Stephanie Kay
Oct 13, 2007, 11:38 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10463" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-23t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Runaways #23"></a> Reviewer: Kevin Sutton, kevinsutton@cheerful.com
Live Faust, Die Yeung
Story Title: “Live Fast, Part Two”
Script: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils: Adrian Alphona
Inks: Craig Yeung
Colors: Christina Strain
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Randy Gentile
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (http://www.marvel.com/)
Live Fast is Vaughan's farwell storyline, and there's no solid guarantee that the Runaways will look the same as they do now as they will after the hand off to the new creative team. It's a sign of a great storyline when unpredictability reigns regardless of backstage circumstances. It's also a credit to this book that it can continue to balance any number of different themes and elements while providing differing moods in every storyline.
Chase's quest to bring back his fallen girlfriend takes on new weight this issue, as the story dovetails between fairytale superheroics and more conventional youth issues like suicide and identity. Without getting too far into specifics, Chase is dead set on his chosen course, although his fellows are not so sure about his resolve. As a reader, I must admit that Nico's arguement is a familiar refrain, and has given me doubts about Chase's intentions in returning to the Hostel, adding yet another element of unpredictability to this story. When taken with the forboding reference to the civil war-era authorities by the close of the issue, the stage is set for yet another in a strong line of action packed and surprising Runaways finales. I'm not a big universe/continuity buff, but the prospects of respecting the larger Marvel world in this era, (at least in the manner expected) plays right into the format of the Runaways, and has potential to make the situation a little more dangerous and a lot more fluid. (Although I do worry about more long term implications given what I've heard about where Whedon wants to take them....)
Runaways always makes use of appropriate themes for it's cast, unlike so many other books that don't bother with emotional undercurrents or utilize only the most operatic drama. Given it the importance of fitting in or find a purpose with teens, it was only a matter of time before an identity crisis arose again in the cast. The first time this issue came up it was mostly as a reaction to the children's fears of becoming like their own parents, but this time it's more an individual thing. Karolina, Xavin, and even Chase are all dealing with confusion about who they actually are. (Or were) I imagine that these conflicts won't resolved anytime soon.
Gert's death struck both the readers and Molly fairly hard. Even given the plot underway it's hard to imagine Vaughan going back on his decision to off every other reader's favorite character, so both the mourning and Nico's warnings all have an air of seriousness about them, even given the usual comic book cliches about ressurection. In fact, what transpires in the portrait room with Molly, while something of a cliche itself, is really almost unheard of in comic books due to the lack of genuine mortality. It's a little spooky (perhaps due to it's aberrant nature) but it also seems a more genuine and innocent expression of that 'once more into the breach' attitude of the comic book dead. Maybe we'll have a cross over with Crossing Over and get John Edwards to solve this mystery. Of course, even this incident may yet turn out to be a Wilder-sized curve ball before the series closes. I don't think I'd mind either way, as Vaughan hasn't really fumbled any delivery or surprise to date in Runaways.
I've said it before, and I again have to draw the readers' attention to the plethora of clever one liners and jokes that frequent even a serious storyline in Runaways. Fortunately no joke has ever hampered the seriousness of a crisis when Vaughan didn't want it to. Instead, like here, humour is often used to underscore the youth and innocence of the cast. It makes the book more serious, more touching, while making it more fun.
Alphona's work is almost at the pinnacle of what I want from an artist. While once in while I might find an image that isn't suitably impressive, like the bubble erupting from the tar; but usually I'm more impressed by the attention to detail shown in including things like tar covered ice cream, or showing Molly camped out in the portrait hall with Phunky chicken snacks, (Chicken that comes in a box like that can't possibly be healthy...) instead of just standing there. The portrait scene is a good example of both setting design and layout, as Molly's confusion is set against the reader's more knowing eye through the layout. Heck, the room's always looked a little creepy and symbolic, what with all the pictured dead. I wonder if it's also symbolic that Gert is the one runaway currently not only depicted with her parents...
Alphona also does a generally good job in depicting the characters in somewhat more subtle manners as well. My attention was rapidly drawn to the underdressed Nico, (Well...she was hot) which while not an example of subtlety on it's own, was relatively more than most artists in comic books have had the opportunity to showcase. Much like in real life, a change can be indicated by another, (otherwise completely normal) style of dress, without having to be totally explicit. I also noticed just as I read through this that Alphona's chosen method of displaying Xavin's shapechanging looks less like rearranging cells and more like some kind of illusion. I think that contrasts with other artists' depictions of Skrulls, and I don't think it's as appropriate, but I applaud Alphona for his attempts at visual innovation.
Yeung and Strain's work is pretty well flawless, and has always added much to the Runaways experience. Any weaknesses I've seen would only be small enough to dance on the head of a pin. (uh... the blood on Nico looked a little luminescent...) I also can't get enough of Jo Chen's excellent cover work. It wasn't until I got a good look at the cover to this issue that I noticed that the Staff of One sort of reminds me of the sign of venus, which when taken with Xavin's statement towards the end, seems appropriate if not a little coincidental.
I don't have many other ways to say that Runaways is Marvel's most consistently great title or that it's the best original superhero title created in years.
Do you think Victor would short-out if someone asked him to explain the Xorn mess?
