Runaways, Volume 2: Teenage Wasteland

You know why I love graphic novels (beyond the fast read)...just about ANYTHING can happen in a graphic novel/comic. There are no boundaries in the pages of a graphic novel. Vampires? Check. Evil super-villians? Check. Corrupt media and police force? Check. Mysterious superheroes that got their powers via evil drug experiments? Check. I'm waiting to see just what new over the top thing happens in this story. ( )

I love everything Marvel. The storylines are incredible! They have everything you could want: action, adventure, comedy, romance, political intrigue, allegories, metaphors, etc. Some stories drag, some end too soon. ( )

Summary: After fleeing from their parents, who are members of an evil league of supervillains known as The Pride, our group of six kids (and their pet velociraptor) have been hiding out in an old cave. When they leave to make a grocery store run, they come across Topher, another teen with (actually legitimately) evil and superpowered parents. They invite him back to their cave, but bringing a stranger into the mix upsets the status quo in more ways than one. Meanwhile, the Pride-controlled police department has contacted Cloak & Dagger, a duo of superheroes, as a means of finding the runaways kids and returning them to their parents.

Review: Good stuff. The kids are learning to deal with each other and their new status as outlaws, as well as to use their powers, all of which is interesting to watch, and handled with a nice mix of compassion and humor (I particularly got a chuckle out of Nico accidentally unleashing a flock of pelicans at a convenience store.) The twists and turns in the story are done pretty effectively; at one point I actually yelled "...WHAT?!?" upon turning a page. Finally, I really enjoyed the Cloak & Dagger storyline. Apparently, they're pre-existing Marvel characters, but the fact that I didn't know their background wasn't a hindrance; and their dynamic, plus the way they interacted with the kids, was all really fun to read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Volume 2 continues in the vein set by Volume 1: action-packed, fast-paced, and funny, with teen superheroes who still feel like real teens. ( )

I've read six digest volumes of the Brian K. Vaughn-created comics series Runaways thus far, and will here consider them as one book. I deserve credit, yo!

The basic premise of Runaways is that a bunch of teens discover that 1) their parents are members of a superpowered league of evil, and 2) they themselves have superpowers. The kids run away (hotly pursued by the 'rents) and swear to right the karmic balance by fighting bad guys of all kinds.

It's a simple premise -- sort of like the Teen Titans, without costumes -- and it works pretty well because Vaughn's adolescent characters are (emotionally) realistic. They bicker and act like brats just as often as they battle the forces of eeeeeevil. And it's neat to see how their powers are just extensions of their personalities. The moody goth chick can do magic, but only after she cuts herself; the gay chick feels like an alien, and hey, she IS an alien.

As a whole, Runaways has the feel of a Joss Whedon creation, so it's no surprise that the maker of Buffy has taken a turn writing the series...can't wait to see those issues.

The group meets another teen with evil parents, who turns out to be a vampire. Cloak and Dagger are sent after the kids.
Collects Runaways #7-12. ( )