VS!: The Great "Runaways" or "Young Avengers" Debate!

[Sutekh]

I am much more of a Young Avengers fan, but definitely more a fan of the original story and art (and Children's Crusade) than of the latest run, so I picked Runaways.

There's a few other teen hero teams in Marvel I like as well, such as the kids from Avengers Academy (esp Finesse, Stryker, Reptil and latecomers White Tiger and Juston Seyfert) and the New X-Men (X-23, Hellion, Dust, Anole, Wind-Dancer, etc.).

[kevlon]

Both are poor mans New Warriors (volume 1)

[teamhawkeyes]

Young Avengers. Even though I hate saying that as I loved Runaways too. In the comparison between the two Young Avengers creative teams, Gillen/McKelvie wins over Heinberg/Cheung any day of the week for me. Over time I've grown to really dislike Cheung's art, and Gillen took a team of interesting-on-paper characters who lacked unique individual voices (except for maybe Kate or Eli), and made them each their own character while telling a fun, funny, exciting, and creative story. Heinberg/Cheung's was also a good read, but not nearly as enjoyable as Gillen/McKelvie's.

[Personamanx]

"Runaways" has taken a lead in the poll from yesterday. It's now 316 to 259.

[chamber-music]

They made the choice easy when they choose the worst Young Avengers team

Agreed.

I really didn't like Gillen's YA. I preferred Heinberg/Cheung's run.

I really enjoyed Vaughan's Runaways run.

[Justice]

Never got into the Runaways series or the characters. Big fan of Young Avengers. It's shame Marvel hasn't made it an on-going. However, I knew the Runaways were going to win this poll once I saw it was G&M's run. The mass LGBTQ reveal really didn't sit well with a lot of people unfortunately.

[America / Bucky / Russia]

Honey no. Noh-VARR.
Not Northstar.

Oh, poop.

Is Canada really that different to outer space though? :P

[Kieran_Frost]

Though I love some of Gileon's writing, I think he just does the same thing too much... "Partying is God's gift to the world" Like, he kinda keeps emphasizing this amazingness of raves and concerts and stuff

*Kieran looks back at S.W.O.R.D., Journey into Mystery, Uncanny X-men and then grabs his current Angela: Assassin of Asgard series... he stands confused*

It's not so much 'hate' as it is an averison to the severe physical pain caused by the blood gushing from one's eyes every time they see her on the page.

I don't hate her, I just value my own health...

My dislike (and it's dislike, not hate) is a) I don't care for her powers or her costume, b) I really didn't care for her family storyline (esp. all the things with her mom and step-dad), c) I have no interest in her dad, and therefore her legacy role, d) she was SUPER unlikeable in Mighty Avengers after betraying the team and suffered ZERO consequences for it. UGH! Atlas all over again. All these piled together: really not sad she's gone, it made the comic better.

However, I knew the Runaways were going to win this poll once I saw it was G&M's run. The mass LGBTQ reveal really didn't sit well with a lot of people unfortunately.

So sad what a truth bomb that is; win for prejudice.

[UltimateTy]

Never got into the Runaways series or the characters. Big fan of Young Avengers. It's shame Marvel hasn't made it an on-going. However, I knew the Runaways were going to win this poll once I saw it was G&M's run. The mass LGBTQ reveal really didn't sit well with a lot of people unfortunately.

I find this insulting, I read this for most of the run and I hated it not because of the LGBT stuff but because I didn't like the writing or art. The mass LGBT thing happened towards the end of the run so most people would have made up their mind on the series long before then.

[Kieran_Frost]

I find this insulting, I read this for most of the run and I hated it not because of the LGBT stuff but because I didn't like the writing or art. The mass LGBT thing happened towards the end of the run so most people would have made up their mind on the series long before then.

You really shouldn't, it wasn't aimed at anyone in-particular (i.e. it's odd to be insulted by a generalisation not specially aimed at you, esp. if it isn't true). There were plenty of people who disliked the series because of the LGBT themes, and the more pro-LGBT it got, so the hate grew. Even those who hate the LGBT themes in Runaways would loath them even more in Young Avengers, because it was so positive and pro-LGBT (the ending dared to challenge the norm; which angered the haterz even more). That comment was aimed at those people, not you. Was everyone who disliked Gillen's run filled with homophobia, of course not. That is absurd; all stories are disliked by people for numerous reasons. Were A LOT of the extreme hate we saw on old-CBR motivated by factors beyond "this story doesn't work for me" = f*ck yes! Let's not pretend that didn't happen; nor why it happened.

