Review: Runaways 1 & 2 (Secret Wars)

Runaways #1 (Secret Wars)

I went into Runaways think it was going to be a story about the last Runaways team but, as I'm beginning to learn, with Secret Wars Titles it's never exactly what you expected. All in all, turns out the story kicks off in Doomstadt (capital domain of BATTLEWORLD) where there is a school for the most gifted and brightest accross BATTLEWORLD domains where they are trained as potential leaders and 'DoomElites' in Doom's world.

 

At the school there are a bunch of teens (obviously) who were given this school's version of detention after causing a ruckus in the hallways (long story; read the book; you'll love it, I promise).

The problem is they have to register with their teams for their final exams but are stuck in this detention. Eventually Amadeus Cho (one of the miscreants) manages to get them out of their detention by reprogramming their doombot warden.

Their escape is shortly discovered but they are still allowed to register with the catch being they must do it as a team. There's the interesting reveal at the end that Doom's daughter is actually headmaster of the institute

What I liked?: If you know a thing or two about the type of comics I like then you will know
that I loved this title. I'm quickly captivated by tales of the young heroes in the marvel universe as well as re-imagining and alternate versions. The title has some of my favorite characters-- including Molly (the only carry over from the original Runaways), Pixie and Cloak and Dagger. It also features Jubilee, Sanna (apparently a completely new character), Skaar, Delphyne and Amadeus Cho. It's noteworthy to point out that cloak and dagger are imagined as brother and sister in this incarnation and their powers are inverted -- which makes me feel not so bad for imagining Polaris and Havok as bro and sis in my fan fiction.

All in all, it was a really fun and easy read. The first book quickly and easily set the stage for all things to come and leaves me wanting more. I love the light tone it has in an otherwise, seemingly, dark situation (I mean, Doom is God of all the world here)

Dislikes?: I really don't know who Sanna is. The story may not be as captivating for some people, I can already see persons who care little for b-listers and c-listers passing it along and it's not as grandiose in the use of powers and the situation doesn't feel as ominous as you would expect (and as we see in other titles). Many people prefer all the high stakes drama but this is still a good book for me.

I give it a 7.5/10

Runaways #2 (Secret Wars)

At the start of this second issue I felt like "Oh no. I'm not gonna like this." For a brief moment it felt like the style and tone had shifted. I don't really know why. But then when I got into it I LOVED it.

We start with an opening ceremony for the exams with an officiating speech from headmaster Valeria. While getting prepped for the exams Pixie convinces Jubilee to try and mend things with Sanna, who seemed to not be having it.

At the beginning of the exam Amadeus recommended, as Bucky suggested, to lay low as a strategy to make it out of the exam. Again, Sanna didn't seem to be having it and she initiates battle as soon as the virtual program commences.

Having studied the computer programming for the exams, Amadeous makes the group aware of a glitch in the simulation room where they can go and wait till it's over. The team head for safety but due to Jubilees stubborn reluctance to move on Pixie's coaxing Pixie ends up being taken out.

The team soon discovers that the glitched area is where the bodies of students who failed the exams end up. It turned out that the exams were not a simulation after all but was really pitting students against each other and so it is discovered that Pixie, too, is dead.

Having discovered the school's secret, and figuring that knowing the secret will mean their own deaths, the students decide to, you guessed it, run. This after the reluctance of Sanna and a distraught Jubilee.

In the end there is a narrow escape after Jubilee takes Molly with her to replace Pixie in the Night Witches gang; Amadeous grabs the remains of the decommissioned detention doombot he had compromised in the first issue; and Dagger (Ty) having found his sister Cloak (Tandy) is told by her she cannot leave with him and must stay as an "inside" in the school.

And, it's only after their narrow escape in a stolen aircraft that they realize.... Sanna is missing.

Likes?: There's a lot to like about this comic it's fun with the dark undertones of the situation the kids find themselves living in. The situation becomes darker and they find themselves in an almost hopeless position having witnessed something they shouldn't have.

I love the art and I feel it perfectly matches the style and tome of the book. The colouring matches the darker tomes of the story while the cute button nos faces matches the more youthful, fun and exuberant moments.

Dislikes?: They killed Pixie. She's one of my favourite characters. *sigh*

Runaways for the win. i give it an 8.5/10