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Runaways #1 Posted 08 Oct 2008 Writer: Terry Moore Artist: Humberto Ramos Ink: Dave Meikis Colors: Christina Strain Publisher: Marvel  3.50 out of 5 Stars Reviewed by Matt Rawson

As comics attempt to regain the fabled lost audience of kids, it also seems to have discovered its own faltering in the matter, and is now struggling to regain lost ground. The answer, simple as it may be, and delivered fist-to-mouth style by Michael Chabon in his speech-turned essay “Kids’ Stuff”, is that if you want kids to read comics, make comics about kids. Teens in particular stand on a precarious line between wanting to be taken seriously as adults and rebel against them at the same time. Therein rests the charm of Runaways.

This newest series, fresh-packaged as a #1 to give it that tasty psychological jumping-on point, retains the coolness and verve of the first run, yet stands as the beginning of its own chapter as well. Runaways has boosted boasted some of the best writers in comics, with Brian K. Vaughn and then good ‘ol Joss Whedon, and currently with Terry Moore, now that his masterpiece Strangers in Paradise has come to an end, I believe this series can certainly claim rights to a bonafide hat-trick.

“Runaways’ greatest feat is its unabashed, unapologetic, bull’s-eye on teen culture.”

With the Runaways gang now returning to LA they face new challenges that, within the confines of this first issue, encompass security daemons, intergalactic folks with a vendetta, a sketchy shock jock radio host, and self-restraint in a giant shopping mall. There’s a not-so subtle nod to Kevin Smith, comicdoms resident celebrity-god, as well, but Runaways’ greatest feat is its unabashed, unapologetic, bull’s-eye on teen culture.

Humberto Ramos is an artist I only get into if he is placed precisely on the right project, and generally that means hyper-kinetic, teen-based, romp-a-stomps like DC’s Impulse. His style is just not-manga enough to not irritate my inner curmudgeon who’s sick to the back of his teeth with the utter saturation of this frustratingly puerile garbage that is dominating the shelves (there is good manga, but I’m not seeing it in Borders, by God) and sequestering western comics in the “other graphic novels” bin like red-headed stepchildren who stand as pariahs in the hemisphere of their own homelands. Breath in. Breath out.

So, anyway, yeah, I have a problem with the overall quality of today’s manga, but I do understand that it has effectively filled a demand for youth-centric comics the American industry has turned its back on for quite awhile. Runaways does certainly resemble the Ameri-manga hybrids that have come into being since Ramos and company injected it into the realm of mainstream comics a decade back. That’s not to say that the art in Runaways is bad. In fact, it fits the story like an energy-absorbing alien power glove from another dimension. Put Ramos on, say, The Punisher and I’d be singing a different tune. As it stands, I would like to see Ramos on Runaways for the long haul.

So, Runaways #1 is definitely a good buy for fans of the previous series, or for anyone out there looking for a good, colorful, well-written comic that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Note: I do know that “manga” simply translates as “comics”, and does not refer to a particular style, but for the sake of the review I use the term as a stand-in for the dominant style used in Japanese comics.

 

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