Runaways, a dern nightmare!

[cyclops2500]

So here I am lamenting the end of BKV and Alphona's run on Runaways, one of my favorite books, when I find out today that Joss Whedon's taking over the title.

How the heck am I supposed to drop this book now? I'm at the point where I would read a Whedon book illustrated by a blind man with carpal tunnel in his good hand.

What direction do you think the book will be going in? I'm hoping that Whedon will be able to preserve BKV's running themes, and there won't be any problems with the dialogue, but I'm wondering what he'll do with them.

[Beast]

Where have you been? There's been an entire thread about this when it was announced months ago.

As for dropping the book, just take a look at what Whedon's doing on Astonishing X-Men and figure out that's how bad it will be. If you like his work there, then you'll probably like it here.

As for the direction, I doubt it will change all that much. Considering Whedon wrote a fan letter to the book during it's first year and always loves having strong teenage girls who kick ass.

[Sandoz]

Plot-wise, Whedon has said in interview that:

*Someone new will join the team
*The Runaways will go on a "road trip" of sorts, going back to the initial theme of kids, well, running away.

[Beast]

Plot-wise, Whedon has said in interview that:

*Someone new will join the team
*The Runaways will go on a "road trip" of sorts, going back to the initial theme of kids, well, running away.
The first one smells like Whedon's pet character, Hisako Ichiki.

She has been mentioned during BKV's Runaways after all.

[cyclops2500]

Where have you been? There's been an entire thread about this when it was announced months ago.

As for dropping the book, just take a look at what Whedon's doing on Astonishing X-Men and figure out that's how bad it will be. If you like his work there, then you'll probably like it here.

As for the direction, I doubt it will change all that much. Considering Whedon wrote a fan letter to the book during it's first year and always loves having strong teenage girls who kick ass.

I was out of town for two weeks, must've been then.

[Nick MB]

Hasn't Whedon also said that he's leaving after six issues?

[The Shadow]

just take a look at what Whedon's doing on Astonishing X-Men and figure out that's how AWESOME it will be.

Edited for accuracy.

[Beast]

Edited for accuracy.
It's not really that awesome. And I like the X-Men. :p

[The Shadow]

It's not really that awesome. And I like the X-Men. :p
Well, it's better than the Grant Morrision, Chuck Austen (and I like Austen's stuff usually) and Peter Milligan stuff of the last few years.

[Beast]

Well, it's better than the Grant Morrision, Chuck Austen (and I like Austen's stuff usually) and Peter Milligan stuff of the last few years.
Yeah, true. But so is a punch in the groin. Doesn't mean I enjoy it. ;) :D

[The Shadow]

Yeah, true. But so is a punch in the groin. Doesn't mean I enjoy it. ;) :D

Fair enough... but put it in perspective.

A punch in the groin verses a series of punches to the head, a boot to the face and a leg drop by Hulk Hogan. :D

Commence posedown.

[Affinity]

The first one smells like Whedon's pet character, Hisako Ichiki.

She has been mentioned during BKV's Runaways after all.
That'd be kind of cool. I loved the way Alphona drew her, I'm not sure about Ryan. He writes her pretty cool but then again I'm not sure I LIKE her so much as enjoying her zomg wooooow moments. Which is basically what Astonishing is, lol.

[Hi-Fi]

I'm gonna miss BKV and Alphona so much. That said, I think Joss's Runaways will be better than his Astonishing X-Men (wich I love, by the way).

[AnthonyJ]

When Joss Whedon takes over the book, dropping the book may be a nonissue. You can't drop a book unless it's actually coming out and you're just not getting it. If the book doesn't come out, you haven't dropped the book.

[Wild Card13]

To be honest, I don't know if Hisako will join the Runaways. Currently, it's been heavily implied that she's become possessed by Cassandra Nova, so that'll tie her up for a while. I think Joss will create someone new.

As for her being mentioned in Runaways before, that was kind of as a tribute to Whedon's work, since BKV is as big a fan of Joss as Joss is of him.

