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Runaways (2003-2009) (Collected Editions)
Runaways, Vol. 8: Dead End Kids
The kids start running in a different direction. The Runaways take off for the Big Apple. While there, they make surprising allies and even more surprising enemies with a journey through time. Plus, what happens when the teens meet...the Punisher!?
Collects Runaways #25-30.
Collects Runaways #25-30.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published July 23, 2008
About the author
Joss Whedon
741 books4,403 followersJoss Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon) is an American screenwriter, executive producer, film and television director, comic book writer, occasional composer, and actor, and the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures.
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009–2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Whedon
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009–2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Whedon
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
September 29, 2008
I would have liked this more if Joss Whedon's name on the cover had been larger.
August 20, 2020
Oh to be Brian K Vaughan in 2007, he's created and nurtured this pretty cool young adult Marvel series, and lo and behold Joss Whedon gets to write /take over your series... but wait-a-minute, Whedon writes the character's well, and created a whole new historic reality and brought in Kingpin and Punisher... but even with all that, it ain't as good as Brian's work. -blows raspberry-. 7 out of 12.
February 26, 2019
Joss Whedon comes on board to write the last arc of the series. It's a darker tone as the Runaways head to New York and make a deal with the Kingpin. It's a little rough around the edges at first but after the first issue Whedon gets a handle on the characters. Whedon sets up Terry Moore's run by bringing in some new members and shaking up some of the relationships. I like Michael Ryan's turn on art. He has a heavier, darker line and use of shadow but still manages a detailed, organic look.
February 4, 2019
It takes him a couple of issues to find his feet but, ultimately, Joss Whedon proves he could’ve been a worthy successor to BKV on the Runaways. A shame he only stuck around for six issues, really.
Michael Ryan’s artwork is very nice, too.
Michael Ryan’s artwork is very nice, too.
June 28, 2016
Ok, i need to say two things about this volumen, first...I love the covers, i mean look this
(This is my favorite)
The second is about the history...Well i like the story, in fact have really great things (time traveling, new characters, change of place) but, i think that something of the essence is missing, I can't say what, but something isn't working for me. Even more I like what JW does with Chase, is less silly and more interesting, but I in the fact that he uses Gert for this history.
The first issue didn't catch me, they just appeared in NY with no reason and no explain what happen between the vol 7 end, with Iron man in the forth, and vol 8 beginning. When they meet The Punisher is really funny but in a "pancake humor" not in an intelligent humor and this joke is way too long (it happens in the 2nd. issue and, at the end of the last issue this joke still was running).
Maybe i'm too fan of BKV work and for that isn't as great for me, but if you like Whedon, and don't fall in love with the history in the beginning, you maybe wanna read this, you be able to enjoy it.
(This is my favorite)The second is about the history...Well i like the story, in fact have really great things (time traveling, new characters, change of place) but, i think that something of the essence is missing, I can't say what, but something isn't working for me. Even more I like what JW does with Chase, is less silly and more interesting, but I in the fact that he uses Gert for this history.
The first issue didn't catch me, they just appeared in NY with no reason and no explain what happen between the vol 7 end, with Iron man in the forth, and vol 8 beginning. When they meet The Punisher is really funny but in a "pancake humor" not in an intelligent humor and this joke is way too long (it happens in the 2nd. issue and, at the end of the last issue this joke still was running).
Maybe i'm too fan of BKV work and for that isn't as great for me, but if you like Whedon, and don't fall in love with the history in the beginning, you maybe wanna read this, you be able to enjoy it.
December 26, 2013
So Brian K Vaughan left his creation The Runaways to concentrate on other writing work not in Marvel but before he left, he endorsed to the one man he trusted his babies with, Joss Whedon.
It was great that Marvel and Whedon were able to hammer out the details to allow him to work on Runaways despite his heavy workload. Michael Ryan was drafted to provide art and Jo Chen was retained to produce her magnificent covers.
I really liked how Whedon managed to maintain BKV's vision for the characters while adding his own contribution to the mythos. Taking the kids out of their comfort zones, space and time wise, was inspired. Whedon added new characters of his own, sort of a early 20th Century superfolks called "Wonders".
Still, I think there was something missing. Six issues were too short and I have feeling that Whedon could have done more with the characters. Despite that, this is a great collection of post-BKV Runaways that deserve to be on the shelf along with your other Runaways trades.
It was great that Marvel and Whedon were able to hammer out the details to allow him to work on Runaways despite his heavy workload. Michael Ryan was drafted to provide art and Jo Chen was retained to produce her magnificent covers.
I really liked how Whedon managed to maintain BKV's vision for the characters while adding his own contribution to the mythos. Taking the kids out of their comfort zones, space and time wise, was inspired. Whedon added new characters of his own, sort of a early 20th Century superfolks called "Wonders".
Still, I think there was something missing. Six issues were too short and I have feeling that Whedon could have done more with the characters. Despite that, this is a great collection of post-BKV Runaways that deserve to be on the shelf along with your other Runaways trades.
January 22, 2009
Um. Was only okay. Joss definitely has the kids' dialogue and personalities down - but boy was there WAY, WAY too much going on in this story! Dozens of new characters allied in multiple factions, at least two time periods, a largely extraneous first act.... You kind of get the feeling that the story was something Joss had thought up separately and then shoehorned the Runaways into as simply an excuse to tell it.
