Book Review: Runaways Vol. 2 by B. Vaughn et al.

Runaways Volume 2: Teenage Wasteland written by Brian K. Vaughn, pencils by Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa, inks by David Newbold and Craig Yeung, colors by Brian Reber and Christina Strain

Review of last issue here.

The six Runaways are settling in to their new hideout but, being teenagers, have trouble planning their next move. Their parents, a group of villains who call themselves the Pride, are searching for the children and have resources in every precinct and media outlet around. The Runaways try to lay low. They go out for some food only to discover the convenience store is being robbed. They save the youngest robber, who claims his parents forced him to do it after they gained superhuman powers in an industrial accident. So naturally the Runaways welcome him into their group. He throws off the group dynamic, especially when he gets romantically involved and has his own character twist. After cleaning up that mess, the Runaways have a run-in with Cloak and Dagger, two teenaged superheroes from New York City. Cloak and Dagger have been brought in by the LAPD to help find the kids, though they are being manipulated by the Pride in order to get their kids back, safely if possible. More action and comedy ensue.

I was surprised to see how quickly this series turned into a "problem of the month" narrative. Only slim hints point to the bigger story arc where the Runaways actually deal with their parents. Even so, the writing is witty and the characters are fun.

Recommended.

Book Review: Runaways Vol. 1: Pride & Joy by B. Vaughn et al.

 Runaways Volume 1: Pride & Joy written by Brian K. Vaughn, pencils by Adrian Alphona, inks by David Newbold and Craig Yeung, colors by Brian Reber

Six teen-age kids get together once a year when their parents have a secret meeting about their charitable activities. They all live in Los Angeles and have no other connections to each other. Alex, whose parents are hosting the event, has recently discovered secret passageways in the house. He convinces the other kids to spy on the secret meeting, though everyone thinks it will probably be boring. Once they get to the one-way mirror looking down into the locked library, they make a shocking discovery. Their parents are a group called The Pride and they are just about to sacrifice a teenage girl as part of their annual ritual. One kid shouts and the rest panic. They barely make it back to where they were supposed to be when some of the parents come to check on them. The kids feign innocence. They meet up later to decide what to do about it. Soon enough they are on the run from their parents, who also have moles in the local police and media. Going public is no help to the children. Things look pretty bleak.

On the other hand, the children do have undiscovered superpowers or technology that lets them fight against their parents. Another of the kids, Chase, knows a secret cave where a hotel sunk into the ground during an earthquake. That's their new lair where they plan how to undo the damage their parents have done and right the wrongs in the world, etc.

The premise is very interesting and full of promise. Author Vaughn delivers fun characters in an intriguing storyline. The kids' dialog is laced with lots of hip and up-to-the-minute references, but it was originally published in 2003, so it reads slightly dated. Still, it's fun and I'm certainly old enough to know what they are talking about. I originally read this series about ten years ago and am thoroughly enjoying a revisit.

There's a television series on Hulu which I would watch if we were subscribers.

Recommended.