[Beast]

Yeah, but Astonishing X-Men should have ended months ago. So Hisako's fate should have already been shown in Astonishing X-Men. Plus her not coming back to the X-Mansion to join the Runaways allows Whedon's Blindfold character to be right about her prediction, without anyone actually dying. :)

[yeoman]

I'm gonna miss BKV and Alphona so much. That said, I think Joss's Runaways will be better than his Astonishing X-Men (wich I love, by the way).

I don't have a problem with Hisako as a character, but doesn't two teenage super-strong mutant girls on the group seem redundent from a story telling perspective?

Characterwise it might be intresting to have someone that's hung around the more mainstream super-types (even if not really participating).

[Hi-Fi]

I don't think it will be Hisako at all. I think it will be another boy.

[Wild Card13]

To be honest, I really hope it's not Hisako. I want Joss' new character so very badly to be a boy. The Runaways has always had rotten luck with their guy members for some inexplicable reason. Xavin's first appearance, he fights the whole team. Same with Victor, who nearly kills them. Alex is a traitor, of course. And Topher, remember him? Yeah, he was a vampire. Now Chase has gone monkeypoo on the team, too. I think it's high time the Runaways had a male member who wasn't so problematic. And if the current arc goes as I think it might, Chase will go down, and we'll see the re-emergence of Gert, which will again tip the gender scales once again.

So, yes. Male member, please.

[twilight]

Well, it's better than the Grant Morrision, Chuck Austen (and I like Austen's stuff usually) and Peter Milligan stuff of the last few years.

Agree with Austen and Milligan but saying Whedon is better than Morrison is just plain silly.

Stuff happened in Morrison's run,like it or not.
Nothing's happened in Whedon's.Nothing of any importance anyway.
Colossus came back,the Danger Room became a robot and run away and the X-Men fought the Hellfire Club for six issues.

[protege]

what i wanna know is, did gert buy it or not in the last series?

[Deathstroke]

Man, my comic shop didn't even get #23 in this week, even though it was on the invoice. DAMN DIAMOND box packers!

[Sandoz]

Hasn't Whedon also said that he's leaving after six issues?
He said that's all he's signed up for so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if Marvel tries to squeeze another six issues out of him.

[Beast]

He said that's all he's signed up for so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if Marvel tries to squeeze another six issues out of him.
Agreed. At least enough to stick in a OHC. :)

[The Shadow]

Agree with Austen and Milligan but saying Whedon is better than Morrison is just plain silly.
Not at all.

Stuff happened in Morrison's run,like it or not.
Just because "stuff happened" doesn't mean it should have or it was very good. As soon as Morrison was gone the damage control began.

Nothing's happened in Whedon's.Nothing of any importance anyway.
Colossus came back,the Danger Room became a robot and run away and the X-Men fought the Hellfire Club for six issues.
How many issues was Morrison's X-run versus Whedon's?

[cyclops2500]

Just because "stuff happened" doesn't mean it should have or it was very good. As soon as Morrison was gone the damage control began.




OK, let's be real. It wasn't so much damage control as it was bitter retconning on MArvels' part because Morrison signed an exclusive with DC. Morrison's run made the X-men matter again. The team/title/franchise had been so bad for so long that they were being held afloat almost strictly on the strength of the movie franchise. Morrison came in and injected some life into the book and the team. New attitudes, new flavors, and nobody knew what would happen next. Personally, I thought it was awesome, even the less than great stuff.

[Beast]

OK, let's be real. It wasn't so much damage control as it was bitter retconning on MArvels' part because Morrison signed an exclusive with DC. Morrison's run made the X-men matter again. The team/title/franchise had been so bad for so long that they were being held afloat almost strictly on the strength of the movie franchise. Morrison came in and injected some life into the book and the team. New attitudes, new flavors, and nobody knew what would happen next. Personally, I thought it was awesome, even the less than great stuff.
No, it was damage control. As has been said many many times, almost nothing of Morrison's run was outright retconned other than Xorn not being Magneto. The school is still public. Scott is still with Emma. Jean is still physically out of the picture. Beast is still a cat. Cassandra Nova is still around. I can go on and on, but that's not the point. It's really tiring to see Morrison fans continue to claim that what his stuff was retconned because he went off to DC. It was retconned to salvage Magneto's character, nothing more.

