Runaways No. 17 review: Alex Wilder leads the Gibborim debate
By Alex Widen
Alex and Chase Have Different Ideas about the Gibborim! Yet What Ideas Do the Others, or Gib, Have in Runaways?
Runaways No. 17
Writer: Rainbow Rowell
Artist: Kris Anka
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
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The Runaways are the children of a group of criminals who performed mystical rites to ancient gods called the Gibborim in exchange for power. Now, the children of the Gibborim have come seeking retribution! They’ve entrapped the kids within their own Hostel base and given them a week to sacrifice an innocent life for them in “the Rite of Thunder,” or die. To this end, the trio of god-spawn have left one of their own, Gib, to stand watch over the Hostel. Yet he’s proven to be an inconsistent guardian. He briefly allowed Nico Minoru to leave, and has allowed their ally Doombot to enter!
Image by Marvel Comics
Having been brought to bear on the Runaways by former member (and founder) Alex Wilder, the team has split as to what to do. Alex insists on reversing the rite to gain power for themselves, and slaying Gib. Chase Stein refuses to even consider anything Alex says. Molly Hayes is almost too innocent to be plotting murder. And the rest find themselves somewhere down the middle (aside for Old Lace, who just wants food). Yet now it is the eve of the deadline, and everyone has to make a move. Gib, for instance, takes steps to prevent Doombot from interfering or getting aid.
Image by Marvel Comics
“How Do You Spend the Night Before the End of Your World?”
On the other hand, Gib may be closer to the Runaways’ side than he lets on. While he remains stoically silent, he demonstrates to Chase that he, at least, is free to leave at anytime. Could all of those acts of kindness demonstrated over the past few issues have melted the young god’s heart? Chase, for what it is worth, refuses to buy into it. He correctly notes that the Gibborim already established that they’ll gladly replace the Runaways with a new group willing to obey.
Image by Marvel Comics
And that is another angle of the Gibborim’s trap. It isn’t that all of the Runaways fear being killed by them, but fear what will be unleashed on the world if the Gibborim do replace them. The young gods will destroy the world if they can claim one more innocent life in a ceremony, and there are plenty willing to do it. As such, the last evening before the fated day comes with a subtle sense of dread, with each of the various team members spending it in their own ways.
Image by Marvel Comics
Nico and Karolina Dean, having finally come out to each other and in regards to their shared love, spend it together. Alex spends it sharpening a ritual blade. Molly and Old Lace spend it snuggling in a pile of pillows and blankets. Chase spends it working on his mechanical “fistigon” weapons. And both Gert Yorkes and Victor Mancha spend it researching more of the Pride’s texts and tomes, looking for some magical loophole. Gert seems to be the first to come around to Alex’s plan.
Image by Marvel Comics
Whose Side Are You On?
The next is Karolina, at least for a moment. There appears to be no better immediate option, and there is no hope of rescue. While Nico is hardly eager to go along with Alex once again — and risk another betrayal — Karolina is eager to defend the love they’ve only begun to explore. And while Victor still wants to be an ideal superhero despite his own skeletons, Gert proves to be far more pragmatic. Molly, being the youngest, doesn’t fully understand the choice and just wants to fight.
Image by Marvel Comics
That leaves only Chase, who is bitterly against Alex no matter what. He considers their ex-member a traitor and a schemer, and for once Chase isn’t wrong. Yet he offers litter alternative rather than hoping aimless combat will lead to a stroke of luck. It’s usually what’s passed for a battle plan for the Runaways, much to the chagrin of Alex — and the departed Lightspeed. Despite everyone’s misgivings, the pair eventually give the appearance of a united front for the Gibborim.
Image by Marvel Comics
Yet things are not so cut and dry once Gib’s siblings arrive. They are literally named Bo and Rim, further cementing that the godly trio are akin to small children. While Alex is eager to kill Gib to twist the rite, it turned out the green horned young god is on their side. Gib has seen the Runaways’ true hearts, and finds kinship with their. His siblings, however, only see cattle to be herded. Before long the gods are at each other’s throats, as Gib takes on his ravenous siblings!
Image by Marvel Comics
Never Trust Alex Wilder with a Knife!
The Gibborim find themselves divided, as do the Runaways! They must have something in common! Chase leads the team in a desperate gambit to defend Gib and defeat the other two. Yet as usual, his reckless lack of a plot proves hollow. Half the team combined can’t even slow Rim down. And both Gert and Victor are busy haggling over whether the former should use her time platform to escape into the past and prevent this dreadful present. As usual, Alex plans a twist!
Image by Marvel Comics
Rainbow Rowell constructs what feels like the penultimate chapter of this latest arc, which has been the biggest yet for her run on Runaways. As usual, the best bits are the moments between the characters and the conflicts between them. While none of them trust Alex, most of the team are willing to flex a bit when faced with no options. Alex may have a past as a traitor and manipulator, but will he simply repeat history? And is it worth doing something terrible in the name of love, or to prevent something worse?
Image by Marvel Comics
Unlike many other Marvel comics, where the struggles between superheroes and super villains typically end in black-and-white terms, the world of the Runaways never wound up that way. Their interactions with the rest of Marvel were typically rare and often misunderstood. As such, they can’t expect an eventual triumph. While some of them, like Victor and to a lessor degree Molly are idealists, the rest have to be as pragmatic as most normal teenagers might be.
Image by Marvel Comics
“Fight-Like-Crazy-And-Hope-We-Get-Lucky” Is How the Avengers Do It!
Yet despite the foreboding which permeates the issue, Rowell never forgets a moment or two of humor. Chase’s own nickname for their haphazard lack of a fighting strategy is hilarious. And as always, Gert often gets some of the sassiest lines in the middle of a crisis. Despite her deal with the staff of one, Nico’s spells remain as ineffective as ever. Even Bor mocks the team’s lack of any sort of strategy. The group has relied on fate and some time travel to have lasted this long!
Image by Marvel Comics
Kris Anka, once again, delivers a marvel of an issue. He is at home with the moodier scenes which showcase the debate between the characters. Yet he also delivers on the action, as well as some of the cuter bits (such as the Molly and Old Lace pile). He excels at character reactions, especially body language. His sense of fashion and attention to detail, from tattoos to symbols, make the world seem a bit more “real” around its fantastic characters than most other artists manage.
Image by Marvel Comics
Next. Celebrate the Christmas Before the Apocalypse in No. 16!. dark
Ultimately, this arc’s debate is one between life and death, or dark and light. Can the Runaways manage to escape from the Gibborim with their morals and integrity intact? Or is their world truly a shade of grey, and they’ll have to compromise their ethics to save both themselves, and the world. And just what would god-powered Runaways even do with their power? Unlike many other comics, the resolution is hardly predictable, and not every character may make it. 2018 was a strong year for this latest volume of a beloved franchise, and this first issue of 2019 shows no sign of resting on its laurels. Here is hoping this run can endure for quite a while longer!