Runaways #3

[cyberghostface]

 

Comments

[lucean]

I hope the issue gives more context for Nico's decision to approach Karolina like that as in these pages it comes across as an insanely dick move. Also since when did Nico call Karolina Karrie? I'm just forgetting that?

[long_silence]

Gert wanted to get the band back together and see everyone since from her perspective they were all inseparable yesterday. She had them all drive out to see Karolina and asked her to come with them.

If you'll recall at the time leading up to her death Gert didn't have much respect for institutions like school, so she just expected Karolina to pack up and leave with them. Gert got upset when Karolina wouldn't, and Nico stayed behind to talk to Karolina some more and reaffirm her own desire to go back to how things were.

I think they used to call her "Lina"

[lucean]

Thanks for the context and damn I forgot how utterly unlikable Gert could be. Also, and I realize it is unintentional, but there is something both inherently amusing and dark that Nico in her loneliness Nico longs for the days when Karolina had an unrequited crush on her.

Yeah, I think I remember the Lina as well which feels a lot more naturall than Karrie.

[lordultimus]

I think Chase called her K once or twice.

[long_silence]

They used to call her LSD

[strejdaking]

They did?

[gndrbendr]

To me it seems like Karolina is the one being the dick. To say that the Runaways were "nothing" - when in reality they are each others' family - was really uncool. Nico did no harm in asking Karolina to become a part of their family again. A lot of people go to college to support their families, not in spite of them or to get away from them. Karolina has done a lot more living on her own and finding herself than most college freshmen could ever imagine, so it's not like she "needs" the typical college experience - it's as much of an escape for her as Nico wanting to be on the run is an escape.

But I think that's the rub. There's a middle ground between running around in alleys, and living with a bunch of kids fresh out of their parents' basements in the dorms of a private university. Both of those are underwhelming choices for our heroes, who are here to subvert and ascend beyond what society expects of us.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

This issue kinda demonstrates why this series is so underwhelming to me. They're getting the band back together...just to get it back together?

As they stated this issue, they have no mission statement, no threat to unite them. Why shouldn't they move on with their lives?

[mistersandman]

The nature of the medium means that all superheroes are trapped in some Sisyphean struggle to an extent - Batman will never truly rid Gotham City of crime, there will always be another world-threatening crisis - but the Runaways' particular status quo seems especially sad and not in a tragic way. It really makes an argument for how some characters' stories should just end.

Seeing Nico pressure Karolina to drop everything in her life and go live in a cave for no other reason than nostalgic co-dependence is really not where I wanted these characters to be at the age of 18-20.

[thatnickguy]

Am I the only one who likes to believe Runaways ended with Brian K Vaughan's original run? Nothing since then has either interested or impressed me.

[mastermahan]

Some of the kids went to play interesting parts in other books, such as Nico or Victor, but the book Runaways? Everything post BKV was either dreadful or dull.

At least the Hulu series has great buzz.

[cyberghostface]

I think the current series is a step in the right direction at least in correcting some of the crap Marvel's done recently.

[gndrbendr]

This new run is really great in my opinion

The Whedon run was ok but nowhere near as good as Vaughan's, and then it was downhill from there to the point I could barely read pirated versions of the 3rd volume

But Rowell and Anka are a fantastic pair for this book and I don't think it is any less great than the originals

[icon_uk]

I have to side with Karolina on this one. What reason there was for the Runaways being together is gone, so any attempt to bring them back together again is either going to seem forced and artifical, or pointless.

[gndrbendr]

Not pointless or artificial (found families / communities sticking together and subverting societal expectations is awesome!), but potentially boring for a sci fi/superhero (even anti superhero) comic. I've deleted my comment here a few times (yikes, I know that's against the rules? Or I think it is?), but it's because I'm trying to bridge my intense desire for this comic to succeed with the criticism I'm seeing here.

I think the issue is that Rainbow and Kris need to find the overarching sci fi / fantastical plot element that is the metaphor for the next big villain / challenge of growing up. The parents being evil was genius on the part of Vaughan, and after that it's just been a series of one off adventures against various random villains which is fun and true to life, sure...but it lacks the punch of also having the bigger fantastical arc overhead.