What If…? Runaways #1 Review
What If…? Runaways takes on the obvious question and reunites the group with their on/off writer since 2017, Rainbow Rowell, and asks the question, what if the Runaways never ran away? It’s a pretty basic question, so obvious that I’m surprised it’s not been told before, but ultimately, what better What If…? is there to tell around this beloved team of misfits who defied their supervillain parents and ended up saving the world themselves?
Except in this world, that didn’t happen, instead of witnessing a human sacrifice and turning against their parents the kids get caught, and are instead eased into the lives of their parents and their criminal enterprises. It’s an interesting examination of what children will accept and how far they’re willing to go along with what their parents tell them is right as long as it’s abstract and they’re not forced to see the actual consequences. Without the initial shock of a young child’s life being taken before their very eyes, each child is willing to go along with their parents’ evil plan, taken in by the promise of riches and power. The exception being Molly, too young to be swayed and instead lied to. But at the heart of the story is the simple truth that defines the Runaways, that despite the evils they were raised to accept, despite their parents being criminals and evil geniuses and assassins, they did something right and raised (largely) good kids who don’t want to rule over an empty paradise built on human suffering. Even with two years of direct indoctrination of the Gibborim pact, the kids have their own plans: to run, to hide, to take it all for themselves. But only together can they actually accomplish it, because no matter what you change, these kids are the only family they’ve ever needed.
While we don’t see too much of the world without the Runaways having run away, we get enough to make one thing clear: they made the world a better place by running away. While I won’t go into too much detail, Victor Mancha, the Runaway who is not connected to the Pride, isn’t forgotten and we get to see the consequences of a world in which Ultron’s plan isn’t stopped and “Victorious” is allowed to rise. It’s a nice reminder that even though the Runaways may feel small in scale, just kids looking to stay alive and feel safe again, their actions have mattered and they are truly heroes. I also appreciate that despite having several Runaways stories of her own to draw from, all of which I’m a big fan of, Rowell chooses to draw largely from the more classic runs here although there are a couple of nods that longtime fans will notice for sure.
While Rowell may be no stranger to the Runaways, the issue artist Zulema Scotto Lavina is not, and is pretty new to Marvel in general. They did a really great job with the group, especially on the “past” segments, capturing their looks from the original series and the style of Adrian Alphona really well. Following the timeskip, Lavina has some really stellar “Pryde” designs for the group as well, something inspired by the original Pryde designs while also feeling modern, and also something the kids would actually wear. Although it’s an action-lite issue, Lavina’s style morphs in really interesting ways during the few pages we get, losing details and using heavier lines in a way that feels weighty and deliberate, never lazy. While their more conversational scenes can feel a little static at times, it’s a really strong issue and I hope to see more of them.
What If..? Runaways is a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same, and a tale of how it wasn’t just one moment that turned the Runaways into heroes: that’s simply who they are. I’ve missed having a Runaways book, and while this fun little What If isn’t enough to tide me over it’s a great reminder of just how much I love these characters.
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