julian in Purgatory by Jon Allen

Scott’s supposed to be a jerk, but he looks like every woman’s dream compared to Julian. After burning his very last bridge, he has nowhere to go but down. It takes a brush with death for Julian to realize that the life he threw away was worth more than one last score.

6. Blankets by Craig Thompson

The autobiographical Blankets tells the story of growing up, young love, and evolving religious beliefs with all the sweetness and sadness accompanying them. Also, the author draws a scene from when he and his younger brother had a pee fight. Indeed, the entire spectrum of the human experience dwells in this comic.

7. Lucky Penny by Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota

Finally, a comic with a bigger loser than Scott. Penny lives in a rental storage locker, has a child for a boss, and must suffer the presence of all of the hot ex-girlfriends who orbit her crush. But don’t worry; once she finishes beating up a middle school girl, everything will work out.

8. I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly

Barbara kills giants. To protect her town, she uses her trusty warhammer dubbed Coveleski (named after the Phillies pitcher) to smash these humongous monsters into dust. But in truth, Barbara creates these fantasies to protect herself from the real monsters in her life: her mother’s impending death and her status as a social outcast.

9. Lost At Sea by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Teenage girl Raleigh doesn’t have a soul because a cat stole it. That’s her side of the story, anyway. She just finished visiting her long-distance lover and managed to hitch a ride with some schoolmates for the drive from America back to their home in Canada. This story exudes a much more subdued tone than Bryan Lee O’Malley’s later works and leans heavier on emotional introspection than goofy and irreverent comedy. However, BLOM fans should still check it out regardless to see the artist as he existed before his greatest hit.

10. Girl Juice by Benji Nate

What if someone took all the action and drama points out of Scott Pilgrim and dumped them all into comedy? See also: Girl Juice. The book collects pages of the webcomic of the same name that follows the exploits of a house full of 20-something women. Read it for hijinks like accidentally shooting someone on a camping trip or wildly misunderstanding what “adult prom” means.

11. 920London by Remy Boydell

For those craving another complicated relationship after reading about Scott and Ramona, give 920London a try. Kiki Curbstomp and Hana Venom used to date, but not anymore. But that doesn’t mean either of them has moved on. They stay glued together regardless of how much they hurt each other. They dream of fame in America and homegrown magic mushrooms as they try to figure out how to move forward in life.

12. Welcome to the NHK by Tatsuhiko Takimoto

Scott Pilgrim may be a loser, but at least he goes outside. The same can hardly be said for the 22-year-old Tatsuhiro Sato. He’s spent the last few years of his life as a hikikomori, a shut-in who only leaves his apartment and has social interaction at the bare minimum. But when a mysterious girl enters his life, claiming to be able to cure him, he starts taking the first steps to reentering society.

13. Snotgirl by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung

Welcome to the life of Lottie, a fashion blogger and social media influencer living the life of young millennial fame in sunny Los Angeles. But she’s nowhere near as perfect as her Instagram account makes it appear. Things get weird when she starts a mysterious new allergy medication and meets her new girlfriend, “Cool Girl.” She starts having blackouts, horrible accidents happen around her, and it starts to become clear that Lottie has been put in the middle of something sinister and much bigger than herself.