Runaways #4 review: Molly Hayes and Victor Mancha get ahead
By Alex Widen
Over the river and thru the woods to Molly’s grandmothers house they go! Yet will Victor Mancha finally wake up in Runaways #4?
Runaways #4
Writer: Rainbow Rowell
Artist: Kris Anka
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
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The Runaways reunion tour had had its ups and downs so far. Chase Stein and Nico Minoru managed to resurrect both Gertrude Yorkes and Old Lace. Unfortunately, they find that most of the rest of their cast have moved on. Karolina Dean has gone to college, and is happier there. Molly Hayes is living with her grandma, who may or may not have ties to their super-villain folks, the Pride. It still seems like Klara and Xavin and incognito. This leaves Victor Mancha, an android who falsely believed he was a real boy.
Image by Marvel Comics
Called “Pinocchio in reverse,” Victor Mancha thought he was a normal kid living with a single mom. Turned out he was the son of Ultron, designed to infiltrate the Avengers long term before destroying them from within. His skin on the outside may be biological, but within he’s pure machine. The Runaways stumbled upon him and liberated him from his core program. Victor Mancha even briefly joined an Avengers team, before being slain by the Vision’s wife Virginia.
Image by Marvel Comics
A Good Head on His Shoulders!
Yet there’s more to Victor Mancha than a pretty face! All that’s left of him is his head, yet that’s all Victor needs to start anew. For the moment, however, he’s content to observe his old friends in secret. The Runaways hop onto their van and track down the youngest member of their old team. Always the most eager to be a heroine, Molly used to insist on being called “Princess Powerful.” The daughter of evil mutants, in one alternate future she’s destined to join the X-Men!
Image by Marvel Comics
Yet now she’s enjoying normal thirteen-year-old things like Pokemon cards and 7th grade. Much like Karolina, she’s settled somewhere stable. Her grandmother, Dr. Hayes, is seemingly an idyllic guardian. She’s friendly to strangers and manages to keep Molly both happy and on track in school. However, the good doctor is also taking blood samples of Molly, and it seems like a house full of cats that she commands. Above all, Dr. Hayes makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever.
Image by Marvel Comics
At least that’s what the Runaways discover when they turn up on the Hayes’ doorstep. Molly is understandably excited to see her old friends. Yet her grandma takes a band of strangers, as well as their pet dinosaur, in stride. The Runaways reunion goes well, and the good times continue with an offer of lunch inside. Yet Gert retains her mistrust of adults; after all, she was literally resurrected after being murdered by one. She refuses to eat any grilled cheese or take part in the banter.
Image by Marvel Comics
Can Anyone Resist Dr. Hayes?
Chase and Nico, having grown up some, are a little more willing to trust. Much of their desire to reunite the old team is mixed with equal parts nostalgia and trying to please Gert out of guilt. Yet the signs of the distance between the three continue to grow. After all, Chase drinks coffee not out of spite or to be ironic, but because he’s (almost) grown up too. About the only thing everyone agrees on is wanting the best for Molly. The tragedy is how much they disagree on what that is.
Image by Marvel Comics
Molly eagerly welcomes her old pals into her new room and shares its contents. For a fleeting moment it seems like old times. Yet the writing is on the wall faster than Gert can see it. Like Karolina, Molly is happy here. Unlike Karolina, Molly is still a minor and technically has less autonomy over her life. At only 13, she needs to be under the care of a guardian or kin. While her parents were criminals, they’re long dead. Now her grandmother has custody, and Molly’s life is stable.
Image by Marvel Comics
Dr. Hayes may be a scientist, and potential super villain, but for the moment her best power is being a grandma. With a few words she already has Chase’s trust regarding working on Victor Mancha. Nico, who could be equally wary of adults in her time, finds comfort with one of Dr. Hayes’ many cats. Dr. Hayes even manages to reach out to Gert, who is clearly most isolated and lonely one of all. Not only does she win Gert’s trust, she manages to convince her to stay!
Image by Marvel Comics
A Methodical Take on Beloved Characters!
