Comic Info
Comic Name: Runaways (Volume 1)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Adrian Alphona
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2005
Runaways (1) #14
Reprints Runaways (1) #13-18 (May 2004-November 2004). This is it! The Runaways must face their parents, the Pride and learn the secret behind the Pride’s power. The Runaways learn why the Pride are serving the Gibborim and what the ultimate goal of the Pride’s mission on Earth is. Someone within the Runaways however is a traitor and the Runaways could be facing the ultimate betrayal that could cost the world. Is it Nico? Caroline? Gert? Alex? Chase? Molly? The betrayer will be revealed.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Adrian Alphona, Runaways Volume 3: The Good Die Young collects the final portion of the first volume of Runaways. Following Runaways Volume 2: Teenage Wasteland, this collection wraps up the storylines started in Runaways Volume 1: Pride & Joy.
This collection of Runaways gets it right. While the second collection felt a little bit rocky due to a broken-up story, this story continues the themes of the first volume. The characters really are starting to have a feel at this point and Vaughan keeps it light but seems to tone the levity down a bit for the story.
This is necessary in that it turns out the Runaways are literally fighting gods for the fate of the world. It is an interesting set-up since very few of the Runaways have demonstrated any power that has really any offensive potential (Old Lace the dinosaur can only attack so many times).
Runaways (2) #17
I don’t know that I really buy the whole Alex is the mole story however. It is a fun twist that Alex all along (at least through the period covered in the series) that his parents are part of the evil Pride, but if you go back and reread some of the previous issues, it doesn’t always hold up. Vaughan wrote him a little too good, and I would have liked more hints to him being evil or more red herrings to other potential moles.
It really feels like Vaughan didn’t know if Runaways was going to continue after this point. Runaways (1) #18 (November 2004) is essentially a wrap-up issue. The arrival of Captain America at the end of Runaways (1) #17 (October 2004) signaled the end of the run of the Runaways. Though Runways (1) #18 is left opened ended, I feel that it feels like a conclusion.
Essentially, this is the end of an eighteen issue “limited” series. The storyline set-up in the first issues of the series comes to a climatic end in this volume. We learn why the Pride exists, and we learn who in the Runaways is a turncoat. Runaways is a problematic title, but this collection might be the best of the series. The characters have gelled, the story is better written, and it feels like this could be (and probably was planned as a potential end) to Runaways. Despite an “ending” feeling, Runaways Volume 3: The Good Die Young was followed by Runaways Volume 4: True Believers which started the second volume of Runaways.
Related Links:
Runaways Volume 1: Pride & Joy
Runaways Volume 2: Teenage Wasteland
Runaways Volume 4: True Believers
Runaways Volume 5: Escape to New York
