This was possibly the most heartbreakingly perfect ending to my favourite graphic novel series of all time. Over the last few years the Scott Pilgrim series has demonstrated, time and time again, the genius of the comic book medium and how it can be manipulated to tell an emotional story with quirky, over-the-top action, in a kind-of on-page video game.

This book featured some of the best action scenes in the series. The final battle between Scott and the final evil ex-boyfriend, Gideon, was a multi-layered series of intense set pieces that feel so much like a boss battle in a video game that the upcoming film (and video game) will struggle to be this epic. Meanwhile, the other principal fight in the tale was excellent, if a little obvious.

At the end of the day, though, this is truly a relationship book, and the relationship between Scott and Ramona is incredibly complex, but ultimately an example of how two people are unconditionally drawn to one another. There is also a nice bit of examination regarding the nature of Scott’s relationships with his previous girlfriends: Envy, Kim and Knives.

The character beats are what makes this a true work of genius, though. Bryan Lee O’Malley has crafted a story of people and place that uses constant comedy from Scott and the supporting characters to achieve some truly unforgettable moments (one in particular involving Scott’s desperate search for “casual sex”). There’s some nice character moments that generate plot twists, as well, particularly the nature of one supporting character whose relationships have been in a kind of limbo since the series’ inception.

There has been lots of talk about the ending of the book. I won’t spoil it, but I found it to be a truly sombre piece of storytelling; the perfect capper to the series, and a visual delight that genuinely brought a tear to my eye. In retrospect, despite all the speculation, and no matter how much some people will complain, it was the only logical ending for the series. And coming from a series that has strived to base it’s premise in a world that is utterly illogical, that is, perhaps, the most surprising thing of all.