Runaways by Christopher Golden - OPTIONAL

Golden, Christopher. Runaways, 348 pgs. Marvel Press (Disney Book Group), 2018. Language – R (88 swears plus 4 more in the tag story after the ending, 0 “f”), Mature Content – PG13 (homosexual and heterosexual couples); Violence – PG13; 

The Runaways are five friends united by their unique abilities and literally murderous parents. They didn’t think their situation could get more complicated after killing their evil parents and having to go on the run, but they were wrong: their parents weren’t the only group murdering innocent people for power. Now that the Runaways know that evil is still running amok in LA, the five must decide what they can—and should—do before more lives are lost.

This book makes references to seasoned Marvel characters, like the Avengers, but the Runaways are more similar to Marvel’s Spiderman. The five members of the Runaways are all under 18 years old, and, while they have been forced to grow up quickly, I like that they are so real as they are trying to find their place in this world—only on a slightly more complicated level than the normal teenager. As the story started out, I found the progression slow and switching between all five points of view complicated, but it grew on me. The Runaways’ story is not over, but I love these new heroes.

Note: There is a bonus short graphic story at the end of the book that has nothing to do with the main story besides the same characters.

HS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen.