Post by goldenfist on Jun 26, 2008 8:18:45 GMT -5
Here's Ign's review on Secret Invasion Runaways/Young Avenger
s #1.
I don't understand Marvel's insistence on the pairing of the Runaways with the Young Avengers. There's really no significant link between the characters. The Runaways are based in Los Angeles, the Young Avengers across the continent in New York. Runaways has been an off-beat, quirky book related to superheroics tangentially, while Young Avengers is about as traditionally superheroic as it gets. The Runaways are a good degree removed from and wholly oblivious to the larger strokes going on in the greater Marvel Universe while the members of the Young Avengers are fundamentally tied to it. If Civil War: Runaways/Young Avengers was any indication, bolting these two teams onto one another is a colossal mistake. On paper, a more appropriate team-up would be the Young Avengers with the New X-Men kids. But it's large-scale event season so we've got another Runaways/Young Avengers tie-in limited series commissioned, and this time Chris Yost is saddled with the task of finding a plausible reason for the two teenaged teams to share the billing again.
Presumably that's forthcoming, because issue #1 doesn't give any real indication as to why this team-up exists. The Runaways hog the bulk of the spotlight this issue, as the team has the misfortune of visiting New York City when the first wave of the invasion hits (circa Secret Invasion #2, for you continuity hounds). Elsewhere, the Young Avengers fight off the Super-Skrull forces in the same vicinity as the Runaways. Uh, that's the extent of the "team up."
To be fair, Yost gets some mileage out of the fact that both teams currently sport a Skrull on their roster, so they've each got valid reasons to be caught in the SI tidal wave. Xavin in particular is a strong, well-written figure in these pages. But for me at least, after the Civil War fiasco I need a good reason for the Runaways and Young Avengers to be lumped together again and after reading this issue, I still don't buy it. Out of the gate, the Runaways' reason for being in New York is contrived. If fundamental logic about the book is fudged and you're having one of your characters angrily comment on it in the opening pages, there's something wrong.
Takeshi Miyazawa provides pencils for the issue, and I think it's a horrible mismatch for the tone of the book. Miyazawa's colorful, hypercute style works well with the first couple pages when the Runaways are buying hot dogs from a street vendor. But then aliens invade a major American metropolis and start killing people for the rest of the issue. Colorful, hypercute aliens. You see the problem. Miyazawa draws a fairly nice-looking Skrull, but I don't think his style is exactly right for the sort of thing SI: R/YA is doing.
If you're a diehard Runaways fanatic who's in agony over the title's extended delays you might find this a worthwhile pickup. But considering the book finally did ship this week, that might not even be enough. Only marginally entertaining.
Review Score: 6.8 Passable
s #1.
I don't understand Marvel's insistence on the pairing of the Runaways with the Young Avengers. There's really no significant link between the characters. The Runaways are based in Los Angeles, the Young Avengers across the continent in New York. Runaways has been an off-beat, quirky book related to superheroics tangentially, while Young Avengers is about as traditionally superheroic as it gets. The Runaways are a good degree removed from and wholly oblivious to the larger strokes going on in the greater Marvel Universe while the members of the Young Avengers are fundamentally tied to it. If Civil War: Runaways/Young Avengers was any indication, bolting these two teams onto one another is a colossal mistake. On paper, a more appropriate team-up would be the Young Avengers with the New X-Men kids. But it's large-scale event season so we've got another Runaways/Young Avengers tie-in limited series commissioned, and this time Chris Yost is saddled with the task of finding a plausible reason for the two teenaged teams to share the billing again.
Presumably that's forthcoming, because issue #1 doesn't give any real indication as to why this team-up exists. The Runaways hog the bulk of the spotlight this issue, as the team has the misfortune of visiting New York City when the first wave of the invasion hits (circa Secret Invasion #2, for you continuity hounds). Elsewhere, the Young Avengers fight off the Super-Skrull forces in the same vicinity as the Runaways. Uh, that's the extent of the "team up."
To be fair, Yost gets some mileage out of the fact that both teams currently sport a Skrull on their roster, so they've each got valid reasons to be caught in the SI tidal wave. Xavin in particular is a strong, well-written figure in these pages. But for me at least, after the Civil War fiasco I need a good reason for the Runaways and Young Avengers to be lumped together again and after reading this issue, I still don't buy it. Out of the gate, the Runaways' reason for being in New York is contrived. If fundamental logic about the book is fudged and you're having one of your characters angrily comment on it in the opening pages, there's something wrong.
Takeshi Miyazawa provides pencils for the issue, and I think it's a horrible mismatch for the tone of the book. Miyazawa's colorful, hypercute style works well with the first couple pages when the Runaways are buying hot dogs from a street vendor. But then aliens invade a major American metropolis and start killing people for the rest of the issue. Colorful, hypercute aliens. You see the problem. Miyazawa draws a fairly nice-looking Skrull, but I don't think his style is exactly right for the sort of thing SI: R/YA is doing.
If you're a diehard Runaways fanatic who's in agony over the title's extended delays you might find this a worthwhile pickup. But considering the book finally did ship this week, that might not even be enough. Only marginally entertaining.
Review Score: 6.8 Passable
