Runaways Vol 1 and Vol 2

So, as another birthday gift, I got the hardcover volumes of Runaways, both volumes 1 and 2.


I personally liked the first volume better, but whatever. There are spoilers in here, so if you don't want stuff to be spoiled, don't read this. This series is awesome for many reasons. One, the writing is top-notch. Vaughan delivers in a big way in writing the series. Everything carries fairly smoothly along from one story to the next and it is just great. The characters are also awesome. So many superheroes are "I have powers, I have to make a difference, I'm a good guy" that it kind of gets annoying. Sure, I can enjoy it to an extent, but it gets tiring, and I want something fresh. The Runaways are a bunch of kids who discovered their parents were part of this evil cult and they all freak out. Molly, Karolina and Nico all discover superhuman abilities (superstrength/invulnerability, magic, and alien flight/blasts and rainbow effects) and don't put on superhero costumes (well, aside from Molly in vol 1 with a makeshift cape, rubber gloves and a bad mask). Gertrude finds her telepathic Deinonychus, Chase finds some of his parents' gear, and so everybody except Alex gets stuff. And they don't become superheroes, they just try to survive. Sure, they might try to help people occasionally, but really they don't want to all the time. Something else that makes the series awesome is the humor. There is a lot more than I expected, and in the midst of some of the darker parts, the humor is a nice thing to have. Plus, the story is a really good one. Billy Zonos wasn't thrilled with the first volume, but I thought it was great. I thought it was amazing. The second volume was also good, but the first was great. What I like about the Runaways more than anything is that they are just ordinary kids who discover extraordinary things about themselves and what happens. It feels real and feels like it could just happen to you. We've all felt our parents are evil at times, some of us more than others. What would happen if they were? The dialogue and conversations feel perfect, and each of the characters stays true to their personality throughout the entire thing. I highly recommend getting Runaways and reading it. It is a great story that is awesome to have and read.