Created by Brain K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.
With assists by Takashi Miyazawa, Mike Norton and Skottie Young, Christina Strain, and Jo Chen.
Published by Marvel comics
When Brian K. Vaughan and Marvel Comics launched Runaways back in 2003, it had everything going against it. It had all new characters without a link to anything in an existing line to play off from, it was a book that Marvel aimed to sell to the ever elusive new/younger reader market, it launched next to a glut of titles that attempted to remake old concepts as new hits, it had teenagers as the protagonists and it committed the cardinal sin of a Marvel comic: it did not take place in the New York Tri State area. What this series has done over the last four plus years is deliver a comic book about kids, for today’s kids and kids at heart with more thrills, humor and personality that most comics have done in decades. What Brian Vaughan, Adrian Alphona and company bring to the table is a series that shows the old Marvel universe, and comics in general, that there are new rules to be written and broken even in this day and age. This is the Marvel book of the new millennium. It stands proudly with the rest of the company’s line, yet it is defiantly funky and whimsically happy in its own worldview; a worldview that has made it the great series it is today.
The concept of Runaways is extremely simple: Kids always think that their parents are evil, so what would happen if their parents really were, capital E, Evil. The series starts with the introduction of six characters: Alex the brain; Chase the jock; Nico the Goth; Karolina the hippy; Gertrude the responsible one; Molly the 11 year old. These six teens find out the terrible truth when a human sacrifice is performed in Alex’s parent’s basement. It turns out that these six kids parents are the members of The Pride, the premier super villain organization in Los Angeles.
What makes them scary is that the Los Angeles of The Marvel universe has no heroes until these six kids step up to stop them. As the story progresses the characters find out what makes them special, and sometimes in contrary ways. Chase, the jock, inherits his parents high tech tools and yet is so clueless about them outside of making them work, Gertrude has a telepathic dinosaur from her time traveler parents, Alex is as smart as his parents, but still views life like a child, Molly the youngest of the six also happens to be a super strong, super tough, and ultra adorable mutant, Nico discovers that she is a witch that only has powers if she bleeds and Karolina is an energy being from outer space who has issues with being told what to do. The abilities and skills of each of the original six, as well as the additions to the cast, is contrary to their personalities and it is actually fun to see Vaughan and Alphona run with the notion that their gifts do not define them as people.
The first 18 issues of Runaways cover the grand plot of the Runaways cast battling, outwitting and bonding as friends, while scared for their lives and innocence. When the final confrontation occurs, a lie is unveiled, truths are revealed, and somehow it ends in a manner that opens the door for more stories but without the trappings of the parents being the eternal boogieman. By resolving the threat with finality, a sense of freedom allows Runaways to go past the original concept and allows for seeing these characters be funny, grow, and even die. Runaways as a series displayed in full view the notion that the unexpected can really happen and the first 18 issues detail that proudly.
The next 24 issues cover newer ground by adding two new characters with links to the bigger Marvel universe. Victor Mancha, the son of the killer robot Ultron, and Xavin an alien from the Skrull empire, who is a Super Skrull in training and betrothed to Karolina by her dead parents. This gives the book a context of playing in a shared sandbox, but the new additions are engaging characters in their own right and add a fresh view point.
The one thought that has kept Runaways fresh is that adults do not have the kids best interest in mind even though they think they do. So whenever the Runaways encounter an adult superhero, things tend to be comical. Molly’s crush on, and fight with, Wolverine is flat out funny. The obligatory X-Men appearance is over the top silly fun. The Gertrude and Spider Man interaction is heartwarming and Iron Man is always a jerk. So in a loving way Vaughan, Alphona and Company say to Marvel that as much as we are part of the same world; your view is not ours.
Brian K Vaughan and the creators of Runaways have developed a book where everything is new. The title’s success as Marvel’s only new concept of the 21st century is a testament to its individuality, and to the perseverance of its fans and creators. Runaways in the hands of Vaughan and company delivered a unique series because it’s something new. It also provides a sense of identity and personality to every character, which instead of meeting stereotypes about youth defy expectation and build characters and situations that are believable and unexpected.
This is due to the talents of writer Brian K Vaughan and primary artist Adrian Alphona. Vaughan brings the story a humanity and relatability of a creator who remembers how life could be like through the eyes of children. He is also more than willing to remove his favorite aspects and characters, not to be arbitrary but because Vaughan’s expectations of his craft demand that the audience, and he himself, see what would happen next to his cast. The choice of actions may not always be conventional, but it displays a sense of growth in each character in every action they make.
Runaways could have been horribly mishandled if it did not have the artistic talent that was involved in this initial run. Adrian Alphona, the principal artist on the series, is not a fancy stylist, but what he contributes is a naturalism based on making the fantastic mundane and making the mundane heartbreaking. Alphona’s strength in character design is such that every character has a distinct appearance, and one that fits their personality. His art is assisted by colorist Christina Strain who uses color to set mood, place, and even advance narrative in a manner that helps carry the entire book. Runaways looks bright and shiny in one page, natural in another, and dark and imposing on a third; and it all contributes to the story.
The guest artists, Takashi Miyazawa, and Mike Norton pull off a wonderful chameleon act with their fill in appearances. Norton blends his work to make it credibly similar to Alphona’s style, while Miyazawa does not change style, but carries the spirit of the characters beautifully and compliments Alphona in a manner that makes the differences barely noticeable. The free Comic Book day story brings a Runaways/X-Men confrontation to the fore, and the art by Skottie Young makes everyone recognizable while still allowing the Runaways to shine as the stars.
As of now Vaughan and Alphona have left Runaways for different avenues, but in their departure from the series they give comics a whole new gift of characters and stories that could not be written until now. Runaways keeps to the intellectual tradition of its publisher, yet refuses to play to the bad habits and lazy expectations sometimes associated with it. It makes the reader laugh, cry and care; and great art whatever the age of the reader should do this. Runaways as a whole tale in 42 parts succeed fantastically on every level.
- Francis Davis a career drunk with a love of comics and movies, lives in and works for the City of Chicago. Confidentiality agreements prevent him from saying exactly what he does, but it is important.