Not *bad* per se, but ... weirdly confusing.
Not *bad* per se, but ... weirdly confusing.
June 25, 2013
If you're jumping into Runways just because of Joss Whedon do yourself a favor and stop, go back and start with book one. It's worth it. Discover Brian K. Vaughan. He's a wonderful writer and this is a great series. Heck, Joss Whedon took over writing because he was a fan of Runaways!
I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I wish Whedon hadn't taken over writing Runaways. There was just something off about the story and the characters. I can't put my finger on it.
The story was a little all over the place (ah, kind of literally since it involves time travel) and starts off randomly with the gang in New York talking to the Kingpin. Why are the kids in the New York when they're on the run from super heroes? There has got to be a thousand other cities they could have gone to instead. And why is Chase freaking out about She Hulk? The only other time the kids were in New York Chase was the one who told Nico to be cool and not freak out about She Hulk.
*Shrugs*
Mostly I just miss Brian K. Vaughan.
I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I wish Whedon hadn't taken over writing Runaways. There was just something off about the story and the characters. I can't put my finger on it.
The story was a little all over the place (ah, kind of literally since it involves time travel) and starts off randomly with the gang in New York talking to the Kingpin. Why are the kids in the New York when they're on the run from super heroes? There has got to be a thousand other cities they could have gone to instead. And why is Chase freaking out about She Hulk? The only other time the kids were in New York Chase was the one who told Nico to be cool and not freak out about She Hulk.
*Shrugs*
Mostly I just miss Brian K. Vaughan.
December 30, 2012
Just now read this, wanted to see what Joss Whedon would do with Brian Vaughn's series, as I see them as the two best writers in this kinda stuff alive. I had just read Fray (after all these years of it being out there) but this is better, crisper, with the sort of on-fire imagination brings to transform a project. We go back in time in this series (think: steampunk fashion and tech, okay, so hip...) But I liked it a lot. Entertaining series, with a twist, for teens.
December 11, 2019
Meh. It wasn't a beginning, and it wasn't an ending. It wasn't even a continuation of volume 7, really; in between there were Civil War crossover mini-series issues, of which there is no mention either at the end of volume 7 of the start of volume 8, leaving many readers to wonder what the heck happened after Iron Man and a bunch of riot police nabbed the kids in their lair at the end of the prior issue, and why the kids are in New York negotiating with the Kingpin at the beginning of this one. Not to mention, the cliffhanger of that does not seem to be picked up anywhere, not even in the further volumes of Runaways after the series restarts with a new issue #1... damn but it would have been exhausting to keep track of this storyline when it was live in the late 00's.
At least this volume contains a somewhat coherent story, as Joss Whedon picks up the writing mantle for these "final" 6 issues. The basic premise is that power players are always at war over New York and it is a war that can never be won. The Kingpin knows this, but to prove it to the Runaways? to the reader? our undereducated teens go back in time. A horrendously over-large number of powered characters are invented, do very little, and a big brawl of forgettable characters ensues. This mess doesn't offer the Runaways any character development, other than to mess up an unimportant romantic relationship and give Chase some new tech.
Overall this series has severely underwhelmed me. I guess that Brian Vaughan's work is not quite all solid gold; again I blame the constraints of Marvel publishing foremost, as we know what Vaughan is capable with when has complete freedom. I have no interest in reading the further adventures of this lacklustre "teen drama" series, but I fear that I will find myself reading the current Rainbow Rowell-penned sequel series in the future.
At least this volume contains a somewhat coherent story, as Joss Whedon picks up the writing mantle for these "final" 6 issues. The basic premise is that power players are always at war over New York and it is a war that can never be won. The Kingpin knows this, but to prove it to the Runaways? to the reader? our undereducated teens go back in time. A horrendously over-large number of powered characters are invented, do very little, and a big brawl of forgettable characters ensues. This mess doesn't offer the Runaways any character development, other than to mess up an unimportant romantic relationship and give Chase some new tech.
Overall this series has severely underwhelmed me. I guess that Brian Vaughan's work is not quite all solid gold; again I blame the constraints of Marvel publishing foremost, as we know what Vaughan is capable with when has complete freedom. I have no interest in reading the further adventures of this lacklustre "teen drama" series, but I fear that I will find myself reading the current Rainbow Rowell-penned sequel series in the future.
August 12, 2013
Something is missing here. The previous volume ended with Iron man standing in the Runaways' hideout in LA. This one opens with them trying to hide out in New York City. Something happened between one issue and the next. Crossover event? Probably. Sigh.
It isn't really necessary to know what happened there to understand the story here, thank goodness. One of the best things that I can say about Whedon taking on the book is that he writes the characters in almost exactly the same way that Vaughan had. They all sound pretty much the same. On one hand, that's good, because it's far less jarring to jump from one book to the next. On the other hand, I would like it if somebody would remember that Molly is actually eleven and write her accordingly.
The time travel storyline actually works fairly well. It's cohesive, different, and interesting. And time travel has been a background part of Runaways from the very beginning, without ever being used. So it was about time that somebody did. The new characters introduced (Klara and Lillie) were interesting enough in their own rights, as well as for the story possibilites they unlock. I wish both of them were going to be in the book in the future, but that wasn't meant to be.
Overall, this is one of the better volumes of Runaways that I've read, at least as good as the first volume.
