GETTING LOST INSIDE A GOOD STORY IS LIKE GETTING LOST INSIDE THE BELLY OF THE BEAST. IN OUR LAST POST WE INTRODUCED THE BASIC PREMISE OF THE RUNAWAYS, BUT AS WE REFLECTED, AND REVISITED THE SERIES WE HAD TO GIVE EACH CAST MEMBER THEIR DUE. BESIDES THE STORY, BRIAN K VAUGHAN BREATHES YOUTH, COMPLEXITY, WIT, AND EXUBERANCE INTO HIS DIVERSE CAST OF POSTMODERN ANTI-HEROES. WE FELL IN LOVE WITH EACH RUNAWAY, NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY SET THE MARK FOR A RACIALLY, ETHNICALLY, AND PHILOSOPHICALLY POSTMODERN TAKE ON THE HERO GENRE.
ALEX WILDER IS THE SERIES P.O.V CHARACTER, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN TEENAGER IMMERSED IN THE ONLINE WORLD OF M.M.O.R.P.G.S,. ITS IN HIS MALIBU MANSION WHICH HE DISCOVERS HIS PARENTS HIDDEN LAIR. HIS RATIONAL THINKING AND NATURAL AFFINITY FOR STRATEGY AND TACTICS MAKE ALEX THE DE FACTO LEADER OF THE RUNAWAYS
GERTRUDE YORKES IS THE PHILOSOPHER, THE VOICE OF REASON, THE MOST SAVVY OF THE GROUP. EARLY IN THE SERIES WE SEE HER ARGUING THE FINER POINTS OF CAPITALIST VS SOCIALIST MINDSETS AGAINST HER PARENTS, (WHO HAPPEN TO TIME TRAVEL FOR “WORK”) IMAGE A GENETICALLY ENGINEERED TELEPATHIC VELOCIRAPTOR FROM THE 87TH CENTURY FOR HER B’NOT MITZVAH GIFT. NO JOKE
KAROLINA DEAN IS THE STARCHILD OF THE CAST. HER PARENTS ARE FRANK AND LESLIE DEAN, HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STARS. KAROLINA IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE GROUP. THE OPENHEARTED, SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS, MUSIC LOVING VEGAN, IS AN EXILED ALIEN PRINCESS. SHE GLOWS, SHE CAN FLY, HER GROOVY CODENAME IS “LUCY IN THE SKY”
NICO MINORU IS THE MORAL COMPASS OF THE RUNAWAYS, IT WOULD BE FITTING THAT HER STRICT CHRISTIAN UPBRINGING WAS USED TO CONCEAL THE FACT THAT SHE COULD POSSIBLY BE THE MOST POWERFUL SORCERESS ON THE PLANET. HER MOTHERS STAFF OF ONE, AN ARTIFACT OF HER JAPANESE ANCESTRY CHOSE HER AS ITS TRUE OWNER, THE CATCH IS NICO CAN ONLY CAST EACH SPELL ONCE!
CHASE STEIN IS THE JOCK OF THE RUNAWAYS, THE OLDEST AND MOST STREET SMART OF THE CAST. HIS VARSITY LEVEL LACROSSE SKILLS DON’T EARN HIM ANY BROWNIE POINTS WHEN BOTH OF HIS PARENTS ARE GENIUS LEVEL SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS. AT EIGHTEEN HE HIDES THE DARK SECRET THAT HIS FATHER IS ABUSIVE TOWARDS HIM FROM HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS. TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WHEN YOUR BACK IS AGAINST THE WALL, CHASE WILL ALWAYS PULL YOU OUT.
MOLLY HAYES IS THE YOUNGEST OF THE CHILDREN, AT ELEVEN YEARS OLD. THE OLDER RUNAWAYS ACT AS A SHIELD, TO PROTECT MOLLYS INNOCENCE FROM THE HORRIFIC EVENTS THEY FIND THEMSELVES CAUGHT UP IN. ALTHOUGH THE SMALLEST AMONG THEM, THE ONSET OF HER NEW MUTANT POWERS REVEAL SHE PACKS ONE MEAN PUNCH.
THE MOLE. A SUBPLOT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SERIES. SOMEONE IN PLAYING BOTH SIDES, AND FEEDING THE PRIDE BREADCRUMBS OF INFORMATION. ITS NOT WHO YOU THINK IT IS. BUT RE-VISITING THIS EPIC SERIES. WE STARTED TO SEE TOO MANY PLOT SIMILARITIES ANOTHER STORY THAT CAME DOWN THE LINE, FROM A RIVAL COMPANY. YOUNG JUSTICE TAKES A MAJORITY OF THE SAME PLOT BEATS, AND THEMES FROM RUNAWAYS, SEE SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS. THE PRIDE, CONVENIENTLY BECOMES THE LIGHT, AND INSTEAD OF BRINGING DOWN THE ORGANIZATION FROM WITHIN. THE YOUNG JUSTICE TEAM “INFILTRATE” THE LIGHT, INSTEAD OF HAVING ONE MOLE ON THEIR TEAM, THEY USE THREE. “HOMAGE” BORDERING ON PLAGIARISM IS NOTHING NEW IN THE INDUSTRY. THE MATIX 1999 WAS FAMOUSLY “LIFTED” FROM GRANT MORRISONS INVISIBLES 1994 GRAPHIC NOVEL. IT’S COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT COPIES OF THE GRAPHIC NOVELS WERE LITTERED AROUND THE MOVIES WRITERS ROOM, AND THE SERIES WAS REQUIRED READING. IT’S OBVIOUS THAT THAT RUNWAYS (2003) WAS THE MAIN INSPIRATION FOR DCS (VERY WELL PRODUCED) YOUNG JUSTICE(2011). SORRY BRO, JUST SAYING
WITH LONG HEARD WHISPERS IN HOLLYWOOD, OF A BIG SCREEN ADAPTATION OF THE RUNAWAYS BY MARVEL STUDIOS, WE HAVE OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT THIS GRAPHIC MASTERPIECE ISN’T LOST IN TRANSLATION, BECAUSE OF OUR MONEY YOU CANT BEAT SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY PERFECT. THE RUNAWAYS ARE THAT SPECIAL X X
924COLLECTIVE 