In addition, the doctor isn’t the only Hayes who is observant. Molly quickly catches on that Victor Mancha is only pretending to be “deactivated,” and is watching from the shadows. Much like the lot of them, Victor Mancha isn’t sure what path he wants his life to take, or whether or not he even wants to “be” anymore. However, much like everyone else, Victor Mancha cares about Molly. She promises to keep his secret, yet it’s only a matter of time before everyone else finds out.
Image by Marvel Comics
Rainbow Rowell continues on her methodical pace here. By this point, she has touched upon almost the entire cast as established by creators Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. Readers know who is on board for the reunion tour and who isn’t, as well as who remains undecided. Seeing the cast interact with each other again is a treat, and Rowell has a solid grasp of who they all are. In addition, she knows that most of them have grown and changed, and follows up along logical beats.
Image by Marvel Comics
Chase is an underachiever, a screw up with a lot of untapped potential. Nico seems like a leader, but ultimately is winging it at best. Gertrude puts up a cynical and guarded exterior, yet is just as vulnerable as everyone else (if not more so). Molly is the bombastic spunk of the team, while Victor Mancha remains the wild card. Old Lace continues to be the most adorable human-sized dinosaur around. Seeing her eat out of a cat food bowl is almost priceless.
Image by Marvel Comics
Just Who Will the Big Bad Be?
Yet the biggest wild card of the issue is Dr. Hayes. Rowell has built her up as a suspicious character for this opening arc. Via her psychic cats, she’s kept tabs on the Runaways from afar. She knew they were assembling again, and merely pretends like it’s a surprise. Not only does she keep blood samples of Molly, but made sure to get some of Victor’s, too. She even seems like she knows more about Chase, and the Pride, than she lets on. It could have been she who mentored Molly’s parents!
Image by Marvel Comics
On the other hand, it could all be misdirection and misunderstanding. It’s possible Dr. Hayes’ actions have a reasonable explanation which isn’t nefarious. The Runaways did do some good in California, albeit often due to circumstance. Not only did they take on their parents, they battled vampires, monsters, and even the Wrecking Crew. The only dilemma with this, is that it would then require another initial antagonist to come out of nowhere, which would be very unsatisfying.
Image by Marvel Comics
Just about the only other option would be Victor Mancha himself. His “Victorious” programming has been reactivated. Therefore, he’s presumably operating under Ultron’s old directive again. He’s helpless without a body, but both Chase and Dr. Hayes want to resolve that problem. It’s possible that in trying to recreate the past, the Runaways could end up recreating a threat to the world. Yet again, “evil robot” stories are kind of old hat, and Victor Mancha helps round out the cast overall.
Image by Marvel Comics
Molly Hayes Needs to Meet Ms. Marvel!
As fun as Molly is, a part of me wondered if she should have been older. She was roughly 12 back when Brian K. Vaughan was still writing the series roughly a decade ago. The rest of the cast (aside for Gert) have aged at least two years. Yet now Molly is still in junior high. Perhaps this is due to the fact that teenagers are more common in Marvel Comics than “tweens,” even with Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur. At the very least, I enjoyed the details of her room, and her Captain Marvel socks!
Image by Marvel Comics
While Rowell’s scripts have been solid, I’d be less than honest if I didn’t acknowledge how large a factor Kris Anka’s artwork is. Paired with colorist Matthew Wilson, Anka is producing some of the best art of his career. While he’s drawn some far out runs, as well as redesigned Spider-Woman, his artwork here seems to hit all cylinders. He captures the range of emotion for his cast perfectly, and has a masterful sense of design, flow, and style. Runaways brings out the best in him.
Image by Marvel Comics
Next: See the return of Karolina Dean in #3!
In fact, it is distinctly because of that awesome art that I cannot wait to see some more action in Runaways. While it was never strictly a “superhero” series, Runaways still had plenty of action and excitement. Either the kids were stumbling onto a mess, or dangers from their past were tracking them down. Rainbow Rowell has been building up a suspenseful opening arc here, which seems just on the cusp of the climax. Readers hopefully will be pleased when all of the disparate elements converge!