Runaways Volume 4: True Believers Digest: True Believers v. 4 (Runaways Digest) [Paperback]

The first 18 issues of Brian K. Vaughan's series Runaways are some of the greatest comics I've ever read. His story about 6 Los Angeles teenagers who ran away from home after finding out that their parents were evil supervillains was original, witty, and exciting. I was waiting for another hardcover to come out, but I just couldn't wait any longer. These first six issues of the second run of the series are great. The widespread theory is that, while Runaways hasn't been as good since the end of the initial run, it is still very good. Personally, I don't know what to say about that. Yes, so far, it's not as good, but it is still amazing, and I feel that we need to see where everything is going before we can make judgments like that.

Anyway, the story begins a few months after the end of Eighteen, the final issue of the first run. The Runways, who include Karolina (an alien who manipulates solar energy), Molly (a super-strong mutant), Gert (a girl with a mental connection to a velociraptor), Chase (the pilot of their ship the Leapfrog), and Nico (a sorceress), who is the new team leader, have made it their mission to fight crime in LA and to help other kids. In the wake of the destruction of the Pride, which was the evil organization that was run by their parents, supervillains have flocked to LA. While the Pride was evil, they kept the other villains out of LA, but now that they're gone, a power vacuum has been created, and the Runaways feel responsible. The team is now operating in one of their parents' old lairs under the La Brea Tar Pits, and their exploits force them to run from the law. They are still juvenile delinquents in the eyes of the police and the Avengers.

However, an Avenger soon pays them a visit, but there is a twist. A woman appears in their base and claims that she is from the future and that she is none other than Gert. It turns out that she will be the leader of the Avengers in the future, but her team, along with every other superteam, will be betrayed by one of their own. The future Gert tells the Runaways to find a boy named Victor Mancha and stop him before he can grow up to become the man who destroys all heroes on Earth.

Victor is a teenager going to a Los Angeles high school, who idolizes superheroes along with his friend. The two of them often dream about what it would be like to be heroes, but neither of them feel like they could do it. But when the Runaways show up to apprehend Victor, he learns that he may not be as ordinary as he once thought.

Meanwhile, a group of former child superheroes called Excelsior has been given orders to find the Runaways and detain them. Excelsior, which is comprised of Phil Urich, the heroic incarnation of the Green Goblin, Julie Power, formerly of the Power Pack, Chris Powell, who was Darkhawk, and a few others, are a group dedicated to preventing teenagers from becoming superheroes. They feel that being a hero messes up one's childhood, and they try to track down the Runaways in order to help them. As the story goes on, the Runaways try to avoid Excelsior while get to the bottom of the mystery that is Victor Mancha.

A huge theme of True Believers is whether or not we ever truly become our parents as we grow older, which is a thought that horrifies the Runaways. Vaughan's writing continues to impress with a great story, good humor, awesome characters, and great nods to other comics. Look for the reference to Astonishing X-Men in the "future flashback". Also, while I love the Young Avengers, I think that Gert's reaction to Victor's belief that the Runaways are the Young Avengers is hilarious.

Runaways is my favorite comic, and this collection of issues is supberb, or, at least it is when it comes to the content. The format, though, leaves a little something to be desired. I don't know why Marvel would reprint this in Digest form. It actually shrinks down the book, and it is printed on non-glossy paper. While there weren't too many problems, there were a few times when I couldn't make out where one object ended and another began. Also, the cover to issue 6, which is beautiful, looks only so-so in this collection. Still, until they release a hardcover (please Marvel, release a hardcover soon), this is a good read.

This is such a great series and when the first volume ended, I wondered how it could get any better. Well, Mr. Vaughan has proved me wrong. It's better! Much better! This first book is a great reintroduction to the characters as well as a great start to the new season (as they like to call it)! We are introduced to some new characters, old villains and heroes, and get a better sense of the established characters. And what an ending!

If you like Runaways Season 1, you best be reading the second series! 'Cause it only gets better from here!

And also, I totally dig Princess Powerful! Rock on Molly!

after slogging through way too many mediocre and downright poor story arcs while suffering the seemingly interminable wait between the end of runaways vol. 1 and the new series, this TPB has single-handedly restored my faith in the power of a good story w/ great characters that's so worthwhile it gives you a buzz of enjoyment (and also restored my faith in vaughan's writing). i was wary of this new (or "renewed") series from reading descriptions of it, w/ the storyline focusing on the son of a famous marvel villain (named victor -- hmm, who could his father be?) and a new group of d-listed former teen heroes (among them darkhawk, chamber from gen x, and julie powers from power pack), but vaughan makes it work w/ some surprises up his sleeve. w/ so many characters, things could've easily gotten glossed over and left underdeveloped, but vaughan somehow makes it gel beautifully, somehow without effort. more of the focus gets shifted to these new players and so a lot of the characterization of the runaways themselves tends to be more reminders of who they are rather than further development. chase doesn't get as much to do, but the other four girls are in the thick of things and kick ***. gert is as sardonic as ever, and nico and molly are still "freakin' awesome" (wish karolina had a bit more to do though). the namechecks are still as pervasive and comical as ever also. if you loved the first series you prob. already have this. if you haven't yet gotten into runaways, get vol. 1! you know that a comic that namechecks the teen girl squad has gotta be worth reading.