[Brian "Vash" Ashby]

The whole "stuff happened" argument is something some people will always have problems with.

Ive come to terms that, for instance, just because stuff happened it doesn't make it good in my opinion. And thats not some absolute, its rather i like character driven stories more than plot driven. I like writers like dan slott, gail simone, chris claremont, vaughan and the like because their works are vastly more focused on characters and relationships than plot lines. I have problems with writers like Bendis, Millar and Morrison( to an extent) as i feel the overly emphasize plot over character. I think more than anything plot vs character is really the big divider of who likes what writer. I, controversially, like GLA over Watchmen because its character driven whereas Watchmen is plot driven. I'm beginning to come to the realization that comments like “at least stuff happened” or “so and so never does anything” and the like carry a little less weight than i would have previously assumed because of the subjective nature of the readers, and so on.

As such, all i hope is runaways keeps up the character driven nature of the book. Whedon seems to be that type of writer as his plots are somewhat shallow. I suspect he will be a decent choice for the tone of the book in the same way i would say someone like Morrison would be a horrible choice. Certain franchises can switch between plot driven and character (like the x-men where both have done admirable jobs Xorneto aside) but some really dont seem suited to such shifts in my opinion.

Although i will say I'm somewhat concerned there will be a noticeable drop in the quality of the characters with Whedon, i being a pretty big detractor for his handling of Kitty. And although Whedon is more character driven his astonishing really seems to harken too far back to classic x-men. But this is a problem i dont think he will be having on Runaways.

To be fair though, im sure the only good news involving a creative team switch for runaways for me would be if Jo Chen was doing the art duties full time.

[Jack]

No, it was damage control. As has been said many many times, almost nothing of Morrison's run was outright retconned other than Xorn not being Magneto. The school is still public. Scott is still with Emma. Jean is still physically out of the picture. Beast is still a cat. Cassandra Nova is still around. I can go on and on, but that's not the point. It's really tiring to see Morrison fans continue to claim that what his stuff was retconned because he went off to DC. It was retconned to salvage Magneto's character, nothing more.
Mutant culture was basically wiped out with Decimation, though, and that was my favourite part.

[Beast]

Mutant culture was basically wiped out with Decimation, though, and that was my favourite part.
Even though other than a couple mentions, it never played a part in the series either.

[PaxHouse]

what i wanna know is, did gert buy it or not in the last series?

Yes, Gert met her unfortunate demise within RUNAWAYS[VOL II]#18......:mad: :(

[bulbasteve]

I don't see what the big deal is, you are getting the real deal now, I can't be the only one that thought Runaways was half the time just a pale imitation of something like Buffy.

[Beast]

I don't see what the big deal is, you are getting the real deal now, I can't be the only one that thought Runaways was half the time just a pale imitation of something like Buffy.
No, in fact I think you probably are the only one. Other than the Vampire storyarc, it's nothing like Buffy.

For one, Runaways was actually always entertaining. The same cannot be said for Buffy.

[innocentboy]

1234567890

[innocentboy]

1234567890

[BloodRedSandman]

I will still be picking it up eitherway.
Runaways is my favorite read. I got some of the boys in my scout troop addicted to this book.

Yes, Gert met her unfortunate demise within RUNAWAYS[VOL II]#18......:mad: :(
I got a feeling that Gert will be back...... some how.
Same with Alex.

[bulbasteve]

No, in fact I think you probably are the only one. Other than the Vampire storyarc, it's nothing like Buffy.

For one, Runaways was actually always entertaining. The same cannot be said for Buffy.

I mean in terms of the overly snarky dialoge and pop culture reference, not the particulars of the story.