It isn't really necessary to know what happened there to understand the story here, thank goodness. One of the best things that I can say about Whedon taking on the book is that he writes the characters in almost exactly the same way that Vaughan had. They all sound pretty much the same. On one hand, that's good, because it's far less jarring to jump from one book to the next. On the other hand, I would like it if somebody would remember that Molly is actually eleven and write her accordingly.
The time travel storyline actually works fairly well. It's cohesive, different, and interesting. And time travel has been a background part of Runaways from the very beginning, without ever being used. So it was about time that somebody did. The new characters introduced (Klara and Lillie) were interesting enough in their own rights, as well as for the story possibilites they unlock. I wish both of them were going to be in the book in the future, but that wasn't meant to be.
Overall, this is one of the better volumes of Runaways that I've read, at least as good as the first volume.
September 3, 2011
I am one of these annoying people who only picked this up because it was written by Joss Whedon. I'm also a (queer, feminist, disgruntled) comics fan, and completely confused as to how I never heard of this title until Whedon wrote an arch of it.
If you're here because you're a Whedon fan, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It has all of his hallmarks: funny quotable dialogue, a complex but tight-knit plot, cultural references that make you feel smart (Yellow Kid as a turn of the century superhero was particularly charming), and lovers whose love is so lovely that (spoiler) it's a wonder that they only end up living meaningless lives full of regret and don't die horribly in each other's arms.
But, listen, if you're just a Whedon fan and you dislike comics or whatever, you're missing something. Part of what I really appreciated about the Runaways was that it felt like this team was created with people like me in mind - people romanced by superheroes kids, but sick to death of of melodramatic straight white people with perfect bodies stuffed into improbable costumes. I love entering the Marvel universe from the vantage point of this group of kids. I hope to see more of this series soon.
If you're here because you're a Whedon fan, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It has all of his hallmarks: funny quotable dialogue, a complex but tight-knit plot, cultural references that make you feel smart (Yellow Kid as a turn of the century superhero was particularly charming), and lovers whose love is so lovely that (spoiler) it's a wonder that they only end up living meaningless lives full of regret and don't die horribly in each other's arms.
But, listen, if you're just a Whedon fan and you dislike comics or whatever, you're missing something. Part of what I really appreciated about the Runaways was that it felt like this team was created with people like me in mind - people romanced by superheroes kids, but sick to death of of melodramatic straight white people with perfect bodies stuffed into improbable costumes. I love entering the Marvel universe from the vantage point of this group of kids. I hope to see more of this series soon.
June 20, 2018
I hate Joss Whedon. He ruins everything he touches. This plot didn't make any sense, it ignored the storyline that happened before it. It introduced new characters that were meaningless and had so much going on I had no idea what was happening. All the time travel (done incorrectly) and the different gangs with vaguely offensive names didn't help. The Runaways that Brian K. Vaughan created would NEVER work for the Kingpin. Victor wouldn't cheat on Nico and the girls wouldn't call another girl a hoe, like they did in this story. Joss proclaims to be a feminist, when this story has a vixen/siren character where her only appeal is her sex power, the girls attacking each other over who they're sleeping with and name calling/slut-shaming, and child abuse from the past with a child married to an older man. I hate this. Joss Whedon can suck my big toe.
September 17, 2019
Whedon why do you have to write so... Whedon-y?
March 22, 2020
The first Marvel comic I ever collected was Runaways by Brian K Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, which was a terrific teenage team-up that gives a unique perspective to the Marvel universe. Considering that Brian K. Vaughan is known for his creator-owned work, the super-powered runaway teenagers always felt they belong to him as well as the aforementioned artist, despite being part of Marvel and thus their adventures will continue through the hands of other writers and artists. Following the departure of the two creators, Buffy creator Joss Whedon (no stranger to Marvel Comics) and artist Michael Ryan put their own spin on these characters.
After defeating their evil parents, rebellious teens Nico, Chase, Molly, Karolina, Victor and Xavin continue the title of The Pride, with the chance of doing good as oppose to their predecessors. During their time in New York, they forge an uneasy alliance with the Kingpin, placing them on a collision course with the killer vigilante. This ensuing disaster suddenly takes the Runaways a hundred years in the past where New York is the home of child labour, quaint technology and competing gangs of super-folk known as "Wonders."
Given his fondness of the original run, it would make sense for Joss Whedon to write Runaways as the title meshes well with what he has explored in his own work, from his television shows to his run on Astonishing X-Men. Taking BKV's premise of an ensemble piece about young outsiders who happened to have superpowers, Whedon embraces this as he nails the characterisation of these youthful heroes, who may bicker at each other and insult by referencing pop culture, they are a family through their strong friendship. Whedon finds a different dynamic in the various interactions within the titular group and thus the soap opera is more interesting than the plot itself.
As for the plot itself, this is where the book fails. As compelling as the characters are, they get lost within the many obstacles from the threatening New Yorkers, the Kingpin and the Punisher that don't really pose a threat, but does allow the latter getting punched in the stomach by the scene-stealing Molly. What could've been a fun time-travelling adventure for the Runaways as it does evoke the Butterfly Effect, Whedon doesn't take advantage on this premise as he is juggling all these new characters that explore an interesting idea about what the super-powered people were doing during the turn of the century, but six issues are not enough to give the full development of these elements, thus becoming a muddled mess.
