Scott Pilgrim, Volume 3 by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Seconds isn't overly derivative of any particular work, although there is a certain amount of predictability to the plot. It's an interesting premise with shades of Death Note (a book bestows a powerful ability so long as the owner follows a set of arbitrary rules) and movies like The Butterfly Effect or books like 11/22/63 (abuse of time travel causes the world to spiral out of control). And while she initially uses that ability to make simple, relatively harmless changes, it isn't long before Katie's world begins to unravel as she reaches back years and tries to undo mistakes that hinder her quest to become a successful business owner in the present. Suddenly, Katie finds herself in possession of a godlike ability to rewrite the past on a whim. And those qualities quickly become Katie's undoing when she encounters Kris, a peculiar 'house spirit' who dwells within Seconds and shows Katie a way to wipe away the mistakes of her past. For all her drive, Katie is immature, sometimes oblivious, and prone to bouts of reckless behavior (like sleeping with the same chef she's grooming to replace her). But there are similarities between the two characters as well. She's the head chef in a popular restaurant called Seconds, and as the story opens, Katie is well on her way to opening her own restaurant and moving up in the world. Where he was a self-absorbed, video game-obsessed slacker with dreams of being a rock star, Seconds' Katie is successful, ambitious, and generally respected by her peers. The star of protagonist could be viewed as the anti-Scott in many ways. So while it's a very different kind of graphic novel from the Scott Pilgrim books or Lost at Sea, O'Malley fanatics will feel right at home with Seconds.

It showcases an artist maturing in his visual style and mode of storytelling without losing any of the charm or whimsy that made the Scott Pilgrim series stand out. Seconds is appropriately titled, because it's both a story about second chances and a chance for O'Malley to launch the next phase of his artistic career.

Scott Pilgrim, Volume 3 by Bryan Lee O'Malley