Runaways was re-launched (or continued with a new numbering system, or whatever, this week). The new run is written by Strangers in Paradise creator, Terry Moore. And the first issue was terrible. Really, really terrible. I wasn't really expecting much, but man...
Besides the fact that it was overall terrible, and numbered #1 for no reason, Xavin spent the entire issue as a dude. What the hell? Like...seriously...there wasn't even any mention of the fact that Xavin (a shape shifting Skrull for those of you who aren't familiar with the series) is in a lesbian relationship with Karolina. At one point Chase even asks Xavin "Dude, who wears the pants in your relationship anyway?" when Xavin wants to do something that Karolina won't approve of. Seriously...WHAT IS GOING ON? I need answers.
Plus, the art was no good.
People are dropping this from their pull lists like its hot...which it is not. And that's too bad because it's one of the few truly great original concepts for a super hero comic to come out of the big two in a long time. Plus it's one of the best teen books ever. If Marvel destroys this then I will never forgive them.
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it's a shame, a book with so much potential that has just been squandered. the bad writing and art has just totally alienated me, and if they are somehow going to retcon the Xavin sexuality thing that will do me in altogether. totally agree with your take. argh!
Wow. Where's all the hate coming from?
I've been reading Runaways since it began, and while I thought it was kind of a patchy start, I thought t was mostly Moore getting used to writing this sort of thing.
My only big problem was Xavin, and I think that was mostly just communication problems. We'll see if that gets fixed.
And Ramos is one my favorite artists! I don't get people's negitivity. He draws kids better than most anyone. His Molly and Klara are particularly awesome.
Right now I'm pretty much only reading "teen" stuff from Marvel, and all of it in trades. Looks like I'm in for a rough time when both Terry Moore's Runaways and Terry Moore's SMLMJ come out.
I certainly didn't hate it as much as most people seem to. Although I think the complaints are totally valid. I agree that the art isn't as pretty as we're used to on Runaways (nothing will touch Alphona), but I find I get used to Ramos. Xavin as a man the whole issue is inexcusable, though. I hope it picks up, because it would be terrible if this run scares people away from the book and the title ends up in limbo.
Oh, and glad to see that Angel (the show) has grown on you, I love the last few seasons.
The weird thing for me is that...like, I had my doubts about Terry Moore, but I thought surely the one thing that he would get right would be the lesbian relationship. Right? It's kinda shocking.
And, yeah Owen. I loved Angel. I loved it all the way through. I'd say season 5 was losing me a bit because it was so insane, but it was still a great series. I don't know why all the Buffy fans bailed on it. I enjoyed it just as much.
Oh, man, this is the same Ramos that ruined some good Paul Jenkins Peter Parker: Spider-Man scripts with his horrible art, isn't it? Maybe he'd be a good artist for something like a Plastic Man comic, where nothing stays the same shape for more than one panel and everyone is constantly skewed into a bizarre parody of a human form, but his art is just an example of saying "It's stylized" to hide poor skills. If you're going to go all Cubist with the art you really need a history that demonstrates a very good traditional style, otherwise your "stylings" look like mistakes.
This hurts, I really loved Runaways. (Reading in trades and not caught up, but I will give this a shot when it comes up.)
I love Humberto Ramos, though, so I'm not worried about that. Hope he draws some more backgrounds, though.
And maybe Xavin forgot. They're not having sex all the time. Maybe he changed to the male form and forgot. When it's time to bed the princess, Im sure he'd change back. Or maybe she has girly equipment under the pants. And that Chase comment? Well, it's Chase...
Ramos said some stuff about Xavin on his blog. His first sketches had Xavin in female for, and he noted that he had to draw the character in male form for the actual issue. It seemed like an editorial thing.
Again though, I'm wondering if it isn't some communication problem.
And his PP: Spider-man stuff was amazing.
I don't think that Ramos is a bad artist, I just think he's the wrong choice for this book. Runaways is a youth comic for sure, but it isn't a kids comic, and it shouldn't look like Power Pack.
This whole Xavin thing is so confusing.
"Oh, man, this is the same Ramos that ruined some good Paul Jenkins Peter Parker: Spider-Man scripts with his horrible art, isn't it?"
Funny you should say that. I thought Jenkins' Spider-Man scripts were horrendous, but I read through some of them to get to see the pretty Ramos art. It's just plain fun to look at. I don't think he can redeem Moore's bad writing, though. I hope Mary Jane and Runaways are given back to good writers before Moore runs them too far into the ground, but I fear by the time he's done with them no one will want to write or read them anymore.
Now, Runaways is a problematic series in any event. I don't think even Brian K. Vaughan knew what to do with them past volume 1. They were a one-story team: they find out their parents are super-villains, they run away, they beat their parents, the end. I don't think any of volume 2 was on the level of volume 1, just because there wasn't any point anymore. They're still fun characters, but what do you do with them? They just find themselves in one conflict after another, same as any other team. They're not interesting like that. What's interesting is the generational conflict.
Y'know, it could work if they got more proactive. Going around America, rescuing kids from their abusive supervillain parents. Like, there was a short story Sean McKeever wrote in Amazing Fantasy 15 about an alien girl who's trying to escape her father. That would fit in nicely. Or, they could try to protect kids from the Registration Act. I dunno. There must be something good that can be done with them in the long-term.
God, even that cover looks like shit. I don't know who the blond Bill S. Presenton, esq. knock-off in the corner is, but I want to hurt him. Badly.
And then castrate his father for impregnating his mother with him.
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