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May 22, 2006
Marvel's Greatest Comics: Runaways
For the past three years, I've heard Scott Hinze (Fanboy Radio) rave about Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. I've promptly ignored him until the most recent Fanboy Vaughan interview, when the tenor of Scott's sincerity really got to me. I dove in and started reading Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy
Something about the Runaways artwork just didn't seem like it was aimed at me, with it's youth-appealing Manga overtones. I've overcome that and grown to love Alphona's artwork, which is perfectly suited to teenagers, who never don costumes, by the way. Vaughan's dialogue and Alphona's facial expressions really make me believe that these are children, facing their own worst nightmares. By setting the series in Los Angeles, which is devoid of super-heroes, Vaughan really preserves the kids isolation. Marvel's most famous runaway kids from the past do show up (Cloak and Dagger), and Vaughan's portrayal of these cult heroes is refreshing.
I was worried that when the initial Pride arc was over, that would be it for the Runaways, but Volume 2 is proving to be equally as good. If you've ignored Runaways until now, give it a chance, especially if you're a Buffy, Harry Potter, or Philip Pullman fan. Nuff said.