The best thing about Dead End Kids is the art by Michael Ryan, who presents a fresh look on the Runaways. Incredibly detailed in both characters and settings, Ryan's work is a thing of beauty, especially when he is illustrating Karolina's glowing powers and the period clothing. In terms of the action, there are some great visuals, not least in the epic splash page in the penultimate issue where all the Wonders are battling each other in the street.
Having worshipped a lot from Joss Whedon, I found his only outing in the Runaways title to be a disappointing one that juggles way too many characters that get lost in the plot mechanics.
After defeating their evil parents, rebellious teens Nico, Chase, Molly, Karolina, Victor and Xavin continue the title of The Pride, with the chance of doing good as oppose to their predecessors. During their time in New York, they forge an uneasy alliance with the Kingpin, placing them on a collision course with the killer vigilante. This ensuing disaster suddenly takes the Runaways a hundred years in the past where New York is the home of child labour, quaint technology and competing gangs of super-folk known as "Wonders."
Given his fondness of the original run, it would make sense for Joss Whedon to write Runaways as the title meshes well with what he has explored in his own work, from his television shows to his run on Astonishing X-Men. Taking BKV's premise of an ensemble piece about young outsiders who happened to have superpowers, Whedon embraces this as he nails the characterisation of these youthful heroes, who may bicker at each other and insult by referencing pop culture, they are a family through their strong friendship. Whedon finds a different dynamic in the various interactions within the titular group and thus the soap opera is more interesting than the plot itself.
As for the plot itself, this is where the book fails. As compelling as the characters are, they get lost within the many obstacles from the threatening New Yorkers, the Kingpin and the Punisher that don't really pose a threat, but does allow the latter getting punched in the stomach by the scene-stealing Molly. What could've been a fun time-travelling adventure for the Runaways as it does evoke the Butterfly Effect, Whedon doesn't take advantage on this premise as he is juggling all these new characters that explore an interesting idea about what the super-powered people were doing during the turn of the century, but six issues are not enough to give the full development of these elements, thus becoming a muddled mess.
The best thing about Dead End Kids is the art by Michael Ryan, who presents a fresh look on the Runaways. Incredibly detailed in both characters and settings, Ryan's work is a thing of beauty, especially when he is illustrating Karolina's glowing powers and the period clothing. In terms of the action, there are some great visuals, not least in the epic splash page in the penultimate issue where all the Wonders are battling each other in the street.
Having worshipped a lot from Joss Whedon, I found his only outing in the Runaways title to be a disappointing one that juggles way too many characters that get lost in the plot mechanics.
December 12, 2013
I've loved Joss Whedon since Firefly and while this was well-written, this series has honestly gone downhill since volume two. If you read this series, stop at this one because it only gets worse. In volume 8, the Runaways make a deal with the Kingpin and are sent back in time. I really enjoyed seeing their struggles in the past with people uncomfortable with them and the war that was being waged all around them by vigilante groups on the streets. The artwork was great and I enjoyed the story, although not as much as the first few volumes of the Runaways.
December 10, 2015
Time travel shenanigans.
January 27, 2018
Runaways Vol.8 (#25-#30) Dead end kids : ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
Joss Whedon hizo un respetable trabajo al tomar el mando de los Runaways. En este nuevo volumen el team se enfrenta a conocidos como The Punisher y Kingpin e integran nuevos fugitivos. Un gran final.
Rating por número
#25: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
#26: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
#27: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
#28: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
#29: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
#30: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
Joss Whedon hizo un respetable trabajo al tomar el mando de los Runaways. En este nuevo volumen el team se enfrenta a conocidos como The Punisher y Kingpin e integran nuevos fugitivos. Un gran final.
Rating por número
#25: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
#26: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
#27: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
#28: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
#29: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
#30: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5/5)
November 30, 2017
3.5 I liked it but not as much as the previous volumes.
June 19, 2019
🤣🤣❤️❤️🤗🤗
May 20, 2010
So, like a dummy, I got this because Joss Whedon wrote it without having read any of the others. So why should I know what in the hell is going on?
Premise is awesome: children of super-villains decide they don't want to be evil and take off, hence the title.
This has many of the Joss Whedon traits, but, again, dummy didn't know the story so it wasn't all that fun.
The situation The Punisher finds himself in is fucking hilarious, though, so I can't say this was a waste. Must go back and start from the beginning.
Premise is awesome: children of super-villains decide they don't want to be evil and take off, hence the title.
This has many of the Joss Whedon traits, but, again, dummy didn't know the story so it wasn't all that fun.
The situation The Punisher finds himself in is fucking hilarious, though, so I can't say this was a waste. Must go back and start from the beginning.
September 7, 2020
Look, I got out my laptop to write this review because I've got a lot to say. It took me 6 days to finish this. Normally I blow through Runaways in 1 or 2 days.
First of all, I don't worship Whedon like some. I do love his Avengers and Firefly but the dude screwed up Justice League with some terrible choices that didn't jive. But this man should not be allowed to touch a Marvel comic ever again. His work is crap. It's not even B-rated level where I can at least enjoy it. It's just crap.
First it starts by not acknowledging previous events.