RATING:
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BUY this issue at X-WORLD and SAVE! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=21577)
Live Faust, Die Yeung
Story Title: “Live Fast, Part Two”
Script: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils: Adrian Alphona
Inks: Craig Yeung
Colors: Christina Strain
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Randy Gentile
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (http://www.marvel.com/)
Live Fast is Vaughan's farwell storyline, and there's no solid guarantee that the Runaways will look the same as they do now as they will after the hand off to the new creative team. It's a sign of a great storyline when unpredictability reigns regardless of backstage circumstances. It's also a credit to this book that it can continue to balance any number of different themes and elements while providing differing moods in every storyline.
Chase's quest to bring back his fallen girlfriend takes on new weight this issue, as the story dovetails between fairytale superheroics and more conventional youth issues like suicide and identity. Without getting too far into specifics, Chase is dead set on his chosen course, although his fellows are not so sure about his resolve. As a reader, I must admit that Nico's arguement is a familiar refrain, and has given me doubts about Chase's intentions in returning to the Hostel, adding yet another element of unpredictability to this story. When taken with the forboding reference to the civil war-era authorities by the close of the issue, the stage is set for yet another in a strong line of action packed and surprising Runaways finales. I'm not a big universe/continuity buff, but the prospects of respecting the larger Marvel world in this era, (at least in the manner expected) plays right into the format of the Runaways, and has potential to make the situation a little more dangerous and a lot more fluid. (Although I do worry about more long term implications given what I've heard about where Whedon wants to take them....)
Runaways always makes use of appropriate themes for it's cast, unlike so many other books that don't bother with emotional undercurrents or utilize only the most operatic drama. Given it the importance of fitting in or find a purpose with teens, it was only a matter of time before an identity crisis arose again in the cast. The first time this issue came up it was mostly as a reaction to the children's fears of becoming like their own parents, but this time it's more an individual thing. Karolina, Xavin, and even Chase are all dealing with confusion about who they actually are. (Or were) I imagine that these conflicts won't resolved anytime soon.
Gert's death struck both the readers and Molly fairly hard. Even given the plot underway it's hard to imagine Vaughan going back on his decision to off every other reader's favorite character, so both the mourning and Nico's warnings all have an air of seriousness about them, even given the usual comic book cliches about ressurection. In fact, what transpires in the portrait room with Molly, while something of a cliche itself, is really almost unheard of in comic books due to the lack of genuine mortality. It's a little spooky (perhaps due to it's aberrant nature) but it also seems a more genuine and innocent expression of that 'once more into the breach' attitude of the comic book dead. Maybe we'll have a cross over with Crossing Over and get John Edwards to solve this mystery. Of course, even this incident may yet turn out to be a Wilder-sized curve ball before the series closes. I don't think I'd mind either way, as Vaughan hasn't really fumbled any delivery or surprise to date in Runaways.
I've said it before, and I again have to draw the readers' attention to the plethora of clever one liners and jokes that frequent even a serious storyline in Runaways. Fortunately no joke has ever hampered the seriousness of a crisis when Vaughan didn't want it to. Instead, like here, humour is often used to underscore the youth and innocence of the cast. It makes the book more serious, more touching, while making it more fun.
Alphona's work is almost at the pinnacle of what I want from an artist. While once in while I might find an image that isn't suitably impressive, like the bubble erupting from the tar; but usually I'm more impressed by the attention to detail shown in including things like tar covered ice cream, or showing Molly camped out in the portrait hall with Phunky chicken snacks, (Chicken that comes in a box like that can't possibly be healthy...) instead of just standing there. The portrait scene is a good example of both setting design and layout, as Molly's confusion is set against the reader's more knowing eye through the layout. Heck, the room's always looked a little creepy and symbolic, what with all the pictured dead. I wonder if it's also symbolic that Gert is the one runaway currently not only depicted with her parents...
Alphona also does a generally good job in depicting the characters in somewhat more subtle manners as well. My attention was rapidly drawn to the underdressed Nico, (Well...she was hot) which while not an example of subtlety on it's own, was relatively more than most artists in comic books have had the opportunity to showcase. Much like in real life, a change can be indicated by another, (otherwise completely normal) style of dress, without having to be totally explicit. I also noticed just as I read through this that Alphona's chosen method of displaying Xavin's shapechanging looks less like rearranging cells and more like some kind of illusion. I think that contrasts with other artists' depictions of Skrulls, and I don't think it's as appropriate, but I applaud Alphona for his attempts at visual innovation.
Yeung and Strain's work is pretty well flawless, and has always added much to the Runaways experience. Any weaknesses I've seen would only be small enough to dance on the head of a pin. (uh... the blood on Nico looked a little luminescent...) I also can't get enough of Jo Chen's excellent cover work. It wasn't until I got a good look at the cover to this issue that I noticed that the Staff of One sort of reminds me of the sign of venus, which when taken with Xavin's statement towards the end, seems appropriate if not a little coincidental.
I don't have many other ways to say that Runaways is Marvel's most consistently great title or that it's the best original superhero title created in years.
Do you think Victor would short-out if someone asked him to explain the Xorn mess?
RATING:
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BUY this issue at X-WORLD and SAVE! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=21577)