I don’t like Marvel very much these days. When I was a kid, I loved the heroes. Now I just don’t care. Got back into comics and tried all the X-Men books, found the one I liked was New X-Men just as Morrison was leaving. Couldn’t remember why I had a fondness for Spider-Man. Fantastic 4and Daredevil I just don’t get into. I recently tried Captain America but I just kept forgetting what happened in the last issue of the book before I bought the next one. Ultimate universe I have mixed feelings on. But coming back into Marvel there has been one title I have enjoyed. That’s the Runaways, the first Marvel comic I started buying in over three years.
The new “season” of Runaways has the children of the Pride looking to stop Victor Mancha from one day becoming a huge menace to the world. This is because Gertrudes future self has traveled back in time to warn her younger self about how he would eradicate the Avengers in the not too distant future. The team has had a shaky time kidnapping Victor as a group of second string superheroes known as the Excelsior has been paid to find the Runaways. In issue 4 the Runaway kids bring their captive to their headquarters to figure out what to do next while the Excelsior regroups. All while Victors father finally makes his presence felt.
I’ve had mixed feelings since the series returned. It seems every issue has a lot of good stuff going for it but never quite “wows” me like anything from the first season. In this issue I liked the interplay between both groups of characters(Runaways and Excelsior). The scenes where the Runaways try to guess who Victors father could be is the best moment in the entire comic. Arguing the threat level of the villains like Kingpin or Electro is a fun read. The final reveal on who Victors father was gave me mixed feelings. I’d explain why but I don’t want to ruin the ending. Overall it was solid issue with some inspired moments but doesn’t feel up to the level of Runaways volume 1. Plus I just don’t like Victor Mancha.
Alphona, Yeung, and Strain do a great job as always on the look of the title. Their renditions of some of the villains made that scene what it was. Making Electro look like a goofy villain or channeling the threatening and larger then life feel of Galactus, Ultron or Magneto. That brief image of Magneto was stunning. Best his look since Jim Lee drew the title in my opinion. However, Victors father didn’t come off looking nearly as tough.
So I guess it comes down to this: it’s good but the first ones better. But man, that Adrian Alphona is an amazing artist.
