Tired of Running? A Review of Runaways #3

written by Rainbow Rowell
drawn by Kris Anka
colored by Matthew Wilson

Former Runaways Nico Minoru and Chase Stein, together with their formerly deceased teammate Gert Yorkes, whom they rescued from death through a combination of time travel and sorcery continue their mission to get the group back together again. Their next stop is Karolina Dean, who is currently enrolled in college, and is, in a word, happy. This could spell trouble for their reunion plans, which Chase is taking so seriously that he's been carrying around former teammate Victor Mancha's severed robotic head since last issue, convinced, perhaps not without reason, that he can be "rebooted." It's also bad news for Gert, who, having been snatched out of the time stream, remains a child even as the majority of the group have made the awkward transition into adulthood.

The new team of Rainbow Rowell, Kris Anka and Matt Wilson finally appears to have hit its creative stride, having gotten all of the messy exposition out of the way, by posing the team's first real dilemma: What's the point of even getting back together? What exactly is left to run away from? It's an entirely valid question, especially considering the circumstances under which the group got together in the first place. It's interesting that this problem is viewed from two distinct viewpoints, that of Gert, for whom the past was basically just yesterday, and that of Nico who, despite all the years and adventures that have gone by, basically hasn't found anything better to do. While Gert was basically ripped out of her original timeline, it's Nico to whom readers who have grown up with this title may better relate. Her childhood has come and gone, with a couple of harrowing experiences to show for it, but adulthood hasn't quite been what she'd hoped for, and so reliving her childhood with a time-displaced Gert may not seem like such a bad idea. Chase, whose misadventures catalyzed this series, has apparently never left his childhood in the first place.

Kris Anka really brings his artwork to life in this issue in a way he didn't quite manage in the first couple of outings. The highlight, for me, is Gert's conversation with Chase while he tinkers with Victor's apparently inert head. She is just wonderfully expressive here, especially when the reality of her situation hits her square in the gut and she basically breaks down. The emotions feel palpable here, and Anka's art perfectly captures the moment that Rowell is going for with her script.

Of course, the fact that we're already halfway through the first arc and still just discussing whether or not the group should even get back together is points against the book overall, but since this series relaunched two months ago, I feel this is the first real sign of life it's shown so far.

8.5/10