[Jumpoff AKA JohnnyBlazed]

Really hate the lack respect shown to the New warriors over the last few years.

[jdgs]

Such a hard decision. 3 of my favorite characters of all time are in Young Avengers and another 3 are on Runaways. I might be one of the very few who thinks the second volume of Runaways was way better than the first one (until Whedon. Really hated those six issues). Same with Young Avengers, I prefer Gillen's run than the first one. If I have to put both second volumes against each other...

I'll take Young Avengers ONLY for Noh-Varr (an empty victory I would say because I like them both equally).

[nj06]

CHOOSE between the Runaways and the Young Avengers??



Okay so firstly, the specificity of the question seems entirely unbalanced and unfair.
We're talking about Volume 1 of the Runaways -- their inception and subsequent presumed finale (which we would be later/unexpectedly treated to a volume 2 and 3), versus Volume 2 (?) of the Young Avengers (Heinberg's being Volume 1, followed by a slew of participatory event morsels -- Civil War, Siege, Secret Invasion, Crusade--which let's be real, Crusade was volume 2, so Gillen's should really be called volume 3 imho).

My gawd.
Putting aside the massive aesthetic juxtaposition alone -- we're talking INTRODUCTION vs. HISTORY ---"Meeting for the first time" vs. "Hello Old Friends".

Okay, SURE, the BKV's Runaways volume 1 deals with a band of plucky powered youths trying to navigate/defeat evil adults/parents.
And, YEAH, Gillen's Young Avengers volume 2 deals with a band of plucky powered youths trying to navigate/defeat evil adults/parents.
You've got me there.


But we're seriously comparing Alphona's and Mckelvie's work?? New to the buffet vs. Brought his stretch pants and ziploc baggies?
Both artists WOW their respective readership with their sense of style and dynamism -- but each had remarkable support from additional artists. Norton's environment's took Mckelvie's figures to new depths and Strain's colors took Alphona's to incredible heights. And speaking specifically to their handling of the cast members, Mckelvie never misses an emotional or actiony beat, panel after panel,--The details! The Fashions! The camera angles! The Experimentation! Gah! Whereas Alphona's 2nd act stuff, and subsequent mastery (volumes 2, 3, and beyond) is exceedingly superior to his first act. The details! The Fashions! The camera angles! The Experimentation! Gah! So should consistency play a significant role in deciding who dominates, when the progression is something to marvel at as well?

But....
For myself, asking a question like this is tantamount to asking which leg I wish to have severed from my body. I'm significantly attached to both, and its just painful to think about.

This post is full of win. The gifs alone make it worth reading over and over.

Also I agree about the intro vs. history and I don't think this is a fair comparison between these two volumes.

[gurkle]

If you look at the letters sections of the original Young Avengers, a lot of it is dedicated to arguments about whether Billy and Teddy's relationship should be open. There were a lot of letters from people who felt that a comic book, particularly an all-ages comic book, shouldn't have any open homosexuality at all. (Some didn't like homosexuality, I recall, others just felt it would "sexualize" the book while not noticing that heterosexual romance sexualized a comic just as much.) And that was only 10 years ago. So yeah, of course some people dislike the LGBT stuff in Young Avengers, and dislike volume 2 for being heavier on the LGBT content. But lots of people just think Billy's annoying because he's annoying. And some of them are the same people - people are complicated.

I do think the mass LGBT reveal fell a bit flat for me, because like a lot of the book it felt like Gillen trying to portray his ideal of what the younger generation is like - open, diverse, tolerant, partying, growing beyond sexual labels, etc. A middle-aged guy trying to tell the kids how great they are today. It didn't feel as authentic as Runaways did to me.

My dislike (and it's dislike, not hate) is a) I don't care for her powers or her costume, b) I really didn't care for her family storyline (esp. all the things with her mom and step-dad), c) I have no interest in her dad, and therefore her legacy role, d) she was SUPER unlikeable in Mighty Avengers after betraying the team and suffered ZERO consequences for it. UGH!

Cassie and Kid Vision were done no favors by being in Slott's Mighty Avengers, even though I liked that book. Most of the attempts to use the characters after Young Avengers volume 1 and before Children's Crusade were a little awkward (except some of the Young Avengers presents stories). They were trying to keep the kids visible in the Marvel Universe, but they didn't quite fit. Kate is the first character to really become something close to an established Marvel character, and she did it by becoming something Marvel never had before - a teen sidekick.

[responsarbre]

I wonder what these would have looked like if you switched the creative teams.