Runaways Appreciation 2021

[Personamanx]

As someone whose enthusiasm has been lacking in regards to the series for quite a while, this issue has the first ending that has me more so intrigued than frustrated in quite some time. The first 20 or so issues coasted on a lot of nostalgia, and good will from long time fans. While it is certainly alright to have no long term plans when writing an ongoing serialized publication things have to stay interesting. From Karolina putting on a costume to the death of Doc Justice felt largely pointless, in a volume that already was largely irreverent. Things have picked up somewhat in the last few issues, and I am incredibly interested to see how this other Gert is explained. I will be as pleased as punch if it turns out to be the Gert from volume 3, that would open up a slew of possibilities in regards to various unaddressed or hand waved plot lines. But even if it isn't related to volume 3, if nothing else it was something that I don't think anyone expected. Amazingly enough I'm viewing the return of a Gertrude Yorkes in a positive light.

[Personamanx]

Purchased a copy of the tabletop role-playing "Masks: A New Generation" a few weeks ago, and it finally arrived today. It being a game about archetypical teenage superheroes I was more than ready to see the rulebook reference the Teen Titans or the Young Avengers, but I was pleasantly surprised that the book name checked many of the Runaways. Gert, Nico, Molly, Chase, And Xavin are all used as playbook references. Gert for the Beacon, Nico for the Nova, Molly for the Bull, Chase for the Delinquent, and Xavin for the Outsider. It was neat.

[Gymer]

A question occurred to me reading the latest issue, Why are they living in a cave? or at least why doesn't Karolina have her own residence when a plot point earlier in the run is that she's fairly wealthy thanks to her parents' legal income form movie royalties?

[Digifiend]

Wasn't Karolina living in student accommodation at the start of the series? Which she'll have lost when she quit college.

[Sutekh]

A question occurred to me reading the latest issue, Why are they living in a cave? or at least why doesn't Karolina have her own residence when a plot point earlier in the run is that she's fairly wealthy thanks to her parents' legal income form movie royalties?

Every one of them had rich parents, and it seems like they'd all be in a position to inherit said richness, if they wanted. And yet, I don't think any of them are too comfortable with the way their parents got that money, or all the people they killed building up those fortunes.

There's all sorts of loose threads lying around, regarding their parents legacies.

Did the Minoru's have apprentices (or just cult-like flunkies?), or is there a bound demon somewhere who was assigned some task and has finally completed it and now returns to Nico, since it can't find her parents to report to, to say, 'Hey boss, I got that kid you wanted kidnapped, where you want him?'

Were there other time-traveller toys (from the past or future) lying around other than Old Lace, just waiting on Gert to stumble upon them (since only she has the DNA that will bypass the security). And not just dinosaurs, but maybe future tech, or a robot, or some dude from the past stored in a cryo-tube that they snatched for some plot reason that never came to fruition, and he's now a man/boy out of time.

Did the Hayes know any *other* Left Coast mutants, and have a sort of mutant underground they recruited / exploited / kept off of Cerebro's radar, which is now sort of fracturing / factionalizing in their absence, and might regard Molly as the heir apparent that could unite them again? (or are willing to rally behind her as a figurehead, in any event)

Tons of possibilities.

[Personamanx]

A question occurred to me reading the latest issue, Why are they living in a cave? or at least why doesn't Karolina have her own residence when a plot point earlier in the run is that she's fairly wealthy thanks to her parents' legal income form movie royalties?

The most simple answer is that they just want to.

It can be argued that most of the Runaways could easily have more fulfilling, and healthy lives if they just chose not to be together in the first original Hostel. Karolina presumably has enough sense to take care of herself, and explicitly has access to her parents' money. Nico was managing in a Hollywood style "Sad" apartment, but one nicer than most people can afford. Molly could go to Krakoa or wherever the mutants happen to be hanging out. Chase has a van and varied skill set, he could make the world his oyster. Gert, and Victor being back from the dead don't have many options but the others are only together by choice.

Klara is the only sensible one of the bunch.

[Frontier]

The most simple answer is that they just want to.

It can be argued that most of the Runaways could easily have more fulfilling, and healthy lives if they just chose not to be together in the first original Hostel. Karolina presumably has enough sense to take care of herself, and explicitly has access to her parents' money. Nico was managing in a Hollywood style "Sad" apartment, but one nicer than most people can afford. Molly could go to Krakoa or wherever the mutants happen to be hanging out. Chase has a van and varied skill set, he could make the world his oyster. Gert, and Victor being back from the dead don't have many options but the others are only together by choice.

Klara is the only sensible one of the bunch.

And they're not even really doing anything.

[Personamanx]

I think them choosing to be together is just one of those things you have to overlook in order for the book to happen. Not that a lot happens in the book.

[Gymer]

It feels like a common problem with every Runaway run after the Pride died is that the characters feel stuck in a holding pattern. I wonder if its an artifact of their original premise of being isolated from the superhero community, they can't gain to much prominence or they'd get drawn into the latest crossover dust-up, but the upcoming magic arc looks to potentially explain Nico's apparent presence in Strange Academy's faculty, I haven't been following Strange Academy.

Another errant thought that occurred to me; Karolina was afraid to see a doctor after her recent near death experience due to her being an extraterrestrial and how shady authorities have used that to bypass her human rights in the past, but if she accompanied Molly as her guest to Krakoa she might have been able to get a check up in the Healing Gardens, Krakoa has an alliance with the Shiar Empire and diplomatic relations to the Skrull-Kree Alliance so there's a good chance they could get info on Majesdanian physiology.
Edit: They're friends with the Emperor and Court Wizard of the Kree-Skrull Alliance.

[Personamanx]

There are certainly a lot of plot coupons that the Runaways could be redeeming, that's for sure. I don't really agree with the holding pattern post-Pride angle. Each subsequent writer on Runaways did make an effort to change the status quos to some extent. Whedon was going to have the Runaways travel the world, and other timelines before his inability to stick to a deadline resulted in him only getting Six issues. Moore spent his issues trying to re-establish the kids as truant heroes in Malibu. Immonen chose to disrupt that, and ended up with almost every plot she introduced being unresolved for years. Rowell is the only writer outside of Vaughan that has had the opportunity to write the book long enough to fall into any kind of pattern, and has really emphasized a back to basics approach. That is to say an overly nostalgic approach. Whatever they do during the main plot of an arc, they'll just end up back in hole in the ground they spent all of six issues in during the original series.

[Gymer]

Well, technically they were just in a different hole in the ground most of Vaughan's second run. Hopefully the next arc breaks them out of the return to the hole cycle, Nico's magic is the only thing keeping social services at bay with Molly after all. (fingers-crossed)

[Digifiend]

Captain Marvel #28

[Personamanx]

Neat, at least this appearance doesn't run entirely contradictory to the current series.

Does anyone know if future Molly did anything in her Captain Marvel appearances?

[Frontier]

So I guess the Avengers know where the Runaways are living?

[Personamanx]

So I guess the Avengers know where the Runaways are living?

Hide Victor.