This Runaways exclusive spotlights the team’s new boomer superhero mentor
Runaways has always had a tenuous relationship with its superhero identity. The book has always been best when it downplays superhero elements to focus on the challenges faced by a group of teens and young adults on the run from authority figures, and writer Rainbow Rowell fully understands this strength. But it’s still a comic published by Marvel, set in a superhero universe, and starring superpowered characters, so eventually it’s going to dive back into the genre. The latest arc of Rowell’s outstanding run leans into the superhero element harder than the series ever has before, bringing the group under the wing of a Los Angeles superhero looking to revive his team of young costumed crusaders from the ’90s: Doc Justice And The J-Team. This story is a fascinating journey through teen superhero team history, and it’s a particularly strong showcase for Gertrude, who is forced to sit on the sidelines because none of the J-Team’s old costumes fit her plus-sized body.