We first jump right in with the kids going to N.Y. which mean leaving their familiar home turf. We've had VOLUMES of books of the kids talking about there being hardly any heroes out there way and it being home and being able to escape. Then they suddenly want to explore N.Y. for no reason other than to explore despite knowing it's crawling with superheroes? So they go there with NO contact to the heroes they met previous. No Spider-Man, Cloak & Dagger, Captain, nobody. Instead, Whedon decides they'll meet with Kingpin, an ADULT who is a NOTRIOUS CRIMINAL. Then the kids are surprised that they've been manipulated but it's the only way to remain in N.Y.? WUT IS HAPPENING?
Then the kids are transported to 1907 which turns out to be the most boring Runaways plot I've read in the entire run so far. Here we see Nico do a dramatic character switch. We also see Victor turn stupid. Chase goes and does his own thing. Did we just lose all of Vaughn's run showing the Runaways learning to work together?
This story also had lots of little factions and I cared about none of them. Plus
The artwork was okay. Not stunning but it got the job done. Sometimes I had a difficult time telling apart Victor and Chase.
I seriously debated finishing this but Whedon isn't on volume 9 so I'm hoping it improves a little bit. Otherwise I'm not going to finish this run.
First of all, I don't worship Whedon like some. I do love his Avengers and Firefly but the dude screwed up Justice League with some terrible choices that didn't jive. But this man should not be allowed to touch a Marvel comic ever again. His work is crap. It's not even B-rated level where I can at least enjoy it. It's just crap.
First it starts by not acknowledging previous events.
We first jump right in with the kids going to N.Y. which mean leaving their familiar home turf. We've had VOLUMES of books of the kids talking about there being hardly any heroes out there way and it being home and being able to escape. Then they suddenly want to explore N.Y. for no reason other than to explore despite knowing it's crawling with superheroes? So they go there with NO contact to the heroes they met previous. No Spider-Man, Cloak & Dagger, Captain, nobody. Instead, Whedon decides they'll meet with Kingpin, an ADULT who is a NOTRIOUS CRIMINAL. Then the kids are surprised that they've been manipulated but it's the only way to remain in N.Y.? WUT IS HAPPENING?
Then the kids are transported to 1907 which turns out to be the most boring Runaways plot I've read in the entire run so far. Here we see Nico do a dramatic character switch. We also see Victor turn stupid. Chase goes and does his own thing. Did we just lose all of Vaughn's run showing the Runaways learning to work together?
This story also had lots of little factions and I cared about none of them. Plus
The artwork was okay. Not stunning but it got the job done. Sometimes I had a difficult time telling apart Victor and Chase.
I seriously debated finishing this but Whedon isn't on volume 9 so I'm hoping it improves a little bit. Otherwise I'm not going to finish this run.
January 27, 2018
This was a tire-fire. The ending of Vaughn's run would had worked as a satisfying end but for some reason Marvel decided to continue on. Instead of dealing with the actual interesting plot points that were left to tie up, Whedon decided to blast everyone 100 years in the past so he could ignore the existing storyline, have everyone act completely out of character or bench half the team for the remaining issues, and add a bunch of insignificant new characters that never get fully developed. Everything about this was just overcrowded and messy. The only reason I am giving this 2 stars is because somehow, despite being benched for the majority of the volumes, two of the characters rose from the rubble and actually got some very interesting development piled onto then (from events that mostly happened off page) in the last issue that could potentially be really interesting if it's unpacked and handled well by another writer. I would have been more ok with this if it had been a separate run or a reboot but it just didn't fit with what Brian Vaughn had done previously.
October 25, 2018
Fun book. Good costumes for 1907. I liked The Punisher cameo, it was quite comical.
December 18, 2017
It was exciting to finally read something from Joss Whedon, I've watched a lot from him, but never read any, and this was good, fun and different :)
Also very interesting to see the Punisher - I LOVED him in season 2 on Daredevil, I haven't yet watched the show, but then I checked a Punisher comic and I didn't really like it, but I liked him in this one!!
And I really like how Xavin is being developed in this volume!! And YEAH!! Someone new!!! And a bit of the past too :D
Also very interesting to see the Punisher - I LOVED him in season 2 on Daredevil, I haven't yet watched the show, but then I checked a Punisher comic and I didn't really like it, but I liked him in this one!!
And I really like how Xavin is being developed in this volume!! And YEAH!! Someone new!!! And a bit of the past too :D
August 25, 2011
Runaways vol 8 #25-30 dead end kids
Art: A new artist this time the art is more how you would picture an American comic and yet still tolerable for manga fans although some parts not so much. The style is realistic cartoonish as in you can tell it's cartoony but this doesn't have the same flare as Eric Wight's work. the art work is plain enough that its tolerable for manga fans that has got to count for something B-
Characters: The group is all here and while no one really changes much they do subtly. Victor finds a new love which kinda blows all character growth out of the water, nico is trying to be a better leader and friend again blowing all past character growth out of the water etc. This story is more filler then character development nothing is really big blow it out of the water here character development with them anymore C
Story: For these six comic we have a new writer and only for this issue. Two nitpicks that should be gotten out of the way first. one is there is a picture and things happen and you see this picture again thing is the picture is never explained exactly you know what it means (you'd have to be really out of it to not understand) but you never see the picture taken if what happens is so important and the picture is so impotent WHY do we NOT see it being taken? When did that picture happen? the second thing that should be gotten out of the way is the massive discontinuity between the ending of issue 24 and these issues this is a big stink all over the internet about this. See at the end of issue 24 there is a big shocker moment and the runaways hide out may have been compromised and something of that sort and possibly a fight with a well known super hero. When we jump into this issue however the kids are meeting a man we have never seen or heard of for a business deal that was never brought up ever. The reason for this is switch of writers this writer didn't want to countiue with the last story and wanted to make his own. So with that being said...nothing really happens...or more to the point this is a filler comic a “Add another team member to the group” filler. This story is flat with to much time travel errors then anything. This book is all questions and no answers it's clear the author didn't have a clue about the story at all besides some core knowledge that you can get off of wikipidea. This story is the worst kind of filler that undermines everything that was just done in the last seven books and 36 comic issues. This was heavy padding with no character growth or development or even decent side plots this was just a “lets get a new character” story and once the last page is flipped you look back and ask “what did I just read?” D
Cover: The cover is fabulous and eye catching with chase, nico, molly, lucy in the sky, old lace, xavin and victor highly realistic which makes victor seem hot xavin is his alien self green skin and pointy ears molly is looking back at someone or something and we have the statue of liberty breath taking and amazing no mater what art style you like this is amazing even if you are against this kind of art work B+
Rating: OT for older teens
Company: Marvel
My rating : 3 of 5 hn...uhhhhh those were the first two words out of my mouth after reading this. As other reviews will say it was ok but to much going on and not enough development this was heavy filler with no room for a good story to grow. I was left kinda confused I would give it two stars but I can't bring myself to for some reason I didn't hate this but it felt like the story was trying to hard to be a story and didn't really flow So SPOILER the only thing you'll miss if you skip this one is the addition of klara and thats all kid you not
Art: A new artist this time the art is more how you would picture an American comic and yet still tolerable for manga fans although some parts not so much. The style is realistic cartoonish as in you can tell it's cartoony but this doesn't have the same flare as Eric Wight's work. the art work is plain enough that its tolerable for manga fans that has got to count for something B-
Characters: The group is all here and while no one really changes much they do subtly. Victor finds a new love which kinda blows all character growth out of the water, nico is trying to be a better leader and friend again blowing all past character growth out of the water etc. This story is more filler then character development nothing is really big blow it out of the water here character development with them anymore C
Story: For these six comic we have a new writer and only for this issue. Two nitpicks that should be gotten out of the way first. one is there is a picture and things happen and you see this picture again thing is the picture is never explained exactly you know what it means (you'd have to be really out of it to not understand) but you never see the picture taken if what happens is so important and the picture is so impotent WHY do we NOT see it being taken? When did that picture happen? the second thing that should be gotten out of the way is the massive discontinuity between the ending of issue 24 and these issues this is a big stink all over the internet about this. See at the end of issue 24 there is a big shocker moment and the runaways hide out may have been compromised and something of that sort and possibly a fight with a well known super hero. When we jump into this issue however the kids are meeting a man we have never seen or heard of for a business deal that was never brought up ever. The reason for this is switch of writers this writer didn't want to countiue with the last story and wanted to make his own. So with that being said...nothing really happens...or more to the point this is a filler comic a “Add another team member to the group” filler. This story is flat with to much time travel errors then anything. This book is all questions and no answers it's clear the author didn't have a clue about the story at all besides some core knowledge that you can get off of wikipidea. This story is the worst kind of filler that undermines everything that was just done in the last seven books and 36 comic issues. This was heavy padding with no character growth or development or even decent side plots this was just a “lets get a new character” story and once the last page is flipped you look back and ask “what did I just read?” D
Cover: The cover is fabulous and eye catching with chase, nico, molly, lucy in the sky, old lace, xavin and victor highly realistic which makes victor seem hot xavin is his alien self green skin and pointy ears molly is looking back at someone or something and we have the statue of liberty breath taking and amazing no mater what art style you like this is amazing even if you are against this kind of art work B+
Rating: OT for older teens
Company: Marvel
My rating : 3 of 5 hn...uhhhhh those were the first two words out of my mouth after reading this. As other reviews will say it was ok but to much going on and not enough development this was heavy filler with no room for a good story to grow. I was left kinda confused I would give it two stars but I can't bring myself to for some reason I didn't hate this but it felt like the story was trying to hard to be a story and didn't really flow So SPOILER the only thing you'll miss if you skip this one is the addition of klara and thats all kid you not
February 23, 2019
I thought this compilation was truly a change in pace for the Runaways. This is the first story line that was not written by Brian K. Vaughan and that is quite evident. Now, that doesn't mean I didn't like it because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It just felt a lot lengthier than the other novels. There was a bunch of stuff packed into this volume. And I'll attempt to get to it all in this review. Gert's death still remains more prevalent than ever, and as much as I love the tributes to her, can you just go five minutes without talking about her so I don't cry my eyeballs out? You know, it was ironic that the Kingpin played such an important role in the book since I recently saw Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. So, naturally, I already hated him. I also hated that the Runaways even had to go to him to avoid superhero registration. The last few Runaways novels were heavily influenced by the Civil War, but I respected that they never cared one way or another. Neither have I. Which is why I was pissed off when I found out that it had resulted in their deal with Kingpin. I didn't know what to make of the old lady in the rocking chair going on about regret, but I was sad when I finally realized it was Lillie McGurty. (More on that later.) Sometimes, I have to wonder if Nico's not actually gay. When she and Karolina were hugging on the rooftop, Nico called her "Kar," and Nico tried to point out faults of Xavin's, I just stopped and stared. She claims to be straight, and she has kissed a fair share of guys, but her relationship with Karolina is getting harder and harder to understand. I'm not exactly sure what the Punisher had to do with anything, but him hunting the Runaways was useless. And, in the end, I actually really liked the crazy winged-guy. (But more on that later.) I wasn't worried about Chase because Old Lace totally had his back, but I was concerned for Molly. Sometimes I forget the attachment she has, especially on him, as her big brother. I'm just glad they're all family. It's kind of crazy that Molly predicted how Chase made it out alive, too. It was a little unnerving to see Nico cry over Chase's potential death, as well. I know that she's not as level-headed as she appears, but I can't remember the last time Nico cried. I know she cried when Alex died, but I'm not even sure if she cried over Gert. I was proud of Chase for being able to tell his own parents' handiwork. How on Earth a device like that made it to some building's attic in New York, however, is beyond me. Is it just me, or does the Leapfrog seem to have a new feature presented in every volume? I swear, there is still so much to learn about the Runaways' powers and technology. Nico's wound was harrowing, but I was relieved that she was okay. Even better, plot twist of the century! (See what I did there? ;D) They're back in 1907 because when they jumped, they jumped through time. (Awesome.) Can I just say I love their early twentieth century attire? I was fangirling all over the place for the cover art of the 27th issue. I get that time travel can have massive consequences and it gets about as frustrating as Victor's circuits do if you think about it too hard, but I was over-the-moon about this development. I mean, how often do you get to go back in time to see the Industrial Revolution, an infant New York, or the union strikes? It's history in the making, so excuse me if I'm totally on board with Karolina about this. Besides, what's so great about being attacked by the Kingpin, his army of ninjas, the Punisher, and an ugly mechanical flying man? I got extremely sad when I saw Gert's hologram, and then Chase's reaction to it. In a lighter turn of events, their outfits to blend in were gorgeous. I felt so creatively inspired by what the girls were wearing, but it honestly looked like something Nico would wear on any given day of the week. I don't think that exposing their covers was the smartest idea. Sure, there were people that should be saved, but what about the Butterfly Effect? And it really only put a huge target on their backs, especially after meeting the Swell. At first, I was completely thrown by all the lingo of the Street Arabs, the Sinners, and the Upward Path. Still not sure I've got all my ducks in a row for that. I fell in love with Lillie the Spieler the second I saw her. Redhead with a fire inside her and a super power based on music. My spirit animal. I didn't know what to make of Lillie and Victor's obvious chemistry because I was semi-starting to ship Nico and Victor. Why ya gotta throw me a curve ball like that? And even though they discussed Tristan's irrelevance, went on an adventure together, kissed, and claimed they loved one another, Lillie still chose to stay behind. After the message from her future self and everything! Seeing her and Tristan a hundred years later was just overall depressing. I'll also never understand Nico's push to get Lillie and Victor together. I understand that she's tired of being the home-wrecker, but I don't think Victor and Lillie were all that meant to be anyway. After all, Nico found him first! *Sigh* The war between the Sinners and the Upward Path paralleled the Civil War of the present in so many ways. In reality, all the Runaways ended up doing was jump from one frying pan into another. I had a feeling they couldn't trust the Swell. (I mean, really. His name is "the Swell.") I tell ya, though, discovering the Yorkeses totally threw me for a loop. It was heart-wrenching. They might have been bad people, but they had to find out that their daughter died and they never forgot. Even when they returned to their time, they had always known. Gosh, I can't imagine that burden. Kiara is an interesting character. I didn't think I would forgive her after she ran away when she saw Xavin and Karolina kissing. But I guess it would be an absolute foreign concept to her. And most people tend to hate the things they fear or do not understand. She was only eleven and she had an abusive husband. She was the one who had a job because child labor laws did not exist in her childhood. I'm fascinated by her ability to grow roses and I can't wait to see what her addition to the team will bring. The 21st century will definitely shock her. I have no idea what ended up happening between Nico and her supposed great-grandmother before she joined the battle. But she seemed more in tune with the Staff of One, so I guess I'm not complaining. As much as I don't ship Karolina and Xavin, I was happy for them. Karolina has confirmed that Xavin's true shape is a girl, no matter how pig-headed she can be. And she finds Xavin's anger attractive. Oh, well. I feel like the other Street Arabs weren't focused on as much, but it was weirdly personal to see two of them die. The bomb thing had me the picture of befuddlement. I thought that nukes weren't a thing until WWII. Maybe regular bombs are a separate thing? I don't know. I was so happy to see Old Lace at the end. They'd hidden her away since they got to 1907 and I was really starting to miss her. I'm assuming that the gloves Chase swiped were the Fistigons and that just takes me back to the days of Chase and Gert. Happiness. When Nico asked Chase if it was hard when he went back in time just to watch Gert and he said it was f#%&ing beautiful, I cried. MY SHIP! In conclusion, I liked this new spin on the Runaways and I recommend it to those who are tired of war.
