Marvel announces new Runaways series for September

Some awesome news coming from The House of Ideas this morning…

For most kids, finding out your folks belong to a world-dominating cabal of super villains would be about the craziest thing in the world—but they’re not the Runaways! Back in 2003, Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona introduced us to a book called RUNAWAYS and a cast of characters that we instantly fell in love with. The adventures of Nico, Karolina, Chase, Molly, Alex, and Gertrude grabbed a faithful fan following that led to a number of volumes as well as appearances in other books like AVENGERS ARENA and A-FORCE.

In September, the newly announced RUNAWAYS creative team of novelist Rainbow Rowell and artist Kris Anka will have plenty of plans for the kids as they continue to grow up in a world jam-packed with threats large and small constantly threatening existence. The gang will get back together again starting with Chase and Nico who haven’t exactly been on the best of terms lately. We talked with Rowell and Anka about the importance of this book, where they plan to take it, and how they’re working together to get there.

Marvel.com: The Runaways have gone through a variety of trials and tribulations since their last series ended. How does this new volume find them when it picks up?

Rainbow Rowell: So many trials and tribulations! The series picks up with them really down on their luck. I mean, half of them are dead. They’ve been squashed and scattered, and the ones who are left don’t even think of themselves as Runaways, necessarily. They never chose each other, you know? They were just kids who got thrown together in a crisis.

This whole first arc is about trying to getting the band back together—when you can’t even agree there was ever a band.

Marvel.com: It sounds like the book kicks off with Chase and Nico reuniting. How does she react to letting him back in her orbit?

Rainbow Rowell: She’s so fed up with him. Nico and Chase have spent the most time together since RUNAWAYS ended. They’ve—maybe literally?—gone to hell and back together. And he was a thorn in her side the whole time, constantly on her nerves.

So, Chase shows up in Nico’s living room, trying to get her to help him with this spectacular mess he’s made. And she doesn’t want to! She doesn’t want to get dragged back into his dysfunction.

Marvel.com: These characters have grown and evolved so much over the years, what still makes them “Runaways?”

Rainbow Rowell: These four people—Chase, Nico, Karolina, Molly—have been through something so tragic and so traumatic and so specific. They betrayed their parents, they saved the world, they made themselves orphans. There’s so much unspoken between them that no one else will ever understand. I think they’ll always feel like home to each other. They’ll always be Runaways.

----------------------------------------------

To see that next step in their evolution, check out RUNAWAYS #1 by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka in September!

 

Source: Marvel

Commentary: It is always hard to create a new lasting character.  Ignoring characters directly tied to an existing character's name or legacy, RUNAWAYS may be the last "new" successful property that Marvel has created...and they debuted 14 years ago.  A few weeks back, Marvel had posted a quick little tease suggesting Nico would be returning.  I really hoped it would be in a new RUNAWAYS series, and here we are!

RUNAWAYS is one of my all time favorite series, so I am definitely looking forward to this.  I don't know much about Rainbow Rowell, but the interview she gave Marvel.com showed she has a strong handle on the characters and what RUNAWAYS is all about, so I am eager to see what she can do with them.

Marvel posted more teasers featuring each of the other four surviving RUNAWAYS...and then a quick image of Gert with no text at all (see below).  While I usually hate that death is such a revolving door in the Marvel universe, I would be in favor of bringing Gert back in some capacity.  CAN'T WAIT FOR SEPTEMBER!