Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, The Runaways debuted in July 2003 as part of Marvel Comics’“Tsunami” imprint (created to appeal to manga readers, it didn’t last long). It was saved from cancellation by high numbers of trade collection sales and came back in 2005. After 30 more issues, Vaughan and Alphona left the title and the Runaways keep fighting for a while before the band got disbanded.
They were six normal teenagers linked only by their wealthy parents’ annual business meeting … until a chance discovery revealed the shocking truth: their parents are the secret criminal society known as the Pride! For years, the Pride controlled all criminal activity in Los Angeles, ruling the city with an iron fist … and now, with their true natures exposed, the Pride will take any measures necessary to protect their organization—even if it means taking out their own children! Now on the run from their villainous parents, Nico, Chase, Karolina, Gertrude, Molly and Alex have only each other to rely on.
Marvel Runaways Reading Order
I. The original Runaways
- Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects Runaways (2003 – 2004) #1-18. - Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 2
Collects Runaways (2005 – 2008) #1-18, Free Comic Book Day 2006 (X-Men/Runaways) #1. - Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 3
Collects Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #1-4, Runaways (2005) #19-30, Runaways Saga 1, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1-3. This volume contains tie-ins to the Civil War Event (reading order here), and the Secret Invasion Event (reading order here).
Spin-off Alert! The Loners is a series featuring the former teen heroes who were foils to the Runaways in Vol. 2. They were the teen heroes known as Darkhawk, Turbo, Ricochet, Green Goblin and Lightspeed. Now they’re five young adults trying to stay out of spandex.
- The Loners: The Secret Lives of Super-Heroes
Collects Loners #1-6.
- Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 4
Collects: Mystic Arcana #4: Sister Grimm, Runaways (2008 – 2009) #1-4, What if the Runaways became the Young Avengers? This 14-issue third series features the cast of Nico Minoru, Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Xavin, and Klara Prast. It was launched with Terry Moore, with Kathryn Immonen writing the final arc.
II. Not The Runaways anymore
Until now, our Runaways were not so hard to track down, even if some Marvel events make things more complicated to follow. This changed with the Heroic Age, the new “status quo” for the Marvel Universe in 2010 after the events of Siege (reading order here). Let’s note that it resulted in a number of optional issues, where the characters are just guests—rarely together. What’s coming next is a listing of notable appearances from different characters, alone or together, but it’s not always “The Runaways.” The team really gets back together a little later.
- S.W.O.R.D. #2,5
Gyrich is able to persuade the heads of S.W.O.R.D. to pass legislation to have all aliens currently living on Earth deported from the planet while Brand was distracted with another mission. He manages to take several notable aliens into custody including Karolina Dean. Collected in S.W.O.R.D. - Uncanny X-Men: The Heroic Age
Molly meets the Beast at the La Brea Tar Pits where the two discussed extinction. Collected in Uncanny X-Men: Birth of Generation Hope. - Strange #4
Nico Minoru makes a non-speaking cameo in this issue (February 2010) collected in Strange: The Doctor is Out. - Daken #17-19
When Daken must kill a member of the Pride, he goes to find out the kids who must know how: the Runaways in a story arc collected in Daken: Dark Wolverine: The Pride Comes Before the Fall. - Iron Man Legacy #7-8 & #10-11
Tony Stark wants to bring back hope to an impoverished L.A. neighborhood, a plan not approved by The Pride ! Alex Wilder guest stars in those issues collected in Iron Man: Industrial Revolution. - Avengers Academy #27-28
Giant-Man, Victor Reptil, and Chase… Lightspeed and Karolina… what are the connections that make these combustible crews collide? In those issues collected in Avengers Academy: Second Semester. The Runaways also make a brief appearance in #39. - Avengers Arena
The series takes 16 young heroes (Nico Minoru and Chase Stein are two of them) and pit them against each other in a kill-or-be-killed reality-show-like scenario on Murderworld run by Arcade. There are 3 TPBs – Kill or Die, Game On and Boss Level. Other Runaways appeared in issue #13. X-23 is also in this series. - Young Avengers #11-14
Karolina Dean appears in those issues collected in Young Avengers Vol. 2: Family Matters. - Avengers Undercover
A follow-up to Avengers Arena. Damaged by their experience in Murder World, five conflicted young superhumans go rogue and infiltrate the Masters of Evil, planning to bring the Avengers’ rivals down from within. There are 2 TPBs – Descent and Going Native. - Infinity: The Hunt #1
Molly Hayes makes an appearance in this issue collected in Infinity: Heist/Hunt. - Avengers A.I.
Following the Age of Ultron storyline, Victor Mancha joins up with Henry Pym’s Avengers A.I. alongside Monica Chang, Vision, and a reprogrammed Doombot. There is 2 TPBs – Human After All and 12000 AD. - Vision Vol. 2: Little Better Than A Beast
Collects Vision (2015) #7-12. Sometimes after Avengers A.I., Victor moves in with Vision after getting an internship in Washington, D.C. It’s better to have read the first volume for a better comprehension of the story.
III. Runaways & the Secret Wars
Secret Wars was a Marvel Event where The Marvel Universe is colliding with the Ultimate Universe. Pieces of the two universes are mysteriously saved and combined with other post-collision universes creating the “Battleworld.” To make sense of it all, read Secret Wars, of course! The full reading order of the event is here.
- Battleworld: Runaways
Collects Runaways (2015) #1-4, Secret Wars: Secret Love #1. - A Force
From the ashes of Battleworld, Marvel’s newest hero Singularity has risen and entered the Marvel Universe. But she didn’t make the journey alone. To combat the most fearsome threats from across the multiverse, Singularity will summon the world’s mightiest team of Avengers to her side: She-Hulk. Captain Marvel. Dazzler. Medusa and Nico Minoru. There is 2 TPBs – Hypertime and Rage Against The Dying Of The Light.
IV. Runaways by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
As Marvel does, with the TV Show came a relaunch of The Runaways. Coming from author Rainbow Rowell with art by Kris Anka, the new incarnation goes back to the original cast (even the dead characters are back).
- Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #1-6 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 2: Best Friends Forever
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #7-12 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 3: That Was Yesterday
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #13-18 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 4: But You Can’t Hide
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #19-24 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 5: Cannon Fodder
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #25-31 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 6: Come Away With Me
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #32-38
