Comic Credits
- Writer: Rainbow Rowell
- Penciler: Kris Anka
- Inkers: Kris Anka with Craig Yeung (#7, #10-12) & Triona Farrell (#8-9)
- Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
- Cover Art: Kris Anka
- Assistant Editor: Kathleen Wiseneski
- Editor: Nick Lowe
- Runaways created by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona
Kicking off this review is Kris Anka’s fashion choices, which are amazing and makes the book feel apart of current times. From the main cast to even background characters, everyone’s style feels unique to them and that is a huge plus compared to other comics that do not put in the effort to diversify clothing. In other comics readers are met with characters just wearing plain clothes that seemingly everyone else wears. There is no sense of individuality like we have in the real world where everyone dresses differently however, in Runaways it feels like I am reading a book that takes place right now!
Then as for the plot, I did not see the certain storyline with Abigail coming. I went into this thinking “Oh, this will be a cute story with Molly,” but no I was the fool. I have to say after reading this book I found myself enjoying what it is about. It is the story of being a kid and having to come to the realization that everyone will grow up to become an adult. Now, it is great to see someone like Molly have this arc, especially since she is the “kid” among the Runaways group. Reading this, I thought it was the last thing to expect, but Rainbow Rowell does an amazing job with giving each character something to do. In this case, it is Molly’s time to get some development and growth. Also, the scene where Molly talks about meeting Julie Power is great and completely to her character. Speaking of Julie Powers, she is a great addition to this arc. I never read the Power Pack so throughout the issues she was in, I got a good sense of her character and I appreciate what she brought to the story as a character. Overall, this story makes me look forward to Molly’s next arc, since her excitement is contagious.
With the astounding appearance of Doctor Doom, I feel as though I have not seen or read about him in anything since Secret Wars. So, seeing him now in this dapper green costume and raising hell for the Runaways is great. I was not expecting such a callback to happen, but I am glad it did occur. I will not spoil anything else about that reveal, or as to why he is in Runaways but fans will surely be in for a shock. Furthermore, reading about Doctor Doom here, I forgot how much I enjoy him as a character and I am looking forward to seeing him in the next arc if he is still around.
One thing I really enjoyed about this trade is the story called “But what about Klara.” It is a small story about a character named Klara that the Runaways previously helped in the older series. Now, having not read the first Runaways run in its entirety I apologize if I get some information wrong, but I feel like the story presents the reader enough context about Klara. In addition, it ties into the overall current arc of Runaways, as it is an arc on how time has changed for everyone and the group is trying to figure out how to operate after being separated from one another for so long. Seeing how time has moved forward and a character like Gert has to come to terms with that, is solid character development that I loved immensely.
Whereas, the final issue in this collection is about Nico and Karolina going to dinner together; with this dinner date ultimately leading to their first kiss! During the dinner, Nico and Karolina even make a reference to the older scene where Karolina’s expressed her feelings towards Nico, but they were not originally reciprocated. Now, it is nice to see feelings be mutually reciprocated, as it gives their relationship a chance to finally start. It is not said whether they are girlfriend and girlfriend, but given the facial expressions as well as dialogue I can firmly see this as the start of them ultimately getting together.
Final thoughts, Runaways Volume 2: Best Friends Forever is fantastic from start to finish! I really enjoy the trade for the ups and downs it brought to this group of characters. I am looking forward to volume 3 and seeing where this creative team takes our group of Runaways. From the looks of things, trouble is on the horizon and I could not be more excited to see how it all plays out. For fans that were introduced to the Runaways via the Hulu series, I feel like they will be able to read this new run on the characters without getting lost. Yes, there is a difference in terms of character history but I never felt lost reading the book. The creative team does a fantastic job giving the reader all the information they need, so they are presently aware of the story that is being told. Furthermore, fans can click here to purchase their own copy via Comixology.
Final Grade: 5 out of 5 “Best Friends”