September 20, 2010
I kinda hate this run and Joss Whedon for killing the Runaways and all the misplaced hype he brought to the book, just to write a 6 issue run over the course of about a year and then ditch the title. Runaways always had worries about cancellation and his follow up to BKV's run should have brought the book to wider attention and greater sales. Instead it got cancelled.
But, all things considered, the story arc in the volume was overall pretty good and Whedon was able to keep the feeling and voice of the Runaways world and characters consistent to the title. Although that's not too impressive since BKV's style is admittedly heavily influenced by Whedon, so Whedon just had to write like he usually does. But regardless, it works.
I'm not too sure why Whedon left, or why the book was cancelled after he left (or maybe they just went on hiatus for awhile and started over with issue 1 to boost sales). By that point I had stopped paying attention to the Runaways. The volume stands on its own, and is completed by the end but its disappointing Whedon wasn't around to do more with the new characters he created and the character progress he was making with the established cast. Maybe Moore, in the subsequent runs picks up from where he left off but it seems Moore just goes on to do his own thing until Runaways got cancelled again.
Vaughn created a great new cast of characters for a publisher that has been, for the most part, just been rewriting the same characters created forty years ago. The Runaways has a lot of potential for greatness, and hopefully itll be given another chance in the future.
But, all things considered, the story arc in the volume was overall pretty good and Whedon was able to keep the feeling and voice of the Runaways world and characters consistent to the title. Although that's not too impressive since BKV's style is admittedly heavily influenced by Whedon, so Whedon just had to write like he usually does. But regardless, it works.
I'm not too sure why Whedon left, or why the book was cancelled after he left (or maybe they just went on hiatus for awhile and started over with issue 1 to boost sales). By that point I had stopped paying attention to the Runaways. The volume stands on its own, and is completed by the end but its disappointing Whedon wasn't around to do more with the new characters he created and the character progress he was making with the established cast. Maybe Moore, in the subsequent runs picks up from where he left off but it seems Moore just goes on to do his own thing until Runaways got cancelled again.
Vaughn created a great new cast of characters for a publisher that has been, for the most part, just been rewriting the same characters created forty years ago. The Runaways has a lot of potential for greatness, and hopefully itll be given another chance in the future.
June 8, 2018
This volume is the last in its series and sadly it's fairly mediocre. The plot isn't amazing and only a few of the introduced side characters manage to be interesting but I did enjoy the bittersweet ending.
Pieces of the dialog were really cringeworthy, which I guess I should have expected given the writer but I definitely could have done without the racist and lgbtphobic words and themes used. I'm not quite sure why stories set in the past are so often written to shallowly highlight the amount of bigotry some privileged people pretend doesn't still exist, and the trope certainly didn't add any depth to these issues.
Unfortunately one gross theme included wasn't even related to the past. While the previous volume seemed to respect Xavin slightly more as a gender-fluid character, these issues showed repeatedly that Karolina only wants to see them as a woman while the other Runaways still think they're abnormal. I fully understand that the general public wasn't well educated about transgender issues during the time in which the comics were written, but if these attitudes aren't criticized people are just going to go on believing they're acceptable.
Pieces of the dialog were really cringeworthy, which I guess I should have expected given the writer but I definitely could have done without the racist and lgbtphobic words and themes used. I'm not quite sure why stories set in the past are so often written to shallowly highlight the amount of bigotry some privileged people pretend doesn't still exist, and the trope certainly didn't add any depth to these issues.
Unfortunately one gross theme included wasn't even related to the past. While the previous volume seemed to respect Xavin slightly more as a gender-fluid character, these issues showed repeatedly that Karolina only wants to see them as a woman while the other Runaways still think they're abnormal. I fully understand that the general public wasn't well educated about transgender issues during the time in which the comics were written, but if these attitudes aren't criticized people are just going to go on believing they're acceptable.
January 30, 2017
3.5
Whedon takes over from Vaughn for an arc, and it's the same sort of thing. Same lovable group of smarmy outcasts. Still primarily about generational gaps. But by planting the characters into a different time period, he looks at the theme from a new lens; after all, in the early 1900s, "teenager" wasn't yet in the lexicon. Thus, the relationship between child and adult was significantly different. Among the new perspective, Whedon also manages some legit character development, and has some fun with Marvel Universe cameos. Impressive for a 5-issue storyline.
Despite this, the addition of various superhero factions (no doubt a mirroring of Civil War, which would've just wrapped up around this point) sometimes makes the Runaways guest stars in their own comic. Meanwhile, Michael Ryan's art is fine, but lacks the fluidity of Adrian Alphona - characters often have interchangeable faces, and layouts feel static.
Whedon takes over from Vaughn for an arc, and it's the same sort of thing. Same lovable group of smarmy outcasts. Still primarily about generational gaps. But by planting the characters into a different time period, he looks at the theme from a new lens; after all, in the early 1900s, "teenager" wasn't yet in the lexicon. Thus, the relationship between child and adult was significantly different. Among the new perspective, Whedon also manages some legit character development, and has some fun with Marvel Universe cameos. Impressive for a 5-issue storyline.
Despite this, the addition of various superhero factions (no doubt a mirroring of Civil War, which would've just wrapped up around this point) sometimes makes the Runaways guest stars in their own comic. Meanwhile, Michael Ryan's art is fine, but lacks the fluidity of Adrian Alphona - characters often have interchangeable faces, and layouts feel static.
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